Chapter 10
Double digits!
Kaida awoke lying down in a bed. She groaned and tried to catch some sleep.
"Hey get out of bed, Kaida!" A woman's voice screamed from behind her door. "You're going to be late for school!"Kaida shot out of bed. She hadn't gone to school since she was eight. Kaida walked to the pink wardrobe on the other side of her room. She opened the simple pink doors. She started seeing stripes. Pink and white dresses covered the interior of the wardrobe. She went to the back of the wardrobe. Kaida tried as hard as she could to remember where she hid her real clothes. She saw a dash of a rusty red pair of pants. "Kaida, I swear by the mightiest spirits above, you better hurry up!" Kaida grabbed the pants and pulled them on. Then she ran through the wardrobe, pulling a white shirt from the front. She quickly slipped into the clothes and rushed out of the door, crashing into a large hefty body.
"Sorry!" Kaida yelled as she ran out the front door. She was partially blinded by the deceiving sun. It was cold, really cold. Kaida looked at the ground. It was covered in white fluffy snow. She ran back inside.
"Kaida, you can't lolly-gag around the house!!You got to get to school!!" The woman said as Kiada came into the house. "Oh, and your coat is under your bed." The woman said, reading Kaida's mind.
"Thanks ma'am!" Kaida said as she ran back to her room. She grabbed the coat without looking at it and ran right back out again. DING DONG DING DONG! A giant bell rang from across town. It was the late bell; if anyone got to school after the bell finished ringing they would be punished. Kaida rubbed her butt as she remembered their favorite form of punishment. She started running toward the source of the noise. She burst though the front gate of school with only two minutes left to go! Kaida ran straight through the school and into her classroom just as the last bell ran. 'Safe' Kaida thought to herself as she quietly plopped into her desk. There was a small menacing woman standing at the front of the room. She was the teacher.
"Be quiet while I take attendance, everybody." The teacher said in a nasally voice. There was no need to say that as the kids were all sitting quietly, hands crossed in front and unconvincing angelic smiles on their clean faces. Kaida tried to look as they did but failed. The teacher cleared her throat. "Shino?" All the boys raised their hands. "Very good. Kamiko?" All the girls except Kaida raised their hands. "Is there anybody's name who I have not called?"
Kaida raised her hand. "You didn't call my name!" She yelled. The teacher paid no attention. "You didn't call my name, and in case you haven't noticed yet, I'm right here!!" She got up out of her seat. The sun blared in her eyes partially blinding her again. Kaida raised her hand to shade her face. But it didn't work. The sun was a blood red glow in her eyes. She sat back down and looked down at her feet. They were blood red and transparent! She wasn't there! The room fell into the shadows.
"No, how can I be in the spirit world!?" Kaida screamed unheard by the creeping shadows. She closed her eyes and covered her ears, hoping that it wouldn't become an inescapable nightmare. She heard a thumping in her head, in her ears and in her very soul. A drum beating faster and faster went on in her head causing her to uncover her ears and open her eyes.
When she opened her eyes she saw two things. First thing she saw was her shadow. Second thing she saw was her shadow dancing, even though she hadn't moved a muscle out of pure terror.
It swung shamelessly. Her shadow arms moved, and her body began to follow. Her arms were held out, ready to hold on. She blinked and when she opened her eyes she saw Elsu! Standing in a dashing blue suit with the most beautiful smile on his clean face, he made her fall. He picked her up easily, and resumed the dance. Kaida blinked again and the sweet, loving Elsu was gone; replaced by a much more sinister version.
He smiled an evil smile, grabbed her throat
And both disappeared
No more than dust,
Or shadows on the wall.
And Kenke just laughed.
Not too good.