A pair of glowing blue eyes hovered over me in a void of darkness, so blue
they seemed to pierce the very essence of my soul. A voice, raspy from
disuse seemed to whisper into my ear.
"I will strip the flesh from your bones. I will pull your eyes from your sockets. I will." I sat bolt upright in my bed, breathing hard. It had only been a dream, I told myself. Only a dream. And then I saw the two blue orbs outside my window. I shuddered. They never blinked, never moved, never stopped staring at me. I dared a glance at the clock. Four in the morning. Great. The eyes were still there when I looked back. I sat on my bed, staring at them, with my legs pulled up to my chest. As much as I wanted to, as much as those eyes scared me, I couldn't look away. Because what would happen if I did would be much worse.
I waited til the last possible second before leaving for school. I kept hoping they'd disappear, but they never did. I grabbed my backpack and slung it over my shoulder before bolting for the door. I saw the eyes again through another window and this time I could see the outline of a face and a white robe. I flung the front door open and rushed out into the mist. There was hardly an inking of the sunrise and if not for the streetlights it would have been nearly pitch black. I walked as fast as I could, but I could hear her ragged breaths behind me and the smell of decay lingered in the air. I hoped I wouldn't have to wait long for the bus.
I felt her cold breath on the back of my neck. I whirled around, my heart racing, but she wasn't there. I looked around for her as my pulse slowed down and turned around to check for the bus. Samara's face was inches from mine, her eyes radiating a harsh blue. I shrieked and stumbled backwards, but luckily as she walked slowly towards me, the bus arrived.
I stumbled up the steps onto the bus, my breathing still ragged and shallow. I heard soft footfall behind me. She was still following me. I sank shakily into a seat and she slid into the one across from me, her eyes never leaving me, her rotted, sunken, face never showing emotion. I shivered and curled up again.
She followed me down the hallway at school to my first class. People seemed to ignore her, yet still to naturally shake and part for her to get by. She never said a word. She stood in a corner of the classroom, but neither the students or the teacher seemed to notice. Jenn was the only person who seemed to feel she was being watched by some unannounced presence. It was the same in every class. I was relieved by the time lunch came around, since even if my friends couldn't see her, they could still take my mind off her.
Andy was already at the usual table outside under the purple tree. He laughed when he saw us approaching.
"How much'd you have to pay somebody to dress up like Samara and follow you to lunch?" Jenn whirled around and squeaked. Samara slowly lifted her head. Her hair fell back, revealing her cold, emotionless, blue eyes and pale mottled skin. Andy's eyes went wide and he fell backwards with a scream.
"Who is that?"
"I dunno, she's been following me around all day!" I said, panicing again. At least I knew I wasn't completely crazy, if other people could see her too. Staci showed up and as soon as she saw Samara, she dropped her lunch with a squeal. We all were staring wide eyed at the pale girl before us, who was staring back with a harsh glare.
A frisbee appeared out of nowhere and nearly hit Samara, but as soon as it got within a foot of her, it exploded. She turned to the boy who had thrown it and he fell over, clutching his head, screaming.
"STOP IT SAMARA!" I screamed, hyperventilating once again. "That's it, we have to find Priya. She'll know what to do."
"That doesn't make any sense. Why would Priya have anything to do with this?"
"Because It's Priya and a somewhat Living Samara."
We made a break for Jenn's car, skipping the rest of school. Staci slammed the door before Samara could follow her in and we all breathed a sigh of relief, but before we reached the light at the end of the road, Samara appeared in the backseat between me and Staci. We all screamed and Jenn nearly swerved off the road. As soon as our nerves calmed down, we had to roll down the windows because the smell of rotting flesh was so overwhelming.
When we finally got to Priya's school, Andy made a fake phone call to the main office, telling them that Priya was needed out front because of a family emergency. When Priya showed up and saw who was accompanying us, her face split into a wide grin.
"Samara, long time no see!" Samara blinked at Priya, which was the most emotion she had ever shown. Priya directed Jenn to her house and when we got there, Priya took us down in the basement.
"Ok Samara, do your stuff." Samara's eyes began to glow much more than usual. I felt my heart begin to beat faster. I gave an involuntary shudder, and felt the other three around me do the same. My pulse skyrocketed. The noise resounded in my head. The last thing I heard before it blotted out all other sounds were Priya and Samara's maniacal laughter.
"I will strip the flesh from your bones. I will pull your eyes from your sockets. I will." I sat bolt upright in my bed, breathing hard. It had only been a dream, I told myself. Only a dream. And then I saw the two blue orbs outside my window. I shuddered. They never blinked, never moved, never stopped staring at me. I dared a glance at the clock. Four in the morning. Great. The eyes were still there when I looked back. I sat on my bed, staring at them, with my legs pulled up to my chest. As much as I wanted to, as much as those eyes scared me, I couldn't look away. Because what would happen if I did would be much worse.
I waited til the last possible second before leaving for school. I kept hoping they'd disappear, but they never did. I grabbed my backpack and slung it over my shoulder before bolting for the door. I saw the eyes again through another window and this time I could see the outline of a face and a white robe. I flung the front door open and rushed out into the mist. There was hardly an inking of the sunrise and if not for the streetlights it would have been nearly pitch black. I walked as fast as I could, but I could hear her ragged breaths behind me and the smell of decay lingered in the air. I hoped I wouldn't have to wait long for the bus.
I felt her cold breath on the back of my neck. I whirled around, my heart racing, but she wasn't there. I looked around for her as my pulse slowed down and turned around to check for the bus. Samara's face was inches from mine, her eyes radiating a harsh blue. I shrieked and stumbled backwards, but luckily as she walked slowly towards me, the bus arrived.
I stumbled up the steps onto the bus, my breathing still ragged and shallow. I heard soft footfall behind me. She was still following me. I sank shakily into a seat and she slid into the one across from me, her eyes never leaving me, her rotted, sunken, face never showing emotion. I shivered and curled up again.
She followed me down the hallway at school to my first class. People seemed to ignore her, yet still to naturally shake and part for her to get by. She never said a word. She stood in a corner of the classroom, but neither the students or the teacher seemed to notice. Jenn was the only person who seemed to feel she was being watched by some unannounced presence. It was the same in every class. I was relieved by the time lunch came around, since even if my friends couldn't see her, they could still take my mind off her.
Andy was already at the usual table outside under the purple tree. He laughed when he saw us approaching.
"How much'd you have to pay somebody to dress up like Samara and follow you to lunch?" Jenn whirled around and squeaked. Samara slowly lifted her head. Her hair fell back, revealing her cold, emotionless, blue eyes and pale mottled skin. Andy's eyes went wide and he fell backwards with a scream.
"Who is that?"
"I dunno, she's been following me around all day!" I said, panicing again. At least I knew I wasn't completely crazy, if other people could see her too. Staci showed up and as soon as she saw Samara, she dropped her lunch with a squeal. We all were staring wide eyed at the pale girl before us, who was staring back with a harsh glare.
A frisbee appeared out of nowhere and nearly hit Samara, but as soon as it got within a foot of her, it exploded. She turned to the boy who had thrown it and he fell over, clutching his head, screaming.
"STOP IT SAMARA!" I screamed, hyperventilating once again. "That's it, we have to find Priya. She'll know what to do."
"That doesn't make any sense. Why would Priya have anything to do with this?"
"Because It's Priya and a somewhat Living Samara."
We made a break for Jenn's car, skipping the rest of school. Staci slammed the door before Samara could follow her in and we all breathed a sigh of relief, but before we reached the light at the end of the road, Samara appeared in the backseat between me and Staci. We all screamed and Jenn nearly swerved off the road. As soon as our nerves calmed down, we had to roll down the windows because the smell of rotting flesh was so overwhelming.
When we finally got to Priya's school, Andy made a fake phone call to the main office, telling them that Priya was needed out front because of a family emergency. When Priya showed up and saw who was accompanying us, her face split into a wide grin.
"Samara, long time no see!" Samara blinked at Priya, which was the most emotion she had ever shown. Priya directed Jenn to her house and when we got there, Priya took us down in the basement.
"Ok Samara, do your stuff." Samara's eyes began to glow much more than usual. I felt my heart begin to beat faster. I gave an involuntary shudder, and felt the other three around me do the same. My pulse skyrocketed. The noise resounded in my head. The last thing I heard before it blotted out all other sounds were Priya and Samara's maniacal laughter.