Zachary continued his homework, attempting to clear his head and answer the questions. Dawn was breaking, and the faint glimmer of light shown through the window beside him. He could feel the heat trickling over his skin, teasing him with the comforts of warmth; flashes of drowsiness hit Zach, and he forcibly shook himself from the temporary hypnosis. He had been up all night. The sun was almost up by now. He couldn't see. He couldn't think. He could barely breathe. With a relieving sigh of forfeit, Zachary began to clean up his desk, his unfinished homework packed into his folder. Mrs. Athens didn't check Grammar homework, anyways. She usually just called on students to answer the questions. That's the way she always worked.
Zachary smiled and closed his eyes. It's good to get some rest. As long as he didn't fall asleep, as long as he didn't enter that hateful place…
He found himself in a ruined building. No…Zachary shook his head in frustration. He had been careless, allowing himself such a momentary reprieve. He almost gave a shout, but quickly caught himself, for he was never sure when It was nearby. He scanned the room in which he found himself. It was made of stone, and pieces of glass littered the ground. A picture frame lay crashed on top of a half-destroyed piano, which in turn was overturned and on top of a lamp that had fallen down. Cracks in the wall were the sole decorations of the wall, and dust gathered in the air whenever the steady wind blew. Not a thing moved, and not a sound was heard.
Coughing from the dust, Zachary stood up from his corner in the room, and rocks tumbled off as he got up from them, and it caused more dust to rise into the air. Falling into a coughing fit, Zachary hastened to gather his hands to cup his mouth, when he noticed movement outside the window. With a sudden burst of speed, Zachary crouched and leaned to the side, hoping he had not been sighted.
He peered out of the window, and saw a figure running down the road. Impossible. There was no one here except for him. He'd been here every night for days and there's been no one else besides him. With haste, Zachary gathered himself and ran to the door, and tried to open it. No use, it was jammed shut. Zachary backed away from the door, and with speed and strength, he rammed against the door with his shoulder, and it buckled easily under his pressure, giving way to him.
Zachary fell through the door, and landed sideways on the ground. Looking down the road, the figure disappeared in a flash as it turned a corner, and Zachary reached out with his hand in desperation. "No…" he mouthed.