DISCLAIMER: Resident Evil and its trademark are rightfully owned by Capcom.
CHAPTER 5: Look What the Bird Brought In
A gentle breeze ruffled my hair as I hurried to my locker before History class. It's a Monday morning and as usual the hallway was packed with kids hurrying to their first period class or getting their books from their lockers. After squeezing past a group of kids, I finally saw my locker. It's located by the middle of the row and I'm glad I didn't get one that's on the top row or else I'd have trouble trying to reach up my stuff since I'm pretty short. Stopping in front of it trying to catch my breath, I hoisted my backpack back to my shoulders.
"Three…nine…six…one," I muttered to myself as I tried to put in the combination numbers for the padlock.
"You know, you shouldn't mutter the combination numbers for your locker. Someone could have heard you and note it down."
I whirled around to the voice beside me to see a grinning Catherine. She's wearing a short pink polka dot dress over black leggings and white sandals. She's leaning on the locker next to mine.
I rolled my eyes. "Since when are you the sneaky type?" My locker door opened and I grabbed my history textbook and shut the door.
"Oh, you know. I guess hanging around with Tommy so much keeps me on my sneaky side because he's full of tricks. Someone's gotta counter him, you know?" she said with her evil smile as she fell beside me on our way to class.
"Fine. Just don't be too much like him. One Tommy's enough," I replied tossing my hair back my shoulders. I jammed my book inside my shoulder bag and zipped it closed. I straightened my blue and white singlet and my white skirt before Cath and I started making our way to class.
"I wonder what Mr. Winston has in store for us. I heard rumours that the class might be having a field trip. Ohhh, which would be so cool!" Catherine nudged me on the side still grinning. I smiled back in return.
"That would be a good change. It's nice to get out of the classroom every once and again."
We arrived in our class and quickly settled in our seats. As usual, both of us sit by the second row by the window side. It's a great spot in the classroom for me. Every time I need to think about something I just look out the window and it gives me ideas for my answers. We dropped our bags on our desks and got out our books and pens. The class was noisy. A couple of boys in the corner were throwing paper airplanes at each other. A group of girls sat around a set of tables discussing the new issue of Girlzone magazine. A couple of people were discussing their assignments in other subjects.
"What's up, girls?" Tommy came towards us, a backpack slung over his shoulder and a basketball tucked under his other arm.
"Hey, Tommy. We're good. Where's Cameron?" I asked.
"Right behind you."
I turned around to see Cameron standing behind us. He gave us a smile as he pulled up a seat behind us, turned it around and sat down. I smiled shyly and quickly looked away. I don't know why, but his smile always makes me feel shy.
"How's your knee, Ann? I hope you weren't scratched too badly," he asked studying my bandaged knee.
"Oh yeah! Your knee! I was so excited to get to the bottom of the field trip class rumour that I completely forgot about that maniac we met the other night." Catherine exclaimed.
"Tsk tsk. I know you are a bubble of energy but a ditz as well? Is there anything else that wouldn't surprise me?" Tommy taunted Catherine, smirking.
He was met with a scrunched up paper ball flying towards his face. "Ow!"
We all laughed. Catherine stuck out her tongue at Tommy. He glared back at her.
"I'm fine. I'll survive. It's just a scratch. Anyway, I can't help but feel that the guy who I bumped into looks familiar. It's like I've seen him before but can't remember where." I said resting a hand on my cheek as I leaned on my desk.
"What, you've got a stalker now?" Tommy asked.
"No, no. I think I've seen him before somewhere. And did you guys see his hand?" I asked, now a worried look is etched on my face.
"Come to think of it, yeah. His hand looked infected or something. Like the skin is falling off." Cameron said.
"Gross! I didn't actually see his hand. I was more worried about Ann. But there's definitely something weird about that guy." Catherine said. She looked at Tommy. "Did you see it?"
He shook his head. "Nah. So are you saying this guy has a horrible skin infection or something? Didn't they say on the news that the attacks happening are done my some crazy people who looked like they were sick or something?"
Cameron nodded. "I heard my mom and dad talking about it the other night. The attacks are done by people who are sick, like they've got leprosy or some other skin disease."
I shuddered. "I sure hope whatever he has is not contagious. Or else we'll be in trouble!"
"Yeah! I can't bear to think about it. Maybe we should all have a check up with a doctor, perhaps." Catherine said worriedly. She was chewing her nails and I know her well enough to see that she's feeling very uncomfortable and nervous.
The bell rang. Everyone dispersed and started heading back towards their seats.
"I'll catch up with you guys later. Are we still meeting on after school today about our assignment?" Cameron turned to me before he headed to the back to his seat.
"Yep, sure. I'll meet you after your practice?" I asked.
He nodded again. "Don't forget to cheer us on so we'll do better." He flashed me a smile. I tried to hide it, but I know I must be blushing. I managed a feeble nod.
I felt Catherine nudged me again on the side. "Hey! Are you blushing? Looks like Cameron likes you!" She giggled. I nudged her back.
"Sshh! The teacher's coming!" I whispered glaring at my best friend.
Mr Winston walked to his desk and dropped the pile of papers from his arms. An old middle age man with a balding head, a moustache and round glasses, he is the typical history teacher at a high school. "Ok, class. Please get back to your seats and take out your books. Today we will be doing a new topic which is the slavery on African American people. That should be interesting."
"Are we having a field trip?" someone from the back called out.
"Where are we going?"
"We're having a field trip?"
"Can we go to the zoo?"
"No way, the zoo's boring! Let's go somewhere else!"
Questions rang out in the classroom. Kids are more interested in getting out of the classroom than learning something that happened millions of years ago. Excited whispers flew everywhere.
"I heard that we're supposed to be having a field trip this year. It's part of our curriculum. Is that true, Mr. Winston?" Catherine called out raising her hand.
I tried to hide my smirk. Trust Catherine to get down straight to the point. But secretly, I would like to go out on a field trip. It's been a while since we had one and the last one I went to was pretty boring. If I recall correctly we were studying the outer space in the 6th grade and we had a visit over at the Stardome Planetarium. We had to draw the solar system and watch a slideshow about the planets. It's not really my thing so I found it boring.
Mr. Winston sighed and put his hands on his hips. He pushed his glasses up his nose. "I suppose you kids would like to get to the bottom of this field trip news. I don't suppose any of you will pay any attention to the lesson unless you know what's going on."
"Yeah, tell us! We wanna go on a field trip!" Tommy called out.
"Field trip! Field trip! Field trip!"
Students in the class chanted. I couldn't help but join in as well. Pretty soon, Catherine was chanting along with all of us. After a few minutes, Mr. Winston held up both hands in an act of surrender.
"Alright, kids! Settle down! I'll tell you as soon as you quiet down." He said looking over the class.
Everyone became silent awaiting the news.
"As part of our History class curriculum we are to partake in a class field trip this year. Now, I have thought hard about the places we can go to and it is important that we go to a place related to one of our major topics this semester," he continued as he scanned the class.
"Can't we have a party at the park?" Tommy asked. The whole class laughed.
I saw Catherine roll her eyes at the corner of my eye. Trust him to crack a dry joke at this time.
"What the heck does that have to do with history, goofball?" she asked out loud giving Tommy a look.
"Hey, hey! Don't hate me coz I've got better ideas. We gotta have fun while we're young, you know? Who doesn't like to party?" he asked the class wearing a huge grin on his face.
The class cheered. The guys sitting around Tommy clapped and patted him on the back. I shook my head and turned back to Mr Winston.
"Sorry, but no. Our major topic this semester is the history of slavery imposed among the African American community. So I thought the best place to have our field trip is the museum. It has a whole section on American history particularly the slavery of the African American community. I am still arranging with the principal the date and time of our trip," he said. He took out some books and placed them on his desk.
I let out a deep breath. Oh my, I haven't been in the museum for a while. I've heard that the museum has had some renovation and a new section dedicated ancient Egypt and the human evolution has been added. I certainly can't wait to see those.
"The museum? How boring," Catherine grumbled under her breath. I glanced at her and gave her a nudge.
"Come on. It'll be fun! The museum is cool, you just have to look for things that interest you. Plus, would you rather spend our time outside the class or in here writing pages of notes and listening to the teacher for an hour?"
Catherine wrinkled her nose. "Well I suppose so. I still rather go to the zoo. That will be more fun."
"Like you said before. What does that gotta do with history?" I asked her raising my eyebrows. She nudged me back.
"It's way more fun! We get to see wild animals and see feeding demonstrations. Plus Mr Winston can choose a history topic in the animal section. Or going to the Sharkee's Underwater World would be so much cooler," she insisted slumping on her seat and crossing her arms.
I shook my head. "Cath, there is just no pleasing you. You really are impossible, you know?" I replied giving her a poke this time.
"Yup! Now you finally agree with me!" she laughed. I tried to give her my best annoyed look but in the end I couldn't help but laugh along with her. It's nice to talk and worry about normal things that I should only worry about.
I glanced down at my bandaged knee. I slowly rubbed it hoping to make it better soon. I just wish these strange events happening around me would disappear. But instead, they only got worse.
A flurry of black swooped past me and landed on a nearby branch on a tree just outside the window near my seat. As I studied it carefully, I noticed it was a black raven bird. Oddly enough it stood there staring at me. Its piercing eyes seemed to bore on me. It gave me the creeps. It squawked. My eyes fell on its mouth. It had something between its beak. I frowned and squinted taking a look closer. It was long and thin.
A sausage?
No, it was a flesh colour. I leaned forward to get a better view. The glare of the sun was reflecting on the window making it hard to see. The bird turned its head and that's when I saw the glinting silver band by the end of the thing it was holding.
I cried out. At the other end of the sausage-like thing in its mouth is a bloody stump. I realized that I've been staring at a severed human finger.
A/N: Sorry for the long update! Got so busy with uni, exams, assignments and work. Guess that's life, huh?