As I sat at the breakfast table, spooning cereal into my mouth, my mind was far from the mundane routine of morning rituals. Instead, I found myself lost in thought, replaying the eerie encounter with the beast just a few hours ago.
I couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that had settled over me since then. The memory of its glowing eyes and menacing growl haunted me, sending a shiver down my spine. And yet, as I glanced at the clock on the wall, I couldn’t help but wonder: where had the light come from when I had ventured out of my room?
The light rays when I had woken up had suggested that time was at least six am. Yet when I checked my alarm clock after my return, it had been just 2 am; too early for dawn to break through the curtains.
“Maya, is everything okay?” Laura’s voice broke through my thoughts, snapping me back to reality.
I forced a smile, hoping to brush off her concern. “Yeah, everything’s fine,” I replied, my voice sounding hollow even to my own ears.
But my family wasn’t convinced. Peter frowned, his brow creasing with worry. “Are you sure?” He asked, his voice laced with concern. “You seem distracted.”
I nodded, not wanting to worry them any further. “Yeah, I’m just tired,” I lied, pushing aside the gnawing feeling of unease in the pit of my stomach. I didn’t think they needed to know that I saw the beast. That I already have the Queen on my trail was already enough pressure on them, not to mention that we would be meeting her today. So, no. I couldn’t tell my family that I met the Queen’s beast this morning, and had survived. They might think me delirious.
Immediately I had gotten back to the room, I had picked the magic book, trying to find some reason why the beast hadn’t even touched me, but I hadn’t been able to decipher the writings. The being in me hadn’t said anything either, not to the book, or to the encounter.
Thinking of it now, I wondered if the being in me had somehow repulsed the beast, had somehow stopped it from touching me. I remembered the gruffy laughter, like we were pals, like I wasn’t something he was supposed to kill at that hour.
What was it doing around Laura’s house, around our place, to start with?
“Maya, please pass me the milk.”
Diana’s soft words dragged me out of my thoughts.
I fixed a smile on my lips, and then did her bidding, noticing but ignoring the worried expression on her face. I wasn’t going to ask her. That would be baiting myself.
“Maya, are you nervous about meeting the Queen today? You know, you can sit it out…”
And put the family in trouble? Not at all.
“I’m fine, Laura. I just feel a little under the weather, nothing that can’t be smoothed out by the end of the day.”
Laura gave me a last look filled with skepticism before returning to her meal. She was heading out now to the other side of the community, which led to the second witch community in the area. Healers’ meeting, or something along the lines of that.
As I finished my breakfast, I pulled out my phone and sent a quick text to Levina, telling her not to pick me up today. I needed some time alone to clear my head, to make sense of the strange events that had unfolded during the night.
“I will be heading off now.” I said a few minutes later, pushing back my chair, and getting to my feet.
“Alright then. I will see you later, Maya.”
***
“What time would you be done with your classes today?” Peter asked me, just as I was done rinsing my cup in the kitchen sink.
“Probably 4pm.”
We both left the kitchen, and entered into the siting room.
“Okay then. Just send me a text when you are done.” He said, waving a phone in my face.
I chuckled, feeling a bit of the apprehension dissipate from me. “You got a new phone?”
Peter nodded. “Turns out we might need more than one after all. You seem to have come with drama. I like it, to be honest.” He said, whispering the last clause as if we were conspiring about something, as if he didn’t want Laura to hear that he love the trouble I brought.
I chuckled again. “Enjoy it then. I will see you later.”
With a sense of determination, I grabbed my backpack from the sofa and headed out the door, the cool morning air offering a welcome reprieve from the slightly warm atmosphere inside.
***
As I walked to school, ruminating on what had happened the past few days, an unsettling sensation crept over me. It felt like someone’s eyes were boring into the back of my head, sending shivers down my spine. I quickened my pace, hoping to shake off the feeling, but it persisted, growing stronger with each step.
My heart began to race, a nervous fluttering in my chest. Every sound seemed amplified, elongated, as if the world itself was conspiring against me. I stole glances over my shoulder, half-expecting to catch sight of someone lurking in the side bushes, but there was nothing.
The feeling of being watched intensified, a heavy weight pressing down on me, suffocating me with its presence. My mind raced with possibilities, each more terrifying than the last. Was it a stalker? A predator lurking in the daytime? Or was it just my imagination running wild?
Unable to bear it any longer, I spun around, my breath coming in ragged gasps. But there was nobody, just the empty street stretching out before me. Relief flooded through me, but it was short-lived. The feeling persisted, stubbornly clinging to me like a shadow. I should have told Levina to pick me up!
I tried to shake it off again, telling myself it was just my overactive imagination playing tricks on me. But deep down, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being watched, that somewhere out there, someone was watching my every move.
I hurried on, my footsteps echoing in the empty street, the feeling of unease never far from my mind. It wasn’t until I reached the safety of the school gates that the feeling finally began to fade, leaving me shaken but grateful to be surrounded by the hustle and bustle of students.
***
As I walked through the crowded hallways of the school, I couldn’t help but notice the way students avoided making eye contact with me. Murmurs followed in my wake, whispers of disbelief and fear that seemed to hang in the air like a dark cloud.
I tried to ignore the stares and the whispers, but they gnawed at me, chipping away at my confidence with each passing moment. I knew why they were avoiding me. The display of power that had been captured on live feed the previous day had spread like wildfire, earning me a reputation that I wasn’t sure I wanted.
As I made my way to my class, I couldn’t help but overhear the murmurings that followed in my wake.
“Did you see what she did?” One student whispered to another, their voices filled with awe and trepidation. “She’s not like us.”
I gritted my teeth against the sting of their words, reminding myself that their opinions didn’t define me. I refused to apologize for being different.
As I reached the bend that would take me to my class, Levina hurried over, her expression tense with worry. “Dora, my father is looking for you,” She said, her voice urgent.
I frowned, wondering what the principal could possibly want with me. “Why?” I asked, my curiosity piqued.
Levina shrugged, her gaze flickering nervously around the hallway. “I’m not sure,” She admitted. “But whatever it is, it can’t be good. He didn’t look happy about whatever it was.”
I took a deep breath, steeling myself for whatever confrontation lay ahead. Whatever the principal wanted, I was determined to face it head-on. I had faced worse than a stern talking-to, and I refused to let it break me. With a nod to Levina, I set off towards the principal’s office, my footsteps echoing in the silent hallway.
As I stepped into the principal’s office, I couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that settled over me like a heavy blanket. The atmosphere was tense, charged with an undercurrent of apprehension that made my skin prickle with discomfort.
Mr Lethon gestured for me to take a seat, his expression unreadable as he regarded me from across the desk. “Dora,” He began, his voice grave with seriousness. “I’m sure you’re aware of the recent events that have sourced this meeting.”
I nodded, my stomach twisting with nerves. I knew exactly what he was referring to: the display of power that had earned me both admiration and fear from my peers.
Me Lethon leaned forward, his gaze piercing. “In light of recent developments, we’ve had to make some adjustments to your class schedule,” He explained, his voice measured. “You’ll be joining a new magic class, one that better suits your unique abilities.”
Way to go. Aliana. I mused in unbelief. She really wasn’t waiting.
“However, I want to commend you, Dora,” He said, his voice softening with sincerity. “For standing up to the bullies, for protecting those who couldn’t protect themselves. You’ve shown courage and compassion, qualities that are rare in someone your age.”
I blinked in surprise, feeling a swell of gratitude wash over me. At least one person apart from my family thought well of me, even though he’s the father of my friend.