Sleepwalker

Chapter 3

Isabella sat in her class and looked at her palm which were covered with patches. Even the lightest touch hurt her. She looked down her leg and felt the bandage around her knee. What happened to her Saturday burned deep inside her mind. She never saw an animal like this. It scared her because she actually didn't believe into magic or whatever happened on that day. Isabella couldn't find a natural explanation for the whispering and the silence. Maybe it was a trick of her ears but that wouldn't explain the feeling of being watched. A sudden noise made her nearly jump out of her seat. The school bell rang and everyone made their way out of the classroom. Isabella raised and hobbled her way out. The other students stared at her the hole lesson long, and she heard them made fun of her wounds. It angered her. Deep in her thoughts Isabella didn't noticed that she walked into someone.
"Sorry..." She mumbled and turned away.
"Isa, what the hell happened to you?" A young male voice sounded trough the filled corridor. She looked up and recognized the boy. She smiled.
"Hey Chris, I honestly didn't notice you."
"It's alright, Isa. May I take your bag? I'm honest but you look like an old lady." He smirked and toke her red bag.
"I look like a what!?" Isabella didn't approve his thoughts. Chris or Christopher Ward was a good friend from her. They both know each other a pretty long time. Christophers parents were native americans, and he had some characteristic features from them. She knew that he got bullied because of that fact. He had short black hair and was pretty tall.
"Where do you want to go old lady?" He asked with a laugh.
"Boy if you won't stop, then I'll promise you that I'll make you an old lady!" Isabella said with a snappy tone in her voice. He knew that she didn't mean it seriously. They walked over to the cafeteria and sat down at a table.
"Isa please be honest to me. What happened to you?" Isabella looked over to him and bit on her lip. She knew that he would not believe her.
"I fell down a slope in the woods while I was going for a walk with Balu." Isabella said and opened her bag. She grabbed her lunch.
"It must have been very painful. But I beat it looked hilarious." Sometimes Isabella did not like him. She looked at him angrily and hit his leg with her bottle.
"What is wrong with you?" He asked terrified.
"I could ask you the same question!" Isabella looked away and shook her head.
"Sorry... I actually wanted to ask you if you could help me." Isabella turned to him.
"To help with what?"
"You know that next week is the 'Day of the founder' and I need to make an essay about the time between 1900 till 1960." Isabella knew how much he needed to do. Last year she had with the same teacher. Somehow everyone on the school disliked Mr.Hopps. Isabella needed to make an essay about the gold rush history last year. She hated it but she was a good friend.
"I'll help you only because you're one of the people I not dislike." Chris smiled.
"That's great! Let us meet Wednesday in front if the city library."
"Sounds good but when?" Isa asked and opened her bottle.
"How about we both go to the library after school? I'll wait for you at the entrance." Isabella nodded. They both were juniors and the year just started.

It was evening when the sun turned from a golden orange to a warm purple. Isabella sat at the kitchen table and ate the pasta her mother made. Her father read in the newspaper because he already finished. He worked as a woodcutter. He nearly made all the furniture in their house by himself. Her mother worked at the local pharmacy and knew how take care of injuries.
"Oh boy..." Her father sounded surprised. Isabella and her mother looked up.
"What's the matter?" Isabella asked. Her father looked at her.
"Sweetheart, you must be very lucky." He turned the newspaper to her, and she laid her cutlery aside. She took the news and started to read the article.
A giant footprint of an animal was found yesterday. The photo next to it showed a human hand and next to it on the mud a footprint five times as big as the hand. It looked like it was from a wolf or a mountain lion.
Isabella turned pale, and she gave her father the newspaper back. Her parents noticed it.
"What's wrong, Isa?" Her mother asked. Isabella knew exactly why but she lied.
"Just the imagination that such a creature was out there in the woods with me..." Isabella knew that something would come and this sign was just the beginning of something bigger than her. Slowly she started to believe.