The Choice Casket [Ziall Horlik AU Fic]

C h a p t e r . T w o .

A/N: Mmhmm... Go eat a waffle.. AND LIKE IT :o...

(Be warned, I feel like this is going to be a bit of a filler chapter..  I haven't started writing yet.. so.. I dunno if it will or not.. but I feel like it will.. so.. yeah)

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I swallowed, my mouth suddenly dry, and opened mouth to reply, but a loud bell echoed throughout the empty classroom. Mr. Jensen moved his glasses back up his nose before silently gesturing to door. "That's the bell, Mr. Malik... If I were you, I'd head on to your next class."

I just stood near the door, my eyes wide, staring at the floor. The pencil weight that I once felt suddenly disappeared. What did he mean by... surely he didn't... not....

"Mr. Malik."

I slowly lifted my head and jumped back as I see Mr. Jensen towering over me. He smirks, then walks back to his desk, leaning against it and folding his arms over his chest. "A bit jumpy now, aren't we?" His eyes flickered to the door for barely even a second then shot back to me.

I look out the classroom door window and see no one. The entire hallway is empty. Wait, but didn't the bell ring like two minutes ago? Shouldn't people be scurrying to their classrooms in a rush to not be late?

"Look at me, Zayn." I glance over to him. He has that serious face on again. "You need to be careful."

"What are--"

"This school isn't what it appears." He interrupts, getting off his desk and walked around to the board.

I blink again. "Sir, I honestly don't understand what you mean by that. Is this a sort of code? Test? Are you testing me? I'm guessing you don't really get hunters in here much, but you could be a bit more specific."

He lifts up a black marker and begins to write down something that seems to be a lesson plan. Without taking his eyes off what he's writing he flicks his foot in the direction of the back of the classroom. "Walk to the back end of the classroom, right corner...  in the top shelf of that cupboard, you'll find a big old-fashioned looking book. I want you to take that home and look over it tonight."

I raise my eyebrows but make my way to the end of the classroom. I reach up and open the cupboard. Sure enough, in the back of the shelf, a faded book just sits there. I take it out and let out a huge cough as dust flies all around. "Well that's not cliche at all. A big, scary, covered-in-dust book that you want me to look over. Hasn't been touched years, I presume."

I hear a scoff from the other end of the classroom. "Don't act so cocky, son. Actually, we have a slight dust problem in this classroom... You'll see that in due time. Now come back here and hurry up, before it wears off."

I walk back down the rows of desks, patting the book to try and get off some of the dust. Anyone could tell it was an old book; from the way the cover was fading from its pitch black to a old wanky color, and the fact that the pages seemed to be yellowing around the edges. I'd personally say it was about fifty years. No matter how old this thing looked, I'll be damned to say it didn't draw me in. There didn't seem to be any title on the front. I turned it over and on it's side, nothing.

"Alright, Zayn." Mr. Jensen said, putting down the marker and turning to face me. "This book... I cannot explain how important it is. You need to read this. Read every little bit of it you can by tonight."

"But, why--" 

"I already told you why!" He said sounding annoyed.

"All you said was that this school isn't what it appears!" I said loudly, throwing my arms out to the side. "I don't get what you're trying to tell me, sir. What is it you won't tell me... or rather.. what is it you can't tell me."