Lost Horizons

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

“Suspicion always haunts the guilty mind” –William Shakespeare (song: Intro by The Xx)

The lights were out, the weather was nasty and Sienna was alone in a school hall. It was the perfect setting for any horror movie. All that was missing was the creepy attacker. At least I’m not blonde, Sienna thought to herself sarcastically. Blondes were always killed first in those movies. She walked with caution since she couldn’t see where she was going and used the cold wall to guide herself. She couldn’t wait to reach the auditorium and get back to the ball. She kind of regretted declining Parry’s offer to go with her now. Knowing that another human being was beside her would have comforted her in this situation.

Oh stop being a baby! You’re almost to the dance, she said to herself.

She continued her walk with her head held high even though no one could see her.

Nobody would miss you if you never returned, a voice said in her head.

Just give up and stay here with us, another suggested.

Here? Sienna asked. They were always trying to get her to go with them. The problem was she didn’t exactly know where they wanted her to go.

In our world of course, two voices replied.

We’d love you like no one else, the first one said.

Leave this world, the other two told her.

Come with us, they chorused together. She ignored them and kept up her fast past when suddenly a hand shot out of the darkness and covered her mouth. She tried to scream but the person had muffled her sound with their hand. The person dragged her into a corner and pressed her against the wall. She could tell he was male by all the hard angles and ridges on his body but it was too dark to tell who it could be. He pinned her arms against the wall and captured her mouth with his. He kissed her passionately like she’d never been kissed. He caressed her lips with his hot tongue and invaded her mouth like there was no tomorrow. She was too surprised to respond but when he bit her lower lip she gasped and he took the opportunity to really explore her mouth. The kiss must have lasted a good minute before he broke away for air. She sighed and found herself craving more from the stranger. She was about to pull him closer when he let go of her arms and vanished.

“Wait!” she called out desperately to no avail. He was gone and he wasn’t coming back. She leaned against the wall for support and closed her eyes to regain her composure. Who was that man? And why had he kissed her so unexpectedly? Did he know her? Better yet did Sienna know him?

When she was finally breathing normally she continued her pace until she reached the dark auditorium. It seemed that the lights had gone out in the whole school but luckily they were prepared. A huge generator was turned on and the ball continued like nothing had happened. Some kids had left out of fear but the majority of the students had stuck around. When Sienna reached their table she found that Parry was missing.

“Where’s my date?” she asked Scar who was chatting with Nathan.

“Oh he just went to the bathroom but the lights must have delayed him,” she replied. Sienna did everything she could not to gasp. If Parry had gone to the restroom that meant he had been around the hall when Sienna had been attacked with the kiss. Had it been him who’d stolen her first kiss? She couldn’t be certain since she had never kissed him before and hadn’t had the chance to touch him. But whoever it was had to be at the ball. It was past almost eleven after all and anyone not attending the ball couldn’t leave their dorm room. The curfew was at nine. Of course it was possible to break it but it would be very difficult with the ward inspecting the room. Did she know anyone besides her friends who were willing to break curfew?