The Story of Me, Spectre Z

Ch 2

The sudden transformation shocked me, but I could already feel energy seeping back into my body. What clothes were once there were now replaced with something simpler; a plain black hoodie and a pair of comfortable pants, along with some worn looking tennis shoes. A pinch at the base of my neck reminded me of the tender spot. I reached back once again, but when I brought my hand away this time, there were spots of red instead of that toxic green.

"So that was.. blood?" I asked myself, before wiping my fingers on the hem of my hoodie. Whatever had happened to my neck needed to be taken care of. As much as I wanted to find my way to the nearest hospital, something about that transformation and that strange green goo told me it would be a bad idea to seek help from medical professionals.

The school peeked in the edge of my vision, giving me an odd idea. It looked like a high school, so I should have no problem fitting in. At least, just long enough to get in, possibly sneak into the nurses office, and grab a first aid kit. Shouldn't be too hard, right? I stood from my spot under the tree, and made my way towards the back of the school. The back was a schoolyard with a gym area, and some lunch tables. There was a gym class running laps around the gym area, but the lunch area was empty. Thankfully empty. Heading towards the back doors, a quick peek inside let me know that other classes were in session as well. I cracked the door open, and snuck inside.

The inside of the school gave off the same type of energy as the outside did. A place where teenagers came to learn or screw around and be kids. The brick walls were mostly bare, save for a few club posters and a clock or two. I read the time as around 10:30, which gave me about a half hour to do what I needed to do, that is, if classes switched on the hour. I made my way through the halls, familiarizing myself with bathroom, janitor closet, and room number locations. Eventually I found myself at the nurses station, and I paused, trying to come up with a plan. Peeking inside, it seemed there was only one nurse on duty, which made sense considering the school size. A small block on her desk read Ms. Wells. The thought of the gym class crossed my mind. I opened the door a crack and tried to lower my voice to make it sound more mature.

"Ms. Wells? There's been an accident on the field and a student might be hurt, can you come take a look at him? I'll meet you there." After saying that I pressed myself against the lockers to try and avoid her line of sight. Thankfully it sounded like she gathered her things in a hurry and stepped out of the nurses station. I prayed she wouldn't see me, and yet she turned, staring directly at me. After a moment she shrugged and turned, heading towards the field. "I could've sworn..."

My brows furrowed in confusion and I looked down, noticing my body had disappeared. "Oh. How convenient. I wish I knew I could do this earlier, would've saved me the hassle..." I rolled my eyes and slipped into the nurses station, spotting a first aid kit. I swiped it, with my newly visible hand, and escaped back into the hallway. Having seen a bathroom a little while back, I retraced my steps until I found it again. I stepped inside and headed for the sink. Inside the first aid kit were some bandages, painkillers, gauze, rubbing alcohol and antibiotic ointment. That should be able to help. I grabbed a few paper towels, running them under the tap. 

Gritting my teeth, I swept my hair to the side, and pressed the damp towels to the nape of my neck. I let out a small hiss of pain as I gently swept the towels over the tender spot. After a moment, the pressure on my neck released and a metallic 'tink' sounded from the tile next to my shoes. I replaced the paper towels with new ones, this time doused in rubbing alcohol. I pressed the stinging liquid to the wound, before searching for what made that sound. Something silver caught my eye and I plucked it from the ground. 

It almost looked like.. "A bullet?" I muttered, holding the object up to get a better look at it. It indeed looked like a bullet. My hands shook slightly as I shoved the metal piece into my pocket, not wanting to look at the thing for any longer. It created a sour taste in my mouth, and I tried to focus on the wound. I took the towels off, and smeared some antibiotic cream onto a bandage, securing it over the nap of my neck. I cleaned up after myself, throwing away the towels and putting things back into the first aid kit. Hopefully, making it so it looked like I was never here in the first place.

Checking the clock in the bathroom, it read around 10:50. I had already wasted twenty minutes of my time. I tucked the first aid kit in the front pocket of my hoodie and headed for the bathroom door. Right as I reached for the handle, the door was shoved open by two girls who looked to be my age. One had black hair, and one had blonde. They looked me up and down, scoffing in unison, before pushing past me and towards the mirror. Guess I wasn't worth bullying, which I wouldn't complain about.

I made my way back to the nurses station, slipping the first aid kit back where it resided. As soon as I stepped into the halls, however, the bell rang out throughout the school. The one thing I hadn't calculated into my schedule had taken me by surprise: passing period.