The Unknown

New Beginnings 1

-“Clara do you know the answer?”
I shook my head as a deny to her question. This class was dreadful and I didn’t want to be here. I caught a glimpse of someone staring at me, I quickly darted my eyes towards him or her as a sign that they had no business looking at me. The figure had quickly looked away and I was left blankly staring at their black hood.
 
 

 As the bell rang everyone jerked up in unison. To my dismay I felt a hard jerk in my shoulder as if someone commenced to grab me. I turned around rapidly to see who it was, I had no friends and no one ever talked to me. Who could it possibly be? I spun around to face the blank brick wall. I froze; frightened by my thoughts I quickly picked up my books and ran out.
 
  

The halls were practically empty by the time I got out but I had an eerie sensation as if someone was watching me. My eyes lingered slowly around the now silent hallway. No one. I was alone, completely and utterly alone like always. I took the staircase to my right up to my second floor locker. I had never liked my lockers location, considering the majority of my classes were on the first floor. I could feel the shift in the air as I got to the top of the stairs. I had always felt as if something was not right up here but I could never put my finger on it.
 
    

 Thankfully my locker was the first to the right, not much of a walk. I grabbed the lock and twisted to my four number locker code 1567, it hadn’t really been a great combination but I had never thought to change it. I pulled the rusty door open only to see a small white object fall out; a note. I bent down carefully to make sure no one had seen me and stuffed the paper into my pocket. I quickly shoved my large textbooks into my locker and ran down the stairs the way I had come up.
 
 

  Out of breath I stopped just in front of my car. I leaned against the rusty hood of the now worn out red Honda and recomposed myself. I unlocked the door to old car and stumbled inside. I felt the momentary calmness of silence and peacefulness. I rarely ever had the chance to be alone, seeing as there were always people around.
 
 I drove onto the large driveway entering through giant steel gates labeled “Wools Orphanage”. It was my first year living here after my parent’s death seven months ago. I parked in my usual spot just by the broken birdbath that no longer contained water. I quickly gathered all of my books and ratty old bag. I entered inside quietly and peered around to see if anyone was in yet. No one. I spotted a note on the orphanages main desk that read: Gone to pick up children, back in a few. I suddenly heard a loud sound coming from upstairs “Hello?” I called out. Silence. Stumbling I made my way up the stairs. The noise seemed to have come from the boy’s wing. A sudden flash of green light appeared beneath the doorframe. I gasped silently. This made no sense. Green light? The orphanage could barely afford to keep the lights on. Although strangest of all, in the seven months I’d been here I had never seen that room being used. The other kids had told me that the boy who stayed there went to a boarding school somewhere far away in England. Although. I had never seen him before. I stepped closer to the door approaching it silently. I bent down slowly to take a glance through the small keyhole, but my thoughts were quickly interrupted by a blood-curdling scream. Without another thought I threw myself forward throwing the door open along with my limp body hurdling in. I stopped dead in my tracks. On the floor lay the body of a young boy about my age. His skin was deathly pale and his eyes were red and blood shot. He lay there panting on the floor before coming to the realization that he was no longer alone. He looked up quickly a look of anger suddenly crossed his face yelling “GET OUT MUGGLE!” I quickly backed out shutting the door behind me and ran to my room down the hall.
 

   I hadn’t left my room at all that night. Multiple questions wandered through my mind but I shrugged them all away, paying attention to my exam notes. As dinner rolled around I dreaded going downstairs embarrassed as to having to be near the boy I had previously walked in on. I sat down at the table noticing that he had already sat down at the far end of the table, away from me. Thankfully.
 
 

  Having a very small appetite that evening I excused myself from the table and pushed open the large wood doors to the great hall, shutting them behind me. As I stepped out I felt a sudden pull of my shoulder and was flung against the cold brick wall. In front of me stood the boy from this afternoon. Staring at him in a normal state I realized he was very good looking. He stared at me for a brief instant with a look of sympathy. That look quickly disappeared as he recomposed himself back to his anger filled face.
 
 “What did you see?” he demanded sternly. I trembled beneath his grip. His right hand tightly gripped around my throat. I stared blankly at his dark hate filled eyes. After no reply he yelled in a louder voice “Answer me!” “ NOTHING!” I quickly screamed back. He stared at me momentarily as if at a loss for words before whispering back in a harsh tone, “You better not have seen anything because believe me if you say a word to any living soul, that will be the last thing you ever say”. He tightened the grip around my throat before letting ago and quickly walking back upstairs, not once looking back.