Colder Than Winter [BTS | Drama | Romance]

25. Answers

The classroom was dead silent. Only the sound of scribbling and page turns could be heard over my anxious heart beats. It was too soon. I hadn't studied enough! Did I even catch up on my work?

I looked around the room at the other students. Each one held an eerie energy. As though none of them were real. Only empty shells. Yet they were doing just fine on their tests. The white board at the front of the classroom noted strict scoring expectations. Ones I somehow knew I wouldn't meet. A digital timer I'd never seen before was mounted on the wall like the ones at sports events. Adding to the suspense of my unpreparedness.

When I returned my eyes to the page, I was only on question two. The words and letters on the paper were scrambled. I slammed my fist on my desk in frustration, but the sound of the impact was muted. No one around me even shifted at my little outburst.

I opened my mouth to speak.

But no sound came out then either.

The air around me thickened with feelings of loneliness and isolation. I tried again to get someone's attention, to get some kind of feeling of normalcy. But no one reacted. It was like I wasn't there.

I threw my pencil at the white board, which predictably hadn't made a peep. No response. A mixture of fear and anger bubbled within me. No? Then maybe this! I picked up my desk and flew it across the room at the window. The object moved through the glass without puncturing it.

I screamed a non-existent scream so hard, my eyes shut tight.

Then my eyes opened and the room was empty.

The desks were clean, the chairs empty and pushed in neatly. The white aboard was void of writing and the lights were out.

Faint voices came from outside. I walked to the window to see what was going on. Down in a courtyard outside were a group of students lined up neatly with their uniforms. It was a ceremony. My eyes widened as I realized that it was our graduation. Already?

In the middle of the formation of students was an empty spot.

"I'm supposed to be there." I breathed. I then gasped, hearing my own voice. "I can speak now!"

Quickly, I move to unlatch the lock on the window.

It wouldn't budge.

"No!" I cried and I pounded on the window. "Hey! Everyone, wait for me! I'm supposed to be there too!"

However, the principle had just concluded the ceremony. Everyone clapped and shared their happiness with one another. The empty space vanishing as everyone began to disperse with their families. Tears flowed down my cheeks and off my chin.

"Why are you all being like this?" My voice shook as I watched everyone walk away, leaving me in the closed building alone. Strength left my legs and I slid to the floor. Fears about failing and repeating my last year ravaged my mind. Everyone moving on with their futures without me. Disappointing my family. I was alone.

After what seemed like hours, I felt someone watching me so I lifted my head. Like I thought, there were another pair of eyes that met mine. Only it wasn't a person but an animal. A wolf. It's fur was gray except for the fur on its under side which was white.

It sat quietly in front of me. Much to my surprise it's presence instilled calm, stopping my tears instantly. The peaceful creature walked toward me and began to clean the streaks of salt off of my face. When it was done, he walked out of the door into the hall. Worried I'd lose the peace it gave, I followed immediately after it.