Secret in the Shadows

Chapter 5

Knock...knock…. 

She quickly opened her eyes jumping up from the bed and sat down and started looking around. 

" So… was that a dream? That starry night and.. What about Eren ? Was everything a dream?..", she thought and sighed. 

" Why do I even have to wake up?"she mumbled when she heard another knock on the door. 

" Yes!" 
Emily entered with a group of girls. 

" Emily?" 

" Yes" 

" Did I go somewhere last night?" 

" I don't know, were you not there in your room?" 

" Umm… I don't know" 

After she dressed up , she went downstairs for her lessons which she started a few days ago. This time an elderly woman was hired for her unlike earlier when a middle aged man used to take her up for the lesson, he was irascible and insensitive and would yell at her for every single tiniest mistake which was not even worth to call it one. 
Her name is Carla, an old short woman with short ash white hair , round grey eyes with steel rimmed spectacles placed between her nose and had an amiable smile plastered on her face.
Kathleen went to her, she stood up and greeted him with a wide grin. 

" Are you ready for the lesson , Miss?" 

" Yes,  I am ready", she replied softly. 
Carla started her arithmetic class. Kathleen used to like her classes and paid attention to the lessons but today was different.  Half an hour passed, she was continuing with her teaching, however Kathleen was looking at the window with a listless countenance.  

" If that night is a dream , it means Eren is also a dream ..? Why does it have to be like this…? But our first encounter was not a dream , was it?..." 

" Kathleen…", she got startled when she called her name.

" Yes.." 

" Are you listening?", she sighed 

" Yes , I mean…." 

"If something is bothering you , you can tell me." 

"No , I am fine " 

" Are you sure?" 

" Yes" 
Carla continued with her teaching, Kathleen tried to listen to it but failed miserably. 

" I don't know what's happening but I can't get over this. I don't even know whether he exists in reality or not but it feels like I started missing him already. Who can be that mysterious looking man so familiar,  so unnatural…?" 

Carla cleared her throat , which startled her. 

" You were never like this before in my class, something is really bothering you , isn't it? Well in that case there is no point in further continuing the lesson. Let's end here", she said calmly 

" I am sorry, Miss Carla", she said in a low voice. 

" It's alright, dear . ", with that she left. 
Kathleen went to the woods and was walking inattentively when she realised that she came across the tree. She leaned a bit to see a wooden dart board attached to its trunk. 

" Hey, lady! Move!", she turned around to see a group of young boys shouting and the arrow advancing towards her. She got frightened, and backed off with her eyes wide open when suddenly a man startlingly appeared and stood in front of her and held the arrow with one hand .
“ Watch out man!”, he shouted and threw the arrow with such a bash that it pierced half of its body into the trunk of the tree opposite to them. The boys got frightened and they apologised and ran away. 

“ Eren!” Kathleen looked at him in surprise as he turned around with a quirky smile. 

“ Hello, Kathleen”

“ Eren! Where did you come from? I came here but you were not here.”

“ So did you come here to see me?” he simpered.

“ Why would I do so?”, she said when her eyes fell on his hand. 

“ It is bleeding!”, she cried “ I will go and bring some med..”, she stopped as her glance fell on his eyes, it turned red, his veins got prominent on his pale face but before she could see properly he turned around. 

“ I am fine.. No need to bring me anything.”

“ Eren… you..” 
“ I said I am fine!” , she backed off as he cried. 
He turned around , his face was normal , his eyes, the usual blue and his face was pale like usual. 

“ I am sorry, Kathleen.. I didn’t mean to.. “ , she was still standing there hysterically. 

“ It is … okay.. I am leaving “ , she turned around to leave and walked a couple of paces when something struck her mind . 

“ But Eren…”, she turned around and found that he was gone.

                                ******