Midnight Dreams

Chapter 1: Adriana

Present times

The sun was high in the sky by the time Mrs. Baker started our geometry lesson, and I reluctantly turned my attention to her main whiteboard. All different shapes were drawn on the board, each in a different color, with words that made no sense to me written underneath them. "Geometry is the introduction to philosophy," Mrs. Baker announced way too cheerfully. "Today, we will be continuing our lesson on proofs." She swept her green gaze over us. "What's something that you believe is true?"

Pedro, one of the few freshmen in the class, raised his hand. "Water is wet," he declared, almost standing up.

I rolled my eyes as the rest of the class burst into laughter. Mrs. Baker raised a thick hand for silence. "Can you prove it?" she asked him.

The class fell silent as we waited for Pedro's answer. The teen smiled, curling his lips back to reveal his yellowish teeth. "If something is saturated with water molecules, then it is wet," he replied calmly.

Mrs. Baker picked up her water bottle, and I ducked my head to hide a yawn. I'll never understand this class, I thought, stifling a second yawn.

"Is this bottle wet, according to Pedro's definition?" asked Mrs. Baker.

"No," said Bethany, one of the sophomores, "it's not."

Mrs. Baker took a sip, allowing some of the water to dribble down her chin. "Is my face wet?"

"No," Pedro said. His disappointment was evident.

The short teacher wiped her hand across her face where the water had dripped. "Is my hand wet?"

Silence met her words, and she turned her gaze to me. "Adriana," she said sternly, "is my hand wet according to Pedro's definition?"

I paused. "No?" I replied uncertainly.

Mrs. Baker didn't seem to notice my uncertainty. "Good." She paced the floor, her blue skirt touching her ankles, while a smile rose on her wrinkling face. "Can anyone come up with a way to prove if water is wet?"

I glanced over at Elizabeth, who always seemed to have answers, but the cocky girl wouldn't meet my gaze. I moved my braid so it would drape over my right shoulder and shifted in my seat.

"No? Well-" Mrs. Baker began, but someone pounded on the classroom door. "Who is it?" she called, annoyed.

"It's Patricia," said a female. Someone cleared their throat, and she added, "And David."

Mrs. Baker sighed and surveyed the class. "Sirena, let them in," she told the girl.

Sirena, who was seated in front of me, rolled her eyes and walked over to the door, her long auburn hair swaying with the motion. She opened the door and returned to her seat as two taller students walked in.

"What do you want?" Mrs. Baker asked the older students.

Patricia's blue eyes sparkled with concern, but she didn't answer. Instead, she waved a stack of small booklets in her hands. "Continue with the lesson," she told the teacher. "We'll be gone in just a moment."

She and her companion, David, started to hand out the booklet. As soon as David set one on my desk, I picked it up. The Whitten Legend: Staying Away from it this Halloween, by the Paranormal Research Club, its title read.

I slipped it in my pocket and put my hands on my desk. I'll look at it later, I thought.

Patricia and David returned to the doorway, and David left the classroom. "If you have any questions, we're in room 1300." She gave us a small wave and closed the door behind her.

Mrs. Baker sighed dramatically as soon as the door was shut. "Now, then," she said, "let's continue with the lesson."

I rested my head on my hand, trying to make it look like I was paying attention, but I wasn't. As Mrs. Baker kept on talking about geometry, my mind wandering to what the Whitten Legend could be. This is going to be great, I thought as I stared into space.