With a pallid complexion and crimson colored eyes she wakes up arcing her back on her big comfy bed and not on the spiky grass in the middle of salt....
Ughhhh.......my head...it hurts bad..but eh how did I reach up here? she thought her feet loses the balance as she steps on floor a shudder courses through her, sending a prickling sensation along her spine, though it was not cold, she was drained as if something was taken from not her body but soul... lacking the courage to gaze at the backyard for everything what she saw last night didn't really make sense to her and felt more like a reverie as it might be, as she peeps out of the window there was no trace of the girl who scared her neither there was any salt or star she made, the spells she noted were instead kept on her side table, as if Ava didn't even tried to do ritual
Was that really Emily? How did I come up here? Where did she go? Why did she even came When I WAS IN SEARCH OF A DEVIL? AND DID I DO THE RITUAL YESTERDAY??? SO WHY IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE IT???? Why there's just green fresh grass?? She thought
She started to slip these information all at once her head spins and she felt like vomiting, her feet were still to gather the strength but with those stumbling legs she quickly ran to her bathroom and after feeling lightheaded, she refreshed herself by splashing water on her face.
"I don't think I'll be able to make it to school today" She said as water dripped off her face but her phone buzzed; a text from Eric popped up.
< Miss writer... don't you dare give me bad lines this time! >:( ]
"Ehhhh not again..... How can i forget we are getting started with our annual fest.... now i cant even miss school, great!!!" she said with a sigh.
∼
Following her preparations, she was all set to embark on her day and hurriedly kept the half written script of the play in her bag put on her headphones and shuts the door. Her feet headed towards her bus stop but her mind wandered in the last night's incident, soon her thoughts were interrupted by the honking of the bus, she sat on her usual seat and the space beside her was empty.
"Damm! I almost missed the bus" said Emily panting and adjusting herself with three big bags in the narrow aisle of the bus
"Hey, where were you?" Ava asked shifting a bit.
"Well you can't possibly run with your regular speed with these big ass bags" she said adjusting them on the top.
Should I ask her if she came to my house yesterday? maybe i shouldn't maybe its all a dream,? I am imagining things ? , Thinking this she keeps her head on Emily's shoulder when some little white salt looking like crystals falls on her nose. Wait is that salt in her hair? No this isn't possible But as she touched the powder she was very much convinced that it was indeed salt. SHOULD I ASK HER? she thought.
"Hey is there something on my head? You just touched it..." Emily questioned
"...n-no....nothing......" Ava hesitates.
A creepy silence filled the void throughout the way to school
∼
"Okay Sia, who is handling the decors? make sure every material reach on time, Inform all the presenters that they have to assemble here in 15 minutes so we can start with their rehearsal. All the dancers should be ready behind the stage and ......what about the play?" Shawn inquired without tearing his eyes away from the writing pad.
"Alot is left, the script is demanding some changes" She answered fixing the curtains
"Alright, who are working on it"?
"Ava and Austin" She smirked and looked at him
"Okay Ava and Austin....wait what.. AVA AND AUSTIN ???!!"he said with a jerk facing Sia
"By the way they are also directing." she added her smirk getting bigger
"THEY ARE DIRECTING AS WELL?????" he cried out loud with "oh god help" face.
I wonder What's gonna happen with the play now? he thought
Austin often referred as the lone wolf, seemed to embody mystery effortlessly. Standing tall with a sharp jawline, he was rarely seen without his glasses. His reserved nature often led others to perceive him as aloof or even rude, and he preferred the company of solitude over social gatherings. Since his one close friend left school the previous year, he had become even more isolated, choosing to keep it to himself. As the Literary Secretary alongside Ava, their creative differences were no secret, often sparking heated debates and occasional conflicts that reverberated throughout the school.
"Who is accompanying with me in presenting." Shawn queried
"Oh its... ah lemme check" she said turning some pages "Its Emily...."
"Ohhh!! Ah.... great...." he said calmly but his heart rejoiced getting that tingling feeling. "But where is she? Did you see her?"
"She hasn't come yet." saying this she rushed to see more preparation.
∼
"Do you really think this is going to work ? Its pure bullshit!!" Ava shouted on top of her voice.
"You haven't even completed your idea." Austin argued.
"But I have better dialogues and plot." Her words came out with stubborn determination and confidence
"Oh , Miss Delusional.....you are mistaken if you think that ... at least my script follows a proper plot" he said resolutely.
"We were supposed to write something original......its literally copied from Romeo- Juliet!!! " She opposed.
"It is inspired from that!!!"
"IT LOOKS LIKE A CHEAP COPY!!!" Ava had an outburst
"YOU ARE CHEAP!!!" He replied in the same pitch.
"I can work with anybody but you!!!" She said, crossing her arms and shifting her sight elsewhere.
"Guys i think I might need to improvise." Eric chimed in, between their conversation
"Shut up Eric!!" They both shouted in union. Atleast they agreed on someting
"The last time you tried to improvise you broke one of the boat prop" Ava said
"And landed upside down in it" Austin continued.
"So NOOOOO!!" They said together
"alright you guys clearly don't understand the art of comedy" Eric said casually.
"IT WAS A TRAGIC PLAY!!!" They shouted even louder than last time.
"Ah no wonder this idiot is your friend." Austin commented.
"HOW DARE YOU CALL HIM AN IDIOT!! YOU CAN'T SAY THAT ONLY I CAN" Ava screamed with rage.
She seized her script board, poised to strike. However, he swiftly intercepted her hand, grasping it firmly. In the struggle, Ava stumbled, causing both of them to lose their balance, they tumbled to the floor amidst a flurry of scattered papers.
"What's happening here?" Shawn came running and questioned.
"What's happening here???" Eric joined with a crying face.
Shawn cast a wary glance at them and swiftly returned to his work, sensing the volatile tension in the air that could erupt into violence at any moment.
"UghhHhh!!!! See you made a mess!" Austin said in repulsion
"Yeah it was me who raised a hand on a defenceless opponent you freaking violent person!!!" she said.
"Guys, calm down," Eric said, extending his hand to Ava, assisting her to stand once more, and then offering it to Austin. However, Austin swiftly rebuffed the gesture, opting to stand up by himself.
∼
"Sorry guys I am late" Emily rushed in the auditorium.
"Where were you ? Shawn have been waiting since so long" Sia complained.
On hearing this she looked here and there "I was actually at staff room giving a hand to Mrs. Mary."
"Yeah go to Shawn he is standing over there...." Sia directed the way.
As Emily approached the area where Shawn was guiding people in setting up the stage, he turned and his gaze immediately made way to her. She wore a blue midi dress, her brown eyes illuminated by the gentle caress of sunlight upon her face. In that moment, everything seemed to align perfectly, and Shawn found himself lost in her beauty, where thoughts dissolved into nothingness and only peace remained.
"Hey! sorry I got a bit late...I hope it didn't create a trouble" she said tucking her hair behind her ears eyeing down.
"No...its fine. Although there was a little problem but even if you were here that wouldn't change"
She squints her eyes in confusion asking for explanation
"Austin and Ava were fighting as usual." Shawn couldn't help but giggle on his condition.
"Even the principal won't be able to stop them" she giggled and Shawn smiled looking at her
"Come I'll show you the prep so far...." he sway his hand in the way of stage
"Damm !! It looks outstanding oh by the way I handed the decorative material to Sia she called for it .....soon the other decoration will begin." Emily said.
"I am so happy that we are picking up on our normal school life. Alot happened in the last days" He said with a sigh
"Yeah I am pretty excited for the annual fest ..following the prom night." she replied with glittering eyes.
"Mr. Stevenson though was a quiet person but his absence will be felt ....poor man he went through a lot.... hope he is in peace now, we should be paying homage to him at the starting of our fest, I wish he was still with us." Shawn said looking towards the center of the stage as if he is lost in his thoughts
"I am happy he died." she said with a straight face. Shawn looked on in astonishment.
"You don't know Shawn...... how hard life can be sometimes'' Emily shifts her gaze from stage to Shawn before Shawn could reply he was called by one of his colleague.
"Yeah, I'm coming," he replied before turning back to Emily and in the blink of an eye, Emily had vanished, leaving him with a puzzled expression. He scanned the room, searching for her, only to catch sight of her retreating figure heading towards the terrace.
His feet urged him to follow her to the terrace. What he encountered sent shivers down his spine: Emily stood on the terrace railing, arms outstretched, head tilted back, and eyes closed.
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Guess who are back? @NupsandAnns Offcourse! ;)
Its been such a long time we two are not in school anymore, but the place where every teenager waits to be in....yes college! (yeah big girls) doing our respective degrees we wanted to do since we were in kindergarten, a lot happened in these two years, lots of lessons and changes but Yess we enjoyed this roller coaster ride throughout, as the life is a little bit smoother we are trying to get back to the work, Sorry for so much of delay hope we will be regular.
And I really hope you enjoyed the chapter after so long, don't forget to vote, comment and adding our book to your library.
Signing off
Ananya