1 AM FALLING FOR HER

POV

RICHARD

I walk in a room , the room was dark . The floor was painted red and the walls were black . I thought it was the darkness that is making me see these colours . Suddenly the lights were on , l was shocked and numb at the same time only to see myself circled by people woring black clothes , they were covering their faces with long black clothes . I became more terrified . I wanted to run but l can't . My legs were not moving , they were stuck . I wanted to shout for help but my mouth was not able to utter a sound .

Suddenly, a terrifying voice bellowed, "That's enough!" I saw a wrinkled, elderly man emerge from the shadows, his hands covered by the long black sleeves of his robe. When he pulled back the sleeve and held out his hand, I recoiled in horror at the sight of his dirty, talon-like fingernails.

He stroked my cheek with one of his bony fingers, and my body began to tremble in terror. "You are the chosen one," he hissed in a deep, guttural voice. "Our King has chosen you." The more he spoke,the more my fear intensified. My blood ran cold and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. The old man was leering at me with a twisted smile.

"But what have I done?" I stammered, my voice barely above a whisper. "Why was I chosen?". Silence .

"Richard! Richard ! wake up!" I heard a familiar voice calling out my name. I recognized it as Peter as one of my classmates. As I opened my eyes, I saw him and Nigel standing over me. "What happened?" I asked them, still dazed and disoriented. They told me that I'd been lying unconscious on the floor for several minutes, and they'd tried to wake me up, but I hadn't responded.

"It was like you were in a trance," Kudzai said. "I've never seen anything like it."

I was too shaken to tell them about my bizarre dream. Instead, I just said, "I'm fine, guys. I don't know what happened, but I think I must have fainted." They seemed skeptical, but thankfully they didn't press me for more information. We continued on to our classroom and I was grateful for their understanding. Normally, I didn't talk much to the boys in my class, but Kudzai and Tafadzwa had always been kind to me.

I walked in the classroom my mind was still thinking about that bad dream . That dream felt real . I was dirstubed by my desky . "As I sat down at my desk, I felt someone tapping on my shoulder. "Where were you?" my deskmate asked, a mischievous grin on her face. "I was in the toilet," I replied, trying to sound nonchalant. "You were running away from Mrs.Clara's assignment, right?" she teased. I laughed, but I wasn't in the mood for her antics today. I needed to focus on my work. "I'll ask you nicely just this once," I said. "Can I please borrow your assignment?" She looked at me, surprised. "My friend, don't you have brains? I think you should use your own brain for once," she said, chuckling. I couldn't help but laugh, even though I was a little frustrated. It was just like her to turn a simple request into a joke. "Okay, fine," I said, giving up. "But you're no help at all!" She continued to laugh, but I ignored her and turned back to my assignment. I was determined to focus and finish it without any distractions.

As I looked around the classroom, my eyes landed on Kimberly. She was sitting next to the vice head girl, who just so happened to be one of my closest friends. I wanted to talk to Kimberly, but I couldn't seem to focus on my assignment. I kept staring at her, forgetting all about the work in front of me. Kimberly's eyes were captivating, like two pools of molten gold. Her soft, small lips were a mesmerizing sight, and her smile was enough to make anyone's heart skip a beat. I couldn't help but be drawn in by her beauty. It was hard to believe that so many people found her intimidating . I was so absorbed in my thoughts that I hadn't even noticed the bell ringing. Lunchtime had arrived and it was time to take a break. But my thoughts were still consumed by Kimberly. The lunch bell jolted me back to reality, and I realized that I'd barely made any progress on my assignment.

I remember that Mr Mike wants to see me in his office , l quickly rushed to his office . I knocked at the door , waiting for respond .The stern voice of Mr. Mutambara, the principal, boomed through the door. "Come in," he said. I took a deep breath and opened the door, stepping into the room. Mr. Mutambara was seated behind his large, imposing desk, a stack of papers in front of him. He was wearing his trademark glasses and a tailored suit that matched his imposing figure. Next to him on the desk was a box of pizza and a bottle of fanta. He gestured to the empty chair opposite him. "Have a seat," he said. I sat down, my heart pounding in my chest. Mr. Mutambara folded his hands on the desk and fixed me with his steely gaze. "Richard, I've noticed a change in you lately," he said. "You've been withdrawn and quiet, and it's not like you. You've always been such a bright student, but something's off. Are you okay?" I could feel the color rising in my cheeks. I knew he was right - I had been different lately, but I wasn't sure how to explain it. I was silent for a moment, trying to find the words. Finally, I spoke. "I'm sorry, Mr. Mutambara " . " You can leave now " . I quickly walked out of the office .

It was time to go home but l usually stay to read in silent kimberly was also not going home . Mitchell the vice head girl who used to stay was going home . I guess it was just me and her ( kimberly ) ." "What are you going to do, Kim?" I asked her. "I think I'm going to stick around and read some Shona poetry," she replied. "You're welcome to join me." I took her up on her offer and sat next to her, opening a book of poetry to a random page.

As we read, I felt my focus drifting away from the words on the page. Instead, I found myself staring at Kimberly, wondering what she was thinking about. Suddenly, her pen slipped from her hand and fell under the desk. She stood up to reach for it, and in that moment, she lost her balance, and stumbled toward me. Her lips accidentally brushed against my cheek, and she blushed a deep red. I sat there in stunned silence, unable to look away from her eyes . " What is going on here " that was Mr Mike our principal's oh we are doomed .