Trapped - Chapter 2

“Hey Eli, it took you hours to come down here, what happened to you?” Denise asked full of curiosity for, it’s been like half an hour since she called her daughter to come down to eat her breakfast..

Eli's actions and demeanor have changed since that day; when something mysterious happened involving Denise and Eli when they were doing something essential in their house, from a lively and outgoing young woman to a timid, introverted, and mysterious young woman.

Denise had been asking Eli whether she was feeling uneasy with her surroundings or if she saw or felt anything unusual whenever she was alone.

Denise had observed Eli has stopped talking and is not responding to her queries. She snapped her fingers in front of Eli's face, and as she snapped her finger, Eli recovered her normal behavior, but with a dark aura.

“Mom” Eli finally said a word.

Denise was frightened for a moment, because her daughter might ask her some questions regarding what is happening around her.

“Yes? What is it?” Denise asked in a gentle and calm tone of voice.

“Ahh nothing, I was just wondering, I keep zoning out lately. It feels like something as well as someone is controlling me”. Eli explained with a cold tone of voice.

Denise was startled for a brief moment, but promptly returned to her normal, calm demeanor, so that her daughter would not be wary of her movements or expression.

"Don't overthink it; maybe you just haven't gotten enough sleep over the last few days, which is why you're having these sorts of problems." She remarked this while she continued to drink her coffee and read the newspaper.

After hearing those sentiments from her mother, Eli remained silent and continued to eat her food in front of her. She chose to go to her school after finishing her duties, even though it was too early, considering she wanted to get some fresh air.

“Mom, bye. I'm leaving already. You take good care of Lilo as well as take good care of yourself, okay”.

Eli said and kissed her mom’s cheek before leaving the house. Lilo ran towards her so she also gave her pet a head pat and a kiss.

As soon as she walks towards the door, she once again feels this heavy atmosphere that gives her goosebumps all over her body. But since she’s not in the mood to take such things in a serious way and matter, she ignores what she felt and what she saw earlier.

“Ahh! What a world!” Eli burst out in exhaustion.

As she walks on the sidewalk, the heavy and dark atmosphere is still there, it seems like it’s following her wherever she goes. Eli decided to go get her wireless headphones then played music to calm herself.

Eli happened to be passing by a grocery store and went inside to get some food and drink because she hadn't eaten well in the morning. While wandering down a separate aisle in search of something to buy, she came to a halt, as if someone had commanded her to.

She gazed around the store as if looking for something, then realized that something was looking at her, despite the fact that there were few people in the store.

As usual, Eli ignored everything she encountered at the moment, for it’s the right thing to do, as well as it’s for her own safety because she doesn’t have any idea on what is happening to her.

It took her half an hour to reach their university. Most of the students were running as fast as they could because they didn't want to be late on their first day of school. However, Eli’s walking calmly along with the other students, while headphones are still on as well as her hoodie.

Upon walking on the side of the road, someone bumped into her back that also made her stop walking.

“Oh, I’m sorry miss”.

A young good looking girl said with her angelic voice.

“Ah, I apologize for zoning out while walking; I’m too busy listening to some of my favorite songs.” Eli said as she fixed herself.

“Oh is that so?” The girl said in a slight amusement.

“Hmm yeah” Eli said and put his headphones back to her ears.

“I’m heading first, bye” Eli once again said and started to walk.

“Would you mind if I joi-- Hey, wait up”. The girl happily said as she ran towards her, but Eli didn’t notice because she’s busy listening to some music.

“You’re so strange”. The young girl whispers while walking beside Eli.

She knows that Eli will not hear her, but all of a sudden, Eli stops walking and stares at her.

“What?” The girl asks in a calm but somehow frightened voice.

“She still managed to smile huh”. Eli said in her mind and smirks.

“You know what, you really are strange. You’re smirking out of nowhere. Well I know that I’m pretty. Even girls fall for me”. She confidently says as she flips her short hair.

Eli just shrugged then smiled genuinely at her, the girl was too astonished to speak because of what she saw.

“She smiled?”

“Did she just smile at me?”

“Is this for real?”

“Am I dreaming?”

She asks herself continuously with a smile on her face.

“Gosh she’s so pretty”

“Her smile is so stunning”

“She’s so gorgeous, like a goddess”

“She’s too good-looking to be acting like this anyway”

“Hey! You okay?” Eli asks full of sincerity.

“Uhm yah, I’m good. You’re just so pretty”. Words came out of her mouth after zoning out for a moment.

Eli was surprised by what she heard from the young girl, as well as the young girl seems to be surprised by what she spoke out loud.

They just both chuckle because of what they’ve done.

“By the way, I’m Eli. Eli Fujihara”. She says as she reaches her hand for a handshake.

“I’m Celestine, Celestine Lee. Well it’s nice to meet you”. She as well as says and reaches Eli’s hand for a handshake then smiles at her.

“Even her hand feels expensive”

“What a goddess”

Celestine once again says in her mind.

Both Eli and Celestine easily get along, they immediately get on the university campus for they are going to be late. They walk as fast as they can for it is not allowed to run when they’re inside the campus.

When they finally got in the hallway there were only a few students outside, most of them were already in their respective lecture rooms.

Both of them go to their lockers then leave some of the stuff they don’t necessarily need inside while studying.

“Oh, so your locker is there and mine is here. Destiny is making us this close huh”. Celestine utter while opening her locker.

Eli just shrugged then continued to put her stuff inside her locker. Once they’re done they look at their class schedules.

“Class B - Artemis”.

“Class B - Artemis”.

Both of them speak, Celestine looked at Eli as well as Eli looked at Celestine. Excitement and cheerfulness is all over Celestine’s face, though she was slightly shocked by that, she’s still happy to be with Eli. However, Eli maintained her cold ambience, but still smiled at Celestine.

Celestine noticed something peculiar about Eli’s behavior as well as her aura, but just ignored it. What's more important is that she has a friend on her first day at the university.

Celestine noticed something peculiar about Eli’s behavior as well as her aura, but just ignored it. What's more important is that she has a friend on her first day at the university.

Both Eli and Celestine walk through their designated lecture rooms, while walking down the aisle, some students who pass by them look at them with confusion. But Eli and Celestine were busy talking with each other.

Aside from the noisy hallway, every classroom is noisy, since the bell hasn't rung yet.

They finally reached their lecture room. The lecture room has two doors, first is the front door and the backdoor as well, so they enter on the first door, which is the front door.

Their mates were busy talking and laughing out loud with each other before they entered the room, as they entered the whole room was filled with silence.

Eli was somehow surprised by the fact that her classmates were not that bad, but confused by how they went silent when they entered their room.

"Uhm, Hi" Eli broke the silence; however they still remained silent after hearing her angelic and gentle voice.

Eli just scratches her back then puts back on her headphones since it's so quiet.

Both Eli and Celestine go to the back seat where there are still available and vacant chairs.

The silence continues when their professor comes in.

"Wow, just wow. How come this student behaves so well?” She said as she roamed her eyes around the room.

Her eyes passed by Eli, and without hesitation she smiled at her. But her smile is uneasy, as if she saw something behind as well as in Eli's body.

"Good day everyone, I hope we and you all get along starting this day until the end of our academic year". The professor said in a calm voice.

The students remained silent after the greetings; some talked to their seatmates, as well as some had their own business. However, she once again looked at Eli who's now looking outside the window.

“Gloomy weather”

“Dark clouds”

“Cold breeze of the wind”

“The birds’ screeches”

“How come that time runs too fast?”

Eli’s thought rumbling in her mind. She’s busy listening to some music to relax and calm her but there are questions that keep coming out of her mind.

The whole session of the first class ended after an hour, students seemed too tired though they’re just starting their high school journey.

Eli remained seated, while her other classmates were too busy talking with each other. Celestine immediately falls asleep as soon as the class is over.

Lucille, their lecturer, stays on her table as she is fixing her materials for her next class. As soon as she fixed everything, she headed to where Eli is.

Eli immediately noticed that someone‘s behind her back, so she looked to whoever is that someone, not to be surprised her teacher is strangely looking at her.

“Your name is Eli right?” She asks ironically with a smile on her face.

“Yes, Eli Fujihara” Eli responded while gently removing her earphones.

“What a splendid name” She complimented as she slowly stared at Eli’s eyes.

“My grandparents were the one who named me” She said that made Lucille stop staring at her.

Eli’s carefully staring at her too, she hates being stared at, but she as well as doesn’t like to feel defeated.

As she mentions her grandparents, Lucille widens her eyes that made her stop staring at the kid. She immediately looks away then stands properly.

“Oh is that so? Where are your parents?” Lucille asks full of curiosity as if she is interviewing Eli.

“My grandparents are gone, I don’t know anything about my father, he might be dead or whatever, I only have my mom now as well as our pets”. Eli explained without blinking her eyes and continuously staring at her teacher that is now avoiding her death stares.

“Why would you ask miss?” Eli asks without hesitation.

“Hmm, Nothing. I’m just curious about you. You look different unlike the others”. She said in a calm voice.

Eli’s still staring at her with a blank expression. Lucille felt embarrassed as well as intimidated by her stares and aura so she decided to leave first.

Eli smiled at her compulsively, she then again put back her headset as well as her hoodie and bowed her head down on her table and started to sleep.

The weather isn’t good because it started to rain heavily. Some of the students felt sleepy however some were still noisy and talkative.

They don’t have their next class because it’s their vacant time and they can do whatever they want to do as long as they can’t disturb other classes.

“Hey, you know that girl named Eli? She’s so weird”.

“Yeah, she looks like she did something uncertain to be acting that way”.

“She’s pretty though”.

“She might be friendly too, I guess?”

A group of girls said in the corner while looking at Eli’s place.

“Acting like they know me huh, as if I’m that kind of person” Eli said in her mind.

Those groups of girls don't know that Eli can even hear the smallest voice as well as noise around her, so the softer the voice is the louder she can hear it.

She continues to pretend asleep so she can even hear the gossip about her as well as so no one will disturb her.

The bell finally rings, it’s a signal that it’s break time. Most of the students go out of their room to go buy and eat at the cafeteria. Some students already have their foods with them to save up some money. However, Eli remains asleep in her chair, even though it’s so noisy inside there lecture room as well as outside there room, she remains asleep.

Celestine awakens suddenly by the loud noise around her, so she immediately check on Eli, who is still asleep at the moment.

“Hey Eli” she said in a low and gentle voice so that Eli will not be surprised when she wakes up.

“Hmm” is the only response Celestine got from the sleeping girl.

“You aren’t going to buy some snacks? aren’t you hungry?” Celestine continuously asks.

“I’m not hungry, I’m still full. You can grab yours at the cafeteria. I’ll stay here, I’m still sleepy” Eli said in a sleepy voice.

“Okay then, I’ll buy you some candies. I’ll be back immediately. Sleep well” Celestine said with assurance.

Eli nodded in response then went back to sleep.

~•~