Nightmare

When Blair had got into her class, she slumped on her seat, leaning herself on the desk with her cobalt blue rucksack as a pillow. Her eyes felt heavy that she desired to sleep right at this moment. But she was bothered by Gemma with the sound of a chair being pulled and stopped in front of her.

Blair sighed as she pulled her face away from her rucksack when Gemma sat on the chair, cupping her cheeks and staring at Blair with a curious gaze.

"What happened, though? What did Mr. McCabe say?" she asked, making Blair massage her temple.

Blair gulped hearing her friend's statement, she hadn't thought of a reason to say. It was impossible for her to say 'I was offered by that Azrael to join his association! Cool, right?' And Gemma would end up asking what kind of association, and many more that could make Blair's head explode.

Biting her inside mouth, Blair stated, "I left my pencil and he found it. So, he returned it to me." She swore at herself mentally, it wasn't a good reason and Gemma would get suspicious at her. She kind of felt guilty for lying at Gemma.

Gemma tilted her head. "Really? Also, how does it feel talking to him? He's so hot," she smiled innocently, her dark gaze gleamed dreamily as if she was dreaming about herself having a relationship with a sweet hot guy.

'I don't want to talk to him, he gives me an annoying vibe and makes me want to tape his freaking mouth', Blair really wanted to say that, but she abandoned that desire. "Why? It's nothing special," she replied, feigning perplexed.

"Hm, really?" Gemma raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah," said Blair. "I want to sleep anyway."

Gemma narrowed her face on Blair's as that girl noticed dark circles over Blair's eyes. "Be careful if you wanna sleep in class. Ms. Todd will scowl at you if she finds you sleeping at her class," she pulled out a rubber band and placed it in Blair's palm. "Wear it on your wrist, and when you feel sleepy, just pluck it. But please don't shriek." Gemma giggled. "It helps, though."

Blair stared at the sepia yellow rubber band and lifted her head up, gazing at Gemma. "Alrighty." She said as Gemma threw her a smile before she went back to her seat.

***

"Blair, wake up, sweetheart," a soft voice called, as Blair stirred, letting out a soft grumble and slowly opening her eyes. She looked around her, realising she was still in her class and no one was here.

Blair furrowed her eyebrows and squinted her eyes. She just heard a soft voice calling her to wake up, and when she did, no one was around her. Was she hallucinating?

"Hello?" she called.

"Blair." That voice called again as Blair turned to the voice direction.

To her surprise, there were a woman and a hefty man in their early thirties. The woman's dark short wavy hair fluttered in the air as if there was a wind blustering her. She was wearing a long dark grey coat that emphasised her slender torso. Her hands dug in her coat's pockets. Her thin lips curved into an unreadable smile. The man beside her was extraordinarily tall with auburn straight hair. He too was wearing a grey long coat that reached above his knees with a pair of black jeans. His hazel eyes gleamed intensely.

Blair didn't believe what she had seen. It was impossible when your long lost parents that you didn't even know whether they still alive or not, suddenly appeared in front of you.

"Tell me this ain't a dream." She murmured under her breath, her heart battering against her ribcage. When her parents remained on their spots, Blair released a chuckle. "Where did you guys go, honestly? It's not funny when I entered my first year of secondary school and when I returned home, you left me a freaking cryptic letter and you just go," she demanded. "It's been one year you lost contact, and now I'm already in my second year. I've never known where you guys had headed."

"We have something to do, B. So we have to leave, and I can't tell you where we had gone," it was Lindsey, her mother, who spoke. "We're very sorry we did not stay by your side."

A long sigh escaped Blair's nostrils as she crossed her forearms over her chest. "Huh, I was homeschooled until fifteen and was finally allowed to go to public school when I entered my first year. Do you know how it feels like to be left alone? I never receive any words from you when you're there," she spoke with a frustrated tone, while her parents were standing and wearing a rigid expression.

Blair's feeling was mixed with anger and relief. Anger because she received a cryptic letter from her parents that they went into somewhere else without even mentioning where they go; relief because they were alright and healthy like usual. She had learned not to always show her feelings directly, so she still wore a stoic expression in this situation.

"We are sorry, honey. We always wish to stay by your side, but—" her father, Zachary, stopped his statement. His gaze on Blair softened.

"But what, dad?" Blair furrowed her eyebrows, tilting her head.

When Zachary was going to continue his words, a long and sharp silver thing had penetrated Zachary's chest. He gasped as blood oozed on the surface of his chest, staining his grey coat. As the weapon was drawn away from his chest, Zachary dropped on his knees, his right hand planted on the floor, supporting him from falling. His other hand clutched his bleeding chest. The sword drove in again, this time aiming Zachary's left ear as it deepened its stab, penetrating the other ear.

Blair stood frozen on her spot, she felt her legs were weak seeing the gruesome scene in front of her.

Lindsey let out a shriek as the sword was pulled out of her husband's ear and drove it in Lindsey's oral, the sword penetrating until the back of her head. Blood squirted on her and the figure as the sword was drawn back and Lindsey fell on the floor.

Blair's entire body shook, her jaw clenched that her teeth were pressed forcefully against the other teeth. A hooded figure entered Blair's eyesight, the veil covered the person's eyes, only the person's nose and mouth were exposed. The figure flashed a smile at Blair.

The figure knelt down, unbuttoning Lindsey's coat buttons and slicing her thorax open. Blood smudged the person's hands as the figure started the work on Lindsey's thorax.

Blair swore herself mentally, she wanted to move but she was stuck in her position as if her feet were glued on the floor. Her voice stuck in her oesophagus that she couldn't even let out a squeak. Her breath fastened as the figure pulled out Lindsey's bloody heart as droplets of blood dripped down the floor, staining the ivory tiles.

The figure clicked an old leather suitcase open as white mist burst out the air as if they were finally released from pressure inside the suitcase. The figure's bloody hands placed Lindsey's heart cautiously on the right side and moved near Zachary. The figure did the same thing on Blair's father's chest.

After placing Zachary's heart inside, the figure stood up with the suitcase gripped in the hands. Blair could notice of the person's facial figure and assume the figure was a male. He tilted his head on Blair as another smile appeared again. "Hey, Blair." He spoke as Blair felt a punch on her chest. How could he know her name?

Blair could hear her unstable breath. "Who are you?" she finally could speak. She wanted to cry until she lost the ability to talk; she wanted to slam her head on a spiky wall, swearing at herself why she didn't help her parents; she wanted to strangle the figure until he died because she would be happy seeing people she hated deceasing on her hands.

The figure spoke nothing as he slid down the veil, revealing his fluffy white hair, the ruby eyes of his glowed like a red laser. Blair had never seen him before.

"If you don't join White Herd, people you love will end up like this." He grimaced.

Outrage and anguish bubbled inside Blair as she felt her stomach flip. "Screw you!" she roared, letting out her emotions as the figure vanished.

Blair felt someone had nudged her arm repeatedly as she groaned, her jaw clenched and her eyebrows furrowed. Again, the nudge intensified making Blair indignant.

She rose up and eyed a woman with blonde shaggy hair intensely. The woman wore square-rimmed spectacles and her pink lips curved 'O' as if she was surprised.

Blair widened her eyes as she realised she was still in her class, the pupils' eyes were on her. She looked back at Ms. Todd and blinked at her. "I'm sorry, Miss," she said with a low voice, averting her gaze from that woman. Blair felt a little relief since that killing scene was just a nightmare, not real.

Ms. Todd released a soft sigh. "Are you alright? You're pale and sweaty," she said, sounding concerned.

Blair immediately wiped off the sweat on her face and nodded her head.

"Are you sure? You can rest in the medical room if you're not feeling good."

Nodding her head again, Blair replied, "I'm all good, Miss. I'm sorry."

With that, Ms. Todd raised her eyebrows then walked to the front class and continued calling the roll.

Blair's gaze locked on Gemma's as that girl sighed and indicated to her wrist. Gemma plucked a nonexistent rubber band on her wrist: she was reminding Blair to use that, so she couldn't sleep at class. She replied Gemma with a nod as they paid their attention to Ms. Todd.

***

It was break time and everyone was out to nowhere. Some were eating, some were chatting with their friends, some were dating with their couples, some were napping on the desk.

Blair planned to spend the rest of the recess by sleeping since her eyes were so heavy and tired. Gemma had moved beside her and was sleeping with Lord of Shadows book beneath her.

Blair felt her throat dry, she hadn't swallowed a drop of blood after that morning and she needed it now. Blinking her eyes, she pulled her face away and stretched out her arms and neck. She yawned as she observed the class silently, then turned her head to her right, spotting Gemma sleeping beside her and hugging a very thick book.

Standing up, Blair rummaged her rucksack and dove a blood sachet into her hoodie pocket. She shoved her hands inside the pocket as she stalked off the class.

She walked, her left arm almost touched the wall. She looked at the ivory tiles and stepped her feet in the middle of the tiles.

The hallway was obstreperous with laughter and gossips. Fortunately, Blair could still handle the noise. Loud laughter suddenly boomed her ears as she turned to the direction.

A sweet scent hit Blair's nose as five boys were walking towards her direction. A dark wavy hair guy accidentally bumped into her arm that she almost hit herself on the wall. Blair clicked her tongue and glared at the guy who was raising his eyebrows.

"Oh, sorry," he said, smiling guiltily.

It was still the same guy she had bumped a day ago. Did he purposely bump into her, or just an accident?

His friends laughed at him and smacked his arm playfully. A blond guy smiled at Blair, but she didn't return him a smile. "Sorry, sometimes he can be really clumsy." He spoke, earning a glare from the guy that had bumped her.

Blair swore mentally knowing that she was stuck here, with five gorgeous guys. Plus the dark hair guy who had bumped her radiated a sweet scent which made her want to drink blood right at this moment. She clenched the blood sachet in her pocket and said, "It's alright. I have to go."

With that, she continued her walk as the five guys stared at her from behind.

"She's hot, eh?" said a dark brown hair guy. "What's her name, though,"

His friends chuckled and teased him, except one. His eyes still set on Blair as he and his friends stepped off. He flinched when one of them hit his shoulder.

"What happened, Claude? You have a crush on her?" the blond guy wiggled his eyebrows. Claude rolled his eyes at him.

On the other side, Blair thanked God that she was given sensitive ears. She lowkey curious about the guy's name and finally, she got to know it.

'Claude. It reminds me of something', Blair thought.