A Lone Bird's Requiem (2)

Yvon quickly throws away the remaining "fruits" that she had found. There was an awkward silence between them.

Yvon's stomach grumbled, the hunger she felt was making her slightly dizzy. She laid her head into the ground and closed her eyes in an attempt to sleep off her hunger.

Moments later her shoulders was nudged, and she opens her eyes to an apple in front of her.

"You had food with you all this time?" Yvon was a bit irritated but still accepted the apple.

"No, not really." The girl then conjures another apple from the palm of her hand and took a bite out of it.

Yvon's eyes almost popped out of their sockets at what she just saw.

"What are you so shocked about? I thought we're the same." She tilts her head in confusion.

Yvon was even more horrified.

"What do you mean the same?"

She didn't answered. From the distance a boisterous group of people were shouting, Yvon recognizes the voice. It was them, the people who chased after her.

She sat closer to the girl to comfort her.

"Shhhh…"

"They're looking for me…" The girl confessed solemnly.

"What?!" Yvon whispered.

"They're looking for me and my sisters."

"Why would they be looking for you and your sisters?" Yvon vigilantly looked for them.

As soon as Yvon saw an opportunity, she grabs the girl's wrist and bolted away from those who were hunting them. The crowd heard the noise and started to chase after them.

Yvon saw a Narra tree up a head, she ran towards it and climbed the tree first. She climbed it skilfully as she did when she was younger. Its bark was rough against her skin but she didn't mind as time is of the essence.

Yvon held her hand out when she had stablely positioned herself to help the girl up the tree. At first the girl had a hard time reaching and finding Yvon's outstretched hand. Yvon grabs on to her writs again and pulls her up immediately.

The girl was caught off guard and gasped loudly, it got the attention of the crowd.

Yvon was unsure where she got the strength to carry another human being on her back while climbing a tree. They settled down on of the tree's thick branches and was visibly exhausted.

The crowd had stopped just below the tree, if they had looked up and looked a little closer they would see the girl that they had been searching for days.

The crowd has gathered below when in a distance a singular figure carrying a torch was approaching the group.

"Antonio, you have to stop. She's just a girl!"

"It's none of your business!"

"You already killed two of them! What more do you want?"

"Why do you care so much, huh?"

Yvon could feel a hot tears on her shoulders, as the girl buried her face on her back. Yvon could not see her face but she knew she was crying.

The girl was barely holding her sob.

Yvon felt her back grew light, she looked afraid that the girl had started fall off. To her surprise she saw her grays turn golden.

The girl let go of Yvon and started to float towards the crowd.

They grew silent when they saw the girl descends from above, the man you had come to convince Antonio to stop knelt to the ground. Others have followed too but some stayed stubborn and stood their ground.

The person who was called Antonio was bravely facing off the girl.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?!" The girl's voice could rival a thunder, it was followed by a shrill scream of agony.

Yvon could only cover her one ear as her right hand clung to the tree tightly as she held on to it for her life. The ground shook, the neighboring trees started to fall down, it would create a loud thud the moment it hits the ground.

The crowd had dispersed and was clamoring to save their own lives.

The girl's eyes that was golden suddenly turned purple, every second that passed by it slowly turned darker until her eyes had turned black as coal.

She started mumbling but Yvon could not understand the words she was speaking.

"Please, spare us!" the man who had warned Antonio spoke up.

"I know we had betrayed you but please. One just one more chance."

The girl did not reply nor show any interest in his pleas. Her mumbling only kept on getting louder and louder. Then everything stood still, the ground had stopped shaking, the trees stopped midair from falling.

As if time had stopped.

A dark shadow emerged from her chest, it had crawled onto the ground. Like a predator, quick on its feet it had fed on its prey. One after another, it had enveloped the people leaving them old and almost wilted.

Barely a breath of life left to them. Only he alone, who begged for mercy was left to alive while Antonio and some other had escaped and left their comrades as meat shields.

After devouring one after another, the shadow had grown bigger and restless.

It disappeared into the night, waiting for it next feast.

The girl collapsed to the ground, Yvon quickly climbed down the tree to check.

Yvon almost broke her legs when she impulsively jumped to the ground a few meters above the ground as she was climbing down.

She limps towards the girl, her hair had turned brown and she was unconscious. Yvon placed two of her fingers just above her pulse.

Yvon breathe a sigh of relief when she confirmed that the girl was still alive. She looked around the horrid scene. The once full of vitality has now became no different from a corpse.

Yvon laid down the girl softly to the ground, and check the man whom have asked for forgiveness. He was not attacked, there were no bruises nor any signs of injury. He was only knocked unconscious.

The girl was stirred awake.

Yvon ran to her side and asked, "Are you okay?"

"What happened?"

"I don't remember…" She replies.

She felt a foreboding danger so she looked back only to find that the shadow figure was back.

"NO!" the girl shrieked.

Yvon woke up, visible shaken from her dream. She saw that she a blanket on, Abby must have given it to her when she fell asleep on the couch.

Yvon stood up for a glass of water, she could not remember her dreams but she was frightened. She checks her phone, it was past midnight.

She missed a couple of texts from Abby, when she was out on her date and some texts from her fellow block mates. The professor just announced a couple hours ago that they will be having an important long test next week.

Yvon sighs as she attributes her nervousness to the upcoming test. She gulps down the glass of water, unaware of the danger that lurks within the shadows.

The next day, most of them are still adjusting to the college life. Some professors were not strict towards first years and gave more leeway for them to adjust to college life.

However, for higher years you can see the stress under their eyes as they hold on to their coffee for an ounce of strength to carry on for the day.

The cafeteria was rowdy more than ever before. Despite this, the cafeteria's lunch lady's voice could be heard loud and clear.

"GET IN LINE!" For a brief moment the entire cafeteria was dead silent, you could hear a pin drop.

The cafeteria's lunch lady's name was Yolanda, she was fierce woman in her forties.

Although she seems harsh towards students. She is often seen giving a few free dishes to students who's tight in cash.

A group of youngsters stood a few feet away from the line. Seeing what have just transpired, they felt discouraged on lining up.

If it was before, they could manage to squeeze in front of the line – not that there was a line in the first place.

Now that the Yolanda made the students line up, under her watchful eyes it would take them hours before they can order their food.

Justin spoke first, "How about we eat somewhere else?"

Ever since they started hanging out, Yvon felt out of place. She brushed it off since she was just not used to it yet.

"Oh that reminds me, I have something to do. So go ahead." Yvon chimed in, she knows they wanted to have some time for themselves and she was not planning on tagging along.

She knew Abby would refuse to let her eat all alone, but before Abby could say anything she had already presented an ideal situation for them not to feel guilty or awkward.

"Are you sure? Maybe it can wait later?"

"It's quite a secret project, so go ahead." Yvon smiled and left the cafeteria.

She did not go anywhere but just loitered around the cafeteria and waited for the both of them to get out so she could life up at the cafeteria for lunch.

She didn't know until now how crowded places could make you feel lonely at times.