Attention seeker 

Branches of cherry blossoms tree swayed mildly in the breath of winds as dark clouds veil heaven, its dainty blossoms cascade petals pirouetted harmoniously fluttering to the ground, eyes mazed in the panorama. Strangely the cherry blossoms had always been immersed in a diminutive affinity in her heart. As if those petals had been witness to boundless utterances of oaths upon the alighting soul.   

" Make sure you mark the Adjectives." 

Occasionally, the soft voice broke through her revive; she nodded beside the class mechanically before her gaze wandered to the wall clock, counting down the moments till freedom. In her pages of the textbook, she has scribbled notes of the discussions of the queries to reign her thoughts. There were so many of them. Nonetheless, each of them was still gripping to hold on to something. 

The last lesson of English should be over at any moment, so as Mrs. Kathrine carried, her steady drone voice awash the room. The words seemed to blend into the background even though Eliena's eyes were fixed; seemingly outward demeanor remained attentive; thus, her mind was elsewhere, only stumbling upon someone.  

"Eliena?" Sofia whispers from beside her. Since they're sitting together sharing the same book, lifeless eyes lift their gaze but Sofia Collins isn't looking at her furrowed brows fixed on the collar. " Eliena, your neck." A single digit points to bring spontaneous attention. 

That's when Eliena felt. Something. Soothing warm moisture seeped through her skin like tender brushes of lips pecking her flesh to soak the creamy white shirt collar. Her gaze cast down, her heart constricted at the sight of crimson smears impairing the delicate fabric of her grey woolly jumper, various droplets piquant to swallow her in.

With each throb-quickened pulse, the classmates around her began to dissolve into a surreal obfuscated nightmare. 

She had no control but to allow the impulsive surges, pushing herself up from the seat hastily. The loud screech had earned undesirable contemptuous looks, and she ran to the door fueled by adrenaline and terror in pure desperation.  

"Miss Warner you can't—" the professor's voice cuts by the slam of the door behind disrespectfully. 

Another two hours of detention will be in her favor today. Just great!

As she jogged down the hallway, her frantic stride echoed with each step, reverberating thunderous paces of her racing heart palpitating along her birthmark. Finally reaching the nearest bathroom she locked the door.

Shaky hands began to peel off the jumper wretch to get rid of the suffocating clunches embrace of the scarlet stains on her skin each movement was ragged her breaths coming in shallow gasps as she searched for the source of the bleeding, eyes darting across the delicate skin to her dismay there were no wound to be found neither stains of crimson leaving her confounded in cold silence a chilly breath gently nipped against her back goosebumps rose to her spine eyes caught the reflection of the woman standing behind amber eyes bore into her soul, unsurprised Eliena enquire. " Why did you?" 

"I was quite fascinated to get your attention," the woman answered as a matter of fact.  

" Couldn't you just find someone else?" Eliena asked, turning to face the dreamy imposter. 

" There's no fun,"  Lilith tenderly whispers. " Those are idiosyncratic,"  the words ardently lament. " But if you give everything I might have my fun again."  

Curiosity gets the best of her, she blurted. "Fun like what?" 

Sharp eyes look far away starting over Eliena's shoulders, a smile on her lips. " Should I demonstrate," 

Shivers unsettled instantly at the casual way the woman spoke. " It won't happen again," Eliena murmured. " You better return to wherever you came from." 

The woman's gaze hardened into an intense unblinking stare."It will," stepping closer until they're overlapping. "You'll beg for it," she declared.

Eliena didn't budge an inch nor flinch away from the excruciating needle-like pain she felt. "Must you live in delusion," her words floated through the tension-laden atmosphere. " Ah, right, you don't belong here. You are dead. Bet it was your first time with someone, but seriously, couldn't you find a man," she paused, voice evident with a foreign poison. " Perhaps fear of getting pregnant," regret washed over despite her intentions; the sharpness of her remarks residue unintended pain mirror her inner conflict, ounces of disdain.

Since when do you become so cruel with words? A voice whispered.  

"I—"

"Not a word!"  Lilith snarled in an abrupt flash of fury. The water taps imploded to the intensity of her wrath, unchaining a deluge that shoots upwards, filling the room with a frenzied cold liquid of chaos.

Half drenched by the swirling water, her heart drummed in potent fear as the woman rose, looming over her. In a furious attempt, her hands sought the jumper from the wet floor, clinging it to herself, pulling with all she reached for the metal handle yet to no avail. No matter how much depth-resolved, her efforts seemed nothing against the firm, unyielding power. 

"There's no way to run." 

Lilith's voice aped, haunting the remaining air around them, ignoring that Eliena unleashed a kick in boiling annoyance.

"You can try and try all you might, My Angel," the woman continued, the melodic tone of her voice lullaby against the edges of Eliena's consciousness, almost numbing her, a chill envelope. Lilith is drawing nearer. 

Bloody hell! 

"You are Mine," the spectator claimed, words ballad sensually entwined with the rhythms of Eliena's heartbeat which is not at a good rate at all. " Every fiber of your being,  every whisper of treasured memory. Even the sweet essence of your dripping little peach is mine to devour,"   

What actual fuck! 

Along the primeval growl of frustration, the student delivered another kick, shattering the damnable handle in the resounding impact.

She propelled forward further away. Wet shoes slipped on the floor as she ran until the women's echoes faded into the distance, dissolving silence. 

Freedom, freedom. 

The solace didn't last because, in the fourth turn corridor, her body crashed roughly with someone, soft and delicate. Eliena stumbles behind but a firm grip on her soaked arm prevents her falling. 

" I haven't finished yet, where do you think you're going ?" The stronghold and the familiar sugar-coated mockery voice forced her head up. Ms. Veronica looked back yet her eyes were stark whiteness, visionless hollow. 

Shit.

Eliena's heart sank dreading the hold tightened. She yanks her hands back from the iron grip and falls backward right on her butt.

" Goodness, why are you wet?." Ms. Veronica asked, gazing down with ordinary eyes. " Miss Warner?" 

She had landed straight into the fire. Three hours of detention this time for sure. 

Inside the shrine of the principal office, Eliena kept her gaze down to her shoes while Ms. Veronica distorted images displaying the latest events, making clamorous accusations of being audacious to the professor in the class and leaving the lesson.

The worried sigh of Ms. Blake filled the room. Gently rubbing the bridge of her nose the principal shifted her gaze to the young student who'd already braced herself for any condemnation. "Ms. Knight, you may go now. I will take care of her detention," she dismissed.

"Surely Ma'am," Ms. Veronica leaves, giving a warning glance at Eliena before the door gently closes.

 "Aren't you cold?" Ms. Blake asked.

Embarrassment emerges; she shakes her head; she probably looks like a mess right now in front of the woman, nearly soaked, clutching a jumper to her torso, water dripping from her hair, a complete mess.

"Elie?" The call soothes glimmer with hope and understanding. The principal chair moved. Low heels clicked on the floor; denim blue sleeves came to her view before soft, fluffy cloth stroked over her hair gently to her flushed cheeks. The fabric absorbed droplets of water.

" You don't have to explain if you don't wish to," Ms. Blake nonchalantly voiced, honey-siren eyes holding their gaze, delicate hand tilting her head to the side, the movement slowly assured, wiping the cloth to her jaw banishing wetness from her skin. 

Even though Ms. Blake's chestnut hair loose back cascading a side of her face's naturally composed stern look made Eliena feel more guilty receiving generous kindness in much trouble. 

Once the woman was done she stepped away and walked to her desk. " I heard your group is working on a new assignment. You still got one-hour detention for leaving the lesson and running across the corridors." 

"One?"

"Want me to make it two?"

Eyes widened as the woman laughed. " One is fine," she urged, taking a seat in front of the woman's eyes seeking permission to touch the woman's possession. Ms. Blake nodded a pleasant grin tugging on Eliena's lips, fingers skimming over the costly book collection of political civil rights.

As she settled in, the principal voice drew her attention once more. " Stay here I'll ask someone to bring your bag and something to eat," her tone laced with a sense of maternal concern. " Ms. Knight won't be pleased to see you out," she returned to the pile of papers she was working on. 

Raindrops tap against the windowpane, drawing patterns of eurythmic echoes softly as room temperature drops the sudden coldness of an uninvited guest. 

Knowingly, she looked up, Lilith's guilt-laden eyes met her somber once as the woman stood motionless beside the principal; all they could do was stare for a moment before Eliena ignored her presence completely.