Chapter 1: Awake

Awake

"Sarah Alden, Miss Sarah Alden! ", a stout voice called from the end of a crowded hall.

Sarah seem to be absorbed in her sleep after taking two wineglass of a certain intoxicated alcohol. Not that she was much of a drinker but the incident of seeing her fiancée kissing another girl at her birthday party, and not just any girl but his ex girlfriend from high school was more than her heart could bear.

"Miss Sarah Alden, plea...."

"Quiet down Kass, am still a little tipsy." Sarah caught the stout voice short by waving him off, making who owns the voice speechless. Few persons closest to where Sarah sat were laughing too.

"I said quiet down." This time hitting her palm against what felt hard. 𝑾𝒂𝒊𝒕, 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒗𝒐𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒎 𝑰 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒅𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝑲𝒂𝒔𝒔. her mind thought aloud. 𝑶𝒓 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝑲𝒂𝒔𝒔 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒗𝒐𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒕 𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒆.

She raised her head slowly to make sure, this time rubbing her palm against the hard surface just to make ascertain she wasn't imaging things. Effects of the alcohol was now starting to wear off as she tries to grab where she was. The only items which first caught her sight were some papers and a pen.

"Huh? Kass, where are you?" Confused Sarah realised that she was seated with a desk which she mistook as a study desk but still far different from hers or that of Kassandra's, her best friend.

"Miss Sarah Alden, do you know that you have less than thirty minutes until your tests are over. Am very sure you have not attempted the vast part of your questions on your answer sheet." The owner of the stout voice was getting annoyed by his student behavior. Sleeping during his tests was prohibited.

"Huh? What test?" This time she need to put her heavy head straight to know what exactly in the hell is happening. Maybe she just happened to be dreaming and still hasn't woken up yet.

She sat up straight, used the back of her two hands to rub her eyes. She looked from left to right, from back to front. Rows and rows of students were already seated, dressed in uniforms with same sheet of papers on their desk. Now she realised she too was dressed in the same attire though she check herself probably whether she was in the right body.

Another thing caught Sarah sight while she search through where she was exactly. It was an inscription on the chalk board saying "First Extracurricular Test". Sarah quickly stood up even if she was invaded by prying questioning eyes.

"Miss Sarah Alden, you had better sit down. At this stage, I don't see any reasons for having fears on your test questions especially since you are in your finale year as a highschool student." He stated clearly from where he stood, meters away from the chalk board. "Why take the text if you weren't ready for it." His brown drew closely to each other.

Test? high school student? 𝒅𝒊𝒅 𝒉𝒆 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒔 𝑴𝒊𝒔𝒔 𝑨𝒍𝒅𝒆𝒏, her mind now narrowed to her fiancée. 𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝑲𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓, 𝑲𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝑨𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏.

"Where is my fiancée?" She called out spilling everyone into an outburst of laughter.

Still standing, '

"Kester! kester!?" She called out already confused and petrified.

"Miss Alden, sit down!!" The owner of the stout voice whose patience was already wearing thin scolded bluntly. Turns out he was the invigilator. He will not take more of Sarah's outbursts else she will be sent to the principals office.

With that order she sat her arse down, lips shut not minding piercing eyes inflicted on her. Sarah tries to stay calm. She took deep breaths while she tries to recap what happened the night before. Her head still felt heavy even if she try.

𝑶𝒌 𝑺𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒉, 𝒕𝒓𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒙. 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒂 𝒕𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕. Shock gripped her while she was observant of where she was, the familiar faces and the invigilator himself. The was block 3 hall, she recognized it from 6 years back. Becoming more sane about the whole scenario, that impatient invigilator at the end of the hall is one of her teachers. 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕, 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒍. She held her head unable to comprehend what is happening. Like she is literally the only one going through a metal breakdown. Now her heart was beginning to palpitate fast and heavy.

𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒙 𝑺𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒉, her inner thoughts told her. 𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝒃𝒚 𝒐𝒏𝒆, 𝒃𝒊𝒕 𝒃𝒚 𝒃𝒊𝒕. 𝑳𝒆𝒕𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕'𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒕𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕. She grab the question sheets with the answer sheets pin behind it. She looked up at the invigilator who has been staring deeply at her like she was some special artifact.

"Fifteen minutes more." He blurt out.

𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒑𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒊𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒔, 𝒘𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒊𝒈𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕'𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑱𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉.

She took the pen and started answering all the question in the best way she could. Lucky enough, she had always been one of the brightest among her classmates back in highschool and her colleagues at work, so today will not make any differences.

After the test was over, some of her classmates still kept throwing glances at her while they were living the hall. Some asked whether she was okay while others took her for being crazy. Her head was calm, now its time to put all the pieces together.

Out of the school premise, in a secluded pasture, she sat on an old play swing and tries to recap. "The birthday party....yeah," she starts counting, "Kester and Brittney, his ex from high school kissing," her stomach clenched, she became irritated. Now she recall it all.

After catching them red handed behind her house, Sarah ran away unknowingly to them to the where the alcoholic drink were displayed. She hates alcohol, but what's the saying about alcohol being your only source of solace when you had no one to turn to for comfort. After sipping in the third glass, Kester came looking for her as if nothing had happened between him and Brittney. He was surprised when he realized Sarah was drinking alcohol.

"Are you OK Sarah," he looked worried.

But to hell with that. Sarah brushed past him to where Brittney was by the pool. Brittney stood at the edge of the pool flaunting her sexiness to the prying eyes of all men present at the party, but no one took note of the emerging ranged up Sarah who is about to pounce on Brittney.

"You cheating SLUT,"

Sarah took hold of Brittney hair and a fight ensued right at that spot. Sarah placed tight hold on Brittney hair using her right hand as if she wanted to pull out every strands of hair on her head. She slapped Brittney with her left palm not giving Brittney the advantage of fighting back or even defending herself. Everyone stared in shock at the birthday girl and her offender. Out of balance from where the pool edge seem slippery, Sarah slipped and fell into the pool.

WHOA.

Then what am I doing in here? How did I get here? Sarah blurt out to no one in particular.

"To protect someone," A swift voice from behind answered her.

"Who's that?" She asked looking behind her. She was quick to react but still found no one there. she stood up. 𝑾𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒗𝒐𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕, she thought still searching for its owner. She turned again and,

"BOO!" Out of no where

Sarah shriek and leaped backward loosing her balance to the ground.

"Whoa, whoa, take care Alden,"

Someone or 'something' horrid drew closer to help her but he only scared her. Fear shook her on what stood before her. What in heavens is that, 𝒂 𝒅𝒆...𝒅𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒏.

It stood more like six and half foot tall, with glossy black skin and huge pointed ears. With horns of about seven inch tall on his head. For once it seem like a creature from her blackest nightmare. It looked like a being too hideous for reality. Though the only features giving him a hint of cool were his ivy green eyes and his his smooth straight hair which dropped to his shoulders like a well sewed cloak hood.

"Don't hurt me. Stay away from me, she screamed almost in tears while she scramble for safety.

"Hurt you?" The figure was confused. 𝑾𝒂𝒊𝒕, 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎. He hadn't expected that she possess such power to see the extraordinary. Even ordinary mortals can't see him in this form aside from the human form he depicts. Shit, he forgot he used his power to appear right in front of her.

"You can see me," He needed to be sure. Why making sure, he could see the fear in her eyes. Of course she knows he is a demon. He changed back to a human. Seemed like he too schooled here judging from his transformation. Sarah was sure she was loosing it.

"You are a student too?" She asked between trembling voice.

"Don't be scared Sarah, am back to normal you see. So there's no need to be scared."

But it seem trying to ease her fear isn't working, she was still frightened by him even if he was a human. 𝑫𝒂𝒓𝒏, 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒈𝒊𝒓𝒍𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒉 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒐𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒎𝒆.

"Who are you?"