Chapter 1-Two years later

I jerked awake because of my alarm going crazy next to me on my bedside table. I turned around lazily and put one of my pillows over my head to try and drown out the loud ringing. After about two minutes of no success, I turned back to the alarm clock and turned it off.

I slowly removed myself out of bed and headed to my closet to see what to wear to school. Today will mark the first day of my senior year and even though I don't feel too enthusiastic about it, I know that my best friend Jane will not let me hear the end of it if I don't at least try to look decent for this once in a lifetime day.

I chose to wear black skinny jeans with a cropped olive green oversized sweater. I would pair this with a pair of simple white sneakers. Comfy but still suitable for Jane. I entered the hallway and started making my way to the bathroom when I noticed it was occupied.

I knocked on the door and an uptight, "What?" came my way. It was my sister. Why she was using my bathroom didn't quite surprise me. She probably wanted my day to start off unpleasant so she could have the pleasure of seeing me be bitter. She never stopped blaming me for our parents' deaths. She even blames my aunt and uncle because they helped out with planning the trip.

Today would not be the day that she gets the best of me. I turned around and headed to the guest bathroom and finished up there. Within thirty minutes I was done and I made my way down the old oak wooden stairs for breakfast. The old staircase came down in the entryway of the house.

You would come in from the front door, which is a big wooden swing door, and would look straight into the staircase. The kitchen is to the right if you come in from the front door. If you go left from the front door you find your way to the showcase living room.

As I walked into the big kitchen I saw my uncle sit at the small breakfast table reading a newspaper. Weird, I thought to myself. In the time we live in now, there are way better ways of getting up to date with the news.

"Morning." I greeted politely.

"Morning Nadia. How did you sleep last night?" My uncle folded his newspaper and put it down next to his plate.

"I slept like every other night. Just like a baby with a few nightmares here and there." I looked around the kitchen and asked," What are we having for breakfast?"

"Pancakes." My uncle said it like he was a child receiving his favourite treat. "It is a special day for you and your sister. First day of senior year for you and-"

Before he could finish my sister interrupted him from the kitchen's archway. "And the first day of sophomore year for me." She rolled her eyes and finished off sarcastically," Yeah right. So special." She made her way to the table and sat down next to our uncle.

"Well, I am up for pancakes any day of the week," I said excitedly and sat across from Nicole.

"Morning you two." My aunt walked in with a big smile on her face. "Big day today and I see Nicole started it off the same as usual." She pursed her lips together and cocked her head in Nicole's direction. "Anyway, blueberry and chocolate pancakes coming up."

My aunt brought the pancakes over to the table and wow did they look delicious. I immediately dived into my plate of food and finished it in record time. Unfortunately, I realized wearing skinny jeans and eating a ginormous amount of food don't really go together. I sat back in my chair and started joking around.

"Urg!" I moaned. "Now I have a food baby." I rubbed my belly, the way a pregnant woman would rub hers. Everyone laughed except for my sister and my aunt couldn't help but give me advice way too late.

"I think you shouldn't have eaten so many pancakes." She shrugged and started laughing again. She was abruptly cut off as my sister suddenly got up.

"Why can all of you be so cheery when the two most important people that are supposed to be here, aren't!" She grabbed all her stuff and walked out the door.

"I guess she wants to take the bus then?" My uncle interjected.

"Too soon love. Too soon." My aunt just shook her head, got up, and started to clean up the table.

"Right then. Are you ready to go young lady?" My uncle asked while getting up.

"I am ready now." I grabbed my bags and headed out to the car. It took us twenty minutes to get to school every day, because the house was sort of, almost, in the middle of nowhere.

~~~

Standing at my locker trying to focus on which books to pack first, I heard someone from behind me say," You can be glad you made an effort." I turned around and sure thing, it was Jane.

"I thought about coming in sweatpants and a baggy sweatshirt..."

"You wouldn't dare." She looked at me with a scowl and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Yes I would, but this was the next best thing." I smiled and turned back to my locker to finish up.

Just as I closed my locker the bell rang and our first day of the senior year began. First, we had math. We had this subject first while our brains were still fresh and awake. This year we would have the bigger more comfortable classes to learn in. Perks of being a senior in a private school.

My aunt insisted that me and my sister come to this school. When my parents passed away two years ago, my aunt and uncle took us under their wings and looked after us ever since. So coming to this school wasn't really an option, but rather a must. Even though this building is just as old and creepy as the house we stay in.

I didn't find the work too difficult, because I like working with numbers. One thing about today though, something felt different in class. It felt like someone was watching me. I knew the school was old and creepy, but as I felt it, I also felt my energy draining from my body. I kept looking around and saw no one. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end and I had a chill run down my spine.

Class finished and Jane and I walked to our next class which was English. It went by pretty quickly since we only did a bit of revision of the previous year's work. Just to make sure we didn't fall behind with anything. The same eerie feeling kept following me around though. And the more I felt it, the weaker I became.

We went to art after and then it was lunch. We went to the cafeteria, picked our food, and went to sit at our usual spot. I could barely pick up my cutlery to eat my food. How can a creepy feeling make me this weak? It just did not make sense.

Jane sensed something was off and asked me about it.

"N are you okay? You look a little pale."

"I'm fine. I just have this eerie feeling like somebody is watching me." I then looked around the cafeteria for the hundredth time and again, nothing. No one. Jane followed my gaze and then turned back to me and looked truly worried.

"N you should go see the nurse. You are ash white." I agreed, but as I got up I passed out.

I woke up in the nurse's office and felt so much better. I was in a better mood and the feeling of being watched disappeared. I looked around and saw Jane sitting in a chair reading a book. Typical of her.

"Have you been here since I was brought in?" She put her book down and looked up at me with a relieved smile.

"No, not really. I first had a few things to take care of around the school. But I have been here for most of it." She picked the book up and continued reading. "Just lie down for a bit longer. You still look a little pale." I closed my eyes for a bit and fell asleep.

I saw a black smoky figure appear in front of me. It cocked its head and looked at me with orange/ red eyes. It just starred at me and I felt the chilly feeling down my spine again.

"What do you want? Who are you?" I asked confused, trying to hide my fear.

"You will soon get to know me. In good time." The figure said in a calm and chilling manner, chills ran throughout my whole body this time. With that, I woke up.

~~~

Jane and I were just relaxing in my room. She shot up and looked at me with big surprised eyes. "There is a new guy coming to school tomorrow and apparently he is a looker."

"Oh J. Why can't you and I not be more alike? You don't need the boys." I just shook my head and continued with the math homework that was assigned to us.

"Come on Nadia, you have to let someone in some time."

"I will when the time is right. For now, let's just finish our homework."

After about two hours we finished. "Oh btw, I'm sleeping over here tonight," Jane mentioned over a bowl of ice cream that we always ate after we finished our homework. Almost like a reward to finishing it.

"Oh okay then. What do you have planned for tonight? Because I know you have something planned." I looked at her with an eyebrow raised.

"You know me too well. We are going to have a movie night and then pamper ourselves a little." She explained the events with a squeal at the end. She was really looking forward to this.

"Okay, you choose the movie tonight." Another squeal.

"Then we are definitely watching After." She applauded the idea like a toddler would applaud something that makes him or her happy.

"But we've watched that one so many times already."

"Yes, but it never gets old." The look on her face said it all. Her decision was final.

My aunt helped us out with the snacks and Jane knew exactly what to bring with us to pamper ourselves while we were watching the movie. We had popcorn, chips, liquorice, chocolate, fruit everything you could think of as snacks.

The movie started and the pampering began. First, we did facials, then we did Mani's and Pedi's. We finished everything off with a full body massage and I could not be more thankful that Jane came up with the idea. I felt relaxed and completely ready for a good night's sleep.

We cleared up everything before we went to bed. That was the only requirement from my aunt if we wanted to stay up late. After everything was clean and tidy, we slowly and lazily made our way to my room.

We flopped down on my bed like we were sacks of potatoes. Even though we were super tired, we still chatted for a whole hour or so. When the clock on my bedside table showed the time being midnight, we decided to finally call it quits and sleep.

Falling asleep was easy, but what came after my eyes closed was truly terrifying. The same black smoky figure appeared, but his intentions this time were not just to talk. He made my deepest darkest fears come alive in the most vivid nightmare I have ever had.

I guess I might have screamed in my sleep because I woke up with someone trying to shake me awake. Lucky for me It was Jane and I was extremely thankful to have her near.

It took us a while to get back to sleep and this time I was happy to find that it was just sleeping.