I've been running for god knows how long, running here to there, taking large steps with every breath, through the narrow streets to the wide, crowded places. Strong cold air gushed through my nostrils to my whole body as I was speeding up and sometimes bumping into strangers, earning a few curses from them. My legs were about to go limp, my vision was becoming blurry, and winter fog kept coming out of my mouth as I panted hard, but I couldn't stop. I have to run even though I'm so out of breath and feeling like I'm dying, or they will catch me.
Who? Let me take you back to where it all began.
...
I looked outside at the deep hunter-green-shaded forest through the window, which had now turned a cotton-white color due to the extreme snowfall. Birds are resting peacefully on top of the frozen tree branches. It's so peaceful to just stare at the bewildering place. This is the only reason why I always choose to sit beside the window in my classroom, so that I can get the best view of my favorite place, the downhill forest.
A lot is going on in my mind, lots of jokes, stories from the amazing books I've read recently, the new song that came out last week that captured my heart at once, but there's no one to share them with. My life's always been like this. No friend, no siblings... No one.
Whenever I feel unwell or sad, I run towards the forest and sit there for hours under the very large tree at the center of that deep, gloomy forest. The tree is huge, as if a tiny city could live inside it without us even knowing about it. Nobody comes here as there's nothing but thick old trees all around the place. There's no noise except for birds.
I found this place rather accidentally when I was looking for a very rare beetle that my aunt had found; it had a golden-like pattern on its body and it looked ethereal. It's called Golden Tortoise Beetle. It almost looks like a monument made out of gold. She didn't let me touch it, of course. Which is why I came here to get one for myself, alone, in the middle of the forest. Yeah, I know, stupid. I have to admit it was scary at the beginning, but there was something about this place that kept pulling me towards it. The peace, the silence this forest holds, is on another level.
And the weirdest part is, whenever I fall asleep under that tree, I always have weird dreams, although I don't remember them later, but it feels weird. My body aches as if I were in a coma for a very long time.
''Hannah. HANNAH.'' I looked away from the window with a clueless face when the class monitor called out my name twice. He's almost as tall as me, 5'4''. With 93 points in the last exam and a semi-handsome face, he got the position of the class monitor instead of me. The fun fact is I got 97… but that's OK, nobody listens to me anyway.
He's got this very weird habit of yelling in everyone's face, spitting sometimes, and his yelling is like the screeching sound of metal cutting, so annoying, so noisy. OK, maybe I shouldn't have been so absent-minded in the first place.
''Yes?'' - I said, tearing my gaze away from the window to the class monitor.
''Today you're in charge of cleaning. Don't forget to turn off the lights before you leave and remember to clean all the boards and toilets...''
'Yeah, yeah, why don't you just tell me to wipe the whole damn floor?' I thought it out in my mind with a huff.
''Oh, and wipe the 3rd floor, nice and clean. The last time you were on cleaning duty, you missed a lot of spots. Don't do it this time!''
shit...
''Yeah... of course."
Wiping a room or two is OK, I wouldn't complain, but the whole floor? It's a bit too much, and it feels like I've been doing it forever (it's only been 20 minutes TBH). Actually, I love cleaning. It's a thing I do every day without anyone telling me to. But last time I had a lot on my mind, about the fight I had at home. Which is why I was being lazy and missed a few spots.
*clank"
I stopped at the noise. It was coming from a room at the very end of the corridor where the sports stuff is kept. No one is allowed there because there is lots of important school stuff out in that room. It's banned for anyone except teachers or supervisors to enter, and no one's supposed to be here at this hour. It's 5:30 pm, school ends at 5.
I didn't want to check on it, but curiosity took the best of me, and now I found myself walking toward the store room.
I peeked through the glass on the door. A familiar figure, alongside a few students, was smoking cigs!
It was Robin, someone I really don't want to get involved with at any cost. Reason? He's a damn two-faced delinquent. Not to all, but he is. He'll bully kids in the most brutal and humiliating way in a corner, out of everyone's sight, and in front of everyone, he'll act like a guy as sweet as a candy floss, calm and mature, when he's quite the opposite.
How did I find it? Well, I was the one he showed the first side to last year. I was on the roof taking a short nap when I saw him taking a pouch from a student; it was drugs, I believe. And when he saw me there, he got alarmed. He threatened to kill me if I said anything about this to the authorities. I knew better than to get in trouble.
And that's how I became his target. He made me do all his homework, errands, and cleaning duties for four months. I lost track of him after that.
As I was seeing them in the room, I saw Robin and his gang handling some papers to each other. I assume it was the test paper for the upcoming big test.
'How dare they...! None of my business, though, but... Seriously, man, you won't even pass if you see it. It takes a bit of effort to even find out all the answers!' I signed at them. What's that to me anyway.
I was about to get away from the door when I heard.
''Bro, someone's peeking.''
Shit. Shit. Shit…
''Who the heck is there?'' – Robin screeched with his most horrible, angry voice. Without thinking twice, I turned on my heels and ran toward the stairs while taking my bag from the floor.
I did so much to avoid him this year at any cost, even eating everywhere except the cafeteria.
My heart raced faster with every step. I could hear all the screaming and chasing, but too scared to turn around. Minutes have passed, but I didn't stop, couldn't stop. It's almost like zombies are chasing me. If they catch me, I'll be dead. At this moment, the only thing on my mind was to find a way to just disappear through thin air and never return. Is it that impossible?