Rachelle

Darkness is the only thing I see for miles. I continued to walk since it's been the only thing I've been doing ever since I've gotten here. In this...place. My feet started to feel heavy as I trudged on, putting more effort into my movements. Beads of sweat started forming on my forehead and it got harder to breathe. I started to hear voices. Voices that were calling out to me in barely audible whispers. They wanted me to...save them?

"Help us, Rachelle."

"Set us free."

"Make them stop, Rachelle."

"Rachelle, it hurts! Please!"

The pleas grew louder and louder and they were just yelling at me, their pleas morphing into aggressive blames.

"It's all your fault, Rachelle!"

"You didn't help us!"

"You didn't set us free!"

"You left us alone!"

"YOU LEFT ME ALONE!"

I fell to my knees and felt like there were hands around my neck, choking me and making it hard to breathe. I clawed at my neck trying so desperately to fill my lungs with air. The voices continued to shout, mangled and ear-piercing. Tears formed in my eyes as I still struggled to breathe, the seemingly invisible hands around my neck squeezing even tighter. I was lifted up into the air. My feet dangled below me and I started to full-on cry. I felt my lungs lose oxygen and tiny spots dotted my vision.

All of a sudden, the voices stopped and I fell to the ground. I gasped for air, trying to fill up my lungs with all the oxygen I lost. I hugged my legs to my chest and cried, wanting this to be over. In the middle of my sobbing fit, a hand forces my head to jerk up. Instead of facing the darkness surrounding me, I'm met with the face of a pale little girl. No, she wasn't pale.

She was ghostly white.

She looked almost...transparent. Cuts and dried blood coated her face. Her ghostly hand held my head in place, forcing my eyes to stare into hers. Her eyes were as white as her skin. A curtain of long, silver hair surrounded her whole body, almost enveloping it like a blanket. She wore a white nightgown, dried blood was splashed onto it and it was burned and torn in some areas. Her whole body was as pale as snow. I trembled under her intense stare, unable to look away. Tears welled up in my eyes once again as I shook in fear, terrified of the little girl before me. A sinister grin formed on the pale lips of the little girl as she used her other hand to tuck a piece of my hair behind my ear. She kept the hand on my chin firm as she pressed her other one against her lips.

"Hush now, Rachelle." She giggled.

"You'll get your chance."

At the snap of her fingers, darkness wrapped around me.

---

I jerked upright on my bed, inhaled a sharp breath and took shallow breaths. My eyes were wide with fear and panic as I scrambled to get out of bed. The blanket and pillows that were once on my bed have been tossed away to the floor into a tangled heap. I rushed to my door, twisting the doorknob with my trembling hands. I threw the door open and rushed down the hall then down the stairs.

I finally reached the kitchen and threw the fridge door open. After aimlessly searching for the compartment the bottles were in, I finally gripped a handle and pulled. Relief washed over me as I finally got my hands on a bottle of alcohol. A shaky sigh escaped my lips.

Holding three bottles in my arms, I walked back up to my room, making sure that no trace of me was left behind. My shaking legs carried me up to my room. Thank god my parents were heavy sleepers. I lightly pushed open the slightly open door and walked to my bed. I opened up a bottle of alcohol as I sat on my bed. I relished the refreshing but throat-tightening liquid that I drank. It calmed down my shaking figure from before and I could feel myself smile. The drink numbed everything and I felt at ease.

My fingers felt around the bottle in a fidgeting way. That dream got worse and worse every night. It was always the same but... That little girl was never there before. I hope that this was the last time I see her. I pray that that was the very last time I saw her.

I took another sip of the bottle of alcohol and felt a calm smile make its way onto my face.

I'll be alright.

---

Treck

The blaring sound of Iris' annoying shriek filled my ears, making me sit up on my bed. A scowl made its way onto my features as I rubbed my eyes that were begging for more sleep. "IRIS! WILL YOU SHUT UP?!" I yelled, realization making its way into my head. My eyes went wide as I scrambled out of bed. I rushed out of my room and caught up to Iris, screeching a song in the halls. I clamped my hand over her mouth and pulled her into my room. Through gritted teeth, I whisper-shouted to her, "What are you doing?! Dad might wake up!"

She just giggled and gave me a smirk. "Dad left early. We're safe! Now stop being a worry wart and head to the table. Mom made pancakes!" With that, she scurried out of my room, going towards the smell of pancakes.

I sighed and ran a hand through my disheveled strawberry-blonde locks. "Who even says worry wart," I told myself silently, a small smile coming across my face as I stare out the door my little sister ran out of. I followed her out the door and smiled at my mom who was pouring batter into a pan and smiling gently at Iris, bouncing on her tippy-toes to see the pancakes being cooked.

We're safe, for now.

---

I stuffed my hands into my pockets as I walked the halls of this stereotypical school. Brooke High was like all the other high schools out there, cliquey. There were the geeks. The jocks. The popular people. Everyone is divided into groups. Well, apart from me. I avoided the thousands of teens walking around, some already sweaty from an early morning rush. Eyes cast down, I strode to my homeroom, the path already memorized.

Plopping onto my seat, I took out my notebook, caressing the worn out leather cover. Taking out a pencil, I started sketching, making a tiny bird my muse.

When the bell rang, my sketch was mostly finished. The figure of the bird could be clearly seen now. I added some final touches, shading parts that needed to be shaded and drew tiny details. Satisfied with the final output, I flipped a page over, silently thanking the now flapping away bird for its unaware service and patience. My dull eyes scan over the classroom, now filled with all kinds of students.

Ugh.

They're all the same. It's always the same faces I see whenever I step foot into this dreadful place. Same boring faces. Same boring voices. Same boring everything.

Boring.

I sighed and decided to turn my attention to the teacher. The teacher is dozing off. I sighed. Well, I expected this. It is homeroom after all.

I continued to scan the room, tapping the foot due to my growing impatience. Give me something to draw, dammit. Life gave me exactly what I didn't want and my eyes landed on Rachelle Umber. I clicked my tongue in annoyance.

I have to admit, she is pretty. Brown, wavy hair frames her face and reaches just the bottom of her shoulders. Her gray eyes stand out, big and doe-like unlike her petite nose and thin lips. She looks kind of chubby but I think it's just because of her hips. She's wearing a crop top that reveals a hint of fair skin. Yeah, she's got looks. But she's just like everyone else.

Boring.

I sighed and gave up, wondering why I even tried to find something to draw here. I stared at the clock and prayed for it to go faster. The moment the bell rings, I stood up and rushed out of there. Once lunch comes along, I can escape.

---

I lazily listened to my calculus teacher, going on and on about that...calculus stuff. Scribbles and doodles covered the entirety of my notebook. You could just feel the boredom in the air. I've seen about seven different people yawn just in this class. The only who seems to be paying attention is Rachelle. Her eyes are glued to Mr. Emil, taking notes once in a while.

Oh right, she's the goody-miss-two-shoes of Brooke High. She's never gotten into any state or form of trouble or problems. It's like she avoids them. Heh, of course she does.

The bell that signaled my escape rang and I subtly stood up, bumping my way into other students, not caring if they were irritated. I could care less about them.

I plugged in my earphones and blocked out the rest of the world. I ran to a corner near enough to run back to school but far enough for students not to see me. I took out my pack, lit it up and inhaled it then blew out the smoke. A small smile made its way to my lips as relief washed over me. I watched the smoke fade away with the wind as a light breeze ruffles my already tousled air. After a couple of puffs, I stopped myself and disposed of the used material properly.

As I started to walk back towards the school, a tiny voice calls my name. Well, a name I rather not be called, actually.

"Buck."

I froze. No one calls me that except for...him. A shiver goes down my spine, and I'm definitely sure that it isn't from the wind.

I had buck teeth when I was 7 and he made fun of me for it, even tried to "fix" it. He said I looked stupid and ugly. And I believed him.

Hesitant, I looked behind me where the voice called out. No one was there. Only a couple of trash cans full to the brim with trash could be seen. Eerily, it called out to me again, now with more intensity.

"Buck. Come."

Against my own will, my body decided to move on its own. A voice at the back of my head nagged me to return to school and pay no attention to the voice but my body worked against it. Now at an arms-length of a trash can, I feel an invisible force strangle me. I gasped at the sudden force against my throat and clawed at the hands that weren't there. My lungs were losing oxygen quickly and the pressure the ghostly force put on my neck hurt. Badly. This will bruise.

As black spots start to dot my vision, the voice speaks, the pressure on my neck tightening.

"You'll get your chance, Buck. You just wait."

I felt my body collapse on the ground and I took a big breath, inhaling as much as I could. My eyes started closing and the last thing I saw was pale white feet, almost transparent. I gave into unconsciousness, still feeling hands around my neck, suffocating me.

---

I woke up on the cold cement floor. My eyes grew wide and I shot up, remembering the events prior to me waking up in a cold sweat.

That couldn't have been a dream. I touched my neck and winced. A bruise will definitely form. Who the hell could have done that? My only clue is pale feet, very pale feet. Furrowing my eyebrows, I started to walk towards the school. I sighed.

Right. I still have school. I trudged back to the place I despise just as much as my own home, if you could call it that if he was there. I took slow steps, taking my sweet time. I could care less about a teacher's minuscule scolding. 

---

[YAAAY IT'S THE FIRST CHAPTER! UH, TECHNICALLY SPEAKING IT ISN'T BUT OH WELL-

I HOPE YOU GUYS LIKED IT! ALSO, I'VE REACHED 27% IN WRITING MY NOVEL :D]

Have a great day~

/11/7/17/