Disclaimer:

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, events, places, etc., are either product of the author's imagination used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to an actual person, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

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Laying on the side of my bed and looking at the dark, gloomy atmosphere outside, I smirked like a crazy psycho within my thoughts.

It's funny how I'm looking at the full moon, glaring past at me while I suffer for the pain brought by my neck cut, headache, and this shitty dizziness due to my fever. My brain feels like it's breaking in two, and I'm not too fond of this feeling. I'm not used to being weak and sick. I'm not used to being vulnerable.

But I guess all of those happened to me earlier. I'm not that strong Avy Demascenia anymore. I hate to admit it, but the way how fast the scenes of death came to me on my very second day of staying in here, the way I got into big trouble at the cafeteria, and the way how I almost got killed earlier for breaking that freaking rule of this hell school...

All of it became a living nightmare to me.

I'm not born as a scaredy-cat; instead, I'm hella brave一; that's what others say. If I entered through something dangerous, I always got a way on how to walk past by it. I stood firmly above my decisions and never regretted the things I've done in the past.

But now, remembering all the words that Shine and Rise have said earlier, perhaps I'll have to break my own personal rules this time.

*Flashback*

"You have to escape from here, Avy."

Rise calling me by my name and not the usual 'bitch' nickname that she has for me screams like our topic for this conversation is damn serious. She looked at me with her blazing purple eyes and gave me back President's L handkerchief.

"Now that you almost knew all the darkest secrets of Blackwood High, you must go and run away from here while you can. Run and never turn back."

I can't help to be scared for my life now that they are saying this sort of words. If I only knew right from the start that Blackwood High was a hell school and studying in here will give me phobias and nightmares, I wouldn't walk my ass in here to creep myself. I now regret the decision that I've made.

"Do you think I can escape here? How about you guys? Aren't you joining me in this?" I asked them as I fumbled around in the sofa's soft cushion, trying my luck to find my black jacket hidden in there.

"We can't change our dark fate, Avy. Rise, and I already spent weeks and months trying to find ways on how we can escape here, but the more we explore, the more secrets we unfold. That's why it's too late for us to go out. Madame Evee has already been perking her eyes on us." Shine said hopelessly.

"One more wrong move, and she said... she'll not think twice to kill us. She doesn't like students who are lawbreakers. Especially if her rules are the ones, we're planning to break."

Shine's hopeless eyes strike a pang on my chest. So, they've been in this hell for several months. I can't imagine what other dark secrets they are pertaining about, but then, thinking that I now knew one secret that BWH was hiding, I bet I really have to escape here as fast as I could before all of this gets out of hand. I must run before it's too late.

*End of Flashback*

I stand up groggily from my bed as if getting ready to head out. I bravely touched the wound on my neck and checked if it's still bleeding; fortunately, it's not. Good. That's good. I guess I can make my plans now. I took a glanced at the wall clock yet because it's still dark; I can't see what time it is. Also, the clock in here at the living room doesn't glow in the dark—what a bummer.

"It's just 2:30 AM. You still have 30 minutes before black hours end. Are you... planning to escape now?" Rise appeared to my front with a cup of coffee in her hands. I answered a deep sigh and a little "yeah, I guess." following her question.

I got stuck for a moment when she fixed my jacket's hood and hid my face even deeper within Its dark fabric. With her purple-orbed eyes and profound aura, she took one step closer to me and whispered, "You lucky bitch, President L was in your favor; maybe he can help you about this. Maybe he knows some hidden escape route out of BWH. Go to him."

I simply nodded at her and received my backpack from Shine's arms. She already packed my things up while we are having a conversation earlier. From standing at the door, Shine tossed it to me, and before I could even twist the doorknob, I paused and held her cold hands, "Don't worry about me, Shine. I promise I can do this."

Even if Shine doesn't say it out loud, I know she's worried about my plan. From just two days of staying here with them, I can say that even though they aren't the best roommates I've ever had, at least they have been true to me. With their words, their personalities, their conditions, all of those, they have shared it with me without barriers and pretension. That's why I can say... they still care.

And even if I can't say these words to them, face to face. One thing for sure, I'll try my best to escape here and call the attention of the police or anyone who could help the rest of BWH to be free from this damned school.

♤ • • • ♤

Falling black leaves tumble from the interlocking branches above, branches that grow so thickly that gives way only to bright gaps of the moon's light to breakthrough. As I ventured out into the woody and flaky grounds of BWH's coast area, the leaves came down like the most outrageously large black confetti and cascaded down to my jet-black hair. The leaves vary from vivid pitch dark to the color of the soil. It's rare to see so many come down all at once, and I can't think why it should be so.

With every single step, I can hear the leaves sang a melody of suspense for those passing through them. With my every step, they rustle loud, so loud to the point that I'm scared I can't be hidden. As I'm trying so hard to stifle my steps and make them as soft as I can, I heard several steps around me.

The horror of the situation was only heightened by the lonesome sound of the leaves scratching and scraping to one another. Shit! I quickly hid behind the largest body of tree I saw. Were that the students of Section -Zero? Did they saw me escape? Damn. They can't catch me! I can't let them see me!

I suck in the deepest breath of the damp loamy air so that I can focus on my hearing. I want to hear their steps so that when the time comes that they're far from me, I can sprint a run towards the agape open massive gates.

When the sound of the steps came to an abrupt stop, I lifted my face, letting the light and shadow of the full moon danced across my skin. I peek at the side of the big sturdy tree to see if there's still someone around the area. I found none, so I decided to step out and continue to run until I reach the school's enormous gate.

The rattle of chains hit the ground softly when I found a certain way on how to unbreak them. The locks hummed in and out of the creaking rusty gate as I'm lock-picking it using the mini screwdriver Shine gave me earlier. And even though I can inhale its odd rusty smell, I continued on, delighting by the mere fact of thinking that I can finally go out of this hell school.

As I listened to the sound of my feet tapping through the crisp black leaves, a voice spoke behind me, which I didn't expect to give the newest addition to my nightmare collections.

"Where do you think you're going, huh? Ms. Demascenia?"

I forcefully closed my eyes. Damn this life!

♤ • • • ♤

To be continued