Everyone was quite alarmed, after the initial grogginess passed.
The ones who had just went to their tents, came back too. The teachers, staff members all came in front of the tent from where the scream has erupted.
Professor Qing was the first one to open the tent flap, and went inside, professor Lin right on his heels. Other students were too scared to go, so Anning took the lead and wanted to go inside.
But her wrist was caught with some strength. She looked back, and first spotted Baizhi behind the crowd with Raya and Kritika, then her hand was caught by-
Sizi.
She stared at her in surprise, not expecting her, but the the only thing she got back was a cold stare piercing right through her body. Sizi retracted her gaze and looked towards the tent, without looking she said to Anning-
" Don't go. "
Anning knew she was stopping her because of safety reasons, but why her light gaze seemed like sending shivers run down her back. The hand clamping her wrist felt cold, not the usual warmth like in the woods the previous day.
Without knowing, she freed her hand and went in the tent where some brave students were already present including Raya. She doesn't like this type of coldness affecting her mood and spreading through her arm to her body, and least wanted to make the warmth left by Baizhi fade away.
Inside the tent everyone was frozen in their places, while professor Lu was consoling the frightened girls. Anning recognized the two girls- one of them was her tentmate, who went to another tent with her gossipy friend, now standing beside her. A third was also there, probably to whom the tent was assigned.
And, on the sleeping bag, there was a deadcat.
Wait, it isn't looking like a cat at all, more like a teddy bear, maybe.
Well, it really was a teddy bear, but torn like its' shape became unrecognizable. And from within wasn't the soft white cotton which was coming out, but red wet substance, more like blood and not like it too.
It's belly was torn, on its' head one eye was missing, infact the head was itself half torn, remaining there with only the support of some fabric still attached. Worst of all, just beside its' torn belly, lay a dead bird- dead crow.
The crow's feathers were strewn around the area and some on the teddy bear's head too. It seemed like someone has wringed its' head, while its' eyes were still half open and belly half cut.
The overall scene was too gross and creepy. No doubt the girls were frightened.
Anning herself felt a shiver run down her spine after seeing this. Professor Lin stood there, and ushered them to stay out of the tent, while professor Qing was examining the scene.
After closely inspecting the red substance, he said that it was nothing but cotton soaked in red colour, not blood. However, the crow lying there was making it worse, because there was real blood on it, long gone cold and clotted.
After witnessing this scene, everyone came out and the staffs were ordered to clean the tent. The professors have already told everyone to not spike this incident furthermore, and absolutely not spread rumours. They will give an explanation to this, but the most reasonable speculation was that it was a ridiculous prank, played by someone.
When Anning came out, Raya also tagged along with her, and looking back she saw Sizi walking close by, her eyes lowered thinking who knows what. She hadn't noticed that Sizi also came with her inside, and why she never notices when Sizi is glancing at her despite the fact that she always senses if someone gazes at her.
Her mind was full of questions, but there was no one to answer any of them. Thus, she throws them at the back of her mind and looks ahead at the current situation.
Baizhi and Kritika were waiting for them.
Anning and Raya made a beeline for them, while Sizi halted in her steps and went in opposite direction without looking back. She could hear the anxious voice of Baizhi asking Anning of what has happened.
When she reached her tent, she bolted the flap door and slid to the carpeted floor, finally loosing control. The tears she was holding back till now, flowed involuntarily down her cheeks. She was holding the sleeping bag for some support, but it also became wet sharing her misery.
Just now, when Anning snatched her hand back from her grip she felt something inside her broke, despite of it being held till then by some residual kinship. The emptiness spreading through her body, but still she kept it all in and went after Anning in the tent. She was only worried that something unsafe might be there.
Do you hate me so much that you can't even bear that small touch ? I was just worried about you. I am absolutely sorry that I held your hand, but believe me, my throat was not working.
I wasn't able to say anything at that moment, especially after knowing that you embraced someone else, held someone else and I couldn't do anything about it.
Sizi was the one who saw Anning, Baizhi, Raya and Kritika, on their way back, because she wasn't able to fall asleep the whole night and kept turning on her sides. She also saw the way Baizhi stroked Anning's hairs and those eyes.
Those eyes seemed to see her from where she was standing, and smiled at her in victory. She couldn't take it, but what she can do. Anning hates her and that's the only truth.
Why it has to be like this ? You..... you don't know her.
You know nothing. Please, can't you just spare me a glance ?
A simple smile ?
What have I done? Didn't I apologize to you, but why you don't hear any of my explanations when you hear everyone else's.
She sobbed till her throat felt itchy and dry, but the heart was still soaked wanted to shed more of her ache.
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