Everything feels fake.
My vision blurred as I stared at the checkered tiles soaked in blood, my blood.
Before me stood a person I resembled, her long hair cascading down her back, the apron she wore covered in red.
Her face was plastered with this doting smile
that sent shivers down my spine, the knife's blade glinting in her hand
My mind wandered to the chili I just ate; there were still some in the pot, maybe I could...
Warm blood continued to slip away from me, taking my strength with it. My vision blurred, my knees buckled, and I dropped flat onto the ground; all I could feel was pain, something I couldn't get used to.
My breath hitched as I recognized the familiar feeling
Death is gripping me hard but never actually taking me
"Is that you, mom?" I asked, my face flat on the ground, licking my own blood.
Her steps got closer; I could tell by the sound. Is she about to kill me again?.
"Mom," I couldn't help but call before looking at the shadow of the person in front of me that loomed over the ground.
I tried to plead-
"Mom, please-"
Stab
Air escaped my lungs as the words I was about to say spilled to a groan.
The sound of steel hitting flesh resounded in the room, followed by a grunt that grew weaker with each passing second before finally stopping.
"Excuse me, have you seen James?"
"Hah." Air escaped my lungs, sweat dripping down my face
If I remember correctly, and I haven't gone insane yet, this is the fourth time I died.
"Are you okay?" The freshman tilted her head, asking. I nodded blankly, my back aching as if the knife never left my body.
"Have you seen James?"
"What? I didn't- I don't know." I took a step back before answering
"Ok, well maybe you should head to the infirmary, it's-"
"Thank you, b-but I'm fine," I interrupted, head hung low.
.....
A sigh escaped my lips as I stared at the campus. It wasn't that large, but living in the countryside my whole life, it was the first time I'd seen so many people in one place, with some of them even dressing up like they were aliens.
'Like who would wear three belts, it's cool but isn't that a bit much?.' I thought, gawking for too long, that the person I was looking at caught my glimpse.
He raised his hand in greeting, and while fumbling with my fingers, I lowered my head further and gripped my luggage tightly.
The name "Fern West High" was engraved on the school sign, in playful lettering that you would know school life is going to be.... something.
Gripping the luggage tightly, I took my fourth, first step on this campus.
It was crowded, with new faces arriving every minute; some of those faces I knew. I couldn't exactly forget them when they had been my classmates my entire life, but I couldn't say the same about them.
I lingered for a moment, watching one of the people I knew head to his friends; they all hugged each other, their shrill, excited voices reaching my ears.
"Maybe I should say hello," I muttered under my breath before shaking my head and heading left of campus. There, I saw in the open lot a dilapidated three-story apartment.
Clothes hang on each balcony; the dry paint on the walls cracked in batches, arts and "creative" words fill the walls like it's a canvas.
I head inside, heart pounding
Pausing, I hold my phone in front of me
A picture of a a worn out door
"206," it reads.
Knock knock
Creak
The door opened slowly, and behind it was this buff dude wearing a black t-shirt that was barely able to contain his body
'Here it comes'
"Sup dude, you my roomie?"
I nod, and he lets me pass
"Cool, cool, but do know, I get the bottom"
Putting my luggage aside, I looked at him
It was like a war of attrition; we stared at each other for a whole minute, his smug grin clashing with my nervous expression
'This isn't the first time I'm greeting him,' I thought before swallowing the words I was about to say
"West Dale," I offered my trembling, sweaty hand.
"Cool, like the direction"
"....." I stared at him, my hand hanging in the air, praying he'll take it.
He took my hand before introducing himself
"Well, name's Zach, Zach Heins"
"Oh, almost forgot, do you know where James is?" He asked, and my eyes twitched in response.
"W-who?" I said, head lowered, quickly taking my hand back and passing him to arrange my luggage
"You don't know? " He's supposed to tour us freshmen....let me help you," Zach said, helping me pack my clothes
"Can't he be replaced?" I asked, quickly arranging my items so he could help less
"Well, replacing him isn't the problem, bro; he straight up vanished. Looking for him becomes a priority, and before he's found, we can't start the tour"
'he's missing. I can't escape this day. My mom wanted me dead.....
The possibility of all this being connected hurt my head, but that's the only thing I can take as a lead.
'Still, maybe this is all just a coincidence.'
The thought lingered just as quickly as it vanished.
'I let it be a coincidence, FOUR times.....' and all those times I felt something that you should only experience once, and for good reason at that.
My hand trembled, remembering each death so vividly like it's imprinted on my mind.
Taking a deep breath, I decided to probe a little more
"May-maybe, he headed somewhere?"
"Bro, did you read the message on the campus site?" Zach looked at me, dumbfounded
"...." I took out my phone and looked at the site where a flashing red light displayed news
It boiled down to 'James was missing and was last found early morning rehearsing for the tour,' and attached to the news was his face.
"Pretty spooky, right?" Zack voiced to the side.
'Could it really be connected?' I pondered before my head snapped back to Zach
"Th-thanks for helping me pack," I said, biting my tongue before heading out.
....
The campus was large enough to include two dorms to its left, a park in front, and a small field for soccer behind it
At least that was what the navigation on my phone said.
I looked in front of me; it was an open field with one of its sides facing a forest while the other was facing the school.
The sun was at its highest point, making my forehead sweat.
I clicked to the school forum and looked at the news for the second time.
"Yep, this seems to be the place," I muttered, placing my phone side by side to this particular large tree that matches the background of James' missing poster.
A strong wind blew from the forest as if daring me to investigate.
Stashing my phone, I looked ahead.
"Four....I died four times not knowing anything"
Taking a breath, I hyped myself
"I should've asked about this from the very beginning," I sighed. I hadn't talked to Zach about the missing person until now.
' Who would have thought it could actually be connected to me?' I grumbled
And as if to answer, the wind blew harder, with a few crows escaping out of the forest in response.
A gulp escaped as I walked closer
A few thin, dark trees stood at the forest's edge, their trunks like narrow bars stretched upward. They looked too sparse to conceal anything, too fragile, too exposed. And yet, beyond them, the forest deepened into shadow.
I swallowed another gulp, trying to steady myself
"..."
I slapped both my cheeks before taking a deep breath
"So-social death is better than real death," I chanted, hyping myself.
....
"Bro, you have to be kidding me"
"Sorry," I muttered
"You said you have something cool to show me," Zach said, facepalming. "Absolutely not- what if a poisonous mosquito or something lives here"
"J-James might be here; isn't finding him going to make you...cool?" I asked, and Zach looked at me as if I had said something offensive.
"....."
"....."
The two of us stared at each other for a few seconds before Zach finally let out a nervous laugh
"It's cool, you're right, let's go"
"Wai-
He grabbed my arm as we entered the forest.
The narrow line of dark, slender trees, their trunks packed tightly like bars of a cage, eliminated any light from passing through, but passing through the thin gaps, beyond the blinding lights.
"You're right," Zach muttered
Golden leaves lay at our feet and bare trunks of trees spread as far as the eye could see, while the orange light hit just enough to make the whole scene feel warm and peaceful, as if autumn had come.