The arrow of death

Chapter-8

What the hell is going on? I panicked as I ran around the campus, looking for some sign of life. I screamed Arun's name at the top of my lungs but couldn't hear any reply. There was not a single soul in sight. I was terrified. My legs were tired and my heart beat out of my chest but I didn't stop.

I stopped to take a breather as I looked around. I was in disbelief. How could everyone around me have disappeared on such short notice? It seemed too elaborate to be a prank and even if it was, who would actually try to come up with and pull off a trick like this? And on me of all people? 

Then a thought lit up in my mind. The words I had heard last night suddenly came back to me.

'They're gonna be coming for you.'

Is this what the ghost had meant? But why would someone be coming for me? I mean, I know that a spirit announced this directly to me but it was still hard to believe. I had never been special. I had always been the kind of kid who'd fade into the background. People would rarely notice me and I was average in both studies and sports. So I couldn't wrap my head around the fact that someone would be coming for me. 

As my mind was trying to work through the absurd idea of what was happening I felt a hand on my shoulder. A voice spoke up from behind me, and I instantly recognized who it was as I turned around.

There she was, appearing out of nowhere as always. If I wasn't already so stressed I might've jumped at her suddenly appearing behind me but instead I felt a sigh of relief leave my body after seeing a familiar face. But there was a slight difference. She looked more solid, more present in the surroundings.

I hadn't mentioned this before but whenever she appeared in my house she was always floating a few inches above the ground. Her silhouette would be hazy and fade in and out of the surrounding as if she was a part of the background but for some reason, she looked more grounded and solid today. More real. And I don't know if I was seeing things but she seemed to have a little glowing outline around her body.

"You need to get ready," she said in her raspy voice. "They'll be coming for you as soon as you wake up"

"Huh? But I'm already awa.."

She moved so quickly that I felt dizzy. She was standing 2 meters in front of me and in a blink she had grabbed onto my shoulders, her face inches away from mine. I felt my heart drop to my stomach.

"There's no time" 

Her hands on my shoulders felt warm as they grabbed on tighter. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head turning her pupils pure white. I had to stop myself from shrieking in fear as she started to recite a poem.

" Connections and burnt bonds

disappear without any trace

one looks within their mind

to try and recognize a face

so familiar, it might change the path taken in the future"

Her hand's now felt uncomfortably hot. I didn't understand what she meant by those words she had spoken but for some reason, I couldn't open my mouth to speak. My shoulders had started to smoke but I wasn't able to scream even though the pain was almost unbearable.

"Find me," she said as she let go of my shoulders.

I wanted to scream as I fell to my knees but I still couldn't open my mouth. I looked at the sky and the shock almost caused me to forget about the pain. The sky was dark like it was the middle of the night. Had I been standing here for that long or did she change the time?

I looked at her and found half of her body invisible. Her mouth was still moving and repeating the words 'find me' and 'wake up'.

When she finally disappeared, I felt my vocal cords opening up. My mind was freaking out. My shoulders were hurting like hell and I could smell my own burnt skin. I wanted to puke but when I opened my mouth, only a scream came out.

******

I woke up with a start. I immediately looked at my shoulders. There was no sign of any burns but I still felt her hands as if she was still holding on. I immediately felt better when I could hear the children playing around in school.

'That wasn't a dream, was it?' I thought. 'Cuz it felt pretty real.'

I looked at my watch and it was still 12 30 pm. Only 30 minutes after I had fallen asleep. Maybe I should just head back to class, I thought as I walked back down the stairs toward my classroom.