𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐔𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 - 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘐𝘐

4: Nowhere II

Nowhere
Part 2

Girl opened her eyes, finding that the kitchen had fully vanished. She was still met with darkness, her head feeling heavy. She was aware that she was leaning her forehead on her arms, sitting at what felt like a small table.

"Miss Summers?"

Girl ignored the voice. She was tired, sleeping on the desk felt like a good decision.

Desk?

Where had that come from?

Was it a desk?

She couldn't tell from her current position, so she ignored the random thought and shut her eyes again.

"Susanna?"

Susanna.

Girl remembered the song that Joe had hummed everytime he was trying to get to her. That damned song that had scratched at her ears, that had tugged at the end of the rope holding her memories, trying to pry it out of the bottomless pit that rested in her mind.

'Oh, Susanna, now don't you cry for me, for I come from Alabama with a banjo on my knee'

Susanna.

No matter how far she traveled, no matter how many miles of dead-infested earth she covered, that name just kept coming back.

"Susanna!"

Girl finally shot up, sensing that the yelling wasn't going to stop.

"Ah, so you are with us."

Girl squinted in confusion.

She was in a classroom.

It was unclear how she'd gotten there, but it was definitely a classroom. It appeared to be highschool, the students around her looking about her age. They were all clean, healthy looking teens, in stark contrast to all that Girl knew. She looked down at her hands, finding that they were still bloodied and gross, making her stand out among the other students around her.

"Susanna, are you alright?"

Girl shook her head, not understanding what was happening.

Why was this woman calling her Susanna? It had become clear that she was the source of the calling from earlier, all eyes were on her as the teacher spoke, some were giggling, some looking confused or partially concerned.

Girl nodded her head, not knowing how else she was meant to respond to the things happening around her.

"Well, try to stay awake, alright?"

Girl nodded again, sinking down in her seat as the teacher went back to the lesson. Whatever was going on on the blackboard at the front of class made sense to Girl, though she couldn't place why.

It was math, something she never pictured herself doing again. But every number written was something she understood, every function the teacher worked out fit together in her brain like she'd just gotten the lesson on it the day before. Like she was a real student.

She found herself scribbling in a notebook along with what the teacher wrote, copying notes and example problems like it was second nature.

She was staring at the board writing furiously without looking down at her paper.

"Susanna? Would you like to work out this next problem?" the teacher called, pointing at Girl with a manicured nail.

Girl shrugged, standing up shakily. Her feet felt sort of stuck, like she was trudging through mud to get to the board.