Flight School: Prey

Dear Fear

Manifestations of the heart

Tear me apart.

______________________

"O-Okay everyone," Mr. Callaghan clasped his hands together with a sheepish smile, as if to look firm and ready. "Don't be nervous, it's nothing, really!" He laughs, gaze darting from corner to corner of the room.

"Let us all enter the Great Hall with a smile on our faces and our heads held high! W-Well, it is a new beginning for every one of you here after all. Now, we shall lift our heads-ah, not too high, of course—and take a brave step beyond this door," Mr. Callaghan cleared his throat with a final remark, then proceeded to open the double doors to the Great Hall; an awfully happy smile plastered on his face like a mask.

"Please," He gestured the first prey forward to lead the rest into the hall in neat rows of two. The boy in the front, Vijay, seemed to be unable to comprehend the order; as he paused for a moment or two, staring straight forward at the high table, where the Head Mistress sat.

The grand vastness of the Hall rooted him to the spot, and Vijay felt so small in this large space, enhanced by the tallest ceiling the boy had ever seen.

But that wasn't the least of his worries.

He could sense—with a jolting fear—thousands of eyes on him.

Oh, not just eyes of darkness and abyss;

Blood red eyes of a hunter—

Consuming hunger;

And those curious, curious eyes that searched—

Eyes that scrutinized, raked, dismantled, unraveled—

Villainous eyes that smiled and smiled and

smiled.

Vijay Krishnan choked on air—feeling the life that it was supposed to give coil around his neck like a snake ready for its meal.

People; watching.

People; staring.

Eyes,

Eyes—

So many eyes—

"Get moving Mark!" A hideous call sounded in the open space, and Vijay's head snapped to the right in fear.

Mark

Was that him?

He witnessed a hundred eyes stare back in return-and Vijay does not have the courage to pick out the Predator that made the call.

He puts a firm foot forward, willing his eyes not to wander anywhere else but the ground.

"Move!"