Morrisa

Chapter 4

It is Monday. I hate Mondays. I groaned as I locked myself in the bathroom. I took my own sweet time in the shower, letting my aching muscles relax under the hot water.

Half an hour later, I tiptoed out of the bathroom with just a towel wrapped around me. Feeling refreshed and relaxed, I opened my cupboard to find clothes.

Let's wear something that defines ME.

I smirked as I searched for the right clothes. I found a very sexy top in the back of my cupboard. I had bought it when I first started earning. I had sneaked it into my room. It put the top on. It was white and somewhat see-through. It had thin stripes on my shoulders, it's neck was curved in a broad 'V', not too deep but showing just an inch of my cleavage. It stopped right above my navel. It had an upside-down 'U' at the end around my navel. The sides extend just a bit to the start of my thigh. I paired it with black shorts. I highlighted my eyes with an eyeliner and applied some chapstick. I put on a high, neat ponytail. I smirked and stared back at my appearance. Satisfied, I left my room.

At the breakfast table, Jean just nodded at me but Caitlin choked on her food. She burst into a coughing fit, Jean offered her water and I sat beside her smirking. I patted her back to comfort her. Soon, her coughing died down and I poured myself some juice, served some pancakes and I dug into the heaven of deliciousness.

"So.. New look, huh?" Caitlin said half enthusiastically half awkwardly.

"Yes!" I laughed.

"Oh... You look...." her eyes traveled up and down my body as if searching for something. "You look... Sexy!" she completed with a smirk. I was taken aback. I had expected an awkward 'look Great' or something along the lines of it but not this!

I gave back a devilish grin after gaining my composure.

I like this girl. I seriously like her.

"By the way. You too look hot." I said as I cut a piece and stuffed it in my mouth. I leaned into her ear and whispered. "I bet Jean won't be able to his hands to himself after I leave." Her eyes darted towards Jean, who was busy with his food. Her face turned as red as a tomato and I laughed at her. She playfully hit me on the arm.

I bid goodbye to the happy couple and left for school. I walked along the footpath with the cool morning breeze hitting my face. I smiled. I was happy. It felt as if I have attained freedom. I am free to do what I want. It is a beautiful morning, the birds were chirping, the breeze flowing, and laughter in my heart. I had never felt so eternally happy.

But there was something fishy. Many weird things had been happening to me. The whispering of my full name, me finding extra strength to beat Jason, the deer's bowing, everything was so weird and odd. There was something wrong, really really wrong. But what was all this about? Why was all this happening? Should I find the answer? Or should I let it be? Questions and questions encircled in my head. Whose answers my conscience was begging me to find.

Stay away from it.

I jumped at the sound. I looked around to see who whispered. There was nobody. I was sure it was not my conscience. There was somebody else's voice. A shiver went down my spine.

I had reached my school, I was just a foot away from the gate. Students were piling in and talking and laughing. I took a deep breath, squared my shoulders, held my chin up, and walked inside. My ass swayed with every step. As soon as I entered, I saw people staring at me with wide eyes, some ogling me, some crunching their noses in disgust. I heard whistles behind me. I passed a group of guys, I guess were Jason's friends. One of them shouted.

"Hey, beautiful!"

"Hey, sexy!

"Let's go out today!"

"How about a tour to my room?"

I ignored the jerks and walked to my first lecture. Shaina, the school's most beautiful and hot girl, the wet dream of every single person in our school. Her eyes raked up and down my body. A glare was directed toward me.

One of her friends said "look who's slutting up!" and the girl beside her erupted in giggles. Shaina just smirked. I hated giggles. Never in my life have I ever giggled. I fought the need to scrunch up my nose and sat on my seat. I pulled out my phone and started reading the ebook I had started. I escaped into some other land shutting the reality out of my life.

"Hey!" said a meek voice and I looked up from my phone. It was Laura. She always sat beside me. She was a quiet and shy girl. She was the only human I could tolerate in the whole school. We never actually talked. We only conversed through subtle gestures.

I slipped inside to give her space. She sat beside me and removed her books from her bag and dug her nose in the books. I continued staring away into my phone screen.

Five minutes later,

"Hey!" the same meek voice said. I looked up at her and raised an eyebrow. "What's your name? Are you new here?" she asked sheepishly. I laughed at her. Was I not recognizable? I had not put layers and layers of makeup as Shaina does.

"You do not know me?" I asked a bit amused

"Um..... No?" she asked awkwardly.

"Marie. Marie who-"

"Marie!" she looked taken aback as if she had not ever in her wildest dreams expected it. "What... How... You... This...... What happened to you?" she gushed.

"Life happened." I deadpanned and went back to my phone. Laura laughed and went back to her book. There was this thing about Laura, She never judged. She always accepted everybody and kept to herself. Never the one to gossip. I smiled at her.

Soon our teacher arrived and the lecture started. And I, as usual, went back into my dreamland. I thought of things happening with me, the voice that asked me to stay away. I had a knack for doing things I am told not to do. So it was sure that I was not going to listen to that voice no matter what. I will find the answer.

Suddenly there was a dull ache on my back. I straightened my back and the ache subsided a bit. But it was still there. I shrugged it off and concentrated on Mr. Brodling's back... err.... at what he wrote on the board.

My backache was growing and growing. I fidgeted in my seat desperately trying to find a less painful position. But the ache was still there. It was throbbing a lot. I could not have a moment of peace. The aching suddenly increased tenfold and I screamed out in pain. My hands touched my back as if the touch could heel it. My eyes were closed tight. I could not open them. I heard shuffling around me. Someone was yelling my name but I could not make out who. I screamed and screamed out in pain. I could not suppress anything. Tears had wet my face. I was nudged out of my seat and I walked a few steps. I fell to the ground. My head touching the carpet, and my legs crouched to my stomach. My back facing the ceiling. Another harsh throb came and I let out another ear-splitting scream. It felt as if my bones were breaking too many altogether.

After some time that felt like hours, the pain numbed. It dulled and dulled in till there was nothing left. Relief spread through me. A gush of wind hit my body and I relaxed. I wiped my face and opened my eyes. It took some time to adjust to the light from the darkness. Finally, I managed to open my eyes fully. Benches, students, and everything was beneath me. People were looking at me with fear, terror, and awe. Terrified, I looked to my right to see what held me up. I was met with a bunch of jet-black feathers. The darkest shade of black that I had ever seen. They shone against the daylight in their own glory. They were shaped in something....... something similar to..... um... Wings?!

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