Grace Academy

Part Five

Mel frowned. Why?

She hiccuped and the boys froze.

Shooting Luce a final glare, Jess turned and strode into the building, walking right past her.

She shut her eyes tightly.

"Are you done hiding now?"

She opened one eye and met Luce's gaze. Mel instantly fell on her knees.

She was running through the woods, stumbling and tripping over the layers of leaves and snow.

Unable to turn back, she continued the rush.

She collapsed at the side of a massive lake, flames chasing her to the edge of the water.

Overcome with fierce desperation to dive into the water, she crawled on her knees, but two hands pulled her back to the flames.

She spun around in her grounded state and stared.

Luce stood above her, leaning down to prevent her from escaping. His body forced her to press into the dirt.

He smiled, flames flicmering around his body.

"Don't run from who you are," he said softly, nose touching her jawbone lightly and causing shivers to run down her spine. "There is no escaping your past."

Mel opened her eyes to find Luce crouching next to her.

"Do you always pass out like this?" he asked playfully, but his eyes shone with worry in the darkness.

She sat up and glared at him. "I'm here for a reason," she said before standing and leaning on a pillar for support.

She eyed Luce, imagining the flames in his eyes and over his body.

Shaking her head, she stepped into a hallway. "How did you see me?" Mel asked. "Jess walked right past and --"

"Let's just say that Jess is more into sunshine than rain."

Mel frowned as he shrinked back into the shadows, trying to stop the shivering that ran down her spine.

She walked into her room a few wrong turns later, sitting on her bed with crossed legs. She eyed the marks across her wall.

So far she had depicted a burning forest and a building that looked a surprising lot like Grace.

She shook her head. She wouldn't do that. At least she hoped so.

Pulling her history books from her bag, she watched with confusion as a note fell from the crinkled pages.

She eyed it for a moment.

Shaking her head at her own sillyness, she bent down and opened it.

Mel frowned.

Mel Stewarts, it read. Beware the shadows.

She turned the note around a few times, but no other words revealed themselves.

She looked up to her window, trying to contemplate the meaning of the three short words and failing.

She glanced at her bedside lamp and then the room was plunged into darkness.