After School

1.11 Josh

September 6, 1946: After school

"Olivia," he whispered, his own palm throbbing. "You have it, too?"

Olivia looked up at him in confusion. She stared deeply into Josh's emerald eyes, and then the realization struck her. Her chocolate brown eyes widened and she clutched Josh's warm hands tightly. "Josh," she quietly gasped. "Do you mean..."

Josh bit his lip, his heart racing and his nerves pulsing with anxiousness. All the frustration and impatience he was feeling prior to instantly left his mind. The realization that both he and his girlfriend had the same mark on their hands scared Josh, and he didn't care about being late to football practice anymore.

Although, the fact that there was someone else who had this mark imprinted on their hand beside him made him sigh with relief. It also made him ponder more deeply about the symbol embedded in his hand because before this Josh simply dismissed it. He suddenly wanted answers, and to comfort the terrified Olivia that stood in front of him. Josh inhaled deeply and lifted his right palm for Olivia to see.

Olivia gasped, her brown eyes glimmering with shock. "I can't believe it... so there are more people who have it," she said, in a soft and quiet voice. Josh couldn't remember a time when she said anything with a tone like that before. "Josh... there's more I need to tell you," she added, taking her gaze off his hand and looking at him straight in the eye.

"What else do you know about it?" he replied, nodding his head with extreme desperation for any vital information.

Olivia quietly gulped before speaking, her knees wobbling as she tried to muster the courage to talk about something as scary and real as this. Josh placed his warm hands on Olivia's shoulder and steadied her. Olivia looked up at him and he gave her a nod, assuring her that he was there with her.

"It's not only me and you, Josh," she hesitantly started, while clasping her trembling hands together. Josh leaned towards Olivia, begging her to continue as his curiosity took over him. "Jessica too. Plus some other kid from our homeroom class, Carter. Yuta knows about it too, although he doesn't have the mark."

Josh looked at Olivia with an appalled expression. "Jessica?" he gasped, feeling pity for his friend. He wondered how she got the mark in the first place. The same question went for him and Olivia. "But who the hell are Yuta and Carter?"

"The transfer student from Japan and his friend, the one with the white hair," Olivia answered. 

Josh gaped, understanding who she meant. He suddenly remembered who Olivia was talking about. The new kid that broke three of Olivia's rules in one sitting, and the one white-haired nerd that sat in the corner of the class.

Josh furrowed his eyebrows, questions upon questions running through his mind. Adrenaline pumped through his blood as he sorted all the information he had in his mind, trying to make sense of the situation. "You said that the mark appeared after that mysterious shadow strangled you?" Josh questioned Olivia.

Olivia nodded her head. "Why, yes! It was the same with Jessica and Carter. They experienced some mysterious thing and then the same mark appeared in the same spot, on our right palm," Olivia explained, trying to relay the information as fast as possible.

Josh widened his eyes in bewilderment. "What mysterious thing are you talking about? And how did you know about the others' marks in the first place?" Josh frantically questioned, his body shaking.

Josh bit his lip and inhaled deeply, trying to control his nerves. "Olivia, I know this must be frightening you right now, but that's only because this is real," Josh said, gripping Olivia's shoulders tightly. "I need you to tell me everything. I've been confused for a couple of days about this stupid symbol that appeared on my hand, and I want to know whether this is something we should be worried about."