CHAPTER ONE

HER VANISHING

In the middle of the night, little Henry woke up from a nightmare, in his dream he saw a man standing in the corner of his room, it was dark so he isn't able to see who it was. The man was abnormally tall, has old-wrinkled skin, his eye socket was empty, it was just a deep dark large hole and through the holes maggots are moving around, eating his flesh that is already black like a rotten one, and his mouth was stitched and red liquid like blood was dripping through the stitches. Little Henry isn't sure if it was just a dream, because the moment he opened his eyes, the man was sitting on top of him, though the creature has no eyes he could feel it, he could feel that the creature was staring at him, and slowly, in a very slow of motion the creature's lips who was stitched is being curved into a smile, it tilts its head and looks deeply to little Henry, the creature smile, even more, wider, wider and so much wider.

I could hear my classmate Jessica telling the class about the story of little Henry and the Man with no eyes. It's a popular story to this small town, even the kids who are aged six are aware of who is Little Henry and the Man at the corner of his room. Might wondering what happened to little Henry, well he was abducted by this man, tortured and starved, fortunately, the writer or who-the-hell-ever made up the story got pity on little Henry, at the end he escaped from the Man. It scares all the kids, in fact, the adults as well, because of the case of a missing kid who is also named Henry and the last person he is with was an old man who is tall and blinded.

My attention shifted to the window of our classroom, from where I am sitting I could see the outside of the school, the empty road, and an old musty shed. Heavy rain was pouring, but the thing that got my attention was the old man who is standing in the waiting shed, he was wearing a formal suit with a yellow tie. I was looking at him, and he is doing the same thing. It was weird, I felt weird. I couldn't tell if he was looking at me, but I could feel that he is. I am calm not when a wide smile appeared on his lips.

"Lorelei Crimson?" I heard Mrs. Fuertes' calling my name, it made me look at her. Worry was written all over her face which just made me so confused because she normally gives her students a disgusted look. "Can I borrow your minute? To the principal's office, please."

I let out a breath and nodded. We're walking in the hallway, heading to the office. Mrs. Fuertes' was saying something, a bunch of things actually, but her voice seemed to be muffled to my ears. I'm thinking about a lot of stuff, first was my parents who are already falling apart, the second was my grades who are also already falling apart, and thirdly myself who has already fallen apart. I wish I could have courage like other kids, I wish I was smart and brave, witty and fantastic, these words are compliments to my ears, and my parents always give this compliment to my cousins who live in the city.

We both entered inside the principal's office, the face of Mrs. Carlos greeted us with her cold presence.

"You'll be expelled from this school, the faculties, as well as the other kids, have already decided to kick you out. I do not want to be rude, sweetie, but you know I hate making a long discussion." She sighed as if I am taking all of her time. "Just...Just bring your parents here, do you get me? You may now leave." She rolled her eyes and massaged her temples.

I left her office and did what she told me. Over the phone, I told my mother everything and she isn't shocked nor worried about me being expelled, why? because this isn't the first time, not even the second time... this is my seventh time. Most of the kids, no—all of them think I am crazy, that I am nuts just like my older sister, my parents are also starting to think that I am insane, that something's wrong with my head, that I have to be charged on a mental facility for the better just like what they did to my older sister.

"I won't be home today, sweetheart. Don't stress about it too much, we'll make things work out." She said, and I ended the line before she says I love you. She always does this, she always makes things work out and it sucks because it doesn't always work out. Her ways of fixing every mess are just so disgusting, she pays the school, she pays the teacher, she compliments them, gives them luxurious gifts and a lot of shits just to make them like me, just to make them give me high grades. Money in exchange for straight A's and B's is just so disgusting.

I didn't come back to the class, well I did— to grab my backpack, but soon after, I left the school by climbing to the high steel gates. The rain is pouring heavily on me, it makes my vision blurry. I could feel the coldness as well as the wetness because of the rain. I crossed the road, headed to the waiting shed, it was too late when I realized that the old man was also there. I could hear my heartbeat racing at an abnormal pace, it feels like my heart was going to explode in my chest because the man somehow makes me feel so much nervous. I moved a little away from the man, aside from he is creepy I also could smell something that is rotting and I'm pretty it was him, who is rotting... The unpleasant smell was like a corpse of something—more like someone.

"Cutting classes, huh? Kids these days' unbelievable." He spoke. I can hear the heavy raindrop on the pavement as well as his raspy-oldie voice. It gives me creeps, he gives me creeps. I am shakingly raised my gaze at him, he was also looking at me with a wide, so much wide smile. I could see his yellowish teeth, I bet he hasn't used a toothbrush for years. I just realized that his pupils and iris were discolored, it was greyish almost turning into white and his sclera wasn't white at all, it was yellowish and something is moving inside, it looks like a long string that are moving at a rapid pace. "You're a good girl, aren't you?"

I took a step back, but I know it is too late because the syringe with a red liquid is already on my neck, penetrated. He leaned on my face, only inches are making us apart. His breath was disgusting, it smells like rotting fruit, more like rotting flesh. "Say bye-bye."

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