Another Day
The next morning I awoke, blinding Rays of sun light reining in from the windows bringing me to my senses. I crawled out from under the thick quilt Burrito that I was wrapped up in on the living room couch.
I barely slept a wink last night, if it wasn't for Teresa staying so late I probably would have run out of this house altogether. She really is a good person at heart isn't she?
Commotion in the other rooms, I see the other kids are finally awake. Me personally, I was already taking a hefty bite out of my breakfast. The taste of the cheesy eggs and the sausage was literally incredible, breakfast food is the greatest thing in the morning time!
I was on my way out the front door as I heard the dreadful sound of Tommy's voice gradually getting closer.
"Man that was some bs gakt obtou tooden" his voice muffled as I shut the door behind me.
The bus stop for school is actually a decent walk away from the building. The sidewalk follows a long and twisted pathway completed with over grown Vines and trees on each side of vision. Honestly I liked this place a lot though, something about the nature and sunlight always had a way of calming me even in my most stressful state.
I stood on the corner of the sidewalk that met with the main road watching the calm morning sky gradually become warmer.
A stir of voices behind me, Tommy and the other boys seem to have decided that today was "national pick on Destroy day".
"So what's with that fried cat brain of yours huh?"
"yeah, so fried out he thinks he's seein' ghosts woow!" the annoying harrharr sound of their giggles made me want to rage quit right then and there, but I stuck strong.
"why don't you say anything smart now that you don't have Ms. Teresa here huh cat brain?" Tommy was clearly trying to instigate something as he shoved my shoulder a few times before pushing me to the ground.
When fighting an older kid at the grand age of 6 you gotta be a real Mcbadass. Unfortunately, I wasn't really a badass, like at all.
By the end of the school day I had so many bruises I could barely move without flinching. As it turns out somehow the teachers must have found out about the scuffle because I was called on to meet the head advisor in his office.
I was sitting on the bench right outside said office, grasping the worn and tattered brim of my sun hat. I dragged it over my eyes as I saw the woman with the red ribbon walking through the hall, she looks unreal like she's the shadow of a person.
Unnatural.
Teresa came from around the corner, she didn't even bat an eye as the woman walked right past her.
On a second note, the dreadfulness awaiting in that office is eating my soul too. I closed my eyes and dropped my head back as I slouched against the wall behind me, that was when I heard it.
The screeching sound of the rusted old hinges as the door behind me swung open. I slowly raised my eyes from under the shade of my hat to see an unpleasant face.
"Good morning Des, can you come speak with me in my office?" What he said was a question, but it sounded more like an order with his tone of voice.
My home advisor, Mr. Hendricks, stood above me. He was blatantly disappointed at the moment.
"Yes sir."
I dropped off the edge of the bench, landing on my toes. Unfortunately, I knew why I was here already.
"Do you remember what I asked of you Destory?" A strict tone to n his voice.
"…To not tell the other kids ghost stories…" I barely managed to speak. Getting yelled at is probably the worst thing ever.
"That's right. So then, do you mind telling me what happened last night?"
Why do you even have to ask? Clearly we both know what happened, let's just cut to the chase.
"Well, you see…" I started. My eyes circled around the room until I finally looked back up at Mr. Hendricks. He was nodding his head, his eyes basically bulging out at me.
"Well, after dinner I felt tired so I headed to bed a little bit early. And…I saw her again…the woman with the red ribbon in her hair…" The memory was unpleasant to say the least.
"Did she try to speak to you?" Mr. Hendricks moves his hands a lot while he talks.
"I'm not sure…"
"That's because she's not real Des, you let your imagination get the best of you sometimes." His voice softened for a brief fleeting moment before harshening once again.
"Which brings me to my next point. I understand you got into a fight with some of the other boys this morning? This kind of behavior will not be tolerated, son. I want you to stay in your room and write an apology."
"To who?"
"To them, of course. Your pranks are causing more stress than I think you realize, son."
"What!? They started the fight with me though!" I slammed my hands down on the desk, which captured a sharp look from him.
Oops, did I go overboard with the whole angry-reply thing there? I definitely don't want to sacrifice any bit if time outside this damn house, so far it's the only place where I see that creepy lady.
"Tommy said that you've been the one picking on him and the other boys. You keep pulling these ghost stories and they don't like that game Des. You know as well as any of the other boys the cruelness of losing someone, so keep that in mind okay?" Mr. Hendricks was a Stern old guy, but he knew how to hit you in the feels every once in a while.
That said, I'm not going to just take the easy road and end the conversation here with nothing really accomplished. Mr. Hendricks really believes that I'm making a game out of this whole thing, and that's not the case. In fact, I'm actually terrified to even be in this house nowadays.
What with the whole demonically crazed ghost woman walking around randomly staring at me, and only I can see her? What the heck is with this BS situation.
"It's NOT a game, I really see her." My expression probably did little to hide my frustration.
"Then why hasn't anyone ELSE seen her?" He matched my determined outburst stride in full, it was a little intimidating to be honest. Not to mention he brings up a pretty solid point.
"I dunno…" That is one heck of a question, I will give you that. Though, the first thing that comes to mind is, I don't know, maybe the fact I'm literally part animal or something maybe?
A brief moment of silence fell on the room until Mr. Hendricks spoke again.
"I understand what you're going through son, believe me. I had a hard time fitting in at your age too."
I bit the inside of my lip until a stream of blood started to trickle onto my tongue. He doesn't understand the first thing about me, otherwise I wouldn't be here enduring this right now. I just stood in front of his desk, my fingers gripped around the straps of my book bag.
"Anyways, how's school going, you made any new friends?" Ouch, he knows where too hit where it hurts too.
"yeah, it's going good." I look at the floor or the wall or the desk but not at him.
"That's good, I'm glad to hear it…Ahem…anyways, that's all I wanted to speak to you about, make sure you show Teresa your homework and make sure you apologize to the other kids. Try to keep your imagination under control from now on, okay Des?" in this moment he pulled out a strange silver pocket watch from the interior of his jacket.
It was just an ordinary metal watch with a chain, but the glass was cracked once he opened it. I could almost swear I saw some weird darkness protruding from it the second he pulled it out.
"What's that?" I had to ask.
"It was donated to us along with several other antique items for the house hold, I figured it'd be a waste to not use it. Though it does act somewhat peculiar on occasion."
"How so?"
"Well, for starters it always stops working at exactly 3 in the morning. Old mechanics are hard to understand, but still somehow fascinating." He pondered while looking at it in detail as he spoke, he offered to let me check it out but I declined.
That thing gives me the Willies, no thank you. But this is actually the first time I've seen an old time clock like that, everything is digital now. It is the year 2100 after all.