Chapter 3: Gaze

Ben felt a chill in his spine the moment they exchanged gazes. Those dark, gloomy, crimson eyes gleamed as the president went down the stage.

As Ben turned back to join his classmates back to the classroom, Kira was the first to enter his sight.

Kira emitted a distressed aura around her. Her eyes looked disturbed, and she bit her lip.

"Ben, are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"It seems like there's something bothering you"

"Don't worry, it's nothing."

He reassured her as they walked back to the classroom.

***

It was lunch break the same day. Kira offered Ben to have lunch with him.

When they arrived at the cafeteria, the first two things Ben felt was the cool air of the air conditioner and the gorgeous aroma of the food behind him. The cafeteria looked like five star restaurant, except, without the tablecloth.

He and Kira went to the counter to order. All Kira ordered was a cappuccino with extra milk, while Ben ordered a full set. His main dish was a well-done beef steak and rice. His appetizers were fries and *kimchi, and to top it off, a black forest cake for dessert.

**kimchi (Korean cuisine, a famous traditional side dish of salted and fermented vegetables, such as napa cabbage and Korean radish, made with a widely varying selection of seasonings including gochugaru, spring onions, garlic, ginger, and jeotgal, etc.)

They sat down in a table for two. Just by looking at the two chairs and the single table, he thought about a date. Obviously, when he looked around, stares from every direction was evident. He ignored it and sat down. He then ate his food.

He thought he looked bad eating like a dog in front of one of the three goddesses, but Kira didn't mind. Instead, she smiled at the sight. Ben continued munching down his food.

His face showed a hint of satisfaction as he ate the steak. He could taste different the flavors clashing in his mouth, invading his taste buds. When he paired it with the rice, it tasted even better. Before he took a bite, he almost drooled to the fragrant aroma of the steak.

After eating the steak, he wanted more. So, he went for the fries next. He paired it with kimchi. The combination of both flavors blended so good with each other.

Before his stomach couldn't take in any more, he ate the cake. The texture of it amazed him. The taste of the frozen syrup covering the cake lingered in his mouth for quite a while, and the soft cake melting in his mouth made him want to cry.

After the scrumptious meal, he drank water to get rid of the excess food stuck in his mouth and teeth. While he did, Kira sparked a conversation.

"H-Hey, Ben.."

"Yeah?"

"About Pat... you know, the president?"

Ben almost choked water when he heard the president's name. He asked Kira what it was about, and she said that she was concerned for Ben. She said that she saw him and Pat lock eyes, both showing morbid expressions.

Ben assured her that everything was alright, but Kira didn't easily believe it. Instead of insisting, however, she kept shut, then changed the subject. They talked non-sense for the remaining of the lunch. Smiles formed on their faces.

With the ring of a bell, they went back to class.

***

Ben looked up to see the sun setting in the distance. The red to orange hue illuminated the sky, and it radiated calm and peaceful energy to Ben.

Ben's eyes were filled with anguish. He recalled the moment when the president's eerie eyes gazed at him in contempt. Just thinking about it made Ben feel like his heart was about to be crushed. He shedded cold sweat in his forehead, and it ran down slowly, going to his right cheek, then to his neck, where it joined with a larger drop of sweat. His hands were trembling with the thought that the president would haunt him someday, in his dreams, and kill him.

He made small steps going home. Not even the thought of going to bed made Ben relax. He could not stop thinking of the imminent danger that was about to happen.

Just as he was thinking about his impending doom, he heard rustling behind him, then at the right, then at the left. Ben was petrified, all he could do was stand in the middle of the street and wait for the rustling to pass.

It then calmed.

It was then replaced by faint and muffled whispers all around him. His mind was then filled with gore scenes, and groans started getting louder and louder that he fell on his knees, petrified.

His eyes opened wide as he felt a drop of liquid pour in his head. He shivered immensely as he felt it. He then felt as if someone embraced him. A cold, murderous embrace.

The liquid that poured on him gradually increased, until it covered his entire body. It was rain. Really heavy rain.

Ben rushed home, shivering to the cold. As he walked in a straight path, he saw a silhouette in the distance. It looked like it was beaten up hard. It was not standing up straight, its head was facing down to the point where it looked like it did not have one, and it was walking in an ill manner. As he stared intently at the silhouette, there he noticed.

The silhouette really didn't have a head.

He was about to scream and vomit, but he did his best to hold it. He ran for his life, not minding the cold surrounding him. His heart thumped so loudly that it was the only thing he could hear.

He showered himself with questions in his mind.

(What is happening?)

(Where am I now?)

(What will happen to me?)

(Why does that body have no head?)

(Is this a dream?)

Then, a voice in his head started screaming.

(RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN)

He didn't bother to look back. His main priority right now was to get home safely. He didn't mind the cold, the dark nor the rain.

All he wanted to do was sleep. How did it turn to this?

After the struggle and pain, Ben finally saw his house in the distance. He screamed silently, "Finally!"

Just before he held the door knob, his entire body jolted as he felt a slight tap in his right shoulder. He couldn't turn his head around, so he moved his whole body.

When he faced the direction the tap was from, he immediately fell down, bottom first, his back leaned against the door.

A pair of eyes stared at him with deep, dead smiles.