Haze Night

The pain of missing her family gnawed at Szeina. It was eating at her after Yvann truly left for school.

She had nothing to do.

Coming back to Alwreck High was not an option for her.

At least until Officer Von allowed her to come out in the open. He still believed that she's a key to him finding the vampire culprit.

Szeina believed him.

She believed his theory was right.

But she can't tell him that. Telling him would entail revealing her identity as well.

It was not an option.

She can't easily trust him even when she wants to.

The fewer people she surrounds herself with, the better.

Those Rebel creatures may still be after her.

A soft knock disrupted her thoughts. The door of the room opened in a small crack.

Zoe poked his tiny head and looked at Szeina, who was lying in the bed.

"Hey, little guy. Come in." He giggled, bouncing towards her in a matter of seconds.

"Since you're not Yvann's girlfriend, can I be your boyfriend?" Szeina burst out laughing, stroking his blonde hair.

For a six-year-old, he was very straightforward.

"I think that would be debatable. Besides, why do you want to be my boyfriend?"

"Yvann likes you, so I like you too and you're pretty."

"You think Yvann likes me?"

Zoe nodded.

"He said so."

"Oh? He did? But that was supposed to be your secret. You should have kept it between you and him."

Zoe giggled once again.

"Do you want to see something?"

"Depends. What is it?"

The little boy jumped out of the bed, urging Szeina to come follow him.

"It's a secret." He placed a hand over his lips.

Leaving Szeina behind, Zoe left her wondering what it was about. Her curiosity led her to follow the little boy.

Finding Yvann's bedroom door ajar, Szeina thought it might be best that she go back. She didn't want to invade his room twice in a row.

Last night, she had a good excuse to do so. But right now, she had no reason to barge inside his room, uninvited and while he was away.

"Zoe!" she tried calling out.

However, the little boy seemed to be too far inside to hear her.

Throwing logic away, she approached the door and opened it a bit.

Zoe was sitting on the floor. A small box was in front of him. She was about to tell him to put it back when something caught her eye.

Zoe was currently holding the item of interest, and she was exerting every effort not to snatch it away from him.

She was suddenly having a hard time getting her lungs to function properly. Her throat felt clogged and her heart was being squeezed.

"Zoe, can I see that?" the little kid obliged, handing Szeina the familiar-looking pendant hanging on the golden chain.

"This can't be real."

--

On instinct, Szeina clutched the pendant of the necklace she was wearing.

Granola gave it to her on one of her birthdays as a present.

It was an unusual pendant but oddly enough; it became her source of comfort whenever she felt agitated.

Hope, her best friend, thought it was creepy. But also cool at the same time.

For Szeina, it held a sentimental value. She finds the eccentric blue eyes hitting home. And it almost always seemed like looking at her.

Hearing her phone chime for a message coming through, Szeina pulled it out from her pants pockets. She was waiting for the go signal to light the torch and be one of the clue-giver to the potential new council member.

It was haze night, a one time event held by the student council every school year to welcome the first years and open the spot for new committee members.

Szeina was not part of the council. But her best friend, Hope, was.

Because of that, she became involved in the haze night. Her role was to aid in handing out the clues for the potential committee member when they come by her station. But that would be after they pass her test.

Inspired by the amazing race theme, the potential council members needed to make it to the end of the race. The first three to complete all the task will be given the higher chance to enter the council.

It was like a booster for anyone who wishes to have better luck in becoming part of the official government body.

Voting from the students is taken only by a mere thirty percent.

To complicate the game, all the first years who wanted to take part in the haze night would receive a text in the form of a riddle. Their task is to find every senior council member hiding around the campus. The riddle will help them know where to look if they get to solve it.

In addition to the thrill, they did not term the night as haze night if it was done by daylight.

'It's on.'

Reading the text message from Hope, Szeina got the lighter she had with her and turned on her torch.

Haze night was supposed to be fun and nothing serious.

However, on that particular night, something happened.

Something that left Szeina scarred for life.

It was the guttural scream coming from the track and field which was close to where Szeina was stationed that first signaled that something was horribly wrong.

Doing what a logical person would, Szeina left her spot and ran towards where the sound came from.

The scene unfolding before her had her taking a step back and falling to the ground.

Her best friend, Hope, was lying a few feet away from her. A figure towered over her and slowly turned upon hearing Szeina's approach.

Seeing the face of the assailant, the black eyes froze her to the spot. Blood trickled down the lips of the man. A sinister grin spread across his lips as he began to approach Szeina.

The rest of what happened after him trying to get to her was a blur.

Szeina woke up the next day at the hospital with the news that her best friend, Hope, was gone and so was her necklace.