A picture is worth a thousand words

[September 20

Dear Diary,

Something awful is going to happen today. I don't know why I am writing this. It's crazy.

There's no reason for me to be upset and every reason for me to be happy, but...

But here I am at 1:30 in the morning, awake and scared.

I keep telling myself it's just that I'm all messed up from the time difference between Máville and there. But that doesn't explain why I feel so scared. So lost.

I don't know why those dreams are coming to me in my sleep. I always ignore them, but today something awful happened. I saw Elliott. Yes, the same Elliott who saved me from a demon. I don't know what is meant by both things, but I feel scared because nothing feels good after I had that dream. I don't know if I will be able to sleep again.]

Her frustration had been building for hours now, and it was finally beginning to peak. She could feel it, feel it closing its hands around her neck. Anger.

'Why am I the only one who's scared right now? Why am I the only one with this pit of nervousness in my gut? Why am I the only one asking the same question over and over and over again: What is this all about?'

Lauren thought and looked at the open page in front of her, where she wrote something in her childhood handwriting.

-The terrified first page of her diary

[January 27, 2005

Dear Diary,

I lost my mom and dad. I remember my mom used to tell me if I felt sad and scared when no one is near me, I should write, and that's what I am doing right now. I love my mom and dad, but today Aunt Zuri informed me I lost my parents.

I was in the hospital—in the bed. And I was injured and had bandages on my head. She didn't tell me in the hospital about their death. But when I got discharged from the hospital and was on my way to meet my parents whom I missed a lot, she informed me. I was angry with them because they never came to meet me in the hospital.

But Aunt said they both came when I was sleeping. I was happy after hearing, I was not angry with them. Aunt informed me about the accident they both met on their way to Maville. She told me they were going to meet my uncle, but they got into a big accident. I am alone now. I am sad. Mom, please come back. Dad...]

Tears rolled from her eyes as she remembered the day when she was writing this. The childhood memories washed over her after many years with Aunt Zuri was also gone now.

Lauren hid the diary throughout her childhood. Her aunt hasn't known about the diary; she used to write about her emotions, absurd thoughts, and secrets.

After many days in Máville, finally she got the courage to open it now. Importantly, when she felt the need to write the weird feeling that something was wrong with her. She stood up with a sigh and walked to the closest. She searched for something and finally found it.

It was a novel called "Mystery of Her Life." Lauren slipped on the coverlet and secured it around her. She opened the first page.

MYSTERY OF HER LIFE: A TRILOGY

B. A. Charlotte

It was a story about the immortal creatures who broke into their homeland. They're forced to work with the vampires and the lords. They worked over the lords and killed the king. The humans become slaves and maids for vampires.

Lauren finished the book after 20 pages and looked for the water bottle she had finished an hour ago. She didn't read, although she occasionally did. The time was not good to read books right now. She enjoyed watching films. Her mother used to read a lot, but Netflix made her this way. Even if she wasn't like her, she tried to be.

Lauren glanced out of the window, where the weather was still moist. "Why am I not surprised?" Sighed Lauren and walked away from there.

As Lauren wasn't able to sleep now. She saw the time on the nearby clock which was hanging with a tik-tik sound's could be hear clearly in the deep dead silence in the room.

All again just trying to sleep on her bed again was a bad idea. The coldness from the rainy weather wasn't helping either.

"I will ask Uncle to bring more logs," Lauren murmured in thought looking at the fireplace empty. She knew if she requested, it would be done, before she would come back to her room after taking classes for the day, that's the power of her Uncle.

This thought, made her laugh at herself. Thinking that at this time her uncle, would probably be sleeping in his warm bed. If only she know, he was not able to sleep tonight for some specific reasons.

The clock clicked 3, and Lauren found herself walking out of her room. As she stared at the darkness of night. She suddenly remembered that whenever she tried to go and take a look at nothingness. She was forced to stay in bed for some time. She didn't know what the problem was; she will bring herself in this time.

Furthermore, she was her own villain.

No one was there and the light in the corner of the corridor was lit up. Making the corridor a little brighter.

Then, without thinking for another minute. She slipped her feet into her slippers and grabbed her coat. So instead of thinking more about demons thing, she took a deep breath and heaves herself out of the door.

As Lauren walked down the stairs, she ignored pretty much everyone she came across, which was almost nobody, since most of the students must be sleeping at this time. Lauren didn't know if she should probably feel guilty — that she was not—but to be honest, she just felt relieved to see no one.

In the distance, she tried to ignore the unfamiliar howls and roars and even the some animalistic scream in the distance. It's enough to freak anyone out, let alone a girl born and raised in the city while locked up in a room or home, but Lauren comforted herself by remembering there was a huge castle like a wall between her and all the animals making those noises.

It wasn't just the foreignness of this place that has her brain racing over time. Being in Máville was definitely a strange experience. However, it was important to remember that Lauren was able to make some great friends here and found comfort in the company of the kind people around her.

She would be happy about it and let it slide for a second that she was not used to this lifestyle. But what one could do when there were good people near her who made her feel important?

Just because it was as cold as death outside but because God only know what wild animal was waiting for her in the middle of the night. Lauren wouldn't be laying in bed listening to the roars and howls for nothing... She was thirsty.

It was creepier than Lauren expected it to be. She would have thought the hallways would be lit up in the middle of the night, with safety protocols and all that, but instead, they're dim. Like just enough light to see the imaginary shadows sweeping along the corridors dim.

For a second, Lauren thought about going back into her room and forgetting about the whole walk. But just the thought had the migraine ringing in her brain again, and that was the last thing she could handle right now.

Lauren pulled out her phone, which she was thankful that she bring with her, and angled its flashlight down the hall. Suddenly the shadow or whatever it was —disappeared, and it looked like any other hallway. If you discount the rough stone walls and old-fashioned tapestries.

Lauren had no idea where she was going; she only knew that she wasn't able to sleep and taking a stroll was a good idea. She could barely stand the thought of dealing with Hazel right now; dealing with anyone else seemed blatantly impossible.

Lauren made it to the long, circular staircase without a problem and took the steps two at a time, all the way down to the ground floor.

She hadn't still fluent in the paths of this building. She had thought it would be easy for now to roam around if she wanted. The lunch usually she had was with Hazel or Alara.

And last night's dinner was with Harrison. He took her to the lunchroom, which was occupied by the other special staff of the University. Lauren did not know who were they yet and the teachers usually eat in the lunchroom which was assigned to students.

Lauren did remember where the library was, along with a number of the classrooms. There were other classrooms in buildings around the grounds, but most of the core classes were taught here, inside the building, which she was thankful for. The less she had to be out in that weather, the better.

Down here, the hallways were lined with more tapestries, worn and faded with age. Her favorite stretched for yards and was vividly colourful. Purples and pinks, greens and yellows—all woven together with no apparent rhyme or reason except as she stepped back and shined her flashlight on a photo frame.

A youngster was standing in a huge frame of the image. He appeared young—approximately 5 to 7 years old. He was only glaring at the camera without a smile, and when she peered through it, she realised that it wasn't a camera at all but rather a painting of a guy.

Then she saw three additional portraits after the second one. Lauren scowled since she had never visited this part of the dormitory. It appeared as though this hallway led to a different building rather than her dorm. She became apprehensive and intrigued about her surroundings as a result. She was curious about where this passageway will lead her. Taking a note that she would definitely go there to see what was there later, she moved to the next one.

The same youngster was seen in another photo beside a man and woman cradling a newborn child. Lauren quickly turned away after flashing her phone to someone else, came back, and flashed it at the woman.

The mobile was almost about to drop, but Laurence balanced herself by putting her hand on the left wall.

"Mrs. Rodriguez?" Lauren gulped in disbelief. "This lady... is the same lady. I saw in my dream." She whispered to herself in utter shock. Goosebumps broke over her whole body, and she suddenly — shivered too.p

A picture is worth a thousand words.