*Esmerelda*
I spent the morning trying to distract myself. I reread the student handbook but found nothing amiss. I didn’t know why I thought it would have something on nightmares. It had to be because of the strange encounter with the gate and the scary security guard.
I did everything I could to relax. I tried to read a book, do some yoga, and even went for a brief walk outside. Nothing helped. Each time I shut my eyes, I could see those blood-red eyes again. The nightmare had been so vivid and real. I had never encountered anything like those eyes, but it was like I knew them a little too well. I could picture them without even trying.
And I most definitely was not trying.
I was so relieved when the lock on the front door turned and Rosalind came into the dorm room. She smiled at me and set her bags down before skipping over to where I was sitting on the couch.
“Welcome back,” I said, setting the book down that I had been reading. “How was your day?”
Rosalind sighed a bit and leaned back against the couch cushions. “It went well,” she chirped. “I like most of my teachers. I’m a little worried about math though. It looks like it’s going to be hard.”
“Maybe we can study together,” I offered. “We can help each other out.”
Rosalind nodded, her eyes lighting up. “Thanks. I’d like that. It's so much less dull to study with someone else.”
I felt a bit relieved. I was getting worried about how difficult these classes would be since this was such a prestigious school.
Rosalind relaxed even more against the couch, actually looking tired for the first time since I met her. “Did you sleep okay?” she asked. “You still seem a bit tired.”
“I did sleep well,” I said, which was kind of true. I winced. “I did have a nightmare though.”
Rosalind didn’t seem shocked as I described the horrifying images I saw in my dreams last night. She looked completely understanding. “That’s apparently a normal part of being a student at this school,” she said in a casual tone like we were discussing the weather. “I get similar nightmares too. It’s partially why I’ve been wanting a roommate too.”
My jaw dropped as a sense of alarm filled me. What kind of school had nightmares as a common symptom?
“Do you think it has something to do with the stress from having hard classes?” I wondered aloud.
“I think so,” Rosalind agreed. “It could also have something to do with where the school is located I suppose. It is kind of remote and dreary here.”
I couldn’t really agree more with her. It felt as if this school was set apart from everything else. The nearest residential town was more than a few miles away.
“I know the nightmares are tough,” Rosalind said, her eyes filled with sympathy, “but try not to worry too much about it. They’ll occur less the longer you’re here. I haven’t really encountered any other weird things aside from the occasional bad dream here at Sunset.”
“That’s good at least,” I said, even though my voice didn’t sound that reassured.
Rosalind patted my shoulder. “Cheer up,” she enthused. “I am super excited for you. You’re going to the night school. It’s super mysterious and beautiful from what I’ve heard. I can’t wait to hear all about it when you get back later.”
“I’m trying to be a bit more excited than nervous,” I admitted, fiddling with the hem of my skirt.
“That’s understandable,” Rosalind said consolingly. She then sighed. “Still, I can't help but be jealous of you. You're going to be surrounded by hundreds of hot guys.”
I giggled half-heartedly, thinking about how ironic it was that I was jealous of Rosalind but for a completely different reason. It definitely wasn't because of hot guys. I could care less about stuff like that. All I wanted to do was receive my high school diploma so that I could safely go to college.
Rosalind had a fairly carefree life it seemed. She didn't seem to know what it was like to be abused by a stepfather. She didn't appear to have scars marring the skin of her arms either.
I didn't resent her for it, but I still couldn't help but be envious of the normal life she seemed to lead.
“I hope you like it at the night school,” Rosalind continued in a dreamy voice. She sighed wistfully, her long eyelashes fluttering. “I’ve always wondered what it’s like. No one from the day school has ever been there.”
I wondered if any one of them would be willing to take my place, even though that probably wasn't allowed.
I couldn’t afford to be distracted by this odd school. I just needed to get my diploma so that I could go to college. With a college degree, I could get a job to support myself, which was my only goal at this point.
I needed to stand on my own two feet. I wouldn’t risk having to go back to my stepfather.
Nighttime was quickly approaching and with it, my nerves were rising. I was hanging out in the dining room with Rosalind while she did homework. I slowly ate the chicken soup I made for dinner.
Finally, it was time for me to head to the night school.
Rosalind was practically shaking as she watched me pack my book bag. She paused and tilted her head to the side. “Aren’t you supposed to be wearing your school uniform?” she asked.
I looked down at the plain black skirt and gray blouse I had chosen. “I never received it,” I said. “I think it’s because I was supposed to be in the day school. There’s a day school uniform hanging in my closet.”
The day school uniform was cute with a white button-up blouse and blue skirt that was knee-length. It made me wonder what the boy’s uniform looked like.
I waved goodbye to a beaming Rosalind before making my way out of the dorm room and out of the building. I clutched my bookbag tightly in my hands and tried to keep my head held high as the massive foreboding gate came into view.
The same stern security guard was there. This time, he wordlessly stepped aside and the gate began to creak open. I watched in awe as the large double doors swung to either side like a sea parting down the middle.
I wasn’t sure what I was expecting to see as the gates made way for me, but it certainly wasn’t a huge Gothic castle. It was both magnificent and eerie with its dark color and tall spiraling towers. It looked like a dragon should be hovering above it with how grand and magical it looked.
I completely forgot about the security guard as I passed through the gate with my jaw dropped.
I felt like I was in some kind of dream as I walked through the night school campus. It felt older with its gray brick paved walkways and metal street lamps. It was beautiful as well as if it was somehow preserved in time.
I realized then that I didn’t actually know when the school was founded. Maybe this was the first part of the school, the very first part that was built. It had to have been built in the eighteen hundreds or something.
I jumped a bit when the large gate creaked back shut, closing me inside. I felt a rush of panic now that I really couldn’t leave if I wanted to. It was not that I had intended to leave before attending my classes, but the option would have been nice.
It was eerily quiet. I hadn’t seen a single student yet, but maybe that was because most of them lived on this campus. I wasn’t sure if that was true, but it would explain it. Classes were supposed to start in about ten minutes. Maybe I was just extremely late compared to the other students.
I hadn’t even met any of my classmates yet, and I was already getting the feeling that they wouldn’t like me. Were day students and night students really all that different? If so, this was bad news for me because I was likely supposed to be a day student, which meant that I was different from these people.
Hopefully, that didn’t mean they wouldn’t like me. I was already walking up to the row of buildings where classes were supposed to be held without the uniform.
I thought back to the student handbook, suddenly remembering that the main royal building was supposed to be where the seniors took their classes. That would mean I would go to the castle next year.
There was something royal about the night campus. Perhaps the difference between the day students and night students was financial. That would explain the lavish and expensive-looking setting. Maybe these kids were the children of celebrities and politicians.
I was just making myself more nervous as I entered the building that led to my classroom. There was a gate surrounding it as well. I pushed it open, causing it to creak loudly.
Dozens of eyes turned at the sound. I froze halfway through the gate, my heart flying into my throat as I became the center of attention.
It wasn’t even my sudden shyness that caused me to freeze. If that had been my only emotion, I could have pressed through. What made me stop in my tracks was the utter beauty of the people surrounding me.
They weren’t just gorgeous, they were graceful as if they were carved from marble. They were still as they stared at me but still seemed as fluid as swans flying through a moonlit sky.
I felt just as ugly and underdressed as I feared I would. The students of the night school were dressed as if they were attending a palace ball with full skirts and pressed silk button-down shirts and slacks. The men had vests with intricate embroidery on them.
The girls were gorgeous. I felt my face flush as my eyes raked over their smooth skin and pretty eyes.
What nearly brought me to the floor were the boys.
It was exactly as Rosalind had described. The boys of the night school were drop-dead gorgeous with their intense eyes and perfect hair. They too had skin as smooth as marble and appeared to be glowing beneath the light of the moon.
As I focused on their eyes, I started to grow uncomfortable, realizing that they weren’t just looking at me with curiosity. Even though they were definitely wondering about me, they were also looking at me as if I was a sheep and they were a pride of lions.
Their eyes were odd and extremely focused as if they were planning to pounce on me.
I swallowed hard and stood my ground.