Chapter 2: The end of normalcy

Three familiar faces met Amber and me near Orange Bailey's front gates, each one illuminated dramatically against the backdrop of my return to school life.

The first to call out was Japheth, his deep voice cutting through the morning air like a blade. With his towering frame and commanding presence, he was impossible to ignore. He lived by a creed of blunt honesty—if you had something to say, you said it, or risked being drowned out by the world. His hand engulfed mine in a firm handshake, pulling me into a quick one-arm hug. His usual stern demeanor softened with a rare smile, his pearly whites gleaming against his olive skin.

"You're back, man!" he exclaimed. "Are you sure you're alright to be here, dude?"

Before I could answer, a smaller figure wedged himself between us. Joshua, whose lack of height was more than compensated for by his sharp wit and relentless energy, placed a hand on my shoulder. His round glasses reflected the morning light, and for a brief moment, I caught a glimpse of concern in his gaze before it shifted into something more exuberant. His nose wrinkled slightly as he grinned—Japheth's favorite trait to tease.

"Good to see you again, Darren."

"What's good, man?" came another familiar voice. Chris, his ever-calm auburn eyes half-lidded as if he was still waking up, swept aside three stray dreadlocks from his light brown face. He raised a fist for our customary bump, a habit carried over from elementary school.

"I'm good, my guy," I replied, returning the gesture.

These three had been my best friends for years, our bond forged through countless memories. Yet, I had pushed them away, drowning in my grief. My smile faltered as I realized we were one head short.

"Where's Chanel?" I asked.

Amber echoed my question, sighing exaggeratedly. We scanned the crowd of students who either loitered on their way to homeroom or rushed frantically past.

Then, from the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of long ebony hair, moving like liquid silk through the crowd. The figure turned slightly—pale skin, violet eyes hidden behind grey-framed glasses. For a fleeting moment, Chanel's gaze met mine. A flush of color rushed to her cheeks, and before I could react, she turned sharply and disappeared into the throng of students.

"Wasn't that Chanel just now?" Chris asked, his voice tinged with confusion.

"What was that all about?" Japheth sighed, crossing his arms.

We pondered it until the bell's shrill ring snapped us back to reality.

Joshua grabbed Japheth's collar and dragged him toward their class. "Dude, don't wrinkle the collar!" Japheth protested, much to Joshua's amusement.

Amber caught me off guard with a quick kiss on the cheek before skipping away, leaving Chris and me to head toward our class.

Inside, Mr. Roker sat at his desk, his scowl deepening as he spotted me. The years had not been kind to him—his thick neck spilled over his shirt collar, his jowls resembling an overbaked muffin.

"You're finally back, Mr. Harper," he snorted.

"Yes, sir." I laughed despite myself.

His expression softened unexpectedly. "I heard about your father's passing. My condolences." He patted my shoulder, his touch surprisingly gentle. "It's good you came back."

I inhaled the pine-scented air of the classroom as all eyes fell on me. Whispers died down as roll call began, and slowly, the attention shifted to Mr. Roker.

Still, my mind wasn't in that room.

Chanel had been acting strange.

I pulled out my phone and checked our group chat.

Chanel left the group.

"What the…" I muttered under my breath.

The others noticed immediately.

Joshua: "Did Chanel just leave the group?"

Me: "Yeah, she's been acting weird lately. I bumped into her earlier, but she just ran off."

Amber: "Ever since you came back, she's been acting like this. You didn't do anything to her, did you?"

Japheth: "Couldn't have. Darren wasn't even here."

Me: "Maybe it's because I stopped talking to everyone?"

Joshua: "Maybe. Just talk to her, I guess."

Determined, I made up my mind.

That evening, as the sun dipped into an orange haze, we waited by the school gates. Time passed, but Chanel never appeared.

"I'm going to look around," I announced.

"I'll come with you," Japheth yawned. "I hate standing still, dude."

We searched everywhere. The school darkened as the moon replaced the sun, our flashlights barely illuminating the empty halls.

Then, a message from Japheth.

"Guys, I see someone walking toward Orange Forest."

I ran to a window facing the western side. A lone figure in a white dress moved steadily toward the tree line. Using my phone's camera, I zoomed in.

My blood ran cold.

"Chanel."

Something was wrong. Her movements were stiff, unnatural. Her violet eyes, obscured by flowing black hair, seemed empty. An eerie green gemstone hung from her neck, catching the dim light.

I bolted down the stairs, fingers flying over my screen.

"I found her. She's heading into Orange Forest."

Responses came instantly, but I ignored them.

"Chanel!" I called, running closer. She didn't respond. I grabbed her wrist.

She blinked, her trance breaking. "D… Darren?"

"What's wrong with you?" I demanded, shaking her gently.

Her eyes darted around. "You… You're not supposed to be here."

"Let's go back to everyone."

"No…" She stepped back, trembling.

"Why are you being so difficult." My voice rose in agitation. "Why can't you just talk to me?!"

"Because..." With an audible inhale she answered. "Because, I love you."

My breath caught. "You… what?"

"I've loved you since middle school." Tears welled in her eyes. "But you chose Amber."

Before I could respond, an inky plume of smoke rose behind her, congealing into a form.

A voice slithered from within. "Unrequited love… how tragic."

A monstrous presence loomed over Chanel. The moment I reached for her, she was yanked back. Her scream tore through the night. I lunged forward—but all I caught was her severed arm. The rest of her body fell forward, a deep red slash was placed upon her neck.

"Chanel..." My legs gave into the weight of the situation. My mind was void of all thought, only Chanel's face that twisted in both horror and agony made me realized reality was before me.

"Another soul for the master." That thing had a smile on it's face. It cradled a green cloud, from it I heard Chanel's voice, desperately calling out for me. Those cries disappeared as Chanel flew into the air towards an unknown direction.

"Darren!" Amber's voice called out to me.

Under the many lights on the school's fields I can see Amber, along with Japheth, Joshua and Chris. All stopped at the sight before them.

"Aren't you the player." It hissed in excitement. "Still I should thank you for the next soul you've given me."

Immediately visions of Amber's lifeless body came into my mind.

"No!" I tried to grab at the air only catching pieces of smoke. "Stop!" My tears began to fall endlessly, they flew towards my hands creating a massive hand of tears.

Finally I was able to hold onto it, surprise remove the twisted grin from it's face.

"Impossible..!" It turned readying to strike me.

The tears continued to flow increasing the size of the water like hands I had. They swallowed the smoke, hands broke through every now and then only to be consumed once more. Heavy sharp pain came from my chest a long with the sound of something breaking. Still I forced myself through it, ignoring the pain and the cries for mercy from it. Until the pressure crushed that thing fully I wasn't going to stop.

Something broke...

Within me something broke, the water exploded allowing a brief rain to scatter on me and anything near.

The creature was dead, and Amber was safe. To me it was all that mattered, my conscience was fading and behind my closing eyes the sounds of my friends was coming closer.