My reality

We all sat at the back of the stage. It had been a couple of hours since the earlier incident. It took me about ten minutes to regain movement in my body. What actually happened... I had no idea. I was still trying to piece together all the things that happened — and were still happening.

The boys had offered to wipe the vomit off my face. And I let them. It's not like I could have refused. The stage floor was cold, giving little comfort to an already uncomfortable situation.

Jayden had initially tried talking to me, but I was so out of sync with... whatever this was, that I couldn't hear a word he said. He eventually gave up, while Nkosi was still fiddling with the marble-like object in his hand.

It was already night. Well, I think so — the moon was high and visible through the windows when we first entered this place... or was that a ceiling light? I wasn't completely sure anymore.

I found myself wishing for my meds. Maybe they could help me focus. Help me differentiate between my voice and my thoughts.

"Did it work?" Jayden spoke, breaking the silence.

Nkosi stopped fiddling with the object and threw it on the floor in front of him.

"Yeah," he said, a serious expression on his face that quickly faded when he turned to face us.

"And?" Jayden asked, wanting Nkosi to explain.

"Someone erected a veil around the school. Probably after all the students left."

"Veil?" I couldn't help but mutter.

"It's a sort of mirror," Jayden added, "or a picture placed around something to hide the events taking place inside. People outside see everything as perfect... while inside, it's not."

"But what about the creatures?" Jayden asked. "It looked like hell out there."

"A veil reflects the caster's soul."

Laura. Her name registered and pierced through my thoughts.

Is she alright? Is she safe? Where is she?

The questions started racing through my head with renewed aggression, causing me to stand up abruptly.

"I need to leave this place," I said in a shaky tone.

"Woah, wait," Jayden said, jumping in front of me. "It's not safe out there," he added. "You saw those things."

"No! I need to leave!" I shouted, trying to push past him — but it was like pushing against a wall.

"Sorry," he said gently, placing me in a soft bear hug. "I can't let you do that."

Tears ran down my cheeks as I struggled to free myself.

"It's okay," Nkosi said, placing his hand on my shoulder. "This will all be over in a couple of minutes. It's almost sunrise. We'll personally escort you home. But please... wait. Just for a while."

Jayden released me, and my knees gave out. I landed in a sitting position, trying to calm myself down.

"I'm sorry... I just wanted to return your book... not any of this," I said, sobbing.

"It's okay," Jayden said, kneeling beside me, trying to comfort me.

"Book?" Nkosi asked, shooting a look at Jayden.

"Hey, don't look at me — Jasmine has mine."

"Alex," Nkosi knelt down, voice calm but focused. "This book... was it a school book?"

"No," I said. "It was a novel, I think."

"Can you tell me anything else about it?" Nkosi pressed.

"You don't think—" Jayden cut in, his eyes going wide.

"Alex, can you tell me anything about it?" he asked again.

"It was old. Green. It had an image of a bird and a sword."

"Do you still have it?" Jayden asked, suddenly standing.

"No. I lost it when that thing chased us..." I said, wiping my tears.

"No, no, no... not now," Jayden muttered, pacing up and down the stage.

"What?" I asked, my voice still shaky.

"Alex," Nkosi called. His voice was filled with concern. "We need to get her out—"

But before he could finish, the door burst open.

The creatures stood no taller than four feet, their wrinkled skin etched with scars that seemed to seep blood even in the dim light. Tattered tunics hung from their frail bodies, reduced to mere rags. Their corpse-pale skin seemed to glow in the darkness, and dirty blindfolds wrapped around their eyes added to their eerie appearance. A massive growth protruded from each of their backs, piercing through the fabric. Boils expanded and reformed on their skin in a matter of seconds, as if their bodies were in a constant state of turmoil.

As they moved in unison, their bare feet made no sound. They carried a stone box — its size matching their own — with unnatural stiffness. The stench of filth and death wafted in with them, a noxious cloud that clung to their presence.

A man, finely dressed in black, with slicked-back curly hair, entered behind the creatures. His eyes seemed to emit a red glow in the shadows. He looked human... but his presence commanded silence.

The creatures placed the box on the floor with a heavy, echoing thud.