THE ONES ONLY I SEE.

The classroom felt colder than usual, like something had crept in unnoticed with the morning fog. I slide into my sit, my hands trembling as l clunched my bag tighter , trying to ignore the whispers brushing against my ears - like whispers no one else seemed to hear. The chalkboard was clean a moment ago, yet now it bore my name, scrawled in jagged handwriting that dripped like ink.

My eyes darted around , but no one reacted. It felt like l was the only one seeing that. I saw my class mate who sat on the second row rotating his head 360 degrees. I heard a sound of a baby crying. I decided to look around and finaly l saw her , on top of one student's desk . I decided to turn my head to my deskmate inquiring if she is noticing something strange, only for her to give me a wary glance and scooting slightly away as if the air around me had grown poisonous.

I heard a voice behind me but this time it was close to my ears whispering " You're almost there". I screamed so loud that all eyes glared at me . I didn't realise that all this time there was a teacher in the class. I tried justifying that l could explain what happened but it all went in vain. " You can explain what you just did in diagrams when you go to the deputy's office " , the teacher said and the whole class started laughing loudly as l saw my way out .

I have never been humiliated in my entire life than today . I said to myself. The deputy' s office smelled faintly of old paper and disinfectant, but beneath it was something rotten - like mold growing behind the walls . I sat stiffly across the deputy , his fingers tapping slowly on the desk , his eyes narrowed with concern. " You were.....talking to yourself in class again ", he said carefully. "Is there something you would like to tell me?" , he said.

I opened my mouth to speak but a shadow shifted in the corner of the room. My eyes darted towards it . The curtain didn't move, but a tall figure stood up watching as if it was listening to our conversation. My heart thudded. " They are not leaving me alone l whispered before l could stop myself . The deputy leaned forward. " Who is not leaving you alone? " he asked. But l was l afraid to answer him because of the figure behind the curtain was holding something - a mask identical to the one l worn last night.

I was so shocked that l was out of breath. I blinked - once, twice but the curtain hung still , empty this time. The figure has just vanished. " l asked you a question " , the deputy said, his tone was sharp this time. I looked back at him , trying to steady my voice. " No one " l said but deep down l knew l was lying to him . I didn't want him to see me nuts . " Am just tired nowadays", l responded back to him .

He studied me for a long moment then scribbled something on a slip of paper. "I think you should talk to someone . A counselor". But as l reached for the paper , a dark smear bled across the page - my name written again and again in the same jagged ink from the chalkboard. I pulled my hand back trembling. The deputy looked down in confusion. "What the hell ?" . But l was already backing away , eyes fixed on the paper as the ink twisted in a single message " You belong with us "

I didn't wait for the deputy to ask another question. The door creaked as l opened it , the hallway outside felt like a tunnel- long , cold , and watching me. Liliana stood near the lockers , eyes wide. "Are you oky ?" , she asked in a low voice. "You look like you have seen .....". "A ghost ?", l finished it for her , forcing a bitter laugh ." Yeah maybe more than one " , l said .

Liliana hesitated, then stepped closer. " l know you think am crazy, but l wasn't lying before. About the shaman. She helped my mom when no one else could. I can take you ... there after school. But we will have to be careful".

"Careful ? " l echoed.

Liliana then glanced over my shoulder then whispered:

"Because once they know you can see them....they start following "