[IC] Closed.

[TheWildBunnii]

The dining room was empty when Selene slipped in, breakfast in hand. She'd always been an early riser, but it was normal for the house to be this empty. Her father was at town's plant, working. He wasn't alone. Today, her father took Little Lucian to work, where he will spend his day playing his game. Her mother was resting upstairs, waiting when the time came to head to work. The plate clicked onto the table, the only sound in the house that anyone else would be able to hear if they were around. The blonde girl herself couldn't either, since a pair of headphones were now firmly in her ears. A little music in the morning never hurt anyone, especially not her.

Selene rose, putting the remains of her breakfast into the trash and doing the few dishes in the sink before grabbing her bag from the table next to the door. The door shut quietly behind her, although the same couldn't be said about her car.

The beat-up, although she preferred 'well-loved,' VW Bug. A little present for herself after looking after the neighbor's dog while the owners were away of vacation. Selene slide into the driver's seat, buckled herself in and pushed her key into the slot. All that love seemed to have taken it toll, since the engine did nothing but sputter pitifully before dying completely.

Selene got out in a huff, stuffing key in her pocket out of habit. It had never shut down before, but now, at the most inopportune time possible, it did. Sometimes she got the feeling that the universe was out to get her. She slammed the door and walked into the street, trying to wave down one of the few neighbor kids driving by to school. It was still much too early for any sane person to be going, but Selene liked going to the library before school started. Selene like picking up books for Lucian to read to him even if he never took his eyes off the screen. Lucian suffers severely from autism and in that way, he is usually in a mental world of his own, completely unaware to his surroundings, mostly through his favourite object: his GameBoy. It was the only thing that kept her sane inside her home.

Since her car had happen, now that her hobo routine had failed, she it was time to hit the road. The school wasn't too far, but it was still a pain to have to get there on foot when she least expected it. But, she won't be able to pick up the books for her brother. At least the weather wasn't too unbearable, though, and the sun rising above the trees was more than a welcome sight. Today, could be a good day after all. Selene smiled and closed her eyes as she ambled down the straight sidewalk, hands in the discreet pockets of her shorts. The birds chirped, the sun shined, and the children were sound asleep in their beds, waiting for the mothers. Selene continued on her walk to school, just in time, to hear the 8 o'clock bell of the day. Selene went to her first class which was math, taking a seat in front of class and waited for her teacher to begin.

Her first and second class went fast, moving from one floor to another, stopping only to fetch her books from her locker. Selene stopped at her locker. It was the time to check on her brother, she always like to make sure that his game always had enough juice to last for the day. It was her mother and father's job. But, it was her act of kindness as the older sibling. She started to text her father, but her phone was completely off. Weird. It had been charging all night. She pressed the power button to try and restart. Somehow it wouldn't come on at all. Oh well, maybe she could charge it during third period and call then. Selene reached for her AP Chemistry textbook, stuffing it into her bag and headed towards her third class.

Selene took her usual seat, the corner at the back of the room, and waited for the daily parade to begin. Mr. Phillips graded papers in his usual bad grace at the desk, not even pretending to acknowledge her. Not that he did that to anyone, but still. The room filled, and it wasn't long before the spectacles started. A girl with brown hair got into it with the teacher, even going so far as to get up on her desk. Selene eyed her eagerly, wondering just how she could even think of doing something like that.

Selene was getting rather annoyed with the constant rambling about the girl'd behavior, to the point of taking the whole class with her. On how their class had been on yesterday, which was old news and that he expected we as a 'class' could have been better. Right, he is a teacher that explains why he expected more from a class then taking the time to address his own attitude. It was wonders how this man has still managed to keep his job these last three years.

If only he could just shut it, and get on with the damn class.

Then, it was almost like in a twisted way she got her dream come true..he stopped complaining because he had just up and vanished. Leaving, many of the students breathlessly confused about what had just happened. Now she wasn't the one to believe in magic and such, but there was nothing else that made sense to her what so ever. Selene met eye contact with the student next to her whom was as confused as her was. However, no one dare to move from their seats. She carefully rose to her feet, walking over to the desk with caution and looked at the now empty seat as another student checked outside of the door. The young blonde looked at the rest of the class to notice a couple of empty seats which was filled with students a couple of seconds ago. " I am going to have to say that...school is most likely out now?" She had spoke in a hush tone, uncertain as she question each word as it came out. One thing for sure, she still didn't exactly know what to think besides what the hell just happened.

[aaa]

aaa

[dee]

Antoinette awoke to the sound of glass shattering. Bleary-eyed, she rose from her bed and noticed with mild irritation that she'd been too exhausted the night prior to even bother getting out of her clothes. Her irritation was short-lived as voices - loud, angry voices - filtered in through the door and thin walls. Oh no, not again. She rubbed her face, trying to fully wake herself up as she moved to the dresser and pick out her clothes for the day. She busied herself with deciding which jacket she'd wear with her tank top - the black one or the grey one - but she knew it didn't really matter either way. She was just buying herself some time, and allowing Iris to dole out her frustration on Owen.

The voices outside her door dulled into a murmur, and Ant took that as her cue to make her presence known. She exited her room, eyes falling on the broken pieces of glass on the living room floor before she glanced up to meet Iris' gaze. She waved her greetings to the twins, noticing not for the first time that Owen had chosen to sit petulantly on the couch and look everywhere but the two girls he shared the apartment with, and headed to the kitchen to grab herself a cup of coffee.

Caffeinated, Ant returned to the living room to find Owen sweeping up the glass with Iris nowhere in sight.

Ant couldn't help but ask, "What did you do this time?" to which the answer was a "What didn't I do?" and a sheepish shrug. Ant wanted to smack him in the back of his head, but restrained herself. As much as she hated seeing them like this, she knew she had no right. She was by no means better than Owen. She'd had to sweep up her fair share of glass every now and then. Instead, she sighed and grabbed the guitar case lounging against the wall. "She'll forgive you," was said in lieu of a goodbye.

The sun was out and was on a rampage. Even behind her dark sunglasses, Ant still felt nearly blinded by the sun. Or maybe that was just a result of her hangover. She fixed the guitar case's position on her back as she pulled herself up the covered dumpster. A quick sweep around informed her that no one was around, and she made the jump over the wall. Perdido Beach School was still a place she loathed simply because of the rivalry that festered between them and Coates Academy. Sure, she'd been sent there without her consent, but she still loved the friends she'd made in that school. Misfits often found misfits.

She ducked into the school's bleachers. The two she'd texted before were already there and, by the smell of the air around them, were completely baked. Ant's lips pursed in thought. A second later, she'd fished her phone out of her pocket but the screen was black. Odd. She'd try later. She settled next to them and pulled out her guitar. Sure, they were high as kites, but they made great music and James had an amazing voice.

They finished up another song, and Ant settled the guitar down. They weren't much conversationalists, and even the words they sang out began to lose much of their meaning. And she was starting to get a weird vibe. She didn't know what, but it felt like she shouldn't be there. Was someone going to catch them?

She stood and made a move to leave. "Look guys, great session and all, but I gotta-" They were gone, just like that. One second James was laughing about something Ant couldn't see, the next he was gone. Ant looked around, dreading the sudden stillness in the air. "What the..." She grabbed her guitar and walked out of the bleachers, daring to peak into the school. No one sat behind the desks in the administrative office. A phone even hang by its cord against the wall. Ant felt a shiver run down her spine.

What is going on?

[Penguin]

Emma

The sunlight shone off the rippling water, its golden light warped in the twisted, glass waves. Its rays delicately warmed Emma's cheeks as she sat cross-legged by the edge of the boat, fishing pole in hand. The small ball gently bounced with each wave of the ocean. Emma's eyes were so intently locked on it that she felt like she hadn't blinked in a half hour, not even noticing how the gentle breeze was brushing wisps of her wavy, fair hair in her face. A man, with the similar features to the blonde, blue-eyed girl, sat next to her on a barrel. He was equipped with a fishing pole as well. They had been relatively silent for the last few minutes. The boat they resided on was quite far off from the shore as it was barely visible in the distance.

"Don't tell your mother I let you take off from school for this," the man finally said, ruffling her hair, "she might try to catch and filet me for dinner too." He was a tall man, much taller than the 5'2" girl beside him, with a clean-shaven face and a serious face. His age appeared to be around his late thirties.

The small blonde girl emitted a laugh, "Oh I believe it but I haven't taken off all year and I've been studying my butt off. She'll get over it if she finds out."

"Fine, Emma but Alex might get jealo-"

"You go fishing with him all the time!"She exclaimed with a giggle, tilting her head slightly to look at him. "Besides Alex doesn't get jealous. Well... At least not when it comes to fishing. "

He laughed at that and turned his attention back to the water. He changed the topic and asked, "Did you decide what you want to be yet?"

"What I want to be?"Emma repeated, "I do believe I may have answered this question a couple years ago and told you that I aspired to be the fairy princess of Narnia."

"No way, young lady! That job is taken!"He exclaimed, gently nudging her. Emma nudged him back, "Oh yeah? By who!?"She demanded, giggling. Her and her dad had always been close, sharing similar interests in things. They acted like a pair of best friends playing around in school. "By me!"He declared with pride, pretending to flip a head full of hair that he seemed to lack.

"Well. Guess I'll have to stage a coop de'tat!"Emma set her in fishing pole down and stood up with a intentful grin. He stared at her in mock horror and whispered, "You wouldn't." She answered that statement with an evil laugh and a moment later she found herself chasing him around the boat, filling the salty air with laughter. The sound of tugging on the fishing pole made her freeze and turn around, "I think that's my pole!"she excitedly cried and ran over to it. She began reeling fast, "Dad come help me! It's really heavy!"

"You can do it! Just keep reeling!"
She bit down on her lower lip and determinedly kept reeling until a big fish appeared at the end of her string. She turned around excitedly to present it to her father only to find no one. It was silent besides the sound of water dripping off the fish on to the floor of the boat. The fishing rod hit the floor along with the fish with a thud as it began noisily flopping.

"Dad!"Emma called out and began looking through every nook and cranny of the small motorboat. It was evident he was no longer on board. She made her way over to a small wooden crate, struggling to get her flannel off her body as she did. Once she freed her arms, she began digging through the crate until she found a pair of goggles. She yanked them on her head and ran to the side of the boat.

You can't swim, stupid. Her conscious reminded her but she jumped off nonetheless, immersing herself in the unmercifully cold seawater. After a moment of blackness her eyes shot open and she threw her head back and forth, looking around. She saw nothing but a small school of fish hastily swimming away from her. She looked down only to find blackness. If her father had gone in the water, there was no way he would have sunk that fast. She threw her arms in upward and downward motions, trying to get herself to the surface. Emma broke it finally with a loud gasp, inhaling air as fast as she could. She struggled to get herself back over to the boat, trying to picture the way she often saw other people swimming when she went to the beach. The boat seemed to be getting further with every distance she made and panic began to course through her body, throwing her head about to search for other boats. "Help!"She screamed, "Dad!"

[OfficerHeadbutt]

Beep! Beep! Beep!

The high pitched alarm clock woke Nathan from his sleep. It was 6:30 am, and his room, as usual was pitch black due to the thick black-out blind that covered his window. He turned onto his back and grabbed the alarm clock, still beeping incessantly. He turned the damn thing off, before pulling back the covers and swinging his legs back over the side of the bed. It was the day after his 17th birthday, and he had been up until later than usual, playing on his new Playstation 4. He was feeling worse for it this morning.

He rubbed his eyes, standing up and pulling up his blind, letting the early morning twilight cast a blue glow into his room. He stepped out through the upstairs landing and into the bathroom, undressing and getting a quick shower. He finished, pulling on a robe and brushing his teeth. He dried his curly hair and pulled on some clothes, a pair of skinny jeans, a white t shirt and leather jacket, and a grey beanie hat that only just about sat on the top of his head. He grabbed his backpack, and headed downstairs, to see his mother and stepfather having some breakfast. He grabbed a bowl of corn flakes, filled it up with milk and sat down.

“Hey Mum, could I uh, have 5 dollars? There’s this thing that I need for school that I’ve lost and it’s 5 dollars for a new one. It’s like an ID card type-thing.” He said, hoping he was convincing enough.
“Alright, fine, just be careful not to lose this one, right?” his Mum said, handing him 5 dollars.
“Thanks Mum! See you later, Gary.” He said, nodding to his stepdad as he placed his bowl in the sink, and headed out through the front door.

Nathan actually had a fairly good relationship with his stepdad. Him and Nathan’s mum had been together for 8 years now, since Nathan was 9 and pretty much straight after they had moved from England. He had hated Gary at first, but within a couple of years came to realise that Gary was a good person who loved his mum. Gary also had a strange quality of being able to be firm, and in some ways a father figure, but never seeming like he was trying to act like he was Nathan’s dad.

On the way to school Nathan stopped by a convenience store, the only one in town, he had found, that would serve him without ID for the habit he had picked up from old friends last summer when he was staying with his dad in England: Cigarettes.
“ 10 Marlboro Reds, please mate. Oh, and this chewing gum.” He said, handing over the 5 dollar bill his mother had gave him and taking the change and the white and red packet of Marlboros and the small green packet of gum. He left the store, and from a small zip pocket in the inside of his leather jacket pulled out a disposable lighter. He pulled a cigarette from the packet and lit it, putting the lighter and cigarette packet deep inside the bottom of his bag where he hoped they would not be found.

He continued on towards the school, stopping on a street corner just before the school to finish his cigarette. He dropped the butt to the floor, popped a chewing gum in his mouth and pulled a can of deodorant from his bag, spraying himself lightly. He threw the can back in his bag, zipped it up and headed into school.

The day drifted by, he got on with his work. Nathan was not a kid to mess around, he cared about his education enough to focus in school, but certainly wasn’t the king of extracurricular activities. Still, he got mostly B’s, and more often A’s than C’s, so he did well enough. As third period came around, and some dumb bitch was stood – actually fucking stood on top of the desk arguing with the teacher, he suppressed the urge to tell the dumb bitch to sit down and shut the fuck up. He had his head facing downwards, looking at the desk, and heard it before he saw it. Hearing the gasps of surprise coming from around the room, and looking up, he saw that Mr Phillips was nowhere to be seen. He watched as Selene, a girl he knew rather well due to his mother and Step Dad working with her Father at the plant, step forward to the front of the class.

" I am going to have to say that...school is most likely out now?"
Nathan stood up himself.
“ Err, excuse me, I had my head down, I wasn’t looking. Where did Mr Phillips just go?” He said, slightly confused. A couple of different kids in the class started saying how he had just disappeared, how they had been looking right at him and then he was just gone, other kids confirming it.
“ Nah, seriously, where’d he go? Selene, where’d he go?” He said, turning his head to Selene with a confused look on his face. He thought the other kids in the class were just bullshitting him, but he knew Selene would be straight with him.

[Wintergrey]

Jack Ashbourne

Jack was sitting in his home late at night. The window in his room was indented with a sitting area. He rested there, head leaning against the wall watching the rain pound against the window. It was a big storm, thunder and lightning constantly lighting up the house. Outside the wind was blowing branches and trash down the street. The big oak in their front yard had already lost a rather large branch. Jack blinked suddenly when a massive crack filled the air. That lightning bolt must have stuck pretty close.

The door to his room slammed open as his little sister Elizabeth ran in. She was so small, even for her age. Launching herself into his lap, her body began racking with sobs of fear. No words needed to be spoken for Jack to know that her fear of lightning was acting up again. He wrapped his arms around her tiny frame and pulled her head into his chest. Stroking her velvet soft hair, they sat there together until the shaking stopped. Looking down Jack could see that his baby sister was fast asleep, face a mask of peace, safe from the storm. Another crack filled the air.

The candles lighting the room went out, filling it with darkness. Even light from the moon went out. It seemed that the room was suddenly absent of any light or sound. Moving his arm around, Jack tried to wake Elizabeth, but found her gone. She had disappeared. "Elizabeth." He said quietly and urgently. Where had she gone. "Elizabeth!" this time his voice was strained. He shifted his head side to side trying to see anything in the darkness. Then he froze. What happened to the rain? He looked towards where the window was, but still couldn't see a thing. Fear and dread filling him he screamed out, "Elizabeth!"

As his mouth gaped open, he could feel something fall in, covering nearly his entire face. It felt like plaster and wood. Was there a hole in his roof? Maybe the storm had shaken something loose. When he didn't get an answer from his third call for his sister, Jack tried to sit up. His head immediately slammed into a flat piece of wood lying above his head. "What the..." Reaching up above his head, Jack's hand found solid wood. The fear he felt increased, and he was sure he should have felt his heart thudding out of his chest. Only he didn't. Thrusting his hands to either side, he again felt wood. What happened to his window? What happened to his sister? What happened to him?

Panicking at being in such a tight space, Jack's hand began to slam into the wood above head head again and again. He could feel a dull throb every time his fist landed, but it was nothing like how he remembered. Pushing the thought to the side for the moment he punched once more as hard as he could in the small space. Feeling the wood give slightly, his hope rose, until dirt began to pour in, landing all over his face. He froze again in sudden realization. He was in a wooden box, surrounded by dirt. He had been buried. Alive. A scream ripped out of his throat. What was going on?

[Chronothesis]

It still hurts...I want to take therapy, but my mom doesn't trust a therapist. She worries that her friend's will laugh at her for having a crazy child, even with all the love she gives me...she's worried about others viewpoints, sad. Each and every day of these two weeks, headaches and voices filled my 'used to be' empty brain. Thoughts that I don't think about fill my mind; emotions of hurt, sadness, anger, and envy poison me. What's going on?! Sleeps been scarce, ever since it started to happen...my brain wouldn't allow me to-...the scars. Still h-...Fuck it's happening again... I hate it, the drape's that cover my warm body; sweat that slithers down my skin, acceptance is hard. Life is hard, fuck!

The morning sun fills my black room. The poster's reflect light; the empty bottle of beer next to me falls down. Hate my life... I shouldn't be drinking. It hurt's to know that my mom works her ass off all day, supporting for me...and only me. It would be easier to die, leaving the world would make my mom much happier...I think. Shower's, for me, are odd now. It's like each droplet of water has a voice...speaking to me. I do it anyway, there's this event for a club I'm going to after school and I shath not be dirty!

My hope's are slowly rising again, the voices have lowered their tone. It doesn't hurt as much...not right now at least. My homework's finished, Lunch bags set, all done for now I guess. I sit on the couch, waiting for Cullen to come to my house. I usually tease Cullen about Twilight; ironic that a football player would be so intrigued by the Twilight series and his name would be Cullen. My thought's have rejected me from making any rude remarks...he find's it odd now.

I hear his car coming up my parking lot. " Hope he's okay... " Worry? I forget the thought, standing I walk my way towards the door. We make small glance's, he's worried. Definitely. I'm scared now, Cullen is usually a happy light, the world doesn't usually worry him. " A-...are you okay? " Stuttering, sucks ass. " Yeah... " There's dejection in his voice, he's odd today. I don't question it any further. Getting in his car we soon drive off to the school. The atmosphere was awkward when we got to school...Cullen was usually the happy one, the guy who made my day but...guess not.

Cullen parks his car at the parking lot, quickly after I get out he locks his car and walks away from me in almost and instant. Frowning at his choice of action I just decide to walk towards class, now that I think of it I should've skipped school. My excuse would most likely be valid. The school feels unnatural in my point of view, the voice's aren't so loud. For the two weeks, I've gained the voices I've been able to control them...the tone of their yells have gotten softer and now I am able to manage.

Classes fly by fast since it's may and school is near its edge not much work is being handed out anymore. Glad for that; the teachers at the school are okay... not much better than most. Class goes by really fast, my mind works with pace and it feels as if I feel the answers I write, the friction when the pencil is forced upon the piece of paper is loud in my head. It doesn't hurt, does it?

Mr. Philip's nice, an okay/great teacher. I don't mind him at all, the class is an odd one. The voice's speak of cheerleaders, sexual thoughts, and all sorts of crazy things...I'm starting to think that I can read minds like a telepathic or some sort. As I am writing down, the class become's silent. " He disappeared! " a student called out. We were all in awe, fear struck me as a voice had lowered...his thought's or what I theorize are his thoughts are gone...erased from my mind. Cold shiver's slithered up my spine...The light hath not burn brightly, tis the reason why the man had faded. Something starts. A new world tis about to begin.

Too tired to correct grammar...

[Mivuli]

Ming Hua/Noah

The night before, Ming Hua had returned to the streets.

Or, perhaps rather, he had dreamt about it. The memory of a thing that hadn't been was foggy in his mind, but he could remember bare feet slapping against gravel paths, stinging as they bled and left crimson footprints in their wake, but the pain bearable because he was laughing, and silhouettes around him were too. He thought there was an angry voice behind them, but their chuckles and boisterous giggles were too loud for them to hear, or indeed care. They had cut across the road as one fleet, one flock of runaway geese, and right before them was a stream. They had jumped right in - five children, wearing their only set of clothes, without a care because there was no one to scold them for it - and before Ming Hua could feel the slap of water against his face, he had started awake.

His blood was pumping, and his forehead was dotted with perspiration. He could hear his heart thundering in his ears, and as he focused on the room around him - safe, four-walled, and closed - Ming Hua felt a smile come to his face.

Five hours later, with the sun well up and fierce in the sky, Ming Hua was strolling down the streets, with his hands in his pockets. It was a good day to be outdoors, and he passed by a woman in a biking helmet, her bicycle propped up against a tree as she tended to her toddler in the attached pram beneath the shade. Most, however, were at work or school. But the weather and the dream that had had Ming Hua's blood rushing in his sleep had lured him out of the classroom.

So far he had haunted the roads, sprinted barefoot with his shoes in his hands as he felt the callouses on his soles being beaten alive again. But it wasn't the same. Not when he knew Mrs Rochester was likely to ask him about his truancy when they reconvened in her home again, and he would be expected to be indebted and remorseful for his behaviour. It was her roof after all, and Ming Hua was nothing but an intruder.

Ming Hua turned into the beach, grains of sand coming to stick between his toes. He wouldn't stay too long, or else risk having his skin rubbed raw. He thought he saw a napping figure resting in the yawning shadow of a moored boat, but he wasn't close enough to see. He walked the length of the beach for a while, seeing a fishing boat out in the distance, lulled by the crystalline waves of the sea into a gentle rock. With nothing left to see, Ming Hua began to turn around and head aimlessly to another place.

And then he heard a scream.

Ming Hua whirled around. The boat that had had two figures standing on it was now empty, and he felt a sinking feeling of ominosity in the pit of his stomach. Around its hull, he could see a body splashing in the water in a bid to recover from going overboard. But where was the other one?

There was a cry from the road, and Ming Hua looked over his shoulder to see the pram, unattended, chubby fists waving at nothing from inside.

Something's not right, Ming Hua thought, his mouth turning dry. Before he could reconsider - and regain his senses - Ming Hua chucked his shoes on the shore, and began to run into the sea.

He jumped in, and felt the cold lick of water he didn't know until now he had been craving.

Stroking the water with clean cuts, Ming Hua swam his way over to the boat, going against the current but keeping his eyes fixed on the floundering shape ahead. When at last he reached, he gripped shoulders tightly so the person would know he was there. His heart was beating wildly again, and Ming Hua would have smiled at the wonderful, tight feeling in his chest, too small to contain the powerful organ.

Wrapping his arms around the girl - he could see it was a girl now, with light blonde hair that was now matted with seawater - he began to kick them towards the boat. With the last of his strength he hauled the girl over the hull of the boat so she could pull herself back on.

Ming Hua crossed his arms over the side of the boat, keeping himself afloat by hanging onto its wooden side. His feet lazily pedalled in the current of the water, and slowly he felt his breath return to him.

He looked over at the girl. "Were you going to look for mermaids, or did you just fall in?" he asked between low pants, his eyes sweeping the bottom of the boat. "Decent-sized fish. Would make a good dinner." He swept his sopping fringe out his eyes, before he squinted at her, as though it was the first time he was peering closely at her. "What's your name?"

[TheWildBunnii]

Somehow he had gotten used to this place. The variety of students and staff, the safety, the freedom. Maybe that was why he liked it so much. The school ignored his past. They made sure nothing tracked him down and that his days of running from both rival gangs and police were long over. He had a chance to relax, to make a difference in other people's lives. Mostly, on his own life. It was a nice change of pace, one that took him a long time to adjust to, but he managed to do it.

That wasn't to say that he was looking forward to this. The mornings were always hectic, he always got looks from students that wasn't sure whether or not to approach the handsome devil. It was best to stand clear of the dark haired brute. James believed the students always asked the most idiotic of questions or just turned away from him in terror. Only to find out he would teach them a good lesson of hierarchy for the year. James was in charge of campus. Which meant he dealt the most with the school's students. Taught them the proper way of keeping on eye on the teachers and the dangers that lurked beneath things. Of course, having a little side business of tasty 'candy' never hurt him.

Blood rushing through ears, air into lungs, his knuckles smacking the face of a junior. He hit hard and fast enough so that his ears rang, he struggled for breath, his arms hurt, and he got that heady, light-as-air feeling, he'd become so addicted to. James pushed the envelope, between what a person could or could not do, harder, depending on the day. Today, he was booking it. Adrenaline was the only thing he was still going on. Plus, it was a perfect lesson to teach the loser to never touch what was his; Laurel Shay Knight.

Laurel had capture the heart of this bad boy, the moment she walked through the school's entrance. The girl was a vision of pure loveliness, at least she would be if she didn’t look so wicked. Her thick hair was a mixture of chocolate and tints of gold and the tresses frame a face that he knew you couldn’t get unless God Almighty smiled down on him. However, it did not stop him from trying to earn the love of his goddess.

James released junior's collar a little bit as he lean closer to the boy's face to speak. "I do not want you no where her, understood? Next, I won't be so grateful." The bruised up junior nodded his acceptance, and the bad boy dropped him completely before he escape down the school's corridor.

The bell that signified the ending of second period rang out across the school campus, drawing the attention of James. James did not have class this morning, giving him the leisure to mess around. James knew his work activities were coming to an end, as he had classes with chemistry and biology. James sighed and reached into the inside of his uniform, pulling out a red handkerchief and begin to clean the blood of his hands while students walked to class.

Suddenly, without warning the entire school had taken on a strange, eerie silence, and James felt the change of air around him. James released a single breath, uncertain on the drastic change of atmosphere.

"All the teachers are gone!"

A confused student popped his head out of the doorway of his classroom, staring at James as though he had an answer to some unknown question, then another student appeared, and another, until the hall became ablaze of voices on what had just occur. Without another thought, James pushed his way passed the increasing crowded hall, seeking for some sort of missing puzzle.

"Do you know what's going on?"

"The phones are not working!"

"My brother's gone! He was sitting right next to me and-"

"I'm getting kind of scared. no one's phone's working, and I can't get online.."

James hadn't noticed the students were leaking into the halls until he glanced behind his shoulder. He meet with frighten young faces, adding into his own swelling fear. A building of trouble teens, it would not take long before chaos begin to surfaced.

"Enough," James irritated tone echoed off of the marble walls, impatience tracing his determined features. "Everyone head to the fuckin' cafeteria."

All students' eyes fell upon him, confusion covered each one of their young faces. No students dare to move, uncertain if they were next in line to vanish. He needed a way to control the large populace now, and fear seemed as good a choice at this moment.

James stifled a sigh. "Now!"

A few students took a few steps towards the direction to the campus' cafeteria, soon small hordes began to moved while others went to collect their things inside the classroom.

The dark haired brute passedhis fingers through his hair, wondering on what the fuck was going?

[Penguin]

Alex

"Alexander!"
The shrill voice jolted Alex out of his slumber, blue eyes wide and gazing around him rapidly. His gaze finally locked on the older woman in front of his desk, hands on her hips and a none-too-happy expression on her face. It took a few moments for Alex to register what exactly was occurring. He had barely slept last night. His room had been absolutely freezing and he had tossed and turned all night, trying to scavenge as much of the blanket as possible. After a moment of blank staring, he finally discovered he was in his second period history class and Ms. Woods was glaring down at him like he had stolen the Mona Lisa from its museum.

He ran a hair through his blonde hair, clearing his vision and finally gave the woman a cheeky smile. "Hello, Ms. Woods. Can I help you with something?" He politely, yet jokingly inquired. A couple girls giggled and began whispering excitedly. For some reason, this happened often and Alex never knew why. He glanced over at them questioningly and their eyes widened as they turned away hastily, holding back their smiles. He shrugged it off with a sigh.

"Yes, Mr. Remington. You can help me by STAYING. AWAKE. As charming as you are, I have no sympathy for you when you're not paying attention in my class."She emphasized and stalked back to the chalk board, returning to creating irritating sounds with a piece of chalk.

Though he stayed awake for the remainder of the class, he hadn't exactly paid attention. His mind recovered the memories of his day slowly and he finally realized he had rushed out the door this morning without walking Emma to school. Alex hoped she got to school alright this morning. She tended to be a troublemaker whenever she found an opening to be. It was a miracle she hadn't been sent to Coates Academy yet.

The bell rang and Alex hopped out of his seat with a sigh of relief. He rubbed his eyes as he made his way out the door and toward AP Chem, a class he personally dreaded more than the rest of them. With a yawn, he practically fell into his seat in the back of the room and buried his head in his arms. He didn't have to pick his head up to know a girl was picking a fight with Mr. Phillips again. The same brunette girl did it every day. A lecture from the teacher about behavior always followed. Sometimes he forgot this was supposed to be an AP class.

Then all of a sudden, it got silent. Alex picked his head up and stared forward. Mr. Phillips was gone. The girl that was sitting in front of him was gone too along with the boy two seats away from him. They couldn't have all just left in the few seconds he had his face buried in his sleeves. He watched as a girl, who he recalled was named Selene, got to the front of the room and declared, "I am going to have to say that.... school is most likely out now?"

Alex stood up as a surge of energy along with confusion filled him. "Wait... What just happened again?"He inquired. He made his way rapidly over to the door and yanked it open. He glanced up and down the hallways, hoping to see Mr. Phillips and the missing kids there. Instead, he saw a few dozen faces peeking out of doorways as well, matching his expressions of confusion.

"Our teacher just vanished!"One kid exclaimed to another. "Yeah mine too!" A young voice answered from elsewhere.
"A bunch of seniors just disappeared along with them! ... My phone isn't working!"

Alex moved back into the room, letting the door slam as he took out his phone. He began trying to send a text to Emma. "No signal. " He murmured and glanced at Selene. "Was there a senior prank I didn't know about planned? Usually they do these things toward the end of the year, no?"

Emma

Emma sharply inhaled when she felt sudden weight grip her shoulders. The weight wrapped around her and she finally registered this weight as a set of arms that felt surprisingly warm despite the cool water their bodies were submerged in. It suddenly wasn't very hard to keep her head over the surface. She didn't waste her breath on speaking as he swam them over toward the boat. As they neared the boat, he tossed her over the hull and she quickly grabbed on and began pulling herself back on board. Rolling over on her back against the wood, she settled her weight on her elbows and glanced up to find her savior. A boy with dark hair had his arms crossed over the side of the boat. She took an awkward pause to catch her breath, letting him be the first to speak.

"Were you going to look for mermaids, or did you just fall in?" the boy asked between low pants, "Decent-sized fish. Would make a good dinner." He swept his hair out of his eyes and squinted at her, "What's your name?"

Emma stared at him as she began peeling wet strands of hair off her neck and collecting it into a ponytail. She sat up a little and finally answered, "I jumped in. I thought my dad fell in or something but he wasn't in the water." She chose to ignore the fish comment and prioritize other topics, "I'm Emma. Thank you for saving me, I'm really grateful and all but I still don't know where my dad went. One moment he was here and the next..." She drew off, doing one more scope around the boat. "He was gone." Emma sighed stressfully and moved over to the side of the boat to offer him a hand in helping him up. "What's your name?"

[aaa]

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[hagroden]

Ved

He woke with a start, his hand automatically moving to his nightstand to turn off the alarm that was screaming into his ear. With a low groan, he sat up and ran his hands over his face, forcing open his eyelids as he rolled their contents back towards his skull. Fuck Waking up this goddamn early he mused softly to himself as he sat forward, double-checking to making sure his alarm was off, and not simply on snooze. Staying still for a few moments, completing his waking up process, then sliding his lower-half to the left and pressing his feet against the cold hardwood floor. Throwing the blankets off of his legs, he stood, and walked half-haphazardly into his bathroom, turning on his shower, then stumbling back into his bedroom. Grabbing a pair of clean underwear, he walked back into the bathroom and undressed, then stepped into the now steaming shower. Going through the usual routine of lathering and rinsing, he took maybe five minutes, tops. Hopping out, he wrapped his towel around his lower body and lifted a bottle of pills from his medicine cabinet, twisting it open and tossing two down his throat, without water.

Having kept the door open, the steam hadn't built up too much, and instead of a cloud of steam flowing out of the room upon his exit, it happened slowly, a steady stream continued to move out of the door as he stepped out. Walking to his room, he continued to dry himself off with his towel, before slipping into his underwear and putting on his glasses. Looking through his closet, he decided on a simple pair of tight and intentionally ripped up black-jeans, a tight black sweater, and a pair of 11 inch combat boots with the jeans tucked in.

He walked into his kitchen/dinning room, after getting dressed, and turned on the television. He opened the fridge, searching for something to eat, and deciding upon eggs and coffee. Grabbing the carton of eggs and tossing them onto the counter, he placed a pan on the stove and turned on the heat. Then began the process of making coffee, afterwards, he began looking out the dark window as his eggs began to fry.

[dee]

Ant Pearce

Ant walked around the high school. There were some students who had walked out of their classroom and frantically looked around, panicking at what they had just witnessed. Ant knew that feeling. One moment she was talking to them, the next they were just gone. She assumed that the same thing had happened to these kids. They all had the same questions on their lips: Where did everybody go? What's happening?

Some of them held their phones up in the air searching for even the tiniest bit of a signal. Ant was almost tempted to shout at them. There's nothing! No matter how hard you try, the phones aren't working! She glanced back at her own phone, which still remained black, and ran a shaking hand through her hair. Her first plan had been to run all the way back to the apartments and find the twins, but a quick look at the roads told her that it wouldn't be wise. Cars without their drivers were hitting poles, climbing the sidewalks, and bouncing off of each other. They still had the momentum pushing them forward, and Ant knew that she'd probably get herself injured if she tried to traverse that.

That was how she found herself inside the high school, looking through the rooms in search of someone - anyone - that might have the answer. Unfortunately, she wasn't getting anything from these kids. She wondered briefly if the people at Coates were also suffering from this. If so, did they have the answers? Ant frowned to herself as she came to a stop in front one of the classrooms, where she'd seen some boy slam the door behind him as he reentered the room. Coates Academy was far from where she was. It would probably take her a little more than an hour - probably more - to walk and maneuver through the mess in the streets.

"Dammit!" she cursed, making some of the students in the hallway turn to look at her. Before they even had a chance to question who she was and what she was doing there, she entered the classroom nearest to her. She blinked back at the students that were still inside - she recognized some of them - and propped herself up on the teacher's table. She looked at them expectantly. "Any of the bright minds over here can tell me what the fuck just happened?" she asked, every word dripping with Coates brand sarcasm. But she knew she'd let a waver take on her voice as well. Fear. She hated it, but there it was. She was scared.

"Come on, people. Theories? Anyone's got them?" She ran her eyes around the room before pointing at someone holding up a phone and talking to a girl she didn't recognize. "You. What's your name again... Alex? Yeah, Alex. Talk." The last word felt off as it came out of her mouth. It felt as if it carried a different weight to it as the others, but she couldn't figure out what made the order different.

[Potter]

Shay

"How many times must I tell you?" The dark-haired teen, often nicknamed raven for her hair, rounded on her parents. "I don't know if I'll join the military! Okay! I don't know!"

"That tone," scoffed her mother, equally dark-haired yet with lighter eyes. "How could you not know? We've been training you since you could walk."

"Like I had a choice? My first word wasn't even 'mama' or 'dada', it was 'gun'." Shay spat, throwing her hands in the air with disgust, unable to keep herself from trembling with anger.

"Not so bad," retorted her father, whose lighter hair did not reflect the female's; yet his eyes were parallel to Shay's stormy grey eyes. Her gaze was striking, not immediately soft. His were, and it was often her parents scorned her for it. As if she could help it. "At least you can use one. Something the military could use. You could be an officer and rise in the ra-"

"I told you," She interrupted waspishly, "I don't know if I want to join."
"Do you even know what branch?" Her father inquired roughly, trying to look intimidating as his daughter and failing.

"No." This on-going argument was making her head spin. Her fingers massaged her forehead as her gaze lifted to the window. Sometimes she wished she could go outside and just fly away. She could have a peace of mind instead of having to duck and dodge these people.

"Why not?" Her mother's shrill voice pierced Shay's ears. Holy shit, thought the teenager with increasing exasperation.

"Because I have a bunch to choose from and I want to make sure I'm going to choose the right one." The excuse rolled off her tongue before she had time to process it, but she didn't care.

"You'd be one hell of a marine." Her father quipped, his dark lips rising crookedly. Shay sighed and remained silent, letting the comment die out. Beautiful, joyous silence, up until her mother forcibly broke it with her nasty remarks.

"You better start thinking about it. In fact, you can think about it while you're at Coates Academy, an academy for troubled and disturb-"

"TROUBLED!" Shay yelled out at the top of her lungs, a derisive laugh escaping her lips. "You think I'm troubled because I don't know if I want to join the family legacy of military personnel and go to some godforsaken shithole country?"

"Don't speak to your mother that way!" Her father jumped to his feet, his gaze losing its' softens, his lips curled into a snarl. His gaze could've murdered Shay if she weren't so brazen herself. "You are going young lady and straightening your attitude out or so help us God!"

"Fine!" She screamed back, throwing her hands in the air. "Anything then being around you two controlling my life and making me feel ashamed and stupid for not wanting to immediately throw my life away!"

"Throw your life away? Are you kidding! Go to your room and think about what you're saying!" Without a word, she turned on he heels, but instead of going to her room, she strode out the front door. Her motorcycle boots crushed the leaves and stones underneath her, but she didn't pay attention. "Where are you going!" Still remaining silent as her parents pursued her, she grabbed her motorcycle and geared the accelerator and drove out of sight.

If only she didn't have to return to her parents later that week.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

The argument from that previous summer rang through her mind's eye. Shay stared ahead at the teacher ahead of her, lecturing about something in English. She hadn't been paying attention nor caring. It wasn't as if she was going to be an English major in college - if she even went. Her dream major was becoming an engineer. Anything she knew she picked that was not militaristic was something her parents would disregard. She wasn't sure what field, but was fascinated with engineering.

What was this guy babbling on about? She stared ahead hard, her gaze intent. Still, no words made sense. Why the hell did she need this lecture? She wasn't illiterate. With irritation, she excused herself to the bathroom and stood up, marching out of the classroom. The corridors weren't littered with people like her high school. She sighed and found an empty corridor to sit down in briefly. If someone asked, she'd mutter about being lost. She was new here, after all. Rules were something she often disapproved of herself.

"All the teachers are gone!" The voice disrupted Shay's thoughts and forced them to stop. She jumped at the voice and clambered to her feet warily. What? The teachers were gone? The hell was going on?

"Do you know what's going on?"

"The phones are not working!"

"My brother's gone! He was sitting right next to me and-"

"I'm getting kind of scared. no one's phone's working, and I can't get online.."

Shay moved into the hallway even more. Other students were the Coates Academy uniform properly but she did not. The vest over her dress shirt was half buttoned, the skirt wasn't long enough, but she wore black leggings underneath them. The collar stuck out underneath the dress shirt. Unlike most girls, Shay wore a black and red tie. A messy braid fell down the length of her back with loose strands hanging out. The leather coat didn't help, either. Instead of the dress code flats, she wore motorcycle boots. No way in hell was she going to be caught wearing a pair of shitty flats.

"Enough," An irritated tone of voice broke through the chaos. Shay gazed at the speaker eyebrows raised. Who the hell was he? A student or a staff member? She stared ahead, admiring him nonetheless. Still now was not the time for this. She wasn't feeling social anyways. Students dispersed when the boy yelled, "Now!"

Except for Shay, who remained standing. She leaned against a locker flickering the lock, and turned to the boy. "What the hell is going on? Did I arrive at a bad time? Cause fuck my luck if so." A smirk tugged at the corners of her cherry red lips. At least she had managed to swap a few lipsticks before her departure from home. Mama Knight wouldn't notice, would she?

[Chronothesis]

It hurts. Why is this happening? Did...-fuck! Fuck! Fuck! It hurts so much! I collapse, falling out of my desk as a thump could be heard as I fell. The voices suddenly feel as if they are drilling into my mind, trying to find more space. I can hear another world, without the natural sounds of earth enacting within my mind. So many voice's trying to find path's to fix their current state and yet they can't find it. So much is at chaos, so much at stake. He disappeared and as my mind begin's to expand there are only spaces within my new compatible mind that can feel and see these disappearances, there's a blank space, a blank slate covering my mind to search through the memories that I had already heard...The fuck?! Why-...why am I saying this crap?! Changing, yes change. My mind was morphing into another shape; different from my own. Multiple cells changing directions, positions, and form's to create this new image. We are all too panicked to find the path we want to choose, too confused to seek out another way...peacefully.

I'm gone now. This new me has already faded away, stored behind brain-strings or some memory term to lock away memories. My mind is a mess, like a dust cloud being moved forcefully instead of letting the little particles flow down ever so gently. The voice's become more faint and softer, like whispers instead of yells. Sitting up, looking at the other's with my blurry vision. The sound's so faint now... a student's panicking as they try to look at their phones, blank and soulless screens that can't fix the mind. The text's of the unsure and pictures of unknown words. It's my turn isn't it? To do something productive.

( If is wrong or something doesn't seem wrong, please notify me. )

[OfficerHeadbutt]

I am the Darkness. I am the corruption and the corruptor. And I will eat this world.

Atlas shot up from his bed, breathing heavily. The nightmares had plagued him for about 5 nights now. Always the same thing. It started with total blackness, and he felt around, finding rocky walls and outcroppings that made him think he was deep inside a cave. Then flashes of bright green with an eerie glow. Was it a glow or a flash? It made no sense to be both but he could never remember it clearly. Just black and green. But the words he had heard:

I am the Darkness. I am the corruption and the corruptor. And I will eat this world.

Those words were new. It was common for Atlas to have dreams, but normally they were his fantasies, his fantasies of hurting people, of asserting dominance, but these dreams, these nightmares, were different. They made him feel powerless, vulnerable, and afraid. He sat for a couple of minutes in bed. It was 6:30 am, so he would have to be up in half an hour anyway. It felt pointless trying to get back to sleep for another half an hour, so he dragged himself into the shower.

He stripped himself down, and stepped into the shower, letting the warm water cover his body and relax him. He cleaned himself in the usual fashion and stepped out the shower, pulling on a large bathrobe and rubbing a towel over his blonde hair, before placing the towel back over the side of the radiator and stepping back into his the main room of his bedroom. He grabbed a hairdryer and dried his hair thoroughly, before dressing himself in the usual Coates uniform.

Most people at Coates had to share a room, but in the case of exceptionally dangerous students, they had their own rooms to themselves. Atlas was one of them. Another one was James. James and Atlas were two of the top dogs at Coates, the kids not to be messed with, though for different reasons. James was someone who people feared and respected. Atlas was just feared.

He headed down towards the cafeteria to get some breakfast before the day began. It dragged along as usual, Atlas paying little attention, stuck in his own world, sick of all the people around him. And then suddenly from nowhere, just as the second period ended and other students grabbed their belongings, when the teacher and a few of the students suddenly disappeared. Atlas was… perplexed. He stayed in silence as some of the kids seemed dumbstruck, one girl even began screaming, before a boy with brown hair told her to ‘shut the fuck up’. As the kids piled out into the corridor, he could tell from the conversations around him that the same thing had happened to the rest of the teachers. Then, he spotted James barking out orders, sending everyone to the cafeteria. He wandered over to him, standing a couple of meters away.

“ You know, people would say there’s probably some kind of reasonable explanation for this. But there’s no reasonable explanation for all the teachers and half of the senior year to just vanish into thin air. And seeing as it seems that all of the teachers are gone, who’s to say this is only as widespread as Coates? What if this is the whole town? The whole country? The whole world? And if they don’t come back, there’s going to be chaos. You can try and control everyone, be in charge but it won’t work.” Atlas said, his hands in his pockets, and a smirk on his face.
“ Come on now, let’s all listen to James and head down to the cafeteria!” He said, only slightly sarcastically as he walked past James, sauntering down the hall towards the cafeteria, a smirk on his face as all the other kids were in panic.

[Mivuli]

Ming Hua/Noah

"Huh, funny. I would have thought you were looking for 'em. Got hair like one." Ming Hua then waved a careless hand. "Don't mention it." Ming Hua took Emma's hand, and with his other haved himself over the edge. "Ming Hua," he grunted, before he quickly added as he swung his legs into the boat, "You can just call me Noah." Hearing a voice and faint words, he looked to shore to see a boy - small in the distance - waving his arms. He looked like a kid from Coates Ming Hua might have crossed now and then in the neighbourhood, but he wasn't sure.

"Haven't got a clue," he hollered back, glancing at the pram by the side of the road with no mother cooing over it. "Hope it's just a practical joke," he muttered to himself, knowing by the foreboding feeling that crept up his arms that the wish was futile. Nothing could be further from the truth.

"Your father disappeared," Ming Hua said to Emma. Now that he thought about it, he might have seen her around school a bit. But he hardly paid attention a lot of the time. "Maybe," - if you're really lucky - "he swam back to shore." It was a flimsy proposal, but Ming Hua had nothing better. "Anyway, we should head back to land too. And if you need help with that - " He leaned over the side and scooped up a drifting piece of driftwood, holding it up with a light smirk. It was just the right length for a swimming board. "I can tow you along."

[Wintergrey]

Jack Ashbourne

Jack's hand slammed into the piece of wood that sat above him. Again and again his first slammed into the wood. They were not controlled slams, but slams of anger and fear. They were the slams that happen when your heartbeat races. Around his fist wood splintered and broke to pieces. It was old rotten wood which made the process of breaking it much easier. But why was it old rotten wood?

The thought terrified him, so he ignored it, shoving it to the back of his mind. With a final deep smash the food above his head shattered, falling to pieces across his face. Dirt began to pour in. Having been leaning back trying to see anything in the silent blackness, his jaw had drifted open. Quickly it filled his mouth. He choked on it, expecting his gag reflex to kick in. It didn't. Not that it would have mattered, the dirt was pouring in so fast it would have been impossible to spit anything out.

Clenching his jaw around the piles of dirt, Jack thrust his long fingers through the dirt. Inch by inch he began to pull it back behind him. The soil right above him had been loose, but above that seemed to have a clay like texture. Hours drifted by, though it seemed like days, and still it didn't seem like he was any closer to the surface. While the room of the coffin had been miniscule, now it seemed like a mansion compared to his current situation. Everywhere he felt was dirt. Solid thick packed dirt, looming in above his head. At any moment it could collapse and he would be even more buried. He might even die. It was a miracle he hadn't already...

He thought of himself dieing, stuck in a tiny hole he had carved in the ground. It angered him to think that he would never see his family again. They would be worried, searching endlessly for him. They would never find their lost son. They would think he had run off. With a growl of frustration his fist shot up into the dirt ceiling. His head snapped up to look at it when he realized his hand had gone through. Slowly, wordlessly his fingers curled around, searching the outside.

He felt... grass. Immediately he felt a surge of energy. Yanking down with the arm, clumps of dirts collapsed on top of his cramped, crushed body. Light poured in through the hole. His den lit up. For the first time since he had woken up he could actually see. His hands were covered by black gloves, across his body was a black suit, a white shirt, and a black tie. He looked like he was attending a funeral. Bloody ridiculous. Reaching up he could feel that somehow through the entire struggle he had managed to keep his hat. Lightly taking it off his head, he brushed dirt off the rim delicately. How dare dirt get on there.

Standing up, to his full intimidating height of 6'6", he stepped out of the hole in the ground. Stretching out his lanky frame he looked around. He was in a grave. Why the hell was he in a- The thought died immediately at the site of a small grey stone in the ground. It was his stone. His... gravstone. His knees felt weak beneath his body, but he did not collapse. Instead he set his jaw and cracked his neck. Time to find out what was going on. A fire lit in his eye sockets as he adjusted the brim of his hat and strode out of the graveyard.

[dee]

Liv Lazarro

It was a sunny day. The perfect day for flying, their pilot had announced almost an hour ago. Liv knew he was right. She looked out into the sky, cotton-candy like clouds blocking the view of whatever city or town was below them. Between the white puff of clouds, Liv saw the bright blueness of the sea. They were still far from their destination, but she couldn't help wondering if this year's trip would be at a beach. Perhaps somewhere calm and peaceful. Marco definitely needed the calm after being subjected to the everlasting noise in the big city.

Marco. Liv turned away from the window to look at the person sat next to her. Her mother - adoptive mother, but that was information that hadn't seemed relevant for years now - cradled her little brother in her arms, the year old infant smiling up at familiar eyes. The smile seemed to brighten when blue eyes found Liv staring. Liv smiled softly at Marco, before scrunching her nose as she leaned towards him.

"Uhh, mom. I think you need to change him," she giggled lightly. The giggle turned into full-blown laughter as her mother mimicked her actions. Liv waved a tiny goodbye to Marco as they moved out of the seat and headed to the restrooms. Left alone, Liv turned to look back out the window. She could see it clearly now. There was a town below them. Liv had taken to imagining the lives of the people living in the cities they passed through. She imagined a young boy falling asleep in the middle of his classes. She thought about a middle-aged woman that was taking care of her garden. She pictured young lovers sneaking short letters to each other. "What's got you smiling like that?"

She was shaken out of her musings by the gruff voice of her father. She turned to look at him - at his dark eyes behind his rimmed glasses. His smile was so much like Marco's. "I was just thinking," she replied. When her father nodded his acceptance of her answer and asked if she wanted something to eat. "I'm good." She smiled back to her father who had stood up as well to find the lady in charge of the food tray and maybe check up on his wife. Once again, Liv was alone. She can't help thinking about the past few years she'd spent with the family. The happiness she hadn't thought she'd be able to feel. It felt weird. Good weird, yes, but still weird.

She checked her phone - put on airplane mode as usual - to see the time. It was past noon, and she really should have asked for food. She hadn't eaten anything since they boarded. She turned in her seat to look over where her father had gone. She blinked. And she blinked again. The seats behind theirs were empty. Even that of the other aisles. They were empty. She saw a head bob up from the back rows - a kid around the age of ten she'd seen when they were boarding. "Mom?" a young girl's voice - she guessed to be around six - piped up. And then a piercing cry. Marco.

Liv was quick to stand and run towards the restrooms, but she'd hardly taken three steps when the place turned on its side. The air was filled with the frightened scream of children and Liv looked frantically around. Where were the flight attendants? What was the pilot doing? Where were her parents? Liv fell to the ground, unable to keep her balance with whatever force was happening to the plane. Were they falling? Crashing? Liv's heart thudded in her chest, fear flowing wildly in her veins. Marco. She had to get Marco.

Her ears felt like it would pop from the pressure, and then everything was black.

[TheWildBunnii]

Selene reached into her shorts to retrieve her phone, pressing her house's number on the screen before placing it close to her ear. Her eyes fluttered shut, and praying to hear a voice on the other end. Once again, there was nothing. No ring. No voicemail. No auto message that plays in error if the line is disconnected for any reason.

Nothing.

Her slender pale fingers brushed her hair back as the blonde beauty was startled by the masculine accent voice, her eyes flew opened to reveal the beautiful dark blue eyes. In her line of vision, she noticed the familiar curly hair and the leather jacket, confusion covered his face. One of the many looks from the students, seeking for an explanation. Yet, there was none.

"Nathan," she whispered, uncertain on how to explain the situation in hand. " I do not know."

"Was there a senior prank I didn't know about planned? Usually they do these things toward the end of the year, no?"

Her body turned to face the owner's voice, their classmate Alex. He was one of the few that still remained in the empty classroom. She watched the senior pace back and forth, a worried expression on his face.

He must be thinking about Emma.I pray she is alright.

A terrify look took hold of her soft features, it stop the beauty cold. The first thought popped into her mind took her by surprise, almost as if it were placed there. Lucian! Selene almost shouted out the little boy's name. She had to see if he was fine. If her family was fine.

Just as she was plucking her school bag from the floor, a muted rumble reached her ears. Conversations in the hall ceased. Suddenly, a series of violent shakes disturbed everything not nailed to the floor. Selene was sent flying on her side, the tsunami of tables and chairs were pushed to the far corner of the room. The cold title floor didn't do many wonders to her side. As the tremendous shakes gradually but surely faded away, she shockingly looked up at the other students in the class, and then her gaze flung downward to the aching burning her side. Selene lifted her shirt and investigated a painful, purple-blue bruise running from the side of her stomach to her lower thigh. "Shit,"