《Hannah Forteza and her Forte Persona》


 Chapter One

    BE LIKE PRINCIPAL KEEN MADRIGAL, the Head Teacher III of the Xyrale High School. An unmarried man in his mid-thirties on his fourth year in his position, he was determined to be the image of what he wanted. A sustainable-measurable-attainable-reliable kind of individual. Be like him.


    It was 5:03 P. M. when he decided to pack his things up. The remaining work would be just resumed to his house. He closed everything he had opened earlier, from the nearest laptop on his table, going to the farthest curtain concealing the glass view of the next office room of his secretary.


    He opened his black backpack then inserted the laptop. Some unreviewed papers and files also made it inside. He organized the cables of his chargers then inserted it also there. Zippered back. He pulled the deepest breath he had for today and released it.


    Checking for the time on his Rolex, first, the glass glimmered, but as it made contact to his eyes he read the position of the hour and minute hand, it''s 5:10.


    The ''Early Bird Left Late'', that was Principal Keen. Early bird in the fact that earlier this morning his check-in time was 7:07 A.M., fifty-three minutes prior to the first period classes of the students to start, and would leave late in the fact that he was the only school official left in here. Be like him.


    He shouldered his backpack and approached the air conditioning system who displayed the current atmospheric temperature it maintained at twenty-six degrees Celsius. He switched it off. The temperature started to rise. Turning his back to it, he already identified his next stop: the light''s switch.


    Seeing his blurred reflection on a well polished brown mahogany colored vinyl tiles, he approached the door. It was closed for an aircon was inside. Leaving the door open could lead to high electricity charges.


    Even though the school could afford to pay its bills, Principal Keen was not that kind of how a person thought. So be like him: he''s not fond of loathing the school''s fund.


    Three paces he made it in there to the light''s switch. Upon he did, he applied an ample amount of force to it. As a foreseen result, all at once, his office became a room like one of those on silent midnight. No sound, only that the sun''s ray from the outside as it sank, reflected the glass window pane of his office. Just like in the night once in a while every month, the moon shone at its brightest.


    He snapped the doorknob then twisted it. Then he pulled it toward him. But due to the newly bought unlubricated door hinge, the action he did make a creaking sound. Moreover nonetheless, he crossed the threshold. Principal Keen Madrigal closed back the door.


    Fumbling something in his left pocket, as soon as he felt it, he withdrew the keychain. He chose what-he-knew the correct key and inserted it inside the keyhole. It seemed fit, he moved it ninety degrees clockwise and then withdrew it. Attesting the doorknob if it was locked. It was. He dropped back the key in his left pocket as he depressed his business classed shoes on the green colored welcome rag. He started to walk the corridor.


    The Xyrale High School was already a part of him. He loved being in here. All the time. Here, he didn''t feel alone. The ambiance of Acacia filled perimeter made him occupied by the thoughts related to his job, whereas, in his house he was alone. All the time. Be like him: he loved his job.


    However, being an unmarried man made him regret some things. Now he was alone. His age couldn''t be seen anymore in the calendar. It ranged from one up to the highest thirty-one; he was already thirty-five. He continued to access the corridor.


    Today was Friday, no class for the next two days. Blessing for everyone minus him. He would miss this place for that meantime. He hated weekends: be like him.


    This was the moment, he''d be leaving this place. "Goodbye for now!" he said to himself as he continued walking.


    Taking his moment as he explored the corridor for the last time for two days, he oriented himself to be the early bird again on Monday. This was so him, he enjoyed being him. Though as soon as he turned in a corner where the corridor and the entrance intersected, he halted his pace. Not that he changed his mind to not to take a weekend anymore. Believe him or not, that thought didn''t enter his thinking.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    "Who is she?"


    A girl paces ahead of him was what welcomed him for his departure. If things would be as it seemed to be, then he would be the second one to leave late.


    "What is she doing in this late hour of the day?."


    By the very presence of the girl not wearing the prescribed school uniform, with her back facing to him, he shook that thought.


    "No, That''s not it!"


    Principal Keen stared the girl with suspicion, the girl turned to face him.


    She appeared to be smiling at him.


    Replying back the smile, the principal started to ask the name of the girl.


    "Who is she?" the presence of the wind made him feel the chill.


    "Who is me?" the girl clarified.


    "Yes?" he started to feel intimidated toward the girl.


    "Don''t worry..." the girl started to walk approaching the principal.


    "You stay there!" alarmed, Mister Keen Madrigal told her.


    "Why?"


    He didn''t know how this girl made it inside. She''s not an enrolled student in here. He knew every name of this school''s bona fide residents. Sad to say, this girl was not one of them. He said to her to pause on her pace, the girl watched her with confusion.


    Two people stood and were observing at each other in an abandoned school, that''s how their scenario could be simply put into words. Maybe she was the daughter of the Guard.


    Free of thinking threats, he said to himself, "Maybe it is."


    Concurrent with his resolve, he started to step forward. Though at the same time as he did the action; at the same time the leaves of the Acacia constantly fell; at the same time the sun sank in the horizon, unnoticed he blinked.


    Shock of him when he was finished moving his eyelids, the girl was no longer there."Where is she?"


    He smelled something was about to happen, but he didn''t know what. Perhaps he knew what he didn''t know. He said once more: "Where is she?"


    The time now was 5:25 P.M, five more minutes and the current Guard''s shift would end. Maybe his father called her; that explained why she waved to him.


    Free of thinking threats, he said to himself, "Maybe."


    He settled his thoughts once and for all and calmly approached the parking lot at a regular pace with a normal heartbeat.


    He took a pause unconsciously. His eyes narrowed.


    "What is happening? Why I can''t walk?!"


    Realization was what struck him afterward he understood what was happening to him: somebody was strongly restraining him from the back. The reason why he paused on his pace unconsciously.


    For the event was triggering his human instincts, his heartbeat and other chemical reactions started to undertake at a drastic rate. Able to feel the sharp object that was pointed on his back, hesitantly he turned.


    The girl smiled at him upon they established eye contact.


    "You are her, right?! The one from the distant?!" although sounded alarmed, he managed to ask a question.


    There he saw a girl clearer than earlier. He was right, she''s not a student in here, but perhaps when another school year started she would already be. His body started to react in terror. Judging by her aura, she was more determined than him. Being nailed at his place, he didn''t turn anywhere. He remained in there-- with the absent of blink-- watched the girl with terror.


    The girl smiled at him as she pulled him closer. With mouth to ear communication, she started to speak, "I''m not into exposing my identity to anyone. But because you voluntarily turned back even if I haven''t ordered you to do so, now you know me. Sorry if I killed you with that act of yours, just don''t blame her."


    After she spoke those confidently, Principal Keen felt a penetrating sensation as the kitchen knife stabbed his left shoulder blade.


    The sudden unanticipated action of the girl made the principal to do a holding back no more. Concurrent with it, he flinched. Even though the knife was not that of a butchering one, it was sharp. It managed to touch the cardiovascular organ known to us was the heart. He wailed mutely as a reaction for a hand was what had been placed against his mouth. The infiltration was proven to be deep. Needless to say, it served its purpose: his heart was stabbed.


    Upon the handle of the knife met with his left shoulder blade, she withdrew it. As for Principal Keen whose circulatory system had started to collapse, already saw his end.


    His sight became blur, perhaps because of the growing need of oxygen that his body couldn''t sustain. Blood started to flow outside his body: on his mouth; and on his stabbed wound. Everything was red, he was running out of blood.


    Helpless, immediately he fell to the ground. This was it, his end. Should he be grateful he would die to a place he called home or would be regretful for he would die alone?


    As to the girl who cleaned the kitchen knife''s blade that was recently full of blood, she wasn''t so transparent to show any emotion. All she expressed was blank.


    Principal Keen Madrigal the Head Teacher III of Xyrale High School, perhaps his name had decided his destiny. All it said-- just referred to the dictionary-- Noun, Verb, and Adjective. Be like him. He was keen.

 Chapter Two

    INTRODUCING THE XYRALE HIGH SCHOOL, a fifteen-acre land property situated in Pulupandan, Negros Occidental. Among others, it was one of the finest school in the Philippines.


    To get inside was not an easy task done with the aid of backer: hereintoday referred was someone your circles knew and you could ask a favor to. Meant an opportunity to everyone. That''s some quite social justice for somebody had less in life. But also, with this, people from all walks of life had been foreseen to enroll in this school.


    To date every morning of the second week of February the school conducted its admission test that ran from Monday through Friday. With every after of the exam, those who had passed were announced. Then followed immediately by an interview in the afternoon through evening.


    The first Head Teacher of the Xyrale High School developed a different kind of admission test that an aspiring Grade Seven student of this institution would wish to take.


    The test defined everything about luck. If you''re smart, then you were lucky. If you''re talented, then it was the school''s luck that you decided to enroll to them. If you had both, the school and you were both lucky. But if you had money, the school didn''t care about it. The world had it already and there''s a lot of it. In fact, sometimes, it was the one that had a jinx. What was needed more than anything, was faith in order for the luck to arrive.


    Although it was called a test, it didn''t measure how faithful or intelligent a person was, and rather, a deck of cards would serve as either your passport to enroll in here or a notice that you would be forever banned by the Xyrale Community.


    A deck had fifty-four cards, thirteen for each symbol of Spade, Club, Heart, and Diamond, with two were Jokers. Aside from the school requirements upon the exam started which were mostly papers with effects and exam fee, they required every test taker to bring together with them a newly bought one set of a deck.


    If you lost it while on your trip to the exam venue it was your bad. If you had arrived late and the exam was already starting it was another bad. Everything happened every day were either two things. If you''re able to identify it, you could call it as either a bad kind of luck or a good kind of one.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    The exam started at exactly eight of the clock. Everyone must be in the line before the cut-off time came or else you wouldn''t be able to make it in the cut. Better luck next day if there was the next day. What about Friday? Better luck next year.


    The test instructions were as simple as eating a piece of cake. A destined proctor was waiting for you at a chair adjacent to him/her. A table distant from each other. You would hand your untouched set of cards, he/she would eliminate the two jokers. What remained to be, were fifty-two cards that would be instantly shuffled.


    Of course, you had to pay close attention if you knew the trick. If not, be faithful in order for the luck to arrive. After the deck was shuffled, the proctor would hand back to you the card.


    "Sit still. Think clear. Pick one out of fifty-two. If you have already chosen one, face it up."


    Now you already knew what card it was that you picked up; and so as the Proctor. Time was running. The test had begun.


    The proctor would explain to you the two possibilities: "You will either pick up the same card or not. That''s 1.92 percent by chance. And if that one happens, by default, you will be placed in Grade Seven class ''Star Section''."


    After the proctor had said those, they would confiscate the card. Placed it back on the deck. They would shuffle it again.


    "The remaining 98.08 percent of the possibility, means you didn''t pick the only-one-right card. Of course, it happens most of the times, your luck is not as precise and accurate as what the game dart requires its players to be."


    By picking a card for the second time, your fate would be soon to unfold. Supposed you had landed on the majority of the chances, which was unable to get the only right card, should you be banned forever of Xyrale High?


    "Young kid, you should chin up. Be cheerful and optimist. Because you made it at the exam venue safe and sound, the gratitude of the Xyrale Community will extend to you. The card you have picked will determine where you will be placed on the Grade 7. It was somewhere or between Section 1 up to Section 13."


    With the reference of your current card; the card you drew at the second time, by how identical was it from the first card you had picked? Was it red or black? Was it Spade, Club, Heart, or Diamond? Was it 0, ¡À1, ¡À2, ¡À3, ¡À4, ¡À5, ¡À6, ¡À7, ¡À8, ¡À9, ¡À10, ¡À11, ¡À12 to your first card?


    Although the chances to have the test passed was bigger than being not, the 53.85% possibility was the only hope that an aspiring ''Xyralian'' should be faithful for.


    This year the class would start on June 7. With a bang!

 Chapter Three

    ALL WAS NICE except in the eyes of Lance Reyes, a forty-year-old Utility Personnel of the Xyrale High School.


    Another year for this school, meant, another year in his contract. Today was the seventh day of June, the first day of School. Everyone was busy, and so as he. He left the stockroom with a mop and a bucket of mostly filled with water. Now his day started.


    Before the flag ceremony began for today was Monday, he aimed to finish his task. For sure, cleaning the fifty meters long corridor was a task he was confident he could survive. He started on the right end of the narrow area.


    The water inside the bucket was a solution with detergent, he placed it on the particular side of the corridor. He dipped the mop into it. Dipped it again. He never stopped dipping it until the bucket bubbled and so as the mop.


    The solution continued to drip as the mop traveled from the bucket to the well-maintained floor. He squeezed the mop to it and wiped it toward. Repeated the process again. And again. Up until he finished the first meter of the corridor. He moved backward.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    It had been already four months since Principal Keen Madrigal vanished without a trace. Everyone together with him remained confused about what exactly had happened by that day. He never logged himself out in this school.


    Though it was always a scenario that he left late, his car was still in here, parked. And if ever he left without his car, the security would know. Should know. Supposedly knew. But they didn''t.


    Again the process continued. He was done on the fifth meter. It was still mysterious how a closed circuit television lost sight of him the moment he was accessing the corridor. The video recording didn''t serve any hint. The only thing they had, gave no clue.


    Everybody admired that Principal for he possessed the attitude of being one. He never made it late, and moreover, he left late. He exercised thriftiness even though his salary enabled him to acquire something that others couldn''t. He remained low pride and respectable person, up until he vanished. Even though it happened, the image of him left untarnished.

 Chapter Four

    "GOOD MORNING SUNSHINE!" After she opened her eyelids, straight at the window facing at her, she saw it again. Of all the great things in this world, nothing could ever seem to replace it. She loved it very badly, every day. Meet her sunflower in a pot.


    It had been already four months since they moved here. In that meantime, a bud of sunflower they carried all the way here, bloomed its well taken care of single flower.


    With a smile on her face, she admired that flower like nothing else. From the pot up until the petals, she could say it to herself ''perfect''.In fact, it made her forgot to blink.


    Unlike other girls who admire people, visit places and treasure memories, Hannah Forteza, stuck to one, just only her Sunflower. From her bed going to the window where the pot was placed, she memorized every detail of it.


    "A fifteen-inch-tall-that-had-ten-leaves-with-a-diameter-of-six-centimeters-yellow-thirty-four-petals-attached-on-the-flower-healthy sunflower." With no broken stare was made, she fished her eyeglass.


    On the table placed near the bed to her right side, there it was, a Corbusier modeled round eyeglass was placed in there the whole night. She delivered it to her sight.


    Although, her sight had a visual acuity of twenty/twenty. For some reason, wearing an eyeglass was a commodity. She just should wear it, every day and night. Not just while she slept, it might be broke. For how she perceived the Sunflower lately, it remained the same beyond her eyeglass. She oriented herself.


    "Today is Monday, fifty more minutes until the flag ceremony startedifthe wall clock in the room will be the base. If I traveled using my bicycle-- which is I should-- it will take me twenty minutes. Now what I have was twenty-nine minutes and fifty seconds to fix myself." She uncovered herself in a warm blanket and immediately stepped on a cold cemented floor. She started her day.


    Upon Hannah had opened the door of her bedroom wide enough, she then approached the lavatory. It was located in the kitchen section of the house, which was ten meters away from her room. Having a lead, as soon as she approached the kitchen, she slouched down and confidently opened a certain cabinet.


    She sure to know what she looked for. As soon as she saw it, a glassed pitcher instantly became the apple of her eyes. Without hesitation, she drew it outside of that cabinet, bought back her stand and placed it on the mouth of the faucet.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Twenty-eight minutes and ten seconds countdown, the time she opened the faucet. The tap water started to flow with a burst. As it remained open, the rate of outlet became constant. When the water had reached a certain volume inside-- that she thought would be enough-- she turned off the running water. Then she returned back to her room. There she saw the always honest, faithful, and happy sunflower.


    As her hand yielded the pitcher, she approached it. This already became her everyday habit. Even this would result in addiction, no problem, Hannah Forteza identified it as her enthusiasm. To water a pot of sunflower with one flower every day, couldn''t kill a person. Unless the sunflower grew some teeth on it. Which was impossible for its design complexity.


    By the time the pitcher got empty, it was already 7:15 A.M.. Just forty-five minutes left and she must be in the school. Even so, she spared another five minutes fixated at her beautiful flower. She reviewed the leaves and its flower, uninformed about the time spoketick tock.


    This time was for sure. Now that her flower was the same and neither a foreign entity had snatched a petal nor eat its green hairy leaves, she turned around and revisited the cabinet. She returned the pitcher and closed it back. By how much time was left, that was also the time remained to fix herself.


    Just a fifteen-pace from the point where she stopped, the comfort room would be her next destination. She entered it and opened up the lights. She closed back the door. From the outside of the bathroom, you could hear the water flowed outside the shower. That explained, she took her bath.


    Hannah Forteza, a 13-year old girl with a great imagination could fathom. She always dreamt to become a biologist someday: wore glasses which she already was; wore lab gowns but apparently what she had was the school uniforms; examiningFauna and Floraeven though what she had was only a plant of sunflower.Being a scientist specialized in biology. Someday.


    The time the background noise created by the shower had stopped, one moment passed, the door opened. She stepped outside the threshold, what she left was fifteen minutes and one second to fix herself.


    Dressed only by a towel and an eyeglass, Hannah dashed her way straight to her room. She needed to hurry up, not just she needed to iron her uniform before she wore them, but also she needed to take breakfast, to brush her teeth, to pack her lunch, and to unlock her bicycle. She needed to do all of it within less than fifteen minutes or else the critical path when it terms to duration that she had established would extend.


    From outside her room, the doorknob twisted. Followed immediately by it, it opened. Since the door was adjacent to the window, the light from the outside whose source was the morning sunshine reflected it. Since it was already at seven, the sun already made a noticeable angle to the sky. The sun''s ray passed through the window and projected to the threshold. Continuing to grow as the access to the door became bigger and bigger. It spat a girl in a uniform with eyeglass. An innocent and beautiful kind of girl. That was Hannah.

 Chapter Five

    HE WAS DONE DOING WHAT HE LOVED. For sure, to mop the entire stretch of the floor that it would look like a fifty-meter long mirror was an easy task to him. Standing at the one end, the corridor had finally became nice to the eyes of Lance Reyes. Or so?


    Still amused of how he turned an ordinary floor into a noticeable platform, Lance Reyes, found something bleak. How dare this thing didn''t acknowledge his cleanliness. It was being vigilant as it crossed the corridor then entered the stockroom.


    Though theratdidn''t leave any filthy trace-- and to reapply the mop on its track was not what in his mind-- he followed therat. He accessed the corridor to reach it faster. Theratcrawled into the storage room swooningly.


    Being a utility personnel, the field enemy of Lance was rats, cockroaches, worms and the likes of it. Everything that was filthy, being filthy, and forever would be filthy, he hated them all.


    As soon as he made it at the doorstep of the stockroom, without hesitation, he entered. Cold, silent, and alone, there he saw a seventy-five centimeters long rattan switch. He obtained it. Even though this place was meant for the things that the school might need in the future, it was organized. Easy to find things only if you knew what to find. He sought where might be theratwas hiding, he saw something that moved. On his right, his line of sight perceived therat. It was behind the curtains and on the move off to another and another.


    He did a tight grip on the switch as he approached theratand smashed it to it. He missed. Off to another window. He smashed again. It dodged. Off to another. Lance Reyes was determined to obliterate this thing. As. Soon. As. Possible.


    Although the rattan switch was hard and slender, and the window was made of jalousie, that didn''t bother him that he might break a member of the window. He knew how to strike measurable, but also theratknew how to dodge.


    Several strikes and dodges were made by the opposing parties respectively-- had been able to finish his task andthis-- Lance Reyes became exhausted. But therathadn''t. It continued to find its way and had finally entered the ceiling-- or shall to say, the attic.


    "What is that?"


    There was a hole in the ceiling; enough for a two-pound rat to access back and forth. More to it should already enter by force. He weighed one hundred thirty more of it. So he just resorted watching it disappeared. Not totally vanished just behind the ceiling.


    He was just a floor sweeper and to maintain the ceiling was beyond his job. But since he hated rats, voluntarily, he would do it. The utility personnel Lance Reyes, would kill thatrat. No. Matter. What.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    He turned around and examined what would be useful to exterminate theratin the attic: he found the vase. No, not the vase. To kill theratwith a vase would be a dirty job; then the Ballpoint pen. Not also that one. It would require him a close counter; same as textbooks, the rat''s blood would splatter on it.Amongall the things in there, he found some things that might help him get rid of a pest: was a table and a chair.


    No vase. No pen. No books. Just a table and a chair, thatratwould meet his end-- not now but later.


    He approached the table and lifted it up. It was heavy, but nonetheless, he delivered it smooth and quiet. Vertical to the hole he positioned it. Next, he grabbed the chair and placed on top of the table. For a better balance, he put it at the center.


    Since he had already a rattan switch, he was confident that he could finish this short-term goal he set in mind. What he needed more than a weapon was a little more height to reach the ceiling. He stood on the platform of the chair.


    "Wait for me, you filthy rat!"


    As soon as he gained an extra height; as the time he touched the ceiling; as formidable as his support was, Lance Reyes planned to apply force on the ceiling.


    Though the plywood that separated the entire room and the attic had already been years and had never done the replacement, it was still that tough. It could still handle the weight of the entire attic had without any sign of rupture could be seen. Except for the insects who forced themselves to live inside the stockroom. They created their very own entrance and exit that was only exclusive for them.


    But that''s not the case to him, the ceiling seemed to fall in this corner. Supposedly it was flat and parallel to the ground. All the regions followed itexcepthere. The ceiling in this portion seemed to be at an angle. It was slanted and headed to the ground. Somebody did just detach the fasteners attached on here but didn''t put back.


    It was good and at the same time was bad. This granted him an easy access to the attic brought about by the loose section. He could just pull it down to create an opening that was wide enough for him to enter. But also, this would be an issue as somebody from the list of utility personnel was not doing their job well. They were paid to work well, but they didn''t take things seriously. He called them filthy. He hated them.


    But because that''s the case, he wouldn''t report this event and instead after he killed therat; after he disposed of it properly; after he cleaned the rattan switch and wiped his hands, he would put back the fastener. Fix what needed to be fixed. Simple as that.


    As he made an opening for himself, the attic welcomed him with no light. Dark. Completely dark. And cold.


    "Why it becomes so cold so suddenly?"


    The school might have put an air-conditioning system to hereforthe reason of protection for some valuable things. Good enough to throw away insects who didn''t like cold areas. The place would be completely sealed if the detached surface had been mounted properly. Even so, the current state of the attic could still prevent the light to be promulgated on the inside. Maybe the bulb had been just busted. Good thing he visited here again. He would replace it as soon as he was done with his priorities.


    He fumbled from his left pocket and fished his small flashlight. Although every room in the Xyrale High was well lighted, he knew to himself that the time would come he would be in need of a flashlight. And that time was now.


    He aimed his flashlight to the roof then turned it on. His eyes narrowed.


    "What the?!"


    There he saw a cadaver that was hung by the roof. It faced him. The dead appeared to be smiling.

 Chapter Six

    SHE WAS LATE, not now but when eight of the clock struck she would already be. The moment she reached the bicycle, wore her yellow helmet, and pedaled the mode of her transportation outside, the time remained to her was ten minutes: that was ten minutes less compared to her allotted time for that matter.


    "Hannah, this is the first day of school!" the foreseen late schoolgirl scolded herself.


    She placed her bag in the basket on the front of her bicycle and started to accelerate. She needed to pedal faster than she usually did or else the gate of the Xyrale High School would close at exactly 8:00 A.M.. And she might be considered absent on the first day of class.


    She couldn''t accept that scenario. Hannah Forteza was late? No wayandshe wouldn''t let that happen. Dressed in her school uniform of maroon colored skirt and white sleeved blouse, she continued to accelerate her way.


    The day was nice but she couldn''t afford to get distracted anymore. She needed to focus her sense of sight on the road and settled the rest of the things that might steal her attention. Not permanently but just the next five minutes of her life.


    As she approached the intersection, there it was, the mortal enemy of the motorists: the traffic light.


    "No, just, not this time!"


    Pedal!


    Pedal!


    When she was closed toit, so as the electric lamp. The moment she blinked, from the green signalitshifted to yellow. Meant to halt. But that''s not how a late student like her interpreted it. To her, it meant an extension. And so, she didn''t slope down her speed and instead, she hurried up to cross the intersection.


    "Go Hannah, you can do it!"


    With her speed like that and five seconds extension, based on her calculation, before the traffic light turned to red, she already made her way to the other direction of the road. Even so, that didn''t happen.


    "Oh no!"


    While she dashed her way on the road, the purpose for brake was no use anymore. But she tried it still. And the upcoming event would be inevitable. Eventually, she bumped. Her bicycle on the front had been heavily damaged. Concurrent with it, she fell unconscious with her eyeglass was shattered beneath the helmet.


    Since the traffic light would be favorable to Hannah, the one would be held accountable was the car thatbumpedher.


    All vehicles waited in every direction, witnessed it all. North, East, South, and West saw it happened. A dashing ambulance bumped a high school student riding a bicycle. Though being accountable for what happened to Hannah would be them, the person who drove the ambulance couldn''t be accused of beating the red light for he was an exception of that law.


    "Luke, what is it?" Paramedic Lara asked the driver of the ambulance.


    "I bumped someone..." Confused the driver replied.


    "What?!"


    Considering their respondence to an accident, immediately two people got off the board. The two paramedics hurriedly approached an unconscious Hannah. The blond-haired paramedic was Nica and the black-haired paramedic was Lara. Even though that was an impact, the accident wasn''t that terrible. She only fell unconscious. But nevertheless, she needed medical attention. Good thing, the ambulance boarded two paramedics.


    "I will be on the header and you will be on the tail," Lara commanded her partner, Nica.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "I''m gonna help you guys." Luke offered an assistance.


    "No need Luke, stay put there, we''ll sprint immediately after we fix this one."


    As soon as they got a touch on Hannah, they immediately put the girl on a stretcher. Needless to say, they put her inside the ambulance.


    "What about the bicycle?" Lara asked.


    "We can''t leave it on there," Nica answered.


    They also put the medium of transportation of Hannah inside the emergency sedan.


    Now that everythingthatmust be on board was already on board, the driver immediately started the vehicle. They left the place as it seemed to be.


    The red and blue lights from above the sedan indicated that everyone should give way for an emergency would be the priority. Synchronized with the flickering lights, the addition of sirens to notify every motorist that from afaranupcoming ambulance would burrow a certain lane. Compulsory they should comply.


    While the stretcher which laid an unconscious Hannah was placed at the aisle of the carriage of the Ambulance, the two paramedics sat on the respective sides tending the instant patient. One mistake of Hannah was that she didn''t hear the siren of this ambulance was coming. She hearditbut it''s already late. Now an accident already took place because of her negligence.


    Anyone couldn''t directly call this instance as like Hannah was given by a number in a dice that she didn''t needorshe was given by a dice with a number of her choice. Hannah had run-out of luck because she had been bumped by a vehicle, while on the other side, she was also lucky for the one that bumped her was an ambulance. Either way, that made her not aware of the reality.


    While en route to their destination, the paramedics gave Hannah the first aid she needed. They first wore off her yellow helmet and then removed her Corbusier round eyeglass which followed byitwere them cleaning her bruises with cotton that had been dampened by alcohol with a BETADINE on it. In order to prevent contact with the environment, they covered those contusions by gauzes.


    From a busy highway, the driver of the Ambulance made a turn. While one of the paramedics named Lara was sitting and observing Hannah from the left, the other one sat to the right side of the schoolgirl and was resorted to thinking.


    Recently this morning she visited her boyfriend, a 911 call operator. His name was Jonas and he had been visited by his girlfriendanda paramedic, Nica. They made a lot of talks sinceatthe time nobody had called 911 and Nica would start her shift two hours from there on. Nobody disturbed their conversation. It was sweet and candid.


    When she opened up a topic about marriage, quickly Jonas, exited himself. She didn''t know what was the reason for his egress, but he left her with the telephone. Staring the telephone while she waited for Jonas, out of silence, the telephone rang.


    The off-duty paramedic was receiving a 911 call. Without hesitation, for she knew that this might be an emergency, she immediately answered the call.


    She listened to the voice of a person who she thought was already freaking out. As what she heard on the other line, the person was doomed and progressively spoke these:Principal!; Principal Keen!; Principal Keen Madrigal!


    Upon she heard what he said, she knew to herself that he was pertaining to a person dissolved without a trace four months ago. Principal Keen Madrigal, the Head Teacher III of the Xyrale High School went missing from that day forth.


    Able to identify the name of the person on the other line introduced, she wanted to clarify some things.Who isthis talking? How did you know that name? Where are you now? Is he alive? Is he dead?But as she started to ask the first question, she heard a strange sound from the background. Like something had fallen apart. But she didn''t know what.


    There was a part of her that told her that the call was a prank. Most of the callers of 911 were like that. The day would cry if there was none. She wanted to hear more from the caller,sherepeated the question,who is this talking?


    Confused but still waited, she was answered by nobody. Several moments she spoke the same question, after she asked those, silence followed her query immediately. The caller didn''t respond but the phone call was not terminated.


    "What might have happened to the caller?" Nica murmured in the depths of her thoughts.


    "Nica, what''s wrong?" her partner Lara heard her spoke.


    "Huh? Umm, Nothing." She flashed a smile even beneath it the idea that something bad had already happened to the caller was what she bore.


    After referring the event that she had earlier today to the police station, they traced where the call was made: inside the Xyrale High School.


    Together with some police which had been invited to attend the first flag raising ceremony of the school year, they were making their way there.


    "She''s waking," said by the other paramedic she was with. Immediately she turned her stare at the girl they ran an accident with. Somewhere she felt relief.


    Whileshemoved her eyes beneath her eyelids, with irritation, Hannah said, "Where''s my eyeglass?" both the paramedic ran their sights on a broken Corbusier round eyeglass besideheryellow helmet.

 Chapter Seven

    IT WAS NOT A RAT but only was the likes of it. Meet the Hamster. A small animal from the family of rodentsoftenrecognized as a mice and a dumb would call it arat. Basing on the record, the recent one who named it as a rat was already dead.


    Ten minutes prior to the event,hewas chasing it. Couldn''t get enough from it, he yielded a stick. He smashed it to him. Smashed. Smashed. Smashed. Until Lance Reyes felt exhausted. Good thing the Hamster was agile as it deemed to be. Smashed. Smashed. Smashed. And fast as it seemed to be.


    For what reason the man hadthatmade him develop an urged of killing, the black-with-gray-patches-colored-thin-fur-that-a-person-would-identify-it-as-a-filthy-appearance, the Hamster didn''t understand the cause. Right now, it stared the cadaver of Lance Reyes.


    That red eyes had everything happened in here. The moment the man chaseditup until now, if it was only equipped with any kind of camera that was functional, it had recorded everything. But it wasn''t. It continued to survey the area.


    A rat was a rat and a hamster was a hamster. Even though they were akin, a hamster must be called a hamster. Not a rat. A hamster was a pet, not a pest. Though a rat could be sometimes also called a pet but still remained a pest.


    Unlike the hamster, which was well oriented, the rat was a scavenger. And if he''d seen a cadaver withitsrotting flesh, it would eat it little by little. With satisfaction.


    Anyone would say, they''re committing an act of cannibalism. But not with the human flesh. The time they were subjected to be apprehended by such schtick, was when they ate the same of their kind. The rat would eat another rat.


    Four months had gone since it escaped from its captivity. Somebody had unknowingly broke a glass case where it was being held as a captive. From that point on, it never envied a rat. It pitied them. The rat was always free, and so as the hamster. However, the rat was a scavenger and a hamster would never be like its cousin. It enjoyed this feeling.Freedom.


    Not only that person who made the hamster freeandhung the keen principal on the roof, but also, she installed an air conditioner system in the attic. Running twenty-four seven for the past four months. For what reason it might be, the hamster was free.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    To live in the attic together with a cadaver that was hung from the roof had never been a problem to this hamster. After all, it was Principal Keen who loved hamster. It wasn''t that worst to live with a dead man who consideredthe hamster as a pet and a rat as a pestthan living alone. It enjoyed his presenceeverytimeit woke up from its sleep.Good morning principal.


    The janitor, on the other hand, felt those shiver clambered down his spine. The moment he saw the decomposing body of the Principal restrained by a rope overhead, he didn''t know what to do. Being delighted was the last word from his pending list of reactions.


    Being guided by his unaware conscience, he drew out a phone. With shaking fingers, he dialed the numbers 9-1-1 and pressed call. The line made him wait for about a considerable amount of moment. When somebody who he thought had already pressed an answer button from the other line, he frantically said:


    "Principal!"


    "Principal Keen!"


    "Principal Keen Madrigal!"


    His panicking voice implied that he was completely shaken by his discovery.


    He took a step backward unconsciously, only to know that what he made was wrong. He lost balance on the chair where his feet sat. Due to a bigger force applied to a particular edge of the chair, it made the opposite edge to make a lift. Now his fundamentals started to collapse. He lost his balance and couldn''t regain it anymore.


    Inside the dim-lighted stockroom, there was this beam. A Stainless steel three millimeters in diameter beam to be exact. While Lance regretted himself for he took that single step backward, which was no use already.You''ll only know the future when you already saw it.The trajectory of his body to the ground was inevitable. He would land to the floor sooner or later.


    The beam was two meters longandplaced vertically. Lance, with the aid of table and a chair, was three meters tall. He was taller than the beam at the time before he fell. But unlike the beam, he outbalanced. What''s more? The beam was placed at the back of him. Where the path of the projectile of the falling body was.


    The accident was backed by another accident. Lance didn''t just fell, but also, he had his head pierced through by stainless steel. At first, the beam simply struck at the back where his hair was, but as the time progressed and with the presence of gravity, it surpassed the layers of his skin.


    Epidermis, Dermis, Subcutaneous area were all infiltrated. The impact was strong to yieldaresult of only that. Thus more to it, his skull broke. Partially fractured to completely shattered. Bloodshot occurred to his eyes. As the gravity was constant, the beam touched the brain, stabbed it, and off to the left side of his eye socket. Past to his eyeballs.


    His body followed where the head slid down. There to the two meters long beam. From a stainless beam to a principal supporting member coated with blood. His eyes couldn''t be used anymore. Well, who cares the owner was already dead. Dead with his only mistake: he identified the hamster as arat.

 Chapter Eight

    SHE ASKED THEM ABOUT HER EYEGLASS. While her eyes were still beneath her eyelids, she inquired them the whereabouts of her eyeglass. On their way to Xyrale High School, she was with two paramedics. They stared at each other for they knew what happened to it. The glass shattered. Thus the useful life of her eyeglass instantly ended in a flash. In short, she had no eyeglass anymore.


    "Where is my eyeglass?" Hannah Forteza didn''t care about being late henceforth. What concerned her more as of now, was that, her eyeglass. Her Corbusier round eyeglass. "Where is it? My eyeglass?" even though she was capable to see clearly without a pair of lenses worn over her eyes, she preferred not to.


    Felt shocked by the after-waking-up reaction of this schoolgirl, one of the paramedics said, "Uhmm Miss, Earlier today...," but Hannah insisted, "Where is my eyeglass?"


    Upon she heard what Hannah said, that paramedic didn''t continue her explanation. "Where is it? Where is it?" they observed the girl slightly became agitated as she asked for the information about her eyeglass. The feeling like they needed to do somethingtocalm her down, Lara opened her mouthandspoke, "Your eyeglass, recently today, after the accident, is already broken."


    That amount of decibels traveled well to the air and made everyone inside the closed compartment to hear it. Hannah, on the other hand, heard those series of words slowly and slowly registered in her mind. She didn''t care about the series of words that the paramedic said before the first comma. Neither she on the second. What made her face drew a grotesque kind of expression, was not about what she said before the third comma.Is already broken.That made her felt bad.


    "We''re sorry Miss about what happened to your eyeglass. If it holds any sentimental value to you, were deeply sorry. What happened in that intersection is beyond everyone''s control. It was an accident," full of sincerity the paramedic said. But Hannah made no reply out of that.


    Several seconds passed, they still tried to reach out a reaction from Hannah. The ambiance was like, the judge was either about to declare that the subject was proven guilty or innocent of the accusation. She remained hung for a while. Up until...Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    From a worried facial information, the countenance of Hannah suddenly brightened up. While she smiled at them, she opened her eyes. Had been hinted about the jury''s decision that they were both acquitted, the two paramedics released a long deep breath. But before they totally deflated their lungs, Hannah spoke.


    "Oh, of course, I couldn''t blame you two for that. You two aren''t the one driving this ambulance." She shifted her attention to the rearview mirror, "Mr. Driver," she knocked the glass panel that separated the front seat to the carriage.


    "Mr. Driver," she repeated. The two paramedics faced each other with confusion. By the aid of communication in the form of eye to eye, they knew, they had the same feelings towards this schoolgirl. Though it''s too early to land up with a conclusion, they preferred the safest word they had inside their minds.Weird. Right, this girl was totally weird.


    Even though the driver could hear her, he didn''t turn his head to look over his shoulder.What''s the deal with this girl?He knew to himself that it wasn''t as important as this emergency they were about to attend. They needed to get there immediately. Tending his focus along the route, he heard her spoke again. Not only that, she knocked on the door three times stronger than she did earlier.


    "Mister Driver, Mister Driver, replace my eyeglass," without the act of blink she said those. The moment she opened her eyes up until now, she didn''t retract back her eyelids. By restraining herself to do so, her eyes enveloped a saline mixture that as the time progressed it continued to increase in volume. Now they started to race down her cheeks.


    She smiled as she cried. Hannah couldn''t help it, she lost her eyeglass. Even though it was just a simple thing, well not for her. She had this feeling if things continued to happen like thisasthe seconds went on and on, she couldn''t blink anymore.


    She experienced a situation like this before. Not just one but many. The moment she lost her eye lenses, that was also the time she experienced a calamity against herself. A disastrous kind of one. Even she didn''t have any idea.


    Hannah Forteza, a Grade Seven schoolgirl on her first day to learn something new, was traveling to Xyrale High School. While on her way, she lostit. And now she begged the driver. "Please Mister Driver, replace my eyeglass. "


    Her blue eyes were already full of bloodshot. Even though her mind had already told her to blink, which she could do it anywhere and anytime, she restrained herself to do so. She punched that glass panel again. "Okay. Alright. Just give me anything that my eyes could wear," as if she was holding her breath that''s what happened to her eyes. She knew that she couldn''t stop it, she wouldn''t be like this forever. The time would come, she would need to. She blinked.

 Chapter Nine

    STOOD WITH ITS HIND LEGS, the Hamster had neither enjoyed the show nor would be a critique for it.


    The mere fact that although a hamster hater person died at its very presence which made the Hamster cherished every moment of what happened, that event turned this place different as it seemed to be. And what you could see around the cadaver was a puddle of blood that was still being flourished brought about by a three millimeters stainless steel beam that created a chute.


    The Hamster didn''t show as much empathy rather than it just stared as a bystander. It just watched Lance Reyes suffered his death. It had no intention to approach the soaked in blood corpse, it kept itself distant to him.


    Maybe if he just loved hamster, this little fella had once again found a rightful owner. It would be just alright to the Hamster to sacrifice its freedom if this man loved hamster rather than to hate it. That made everything in the first place incapable to happen.


    Only if they showed mutual feelings toward each other, things from bad had not gone to worst and only glory days would never resort to end. No more violent action, witnessed the principal gone through the stage of decomposition, and terrible death show. It would be just a win-win solution for both of them. Only if.


    But things happened for a reason. Which the Hamster didn''t know still. While it watched the scenario, it made the Hamster to grow a boredom from the initial of being excited. It reminded him of the ''thing'' it should do before this Utility Personnel came across his way and tried to kill him. This male Hamster felt again that same feeling. While on its way recently going to the attic, its primary purpose was to satisfy its hunger.


    But still, the hamster didn''t have the plan to eat human flesh, not unless they were the only remaining food that would be palatable and could save them from famishment. When that time came, the rats and the hamsters would be the same. They would be reunited, once again, with the same taste buds.


    But that time was not now. Maybe tomorrow, if not, maybe the next day. But the Hamster could assure, not now.


    In fact, the Hamster just remembered something, it burrowed some of its food above the attic. Overhead, where also the principal hung, it had a food that maybe could last for today. That''s why it was sure, human flesh was not the course menu at the present time.


    Though the Hamster started to make its way there, it tried to find a clean route to go to the attic. With this, it prevented contact with the dead hamster hater and his puddle of blood. Remained presentable, even though its fur could be mistakenly recognized as filthy appearance, it crawled swooningly.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Of all the senses which hamsters felt was not stronger than the others they had, was their sense of sight. Compared to the felines which they relied on it every time they hunt, day and night, all the hamster, in order to survive, had to be alert at all times.


    To see how cats perceived things, with or without light, was not how hamsters coped with their survival. Cats were predator and Hamsters were being preyed. And if Hamsters reacted to its environment very late, today we didn''t know that the word ''Hamster'' truly did exist. We just contented ourselves of thinking how would a friendly rat be alike, how would it behave and what would be its name?


    Good thing hamsters were still alive until as of now. Thanks to the rest of their senses and their coordination with one another: to their sense of hearing, they heard what was coming; to their sense of taste, they were explicitly different to their cousins; to their sense of smell, this Hamster knew where it left its food, and were right now was on its way to have some of it.


    All was fine to have the Hamster known to the world. Which was the only problem of the humanity was down to one: the Missing Link itself.


    By gaining access to the same route, which already became the only reliable path to this hamster, it crawled its way through the hole that granted both entrance and exit between the attic and the stockroom. The Hamster entered a cold and dark attic.


    Just as what all hamsters were capable of, even though the attic was currently lightless, they didn''t rely on their sense of sight. And instead, what made this Hamster survived its everyday life in a dark room below the roof like this, was with the help of its remaining senses.


    For what that dead man below didn''t know, was about the light switch: the only thing that would make this entire place glowed with light. With the aid of its sense of hearing, it would try to locate the sound where the electromagnetic waves were being manufactured.


    To his right, when the time the Hamster heard electrical impulses that came to where the light''s switch was located, it turned its head to it. Although there was no light to its environment, except for the light that came from below which it didn''t aid him, the Hamster''s eyes gleamed as it assured if that was the spot where the particular sound did come.


    With the assurance of the location, it scurringly made its way to there. Even though most of the device which restrained and allowed the flow of electricity was placed on walls, for some reason, the switch that this hamster was looking for, was positioned on the floor. Guided by the sound of electromagnetism inside the light switch, it moved its tiny legs with cadence to it.


    If the Hamster wanted to leave this place, he would just manually switch the light off, if it wanted to bring that back again, he would simply turn it on.


    Right now, upon its pace, the gleam on its red eyes in the dark, gave some of it in order for the well polished white colored thermoset made light switch to be partially uncovered from the dark.


    He tried to locate where the part of the switch was levitating. the highest point where it sloped down, the Hamster adjusted a little more steps. When it thought that this would be the right spot, it stood with its hind legs. Those hands who securely held the food when it ate, he placed it on the crest. With all its strengths were placed on his hands, it pressed the switch.


    The light slightly appeared, but immediately disappeared. But together with it, the sight of a zoo in the attic vanished.

 Chapter Ten

    SHE CLOSED HER BLUE EYES by the time she blinked her sense of sight. Of course, you should, you weren''t be blinking if you didn''t move your eyelids up and down. And because she did, that act she performed was blinking.


    Hannah Forteza, a girl who recently lost her eyeglass didn''t know what to come next rightaftershe did with this very blink. First and foremost she didn''t plan to blink anymore. The time she opened her eyes without her eyeglass, she shouldn''t close it back. Or else, she herself didn''t know what to appear in the upcoming seconds.


    But due to a sharp light emitted outside the ambulance that instantly reflected on the rearview mirror, she unconsciously blinked. It wasn''t her fault, but because she already did, all she had to dowasto brace herself for the things would come that''s beyond her control.


    Her surroundings suddenly became noiseless. No sounds, only that, she heard her system worked. Cardiovascular palpitation, rough kind of respiration,andfood digestion. No more noises aside from that.


    This would be the moment. No choice, even she didn''t want to, she''s incapable of turning the hands of the clock backward. She had to face this moment henceforth. With fear.


    She opened her eyes in submission. This time, her sense of sight would be opened with no excuse to be made. She had to do it compulsorily. Might as well, she would remain her eyes closed forever. The second choice was favorable, but only that, she couldn''t do it lifelong.


    She opened her blue eyes wide enough as whatshewas capable to with her glasses. Obviously, she succeeded. But that''s the least from the things she must felt when she should relax. For her struggle against herself was just about to begin. She remained tough as nail.


    She stood by herself and saw this place again. Sometimes she wanted to be in here for a while, be alone and talked to herself. But this time, she didn''t want to, all she wanted was to run away from here. As. Soon. As. Possible.


    But that was impossible. Unless there was a gap between the ''im'' and ''possible'', she could be safe every time. What welcomed her, was what she already anticipated.


    There was this third dimension inside her mind. A place where she was currently. Apparently, the time was running at its slowest ever. Slower than the turtles and maggots. She could see, but she doubted that.


    Dark. Dark. Dark. Completely dark. Everywhere she turned, darkness was what she could see. Cold and dark, the only source of light was herself. In a place where the approach was darker than a shade of black. She herself glowed on it.


    Hannah Forteza could only distinguish herself as the only one who was warm and aliveina place where the surroundings were dead and cold as nothing. Even though she glowed as what from her perspective, she wasn''t giving off some light. She wasn''t illuminating.


    She knew. She''d been here already. This was not another thing to her. Every time, the events were just being playful to her, they wanted her to be swallowed by herfear. Not temporarily but permanently.


    A confrontation with her deadly self always happened, but nevertheless, she made it out alive. She swore to herself:that would be the last time I will be here again,and now she''s in here again.Nothing to be fear about.She comforted herself.


    She feared for the every another day to come, which was an event that would surely happen once every twenty-four hours. For that, she had not lived a life to the fullest. All that passed by, yesterday, the other day and the day preceded by that, she lived those with uneasiness sat beside her. And she knew to herself today was not the day thatfearwould dominate Hannah Forteza. She took her first step.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Her heartbeat started to jump. In a place where there was an absence of auditory impression in the environment, the only thing that could be heard washer heartbeat racing. Like how a stallion with its all feet left the land as it progressively advanced, that''s what her heart palpitation sounded alike. And it continued to get louder.Lab dub, lab dub.Though she already gotten used by all of these. She took her second step.


    It landed with noise, only that, it hadn''t defeated herheartbeatwhen it came to the number of decibels created. She took another step. The scenario remained the same as what she had gone through since the last time she was here. Being self-sufficient, she already knew what to do.


    She needed to take a number of steps based on her current age. Hannah Forteza was a thirteen years old schoolgirl. And since she already took the first three steps, all she had to do was to enact the remaining ten paces. Never mind the object that might be hiding beneath the dark. For she knew, there was none. She did it steadfastly.


    Four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve.Upon she finished her thirteenth step safe and sound, a spotlight appeared in front of her. Neither too far nor too near from her, just enough for her eyes to capture the only light that happened to be in here except for herself.


    Just like she was inside the motion activated laboratory that was made just for herself. It identified everything Hannah did, which was, thirteen times she stepped the same floor at different points. Guided by her own self-awareness, she approached that source of light.


    She knew. She shouldn''t make an immediate stop or reduce her speed. For if she did, at the back of her, even though it was dark, the floor was starting to fall apart. The foundation of the third dimension of her memory had started to collapse. And if she had been on mobility with her legs slower than how fast the floor broke apart, she would be swallowed by the floor itself. And her greatest enemyfearwon.


    She already knew what would happen here and there. For she didn''t want to be with herfearbeneath the floor, her resolve was to make her way where the light was. She ran faster.


    Aside from the thing beneath the floor which she called itfear,this was the other thing she was also afraid of. While she made her way, a yellow door appeared beneath the mirage of the lightinthe dark. It wasn''t just a light, it was all about what it was being spotlighted. The yellow door, as her distance was gotten closer and closer, provided a sight of a solid movable piece of wood.


    A decision should be made immediately: If she would twist that yellow door round handletoescape this third dimension inside her head and face another persona of herself; or be in here andletthe floor swallowed her whole. Forever she would be with her enemyfear. As a girl with a dream to become a Biologist, of course, she would face the undetermined future ratherbewith her enemy.


    She arrived at the spotlight felt exhausted with the collapsing floor was gladly caught up with her, but at least, the doorknob was within her grasp. She just had to open the door and crossed the threshold. She looked over her shoulder. She smiled scintillant and said, "Better luck next time FEAR!" She emphasized the last word as she opened the door.


    She saw nothing at her back, but only that, she''s able to land with the conclusion that the floor was totally collapsingbeneaththe dark, was that she heard the sound of a massive amount of rubble and debris descended to below.


    She turned her back from it. That''s why she didn''t want to be swallowed by the ground whole. The sounds that came fromitwas already enough for her to believe that a terrible thing was living below that badly wanted her.


    She was already done of thinking what might be underneath. All of those words she knew with direct to the wordfear,she already thought of. And in case the curiosity might swivel her head from here to there. She kept reminding herself of the words akin to fear:trouble,danger, horror, terror, anxiety, dreadand the worst from her list wasdeath.One of those might be the thing that lived below.


    With confidence, she opened the yellow door. The abrupt commencement of the passageway blinded the eyes of Hannah. On this side of the door was very dark, but on the other side was very bright. She had a chance to witness what might be happening at her back. When the eyes of Hannah adjusted to the light, she got hung on the view offered at her front.


    She stared at it momentarily with astonishment. Beyond the threshold of this yellow door, a view of the big stone, not just big, but with an old kind of text was being offered. Mesmerized, later she got familiar with it. As if she and it were both connected. With her back was collapsing, unconsciously, she read the text.

 Chapter Eleven

    THE LIGHT WOULD SLIGHTLY turn on, and would immediately seize off. Of course, the Hamster knew that. In fact, there''s a science behind it, a conforming explanation why was that. The time you would abruptly switch a light, the sudden presence or absence of the illuminating object might affect your sense of sight. Thus by the application of some ergonomic principle to it, just wait with your patience a little bit, and the light would smoothly arrive.


    A single light bulb was placed at the very middle of this attic. A sophisticated designed lightbulb that was just meant for what this room had. If you turned on the light, there''s that preparation before the whole room would be showered with supreme visibility. That allowed everyone to adjust their sight with their environment.


    From the gleam that this hamster had in its eyes, all at once, even him with poor eyesight, recalled this place, the same as how it left earlier.


    From the back of it, hung the cadaver of Principal Keen Madrigal. To the right, the aircon which maintained the temperature at constant. To the left, the light''s switch. Connected to it, at the center, was a lightbulb which already had been switched on. Cared off by him.


    At the back, to the right, to the left and at the middle, all was nice except to the view it saw to its front. Cage. Cage. Cage. Another big cage. Before this hamster roamed this High School Institution undercovered, the Hamster also had its own cage.


    That reminded him of being the first resident of this attic. Placed in a glass cage with no lid placed at the topmost part of the parcel. That day was nice to him and so to its owner.


    They were on their way to the science animal fare with Ray Jay: its owner. Dressed with nothing but a red necktie placed on the lower section where the head and body conjoined, RJ the name of the Hamster, was eager to show what would it take to become the Science Animal Fare Winner for the current year.


    Ray Jay, by that time, was Grade Seven and had black colored hair. Which easily complemented as how the fur of RJ the Hamster was meant to be. Dressed also a red necktie, both of them had the same aspiration: to bring the bacon home by means of winning the fare.


    The master and his apprentice already knew what to do. Just performed what they''d practiced and all that could see would be left astounded. Everything was prepared well and only their presences were in lack. Ray Jay pulled a deep breath as they entered the room for the contest.


    Upon they crossed the threshold, Ray Jay broke his stare at RJ and played his eyesight in the first spot in the room, his eye narrowed. They came here to astound everybody only to know that they would be the one left unquoted.


    Dogs. Three Dogs to be exact: two wore the same butler themed suits were known to be a breed of mutts, belonged to the same owner in number nine; one male golden retriever that yielded a Frisbee on its mouth and wore nothing but jubilantly proud to his own skin belonged to another contestant under the number of seven.


    Cat. One domestic black cat under the man in number five. It also wore nothing but only a glamorous hat, it tried to show its attractiveness to everybody and at the same time was aware of the conspiracy that was taking place.


    Chameleons. A rare kind of animal kept in captivity, but in this competition, there were two entries for its kind. It wore also nothing, only that, they were placed for asylum. Under the man in number one and the other belonged to the man in number six, with incapabilities for blink, they were the most alive candidates compared to the others.


    Spider. Tarantula spider to be specific. Inside the glass cage where it easy-going spun a web for the purpose of temporary housing, it felt secure in its territory. It was owned by the man in the number same as how many legs in order for an insect to be called an arachnid. Eight.


    Rats. Inside this fare, there were two entries for rats. Under the number of four and eleven, before they could be officially registered in this competition, both co-competitors agreed to the committee they would bring their very clean and neat acquaintance.


    Snake. That scaly slim shining splendidly skin of theirs were sure to allure anyone that was capable to see their beauty even beneath it uncovered mischief. Under the number two, everybody kept a distance for they were afraid to approach them.


    Birds. One sharp billed while the other had a curve mouthpart. Under the number three, there''s that woodpecker. Placed in a resiliently strong glass fiber incapable to impose a crack even if it pecked with its lifelong. And under the number ten, which was confident as what its adversary might seem, rested in his left arm, the yellow-green colored Parrot. Capable of imitation the sounds humans proclaimed, it copied the mouth-shut countenance of its owner.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    By the time they already crossed the threshold, both of them knew, that this would gonna be an all-out battle.


    Everybody came here to win, and the best one would only will. If they had the might ittakes, and so as Ray Jay and RJ under the number twelve, had the seemed it would take.


    The contest primary objective was to showcase the bonds between the owner and their pets. By pulling a talent show, the winner would be identified based on the coordination they executed which the judges would rate. And so before this day came to an end, the winner would be declared and were also would be awarded by a year-long supply of animal food that was basically made just for them.


    As soon as nine of the clock hit the start of the contest, everybody already got themselves prepared. There were twelve participants, each of them had the same chance to win with 8.33% possibilities. Ties were intolerable and only the most that appealed to the eyes of the judges would get the mark higher than the other teams. Furthermore, they would be called the winner.


    One by one every contestant was called out: Go to the center of the stage and performed your act. And so from contestant number one up until number twelve, they were required to show their talents in order for them to acquire a chance to win.


    Contestant number one had a chameleon. Eager to thwart others, the act they performed, based on them, was what they called ''Camouflage''. Placed for asylum, the owner placed five fabrics, one after another, as the background where the chameleon was the apple of the eye. Seconds past, while everyone not breaking a stare, the chameleon disappeared. Perhaps it blended itself to its environment.


    Contestant number two had the snake. As for everybody had more concern for the girl than the snake, even this was a contest, they wished that the owner could finish her performance safely. She placed the three feet long King cobra in front of him, the owner performed a ''Snake Whisper'' with the aid of a wooden flute.


    Contestant number three had the woodpecker. Before they started their act, the owner loosened up some trivia: indicating how precious the fauna he had as hisfriend. He presented then the cage where the woodpecker impounded, he inserted a mahogany short but big trunk inside. Before he set the timer, he said:the woodpeckercould finish drilling the trunk within just a minute. Forty-eight seconds passed, the performance was already done.


    Contestant number four had a rat, the newly bathed and well-groomed rat. Though in its entire act it did nothing than to finish an amount of cheese within five minutes, it captured the hearts of the judges as they watched it ate.


    Contestant number five had a feline. If only the criteria were based on a rating of a hundred percent for adorableness, this cat already won the title and went home with animal food.


    Contestant number six also had a chameleon. Even though there was already an act that a chameleon was involved in this contest, contestant number six had a different performance compared to its rival chameleon. See that fly? If you blinked, the chameleon would eat it without your awareness.


    Contestant number seven had a golden retriever. Yielding a Frisbee, together with its owner, they performed a sporty act.


    Contestant number eight had an arachnid. A territorial specie. The tarantula tried to sense its environment. When something had been put inside its cage, before the second hand hit the same mark twice, it already webinized that entity whom tarantula seen as a treat to its territory.


    Contestant number nine had two mutts. Being allowed to bring more than one companions for the competition, these two mutts were determined not to fail their owner. One was named ''Subtraction'' and the other was named ''Addition'', their owner would give two numbers, and based on their names, they would perform a basic mathematical operation. Had no ability to write the answer, these two mutts would answer thedifferenceand thesumrespectively by means of barking.


    Contestant number ten had another bird. Of all the queer bird everyone did see, the parrot was the most talkative of them all. Together with its owner, which would sing a rap song, it would try to imitate it.


    Down to the second to the last. Contestant number eleven had another rat. But this time, instead of cheese, the prompt was used in order to perform its act was a wheel.


    Upon they revealed the act that the contestant prior to Ray Jay and RJ, which in number twelve would perform, they knew that the next time it would be played again, they''d already lost a point fororiginalitywhich was 30% of the criteria.


    The rat entered a hollow wheel where it ran in place as the wheel rolled in stationery. That was allegedly an act that only hamsters were entitled to and number twelve contestant was supposed to. But in the case of this rat, it did it swiftly. They earned solid thirty points.


    Had been reduced their chance to win by thirty points, Ray Jay already dropped the competition. Number twelve forfeited before they would be called out next.


    They left before the competition ended, Ray Jay didn''t want to hear the winner. That would only make him much worse. And since they were after for animal food, for him couldn''t afford to buy such in sustenance, he had another resolve. Go away and washed himself out from the responsibility, he would just abandon RJ here. And he did.


    Four months had gone, but the memories of that competition still reminded the Hamster. Those animals involved in that pursuit, well not to mention, apparently were with him at the still moment.


    When the time the light illuminated everything that the attic had in store, participant of that competition from one up to twelve, which was the Hamster itself, were in perfect attendance.


    What made them became an occupant of the attic, everyone and also the Hamster knew.

 Chapter Twelve

    SHE ACCESSED THE CORRIDOR, Thalia Valdez, enjoyed every pace she took. Who else wouldn''t to? The floor itself reflected everything it spanned. Including this beautiful lady.


    Had been mesmerized herself, just like how she admired her image on the mirror, she became aware that although the flag ceremony was about to start and noises got everywhere, her four inches stiletto heels were adding some sounds as well.


    Nobody cared, just only her, to the fact that right now, the noise that the pair of her footwear was making a cadence. En route to her office, she had this feeling that the Xyrale High School would start its academic year happily.


    Four months had gone since the Head Teacher III of this institution disappeared--and had no idea of his whereabouts, the whole Xyralian left mystified. He didn''t log himself out and moreover, he just left his sedan unattended. No CCTV captured the very view that might be the answer toward his banishment.


    Even though the whole Xyralian felt saddened when it came to that regard, the institution wouldn''t last long if they didn''t have any Head Teacher sooner than later. And as the former secretary of the AWOL Principal, she partook in the nomination for the candidates of the next principal.


    Even though she was not the existing secretary of the newly appointed Head Teacher IV, at least she was still here, reappointed as the Guidance Councillor of thisSchooland back to her old role of being an advisor. Far from being a secretary, which was always at the side of the Principal, and were the one who polished everything. But nonetheless, she loved what she got into. Being a guidance counselor, that way, she could continue what Principal Keen Madrigal left.


    She admired that man more than anyone elsesheworked together with, perhaps because the missing principal was like her late grandfather, hard to explain, only that, both of them possessed the behavior of being keen. And she wanted to be that also.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Halfway to her office room, when the wind blew east, her copper hair wanted to follow where might that air headed. Maintained well, secured, and healthy, they remained intact to her scalp.


    Had been ruined her hair by the sudden event, she needed to fix herself. Perhaps being keen was also concerned about how she looked like apparently. And in order to solve this insecurity she felt right now, she needed to consult a mirror. A mirror that was fit and could reflect her hair, from the crest to the valley of its range.


    Just how fast she remembered the thing that could answer her countenance issue; and a portable piece of glass of her make up kit was dubious to give her a result of looking like a keen, by the time the idea to find a mirror struck her mind, she found herself staring on the threshold of the stockroom.


    From her point location, which was before the door, going to the adjacent mirror that welcomed her,the two points were separated by five meters of nothing but a spacious way. By that time she knew exactly that this was thekindof mirror that she looked for. Neither small nor big, just enough for her to secure an assurance to herself: that she was keen-looking.


    Before the threshold, she stared the distant mirror, the reflection provided her of a view of mini her. Perhaps the distance gave her a scaled apparition of herself. And for a better sight on the mirror, she entered the stockroom.


    While she did not break her stare on the lonely mirror, at the same time, the view of herself, while she approached it, became more ocular. Better view than earlier and even gotten clearer.


    Within her grasp, as soon as the image of her on the mirror became acceptable, she stopped. She stood face to face with it, she noted some changes to her look based on how she seemed to her eyes before she left her home compared to as of now. She found differences, but only few which mostly concerned to her hair.


    This tendril was supposedly tucked behind her ear, this one was supposedly not touching her right eyebrow and this one... her eyes narrowed.

 Chapter Thirteen

    BEING ALONE AT THAT SPOT, it waited for its owner, Ray Jay, to pick him back. Not only the Hamster was alone inside the glass cage, but also, as far as its sight could perceive, he thought to itself that he was just the only living thing left here aside from the trees and bacteria.


    Its already been three hours since the last time he saw its owner face to face, from there on, the Hamster could barely describe its owner facial structures: black hair just like his.


    Known to have a weak sense of sight, the Hamster hoped he could still identify his owner based on how he smelled.


    Sweet scintillating smell. From how the point of view of a person by the aid of human brainidentifyanother life forms by always relying upon their sense of sight, from the very fact that the hamsters existed, was very different.


    Its already been 5:30 but still no changes to its environment: no suspicious sounds coming at random; trees and everything was on there places standby; and RJ, the Hamster, was still lonely as alone. Only the sun''s shards of light that slowly fade, avoided any silhouette, as the time progressed, to be identified in its environment.


    He needed to be cautious and observant at all times. Made all his senses work even as the other was futile than the rest. Hunger would surely arrive, but nevertheless, he would never put his guard down. He believed:somebodywould come and pick him up, only thatsomebody,the Hamster meant, should be a person and not an animal.


    Two possibilities might exist if the time was involved. A person would first arrive or an animal whose hunger was severe than his.


    He ran back and forth in the cage that was not totally enclosed and thus allowed the air to be circulated in it, the Hamster developed an escape plan.In case of emergency, break the glass.


    By running toward the back and toward the front, he developed a force that as heheadbumpedthe glass whose side was near the edge, it got nearer. The Hamster continued to do it... Up... Until... He made the lastheadbump.


    Because the gravity was always involved, the glass tilted. And because he positioned itself in the corner that was heavier than the other, he faced a downfall. He braced itself for impact, he flinched.


    The glass flew to the air, and it remained like that, up until it found a resting ground before it already did. Everything fell silent.


    Even though the glass found a ground to rest itself, there was no sound of glass shattering could be heard. He wondered why.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Just as he opened his eyes, the other senses already advised him that there was another life form who prevented the inevitable happening with the Hamster alone would occur.


    Smelled like undeniably fresh; sounded like an infuriated exhalation; tasted like perplexed reality; and the felt like he was alive.


    An inch before the ground and just as big enough in order for a hand to slip between the congesting gap, the cage was held safe in its time of free falling.


    There he saw a girl, innocent as she seemed to be. She held the cage where inside the Hamster was being kept, she prevented the glass to be destroyed and therefore she saved the Hamster from its worst-case scenario.


    Now, being here inside the attic, where he claimed as being the first resident of it, RJ, his forgotten name, and the Hamster as the aliases of its kind, knew what''s going around: making things end up being here that was supposedly not being here.


    Two weeks before the death of the principal, he was already here. One week after it, the aircon had been put in here. Followed by the other week was the cadaver of Principal Keen. And as the week progressed, one by one, every animal involved in that contest had already made their residences in here.


    The light already allowed anyone with the capability to discern to form an image and therefore clearly visualized the apparent scene they were involved.


    At the back of the Hamster was the idle and decomposed cadaver of the keen principal, to his left was the switch that provided easiness to perceive, and to his right was the air conditioning system that had an air freshener of tranquilizing scent, preventing everyfaunaon his front, including him, to go wild.


    The hamster watched them with wide red eyes without settling to the fact that as a reply to what he did, the twelve sets of eyes were also laid at him. Transfixed at the Hamster.


    Dogs. Cat. Chameleons. Birds. Spider. Snake. And its mortal enemy number one: Rats. If not placed in the glass cage for the purpose of asylum, only the likes of it.


    Three dogs, all of them, were fasten on a collar attached to their necks; one black cat was placed in a metal-made prison like cage; two glass cages looked like empty apparently, when the light had been switched on, chameleons needed to adjust to their new decorated surroundings; two birds, both like to make noise, even though it''s on their nature to cause unpleasantness to anyone that had ears, every time the Hamster was on here, it didn''t hear them articulate a sound; one vigilant spider that had six eyes tried to intimidate other creatures same of his size inside his own glass cage; placed also for the security of both parties involved, the snake just newly molted itself inside its cage; lastly but definitely not the least, Rats: by the very fact that they existed, the Hamster used to dismay everything about what its cousin had.


    Everyone was silent as if a very alarming issue would be discussed with the Hamster as the president.


    Everyone had this feeling, from the time the light had been turned on, that''s also the moment they started to feel this kind of disturbance. If only the aerosol didn''t have a tranquilizing effect on them, they could already express what it was.


    The Dogs would bark like wolves. The Cat would meow with wary. The Chameleons would act strangely. Birds would emit sounds like no end. The Spider would spin great volumes of web. The Snake would hide underground. Rats would try to escape the cage. And him, RJ, the Hamster, would egress the attic as soon as possible.

 Chapter Fourteen

    THE STOCKROOM was one of the places that had mirrors. Either clear or blur, they had a wide variety of reflectors in here. From the dusted glossy object that hadn''t been touched since three months ago, up to this one that imprisoned a lady on her way to her destination using the corridor.


    Thalia Valdez, staring herself on the mirror, at least her appearance was not that terrible as what she might have thought, she found herself wondering about this tiny thing on her hair: a single strand had a different color compared to the rest.


    As soon as she noticed it, she disregarded the remaining problem that concerned about how she looked recently than apparently. For her hair color was naturally blond, and thus it proved that she was the daughter of two blond couple, there was this one that had a color of silk.


    From the moment she got a hold of that long fiber attached to her scalp, the thought of being not the child of her known father hadn''t entered her mind. Time sure flew fast, and the only reason why she had this, was that, she was aging.


    "Am I already this old to have a white hair?"


    As of now, Thalia was a twenty-eight years old guidance counselor. With three days far on her twenty-ninth birthday, the idea of completely white colored hair hadn''t struck her mind notuntilshe saw a proof that instantly the word ''Aging'' existed in her life vocabulary.


    The fact was always there: she was aging, slowly but surely. And it was like: not now but later. With her lifespan, she would live with it together with the rest of the world.


    "Well, nevermind."


    All was settled and she was just fine with that. She was aging. Planning to leave the stockroom, she turned around to retract her pace.


    Without her knowledge, as she made that turn, perpendicular to her spot, connected by an imaginary hypotenuse, was the view that would make her change her perspective.


    From keen to aging and now to uncertain: everything in life was full of surprises. She stared at the spot that was perpendicular to her. Just like how she did with the mirror that was placed on the wall on her side, it made her draw a reaction of a negative kind of surprise: her eyes narrowed.


    "What the?!"


    Blood, eyeball, and a cadaver: inside the stockroom where she just came in only to have a look of herself on the mirror, if she was keenly beautiful, she''s then about to witness the mystery why the stockroom was for AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY.


    By the very view that a dead person and whose death was insufferable as what it was to describe, stiffen at her spot for this was a first of her life, she herself became hesitant of what to do.


    The door was wide open and easy to access, she could just escape her way out from here; her cellphone was placed in her shoulder bag, that made everything a few clicks to inform everybody especially the authority; lastly, she had a voice to shout to grab the attention of anyone and to make them notified about her discovery. But instead, even though she had no guts to face this such scenario even if they were just movies and this one was a reality, the curiosity drove her in.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Slowly she held her pace, just like how a thief in the middle of the night snuck inside other people''s territory to nab something that they might find valuable, Thalia Valdez acted like one. Walking pace after pace with no sound that came from her stiletto heels. She got near to the cadaver of the uniformed personnel.


    Stamped in the puddle of human body red pigmented fluid of himself, equipped by an ID for easy recognition and whose face had one less eye, she took a look of the coated beam which undeniably became the source of his death. Her stare grew.


    Lance Reyes as what written on his ID Card-- that although it swam in blood, it retained its own physical state-- slipped on the chair above the table where he used both to achieve tall height, had been pierced by a standing beam. Now his left eyeball stared the ceiling innocently.


    Lifeless eyeball with no lid wide openly gazed the only panel it could possibly see. Upon she approached the puddle, she skipped her step and walked on other direction where the wet surface was absent. She noticed something.


    "Why it becomes so cold so suddenly?"


    It was like a functioning refrigerator, only that, the door was left open and that let the cold air escalated. Getting colder and colder she instantly knew where its source. Not in here, but above.


    "An air-con above?"


    She took a look overhead where the panel of the ceiling separated the stockroom and the attic, just as also she went to look what laid above, the darkness had been thwarted by light. From no visibility, the light appeared. Being surprised of what welcomed her at this very portion, the reason why the utility personnel named Lance Reyes lost his life due to an accident, was that, the decomposed body of the four months missing keen principal was what hung at the very entrance between the stockroom and the attic.


    "This can''t be!"


    Once again her eyes narrowed. From the moment the guard noticed that the Principal III of the Xyrale High School went missing and the biometric logging device told them he wasn''t out of school, they started to search the entire premise.


    From his office, even if he wasn''t already there, they sought for any notice for ransom left behind; to the farthest reaches of this territory, where he might be slaughtered and thus waiting to be recovered; reviewing the Closed Circuit Televisions had revealed nothing, he was just disappeared like a bubble in the humid air, he couldn''t be found.


    With no lead where he was, they landed up on declaring the principal was AWOL. Absent Without Leave. Four months later the heresy was proven to be a mistake to the mind''s eye of Thalia Valdez. For right now, the cadaver was hung in the attic with her staring it feeling awful.


    The rod that restrained the principal from falling below was already four months in service, but before that four months began it was already in use. Serving its purpose on a suspended weight, it looked like it would tear in no time, the fibers were at its limit and Thalia foresaw that one coming.


    Seeing the rod struggled against the gravity, and where she was in the pace of the dead principal, she made a backward retraction. On the first pace, she estimated the length of the befalling cadaver, that pace was not enough, she made another one.


    Expecting that her footwear would land on the same floor just like what happened to all the paces she did inside the stockroom, she was wrong. That move would bring her one step closer to death.


    While attracted to the view at the ceiling, she forgot that there was a body that was in the process of post-mortem that had been placed on her back. She stepped on it. She outbalanced.


    "Ouch!"


    Even though she hit her head on the floor, which made her blond hair coated with blood, she was still alive.

 Chapter Fifteen

    SITTING ON THE LEFT SIDE CHAIR of the ambulance, paramedic Nica had heard what Hannah said, "Okay. Alright. Just give me anything that my eyes could wear."


    Concurrent while those words were still traveling to her auditory canal, she got blinded by a sharp light that came from the rearview mirror that instantly penetrated to her sense of sight.


    Even though she had a feeling of peculiarity toward this girl, somewhere somehow, she understood why this schoolgirl was behaving likeweird.


    The only culprit for anything henceforth: her eyeglass would be forever unserviceable. Maybe if it wasonlythe handle had been damaged, Hannah might be able to find a remedy to use it again. But the case of her eyeglass was that the glass itself had been disintegrated.


    Knowing that her Corbusier eyeglass had retired before it got out of style, Hannah was already finding a replacement for it. For the driver was busy driving, she pertained about these two paramedics: Nica and Lara, if they had one.


    After the appearance of uninvited shards of light could no longer be seen when the ambulance made an angle to change course to Xyrale High School, they instantly sought inside their bags if they had one. Not here.


    A container that was made of thin materials used to carry personal things, per se: bags, was what placed on one of their sides respectively. Nica had her bag to her right, whereas Lara had it to her left. They opened every zipper that their bags could possibly have. To the biggest one-- up to the smallest one. Lara faced Nica with relief. She said with a low tone, "I have one."


    To have a feeling like they needed to rush for a deadline was what they were racing against, Lara handedwhatthe small zipper of her bag contained. Nica, who was at the nearest to Hannah, accepted the Aviator Sunglass that her co-paramedic luckily had. When she had it already, she approached Hannah.


    On the other hand, Hannah, who currently was facing the front seat, was finally done with that single blink.


    Those retractions of eyelids were supposed to just only last a couple of milliseconds, but that felt like, she had one hour of her life spent being there. For how pity you look at her before she blinked, after she did, she became anotherher.


    One of her Personas. Of all the yellow door that she could open, the one that beyond laid a big rock with an ancient script written was what she destined to cross in order to be free. And because she already crossed the threshold of that yellow door, another self of her had been summoned.


    The one who could be able to read what inscribed in that rock. She was...


    HANNAHFORTEZAand her OTHERPERSONA: TheEPIPHANYTaken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    From a clear and innocent color of eyes, from blue, now being another her, the pigment of her irises had changed. It was now tinted by color gray, the same hue of rock beyond that yellow door.


    The smile she performed after that blinkinstantlyreflected the rearview mirror on the front seat. Even though the driver had focused the majority of his attention on the road, by the angle of how the mirror hung, he thought he''d seen blue eyes rather than a gray iris she had right now.


    Maybe he just mistakenly believed himself that the girl all alone had gray colored eyes rather than the initial blue pigment he perceived. And if that''s the case, he should consult already an optometrist for scientifically based information of why he was seeing things that weren''t the way how he saw them at the second time.


    Although he was just an ambulance driver, the person''s life that hung in between life and death, also hung for him. For how fast he should arrive at the hospital that ordered him, that was also how safe he was with their patient when he came back with them. Any abnormality he saw to himself must be prevented before it became too late.


    What concerned him aside with his life, was that, when he drove the ambulance, he was with his crew. He was at all times would be held accountable if something went wrong that he ought to have control. He should become responsible at all times.


    These two paramedics currently onboard with him in this vehicle reminded him with that fortitude. The moment he bumped this schoolgirl, instead of reminding him that it would be his fault fromhere on, they immediately slipped down to do their job. They didn''t just know how they inspired Luke Barnabe, the driver of this ambulance. Their high school classmate.


    From the back of the glass pane that separated the driver seat and where the patient had been taken care of, Hannah turned her back to it. Nica who was currently shocked by the sudden turning around of Hannah, she dropped the sunglass.


    The distance that the aviator sunglass traveled from the hand of Nica to the nearest surface it landed, seemed to be a half of a ruler. That was a little over of six inches tall that gladly didn''t imply damage as what happened to the recently retired Corbusier eyeglass that instantly forfeited its remaining economic life.


    As the vehicle was still in advancement, and as the terrain became steep, the current of force slid the sunglass back to its owner, Lara. Though the scenario was like hand to hand handling, what happened was that ''just upon her pace'' mounting. While Lara was on it, Hannah turned toward the right window.


    Though they hadn''t been informed about the new hue for her eyes, not until Lara had the eye protection for sun apparatus. They turned as they heard her spoke. "Did you know what will happen after I will reveal what will happen?" with her current stance, she made the two paramedics turned all of their hundred percent of attention.


    Though they didn''t know what she was talking all about, there was a part of them that understood what she said. While she handed back the aviator sunglass to Nica, Lara asked, "What will happen?"


    While her gaze at the sun that''s beyond the glass window was still, Hannah replied, "Will happen." When the time Nica had the sunglass, she held it firm. Giving the chance of dropping it, a would-not-happen again. She clarified, "What exactly?"


    The vehicle started to slope down its speed as it approached the gate, Hannah, not breaking a stare at the sun, said, "After this sedan stop, while its wheels are about to be stationed at four different points on the ground, the thing I pertained will happen."


    "What exactly will happen?" Lara again, asked the same question only that she constructed it explicitly. Just as Hannah was about to answer, the Ambulance stopped. While she felt that the vehicle was slowly held stable to the ground, she faced them with thrills and delights and revealed,"An earthquake."

 Chapter Sixteen

    ''WELCOME STUDENTS'': placed on every entrance gate of Xyrale High School, a tarpaulin that warmly acknowledged the first day of school not just for the new batch of learners, but also for the higher years.


    Stood beside the red colored eccentric designed movable barrier in Gate One, was a ten-year-old statue of a man known as the founder of this institution and also as the first Head Teacher of the School: Mr. Xyrale Eric.


    Made of marble-like stone at its fine chiseling, every contour of the figure was well polished. Even though the sculptured image of Mr. Xyrale was bigger to be called human-sized, it hadn''t been a hindrance to make his posture proportional.


    Standing straight with his hands on his waist on his prince-like attire, although he appeared to be smiling on everyone who could see him, for he wore a bicorne hat, he wasn''t revealing his eyes. With his stance of a voyager, everyone didn''t know where he was looking.


    By the time the wind whipped everything that might get along its way, the statue-- to be specific the stone hat-- didn''t bulge any micrometer. It remained the same. He was smiling with no assurance to whom he pertained.


    The wind passed the statue with a fizzle, as it remained unblocked along its way, it gathered its momentum.


    Just a short distance from the icon of the first Principal hung the tarpaulin on the gate. The wind surrendered to the characteristic of the statue, but not on the upcoming large piece of waterproof material.


    Although this durable visual aide proved to be large compared to the marble made figure, the wind blew on it swiftly. It madeitwaved.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Just like a gigantic balloon that had fan on its base and with exhaust on the other end, a commercial business that could afford to have this kind of immensely customer calling object, as it moved uncertainly with its primary goal of waving, same as what was happening to the tarpaulin, it waved as the wind passed by.


    The flag ceremony was about to begin. And so everyone must participate to it including the students, teachers, and personnel. Everyone should gather in an open field, organized themselves, and after the prayer which would be led by the newly appointed Head Teacher IV, the flag raising ceremony would undertake.


    Just as the Principal was about to blurt her first syllable for the first prayer for the first flag ceremony of the new academic year; just as all the students gave their solemn silence; just as the acacia leaves constantly fell; one moment passed, their attention had been stolen by an upcoming siren that indubitably had entered by the gate.


    Synchronized to the opening of the gate where the two panels had been swiveled in different radial orientations, same as what happened to the heads of everyone, they cocked their heads to that particular spot unconsciously.


    Jim Cauldron, the chief police of the Municipality of Pulupandan, by the time he heard the noise for the call of duty, understood that the next scenario prior to an ambulance entering the school premise, together with his team, needed their participation.


    First and foremost, for today was the first day of school of the only High School in Pulupandan, the students should be oriented about anything in pertained to civil laws: what was prohibited, what was to be in moderate, and what possible sanction if they would be caught doing delinquency.


    Nothing more effective speaker than the Police Officers of Pulupandan, especially its Chief of Police: Jim Cauldron.


    Everybody placed their sights at the uninvited sedan that slowly made a brake and had already caused a delay to their anticipated flag raising ceremony.


    The wheels slowly set on the four points on the ground-- near the vehicle of the AWOL Head Teacher III, Principal Keen Madrigal-- Jim Cauldron, who was currently near on it, approached the ambulance.


    By the time the wind blew again, by the time Chief Jim paused and by the time the Ambulance had been parked, one moment passed, the land trembled.

 Chapter Seventeen

    IT WAS NOT ONLY an ordinary trembling of the land and rather it was an earthquake. Inside the ambulance where it already entered the place of its purpose, by the time the tires already stopped on rotating themselves, everybody inside the sedan felt that the vehicle was shaking.


    Luke Barnabe, the driver of the ambulance, instantly released his hands from the steering wheel, having a feeling that when the time he made a brake, the problem occurred in the vehicle''s mechanism. He turned around to advise the three girls which currently on board the ambulance and said, "Get out now!"


    From the driver seat, whatever the driver had said, the two paramedics hadn''t been informed, Nica and Lara were perplexed at the ambulance chassis by the time the prediction of the schoolgirl went true.


    With a sharp tongue, never beenThe Epiphany''s prognosis went wrong. Everything would happen based on what she said. Nothing more, nothing less, watch her mouth in order for you to know what would come. Smiling while she felt the sensation of the land''s metronomic activity, she said, "Thank you for replacing my eyeglass," as she grabbed the sunglass that Nica had handed to her.


    Skipping from the stretcher,The Epiphanytried to egress the ambulance as soon as possible. She planned to leap on the protruding portable bed and to open the door, determined that she should depart in the sedan as soon as possible-- but before she succeeded-- she suffered trip caused by the shaking of thegroundwhere the ambulance was rested. Accessing an immediate medium in order for her to regain her balance, nonetheless, she managed herself and the sunglass to be safe.


    -----


    Chief Police Jim Cauldron halted on his pace en route to the uninvited guest of the flag ceremony when he felt his ground moved.


    Slowly then undeniably he knew to himself that it wasn''t just only his imagination, the land truly was moving. Everything in his mind''s eye constantly lost balance. When his body cocked tothisside, the landscape cocked tothatside. Nevertheless, because he had a high level of response to the disaster, he knew what to do.


    He swiveled himself to face the assembly and turned his focus there. For recently his primary purpose was to approach the ambulance and ask for the reason why it was summoned, now it was different: Students, Teachers, and its Personnel must be guided accordingly.


    He dropped himself to the ground, sought for the whistle attached on his uniform, grabbed it and blew.


    The air from his mouth with regard to pressure had been entered to the windpipe, and because the inside of whistle had a made-from-metal ball, the sound produced using this portable-and-must-be-included-to-the-police-uniform apparatus was a high pitched.


    That amount of decibels traveled well to everywhere with space by means of an air bourne principle. Three hundred sixty degrees heard the high note. Full of turmoil it made everyone turned to him.


    "Everyone, Attention!" full of dominance as he said those. More to it he emphasized a particular action: he placed his left arm above his head by which his right hand grabbed his left-hand wrist. Pulling downward to meet his head, he said: "DROP!"


    Everyone followed as what he commanded. By leading the misguided for the unexpected was happening. Being knowledgeable of what to do; therefore prohibiting the possibility of a stampede to occur.


    Everybody folded their knees and sat to their current areas. Now all attention was pinned at him, waiting furthermore to be commanded. When he thought everybody was at their sturdy stance, he followed the next word: "HOLD!"Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    He repeated the same act as he did earlier: he placed his hands to his head, which everybody instantly extracted and practiced.


    Even though the place where the assembly was being held was an open area, he knew what worst turmoil could do: make somebody became egoistic.


    Free from everything, he hoped the Municipality of Pulupandan would be just fine.


    -----


    Thalia Valdez was on the stage of the aftermath when she lost her balance brought about by her left stiletto heel stepped on a steep surface. Her right foot stepped on the floor and her left foot stepped on the cadaver. Knowing that she had forgotten the setting, instantly she fell. Just like how the pendulum swung to the left, same as what happened to the scene of how she fell. If her feet was the pendulum, it swung to the left; but unlike the pendulum that was suspended, she was not.


    Suffering from a trip, she fell. Of many things that she might first land on the floor with, her head was the very first thing that after a short second of defying gravity, made contact to the floor.


    Immediately right after this happened, for the very important part of the body suffered shock, she''d seen in her mind''s eye, a collision.


    Just like how the principle of the Big Bang was introduced to the world, same as how her mind reacted to the unexpected bumping of her head to the fixed platform.


    Now, as she stared at the ceiling, she couldn''t set aside the fact that either three things were happening right now to her, one thing or the other: she was suffering vertigo for her surrounding was moving, she felt dizzy; she was now unrelieved in her own self-awareness, right after she hit herheadshe fainted and dreamed; or maybe because it was just quaking. The last was the most obvious.


    She remained calm while she laid supine on the cadaver. Her eyes found the hanging tied-in-a-rope corpse of principal Keen swayed sideways. Even though the disaster was still on the play, her sight transfixed on that view. She didn''t move as it moved.


    -----


    Up above the ceiling housed the attic. Just like what was happening to its foundation, it suffered the same.


    When the land distanced itself, it would do the same. Regardless of the gravity, air pressure, and thermometer: it should follow where its roots were established.


    Filled with a syntheticlightinside the room that allowed no sunray to enter, they remained calm as what they were always with the aid of air freshener that contained tranquilizer that had been placed at the mouth of an air conditioning system.


    The glass cages where the two Chameleons impounded would slide fromheretothere. Not coping up with their shifting background, the two of them became visible to the naked eye.


    Even though it was in the state of activity, the snake didn''t feel like to fall under the condition of hysteria. Commonly with its ground was acting abnormal, it should also. But it didn''t.


    Capable of defying the gravity but with a recoil, two different breeds of birds didn''t feel like doing it. The ambiance that although it was relaxing, it made them restless.


    Two gray rats that when you first look at themyourfirst impression would be that they were dirty disoriented burnt figurines encased in the glass. Remained their eyes transfixed at the hamster, they were motionless.


    Licking its very well maintained black skin, the cat, at its all time-- even when it''s quaking-- was in the best of its grooming.


    Both fasten in a rope, three dogs, larger than their average breedsizesand were totally healthy, found this morning much more relaxing compared to the previous days they had. Slumping their body on the shaking platform, they enjoyed the felt of free massage on their belly.


    Eyes wide open and all feet were on the ground. The spider, like a person with a multiple-based crane for support, even though it had already secured its stance on the base of its cage, when the ground moved, its legs toughness were tested.


    The Hamster, in the concurrent situation of an earthquake, still found the resolve of its hunger. Remembering the location of its bedding-- where its food was-- it approachedit.


    Slowly but surely it avoided the shattered fragments along the way to its bedding. Months ago these smithereens had served as his cage. He never considered the cage as its home for the home never lost its freedom. And so as he right now.


    With the earthquake was still on the play, it continued to elevate its magnitude. From there on, the attic could barely handle what it had already. One more second that if this quake continued to persist, it would no longer be able to retain its state. Just like a rubber band that when you stretched it farther than its elasticity limit, it would break. And so the attic was.

 Chapter Eighteen

    BACK BEFORE THEN, the Earthquake was a natural disaster. It would come and go like a pen on a plain sheet of pad paper. It would start with a point and ended up wounding the blank space in any direction in order to meet up with its final point.


    Even so, that blank-space-ended-up-being-wounded would try to leave a message, it was up to the person''s point of view ofwhatto say in the regard. Either good or bad, they''re entitled on their own thoughts.


    However, because of the advancements in science and technology, a single point ended up influencing the universe. A point to grain to a piece to an object to a quarter to a whole and going to the universe. Creating turmoil that turned into an unresolved debate and implementing contrasting idealism.


    Smiling while mounting the aviator sunglass on her face,The Epiphanyrestsin peace. She had done its part. And it''s up to anyone to say what it was exactly. Either good or bad, they''re entitled on their own thoughts.


    Already descended from the ambulance, Hannah Forteza, from the very moment she placed a lens against to her sight, forgot what did just happen. The only thing she had in mind, the earlier she could think of, was the time she was in the darkroom and only her was shining.


    Having an idea of not having an idea of what happened in that elapsed time, she started to become vigilant to her surroundings. She wasn''t holding a knife, a scissor or the likes of those two that could lacerate. She wasn''t under the mask or those other things that were used to disguise. What she was right now was an innocent schoolgirl with her ground was shaking.


    Knowing that another persona of herhadbeen summoned: different from the other twelve on some other time that possessed her, Hannah Forteza would name her asThe Epiphany.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    For why she would callherby the name of it, was by the some factors that were worth to be considered: first, it resembled the number of thirteen, not just that''s what her age whenshewas born, but also it was the same number from thelisttogether with her other persona thatThe Epiphanyappeared; secondly, it was a festival, meant to imply leverage to the crowd inhersurroundings; lastly, it was the moment that you saw things clearer and keenly, and under the sunglass was not what she meant of. Either good or bad, she was entitled to keep her own thoughts.


    Trying to locate herself from the disposition, she remembered that she was already late. Right, she was already was. It''s already 8:07 A.M. if the nearest clock would be the base, and probably the gate was already closed. Beyond the lens of sunglass, she identified that the particular environment she wasinright now was familiar.


    Uninformed by the arrival of emergency, the steel green gate was idling open that as of now nobody planned to close it. The star of the ceremony, the national flag, was wagging to the eastward course of the wind like a bird alwaysdid, had a plan of following next toitbut ended up left behind. School uniforms like hers were everywhere, maroon colored skirts and white sleeved blouses were what required in order to be in. Therefore she wasin.


    Welcome to Xyrale High School Hannah Forteza-- insert Earthquake.


    And whistle.


    While her sight was transfixed at the crowd-- in a distant front of her-- that high pitched sound that came out of nowhere, made her head to cock fromtheretohere.


    Here,she seen the Chief of Police of Pulupandan, Jim Cauldron, called the attention of everyone including her.


    With his only four words and intricate demonstrations, Hannah Forteza knew that she should partake. And that she did: She dropped and hold.


    She smiled.

 Chapter Nineteen

    SHINNING EVERYTHING WITHIN ITS REACH, also the sun didn''t let this moment-- when the smudged white clouds didn''t protrude its ray-- passed.


    Just sixteen inches above the ground, which apparently suffering its disastrous episode, pinned on the police uniform of Chief Tim, was his police badge.


    A very well polished embraced by a silver metal shield which written the current position of a person who woreitglimmered to everybody''s eyes when he tried to confine the situation.


    The place was an open field: away from anything higher than the average person''s height. There was no need to do this, they were already safe. The spot would already serve as an evacuation for the instances. And because they already were here, they were already safe.


    No.


    As the Chief of Police of this place, he wouldn''t settle for that line of thinking. He knew what to do. He had gone to school and had trained for the respondents of this inevitable event. He had spent ten years before he became the Chief and gained the trust of this community. This was his duty: to serve and protect the civilian authority of the Municipality of Pulupandan.


    It had been ten seconds when everything started to move slowly at their regular pace. By these, a lot of things with regards to the current event entered in every mind''s eye: themselves, their family, their friends, inside their circle, the place. Concurrently.


    For what''s next for this, they couldn''t tell.


    The only thing that Chief Tim knew and perhaps someone in the assembly who was looking at the same spot as what he was captivated also, was the moment that a particular leaf of Acacia fell to the ground.


    Such a scenic to watch: in the place where the earthquake was prolonging every second passed, a free falling object, certain about his destiny, flipped itself back by back by back.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Unlike the faces of the assembly whose countenances were already in confusion. This innocent-one-of-a-kind leaf was gracefully stashing away from its sleeve the weight of the world.


    Usually the earthquake just last ten seconds on the average, and when it was-- if there was another one to come-- that previous occurrence would be called, if stronger than that the most recent one, as theforeshock.


    Chief Tim, at the still time, already found this progressing event as a strange phenomenon: same as ices were falling in tropical countries and eerie voices that sprouted out of nowhere. But unlike of those, the incompatibility of the event in the place had no match to the nonstandard length of time of this earthquake.


    If this one would continue to happen, the worst would take place: Many structures would collapse, if not, people that wereinaroundits epicenter would become sick. Both of it, based on his prospect was already happening.


    Not here maybe somewhere.


    People that recently stood beside the flagpole already joined in the assembly. They left there the national flag fastened much lower than half-mast could be called.


    Though the wind was strong to make everything that was lightto makea lift, including but not limited to tarpaulins, hairs, and leaves, it failed the rectangular-sized national emblem to move based on expectation.


    It was left there idling, alone and embracing the base where the flagpole was erected. The blue portion of the flag had been toppled by the other portion of red, same as the three stars and the one sun. If it had been raised higher to touch finial. Everyone who could see it, especially the citizen of the Philippines, would be advised that a war was happening.


    That would be an international issue: the Philippines had declared a war on the countries it had more tense to.


    An all-out war, per se, the war of their capabilities. And if that onehappened,the Earthquake they were experiencing right now could be just bearable. For there was more list of things that might occur brought about by this factor: missiles ammunition, atomic bombs, and-- the worst of them all-- nuclear weapons.


    But Chief Tim knew that this Earthquake was not the after-effect of those three. For he understood that if any of those had been set to serve its purpose, this assembly had been obliterated already. Completely wiped out.


    Confused about the duration of this event, he was sure that this wouldn''t last long. Not any further.


    The time when that particular leaf of Acacia touched the actual ground, when the clock marked its 8:13th mark, and when a scream of a lady in the stockroom could be heard, the Earthquake had finally stopped.

 Chapter Twenty

    IF ONLY THE WIND hadn''t ruined her coiffure for the day, the list of things from earlier wouldn''t result from happening. But what could she would do, it already happened. Only if, only if.


    This was not vertigo, moreover a dream to be called. And based on the reality-- for it had everything for support-- it was quaking.


    Right, it was.So what?Even though her instinct was already telling her to egress the stockroom as soon as everything had calmed down, she didn''t bother an inch in that pinpoint location of hers. She just resolved herself of thinking of what might the attic have, apparently.


    Aside from the cadaver-- maybe ithadpapers, files, and documents. Maybe it was, or maybe not. Right, she doubted that the attic onlyhadthose four. If it onlyhadthose four, why to bother to install an air conditioning system inside of it.


    Exactly why?If you were a sane person you didn''t need to have your papers, files, and documents to be air-conditioned; moreover with a cadaver. That was not keen.


    Not unless the person who installed it was the killer of the late principal. And in order for someone who was always here to not to notice what dark secret laid above the ceiling, an air-con became the wise choice. It helped to veil the decomposed state of the principal up until now.


    Just as she became aware that an air conditioning system was there above, she noticed not a few amounts of nitrogen-fixing bacteria roamed the air. Even her laid in the dead body with a puddle of blood, it was like it had been neutralized by something.


    Studying more about the scent of the atmosphere, she later learned that an air refresher was the culprit of why the malodorous fragrance was absent from her sense of smell.


    Lavender.


    That notorious scent was the reason why Principal Keen was nowhere to be found, until this very day.


    But with a smell of such like this on air 24/7, required an enormous amount of freshener, that meant: the killer came here regularly to replenish it.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Thinking about that, it made her felt sadden, the world already lost its humanity. It could even stomach the presence of the decomposed body and made an effort for it.


    Connecting the dots of event, for reality had everything for support, she would now to land to a conclusion of who killed the principal.


    The stockroom, the ceiling, and the fall from heights: it was no other than this Utility Personnel Lance Reyes.


    Right he was, who else aside from him?The only reason why he met this end, was that he planned to replenish the aerosol above. But he fell.Sadly.He also was dead.


    While the event of the earthquake was still ongoing, she noticed that as she let seconds passed by of not having a plan to egress the facility. She was also making herself a step closer to death.


    The ceiling itself was about to collapse, not now but sooner or later, and if that one happened, it was either two possibilities might exist. Both of those wouldn''t happen if one already was in existence: she would know what''s behind the ceiling, aside from the cadaver, or, she would not.


    And what ''she would not'' meant, she would die. The second possibility was more likely to happen. For right now, what she noticed about herself, was much calmer than she supposed to react. It was like she was being drugged.


    Better word was tranquilized.


    She couldn''t lift herself, to rose from the bed of dead and walked away. She was being pinned, nailed and fastened way tighter than the ceiling was apparently. And if this one continued to happen as she made every second passed by and by. The more likely her prospect to become true.


    The ceiling, by the age of its construction already met its state that needed to be retrofitted, and sadly the day had finally arrived the quake would now to attest its capability of not being able to be retrofitted.


    But before what she already thought would happen, something would take place, before the time when the quake stopped-- and so as the electrical distribution was, per se, blackout.


    The air-con from above stopped on maintaining thesettemperature, by the time it was, the smell of Lavender diminished. More to it, she noticed something, the reason why the ceiling was collapsing, was not about the weight of those papers, files, and documents.


    What she saw before everything fell to her, was, different kinds of animals inhabiting the attic. It was like she was dreaming some nonsense thing right after the impact happened to her head.


    Her eyes narrowed for aside from the household pet that made their appearances in here, was also, she found some wild animals especially that snake in this stockroom.


    Remaining herself transfixed on the stationary snake, she felt something happened to her, thus it made her screamed.

 Chapter Twenty-one

    EVERYTHING WAS FINE inside the attic before it collapsed. Brought about by the weight of the animals, the cages,the sack of foods, and of course, the age of the place, the time the tremor occurred to the land, just like a rubber band, it reached its elasticity limit.


    Concurrent with the event, the Xyrale High School lost its supply of electricity. Everything shut down, including but not limited to air-cons and lights.


    When the temperature had sloped down, the true scent became recognizable, the effect of tranquilizer diminished, the animals started to feel hysteric-- for their cages and locks were electronically functioned-- when the blackout occurred, they were freed.


    Only the realization that they already were-- with exceptions to the three dogs-- when the time they hit their immediate landing, steel cages swung open, glass cages were turned to smithereens.


    The locks that were placed on the necks of the golden retriever and mutts, had been dispelled. Even so, they fell together with the group of animals. And were held safe.


    Down to the ground floor, the feeling of turmoil and with the absence of behavior confiner made the list of animals from their submissive semblance turned agitated.


    The dogs barked like wolves. The cat meowed with wary. The chameleons acted strangely. Birds chirped like no end. The snake remained stiff in that position. Rats didn''t know what to do right after they escaped the cage. And him, RJ the Hamster, found himself after the fall, glaring at the only girl in the stockroom.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    It''s been a while since he saw a blond lady. A pure blond lady. Not a lady who was fond of putting a colored dye to her hair. A lady of simplicity and ingenuity. Just like her: the one who placed them all above the attic.


    But even though the impression of the Hamster was quite positive to her andher,just like every rat in the world, he hated them.


    Judging by how this girl transfixed at the sight of a reptilian predator, his evaluation would lead him to an aggressive offense.


    They were full of secrecy, mysteries, and had those misleading countenances. They were no straightforward and spoke idiomatic poems frequently. They walk, talk and act different.


    That''s why he hated them.


    And because he hated them, as a greeting, he would bite her.


    Without the notice of Thalia Valdez, an upcoming threat other than the snake was approaching.


    While she was there locating herself from the disposition that had once been conquered by a tranquilizer, there he was: crawling swooningly approaching her.When the snake''s tongue sprouted nonasecond in the midair, Thalia Valdez screamed.


    It was loud, high pitched and all of a sudden: it made anyone who was capable of administering auditory impression turned toitssource. And the group of animals inside the attic were no exception. Perhaps to the Tarantula, the one who bit her.


    Just like in a concert where the star was at its vivace moment, everyone felt enthralled as the final second of the earthquake had been matched by an out-of-nowhere scream came from a person theyknew.


    The Guidance Councillor.


    Now what?


    From the stockroom, where every eye was laid at there, one by one, random kinds of animals had been spat.

 Chapter Twenty-two

    A DOG, A BIRD, A CAT, a dog, a bird, a rat, a rat, and a dog.


    Just as after that particular leaf of an Acacia fell to the ground, after the quake could no longer be felt, and when the scream of their Guidance Councillor lasted, followed by one another, the said animals that went missing by the time they were gone, made their entrance to the assembly unexpectedly.


    By the very view of them right after a series of events andthis. Of what, how and the similar questions that could be ascertained in between, made everyone raise their consciousness at the Stockroom.


    Why there are animals in there?


    Once again a gust of wind that came from the west, whipped everything in itspathand made anything that was light to follow the wind immediately. Including to everybody''s scent. An exception to the tension they had on their inside.


    The wind was short but strong and nonetheless served as a cue for these lost animals to find particularity in the atmosphere. Especially to the only retriever in the gang.


    A shallow blend of chocolate fumes.


    Abruptly after it registered to the mind of the said dog and after the stock of data had been recollected, just like a key and a padlock, that source of that scent unlocked the submissiveness of the retriever. He had been tamed once again.


    Aurum Cauldron, the Golden Retriever, cocked his head to the right side by the time he recognizedthatfamiliar stain in the air.


    At first, the sharp brightness of the morning sunlight as it hit the windshield of the ambulance became a hindrance of confirming who bore that particular fragrance that his nose developed a liking. But as the time passed by, two seconds at most, he recognized who washe.


    Standing straight with his uniform that''s informing everyone that he was on duty of saving the Municipality of Pulupandan, Jim Cauldron, couldn''t believe what he saw.


    A dog, a bird, a cat, a dog, a bird, a rat, a rat, and his beloved dog: Aurum Cauldron, the Golden Retriever.


    It was already been two months since the series of bygones that included household pets had been reported. All of the events happened at night, where everyone submitted their consciousness to sleep. Then morning came they vanished without a trace. And even thesecuritiesthat held them were also gone.


    Though Police finally cracked the interval of occurrence of missing animals, for it happened the same day of every week, to name the Friday, they could do nothing about it and only post the 6"x4" image of animals with the caption of Roman text boldface ''MISSING''. To think that the entire population of the municipal would be around thirty thousand people living around and an estimated ten percent of it had household pets. Not to include the wild ones.


    Reports had been just filed by one after another until two months ago, it happened no more.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    But now here they were, not all of them but only some. Vanished by the Friday night and resurfaced after the Monday quake.


    "Aurum, is that you?" in amidst of turmoil where most of the residents of Xyrale High had been imprisoned, Jim Cauldron, at his first glance to the group of animals, never did doubt his perception: a well tanned fine golden hair Labrador retriever that weighed eighty pounds.


    That was his Aurum. Went on a mission just what his breed should do and reappeared with the animals he retrieved.


    It''s been two months since they last saw each other. Not knowing the fate of his dog would also be like to those who went missing, he never did anticipate what would happen from thereon: his younger brother, Fred Cauldron, who loved Aurum more than him and more than any member of their family, seemed to be like his world had been turned to smithereens.


    They barely communicated with each other, which was more with it was just a bypassing gesture and then it was gone.


    But now as he watched his beloved dog and the cure to his younger brother''s despondency, made him feel the highest degree of gratefulness, in fact, it made him develop those tears of joy.


    As he started to take his first step after the earthquake to warmly greet his long-lost companion to his duty, the dog already ran towards him.


    Paws were skedaddling on the land, tongue''s out as it lolled, eyes were as happy as they first met, no doubt that the dog felt the same way as he was.


    As they made their reunion in a while, everyone around them took a moment to pause to give this instance for the come back of two beings that solved lots of crime in the municipal.


    Nobody witnessed this kind of Jim Cauldron, their Chief of Police. From his signature demeanor of supreme, professional, and tenacious, it was very differenttonow: a fat hearted man that found a fascination with dogs.


    They ended up meeting each other under the long reach of shadow emitted by warm sunshine from a flagpole that stood twenty meters tall.


    Thisthin darkness that had been laid between them was actually the time he and Aurum were apart. But as the word thin implied for short term, this darkness was no more. In fact, they about to step on the other side where the obscurity was absent.


    Brushing the head of his dog just like he always did, a lot of questions started to sprout one after the other:


    Why does Aurumseemto be well taken care of?


    As he retrieved his stare from his dog to acknowledge the presence of the other animals, he then confirmed that these creatures, including his buddy, had gone through healthy living. He rephrased that into a statement.


    They seemed to be well taken care of.


    And another question sprouted.


    Butif they were, there must be somebody aiding such care. But who will it be?


    It must be a person and not a nonentity. For if it was an otherworldly wight, the reality that everyone knew since the beginning of the world would be just a halfway there to the whole truth.


    It must be someone who has access to this school.


    And another question sprouted.


    A teacher? Personnel? Or a student?


    To think that the singularity of the event from one another had yet to unfold, Tim felt the squeamish saliva of his dog as it licked his masonic hand. The one that didn''t rest at the head of the dog.


    Wait! The owners of the pet that went gone, were all students, right. And they all schools in here.


    Even though his focus was battling from his dog that was licking his hand, to the rest of the animals that made their sudden appearances, from the quake that lasted thirteen seconds, on that scream of despair in the Stockroom, his mind still perceived a peripheral view of a footstep from afar.


    Which immediately followed by one after the other.


    Turning his head inthatside, he saw a girl, at her fastest one, ran towards the stockroom. She seemed to know what she was doing.


    Though his dominant voice could reach out to everyone in the assembly, Chief Tim just only letthatserieswords left his mouth that seemed to be the retriever could only be the one to hear him:


    "Some of the animals are still in there right? Inside the Stockroom?"

 Chapter Twenty-three

    SHE SMILED BECAUSE SHE WAS NOT LATE and as simple as that. The gate didn''t close when eight of the clock had arrived and it appeared to be wide open in order for her to be in. She was in, she was in.


    Bringing herself close to the ground right after she heard someone shouted the common practice when the earthquake occurred-- STOP, DROP and COVER-- things became uneasy for her.


    The sunglass she wore, herself away from the assembly, the ambiance that the aftermath of the quake was offering, and even that weird scream that came out of nowhere.


    But even though the last one happened unexpectedly than intended, that''s also might be one of the reason of why she should be glad, the purpose of her smile in the midst of turmoil in the atmosphere.


    This was Hannah Forteza, an innocent schoolgirl of Xyrale High. And even though how brutal a mind of oneself could be, the only reason of why she smiled, was because-- with the aide of luck-- she didn''t end up being closed by the gate.


    Only a few, to think just a select number of person noticed her of being late. Or did they? But that didn''t matter anymore somehow, first and foremost, she didn''t like to receive any sort of attention for her infamy.


    For if you asked her the thing she was reluctant to happen, being late was infamy nowadays. A brutal sin not just in schools but in the nation as a whole. You weren''t showing any responsibility for the equity of time you had if you ended up being late.


    Being able to recognize her very own mistake, she would call this case as a first trial of what should be her time-to-time schedule during schooldays be alike. She would just bump and nerf some activities to finally find a fitting clock duration for every exertion. Like for instance, the time she spent with her sunflower.


    From a black filter that the convex lenses of her aviator sunglass had, she doubted that the first day of school of hers would be as colorful as what she might experience with her Corbusier eyeglass. Literally.


    Animals already appeared from the Stockroom. The Dog and the Someone had already reunited. And a girl, older than her, ran away from the assembly.


    That was absurd to think. Whatever the reason behind that act of hers, the Someone who she thought owned the dog, already went after her to revise her plans. If force would be a necessity to restrain her, then he might resort to rendering some.


    The assembly, if only the quake didn''t involve itself-- to bypass as the time progressed and littered the balance of everyone-- things would be in a harmonious unity.


    With regard to their year level and section for the primary purpose of sorting and arrangement, everybody would line at their designated places: first years to the right facing the stage, fourth years at the other end, in between would be second and third year respectively.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    With everybody''s attention shifted for the view of Chief Jim and the schoolgirl retracting the path that the animals had made en route to the assembly, Hannah Forteza grabbed this chance to enter the nearest line and made herself belonged to it without being noticed.


    -----


    Thinking that the ambulance had a mechanical problem as the reason why it was behaving abnormal, the three people inside of it were wrong. There was no such thing had occurred after a thorough maintenance that just took place yesterday. Instead, it did just quake.


    "The girl was right," half amused and half confused expression drew all over the face of Nica.


    "But how the hell she will know?" replied by her partner, Lara.


    "Maybe she felt already the trembling of the land?"


    "Nica, you know that is impossible, were in a moving sedan," Lara disagreed.


    "She had been tipped for this one?"


    "Huh?" confused Lara replied.


    "Maybe she saw the view outside?" Nica added.


    "But still, we''re on a moving sedan, the orientation of things upon glancing on the window to the outside would be unremarkable," she opposed the idea of hers.


    "That girl was amazing," Nica complemented.


    "Weird," Lara said in a light tone.


    -----


    When the quake had already ended, Luke Barnabe, quickly opened the window to his side as one of the police that Chief Jim made his acquaintance attending here was approaching.


    "Sir, what is the reason why did you bring an ambulance in here?" upon he made himself a sixteen-inch distant to the driver, Sander Acapulco whose skin beneath his police uniform was as fair as the sand on the beach, started to ask a question.


    "Um, There is a call," Luke answered.


    "A call?" placing his well toned left forearm to the window sill of the car between him and the ambulance driver andeven thoughthe answer of Luke was what he anticipated to hear, his reply was like he was intimidating the driver.


    "You won''t be just standing there and ask me everything you need to know with regard to my presence in here, right?"


    "Why wouldn''t I?"


    "We received a local 911 call. Don''t ask more, its emergency," Luke assured him.


    "What a coincidence, we''re also experiencing an emergency," as he withdrew his hand on the sill.


    -----


    Too many eyes, too many souls, too many human beings.


    Following the passage of a girl and a man whose paces threatened another surge of earthquake, the group animals were already in their state of restlessness.


    When the rats looked atthere,disgusts were looking at them. When the cat glanced atthere,terrified countenances were glancing back to her. When the dogs turned inthere,bad auras were waiting to be uncovered just for them. When the birds channeled their heads atthere,No! They would never be coming back there again. That place was already cursed.


    They couldn''t afford anymore to take another step, to run farther away from there and far away from here. Aside from being restless, they were also at the tip of their limits. They were exhausted, not just physically but also mentally and emotionally. And they were also cornered.


    Those pitiful eyes they wereshowing, couldn''t reach out to anyone who could contact them eye to eye.


    From the left part of the assembly and where stockroom was nearest to be located, the fourth years, by the very view oftheseanimals: five mammals and two birds,remained themselves distant and anxious.


    All were tensed.


    When an eager bark came from another side. It was strong and loud. Everybody cocked their heads to there.


    There they saw this: a very oriented, educated, knowledgeable and intelligent golden retriever, already knew what to do.

 Chapter Twenty-four

    IF ONLY SHE COULD skip two steps in a flight of stairs for every pace she took, she could slash the time-- the longevity, that her pet was alone. But because of her capacity was just as with an ordinary girl and not with a highly trained sprinter with the capability of winning Olympic gold, she just resorted herself of making to her destination without making any trip.


    Selena Lambra a third-year student of Xyrale High School and as eager as a hen finding a worm to peck, she took another step. Although this simile was quite similar to her in reality with one hundred percent credibility, she would not perceive that worm as a palatable meal and instead, that worm would be her pet.


    For why she knew where she was heading-- first of all, she didn''t know exactly where. The hen should dig up numerous surfaces to find a legless little fella that was edible, in her case to tame. And going inside the stockroom didn''t guarantee that she would see it there.


    But at least she tried. She tried with all her might, capability and capacity. With the help of luck and intuition, she knew that the fifty-fifty chances would not happen. Which would be her edge this time.


    Fifty percent she would see it there or fifty percent of not to. But she had this sort of feeling that it was there: add five percent to the fifty percent possibility of occurring it there then nerf five to the other.


    Fifty-five-over-forty-five chance was not still enough. The outcome of things would end up being random. Being motivated by this mathematical probabilities, she would add another ten percent to the fifty-five she initially merited.


    This time it would be base on her observation and analysis. The list of the animals down in the assembly also went missing and her pet was still missing. They had the same keyword: Missing. The ten percent increase to here and decrease from there wouldn''t be questionable.


    Sixty-five-thirty-five. This was getting good as the progress of probability was still on the works inside her head. Meant, that the calculation didn''t end up on there. For why she was about to access the stockroom of all the places at this time, an additional fifteen percent to sixty-five percent she already summarized.


    The missing animals were occupying the space that the stockroom had. But when the scream undertook, they exited the facility one after the other. Leaving her Zalazar in despair and turmoil. That was already eighty to twenty possibility.


    Twenty percent would just occur one for every five candidates.


    She could sense. She could tell. And she would go there. With eighty percent for the occurrence of the event she anticipated, this one was the highest of them so far: her Zalazar was waiting for her inside the stockroom.


    From the assembly, a stair, which she used right now, was connected to the lower and upper landing. At which the upper landing was where the stage and corridor conjoined. To where the stockroom was located.


    Upon she stepped at the very pavement of the upper landing, per se, the stage, she instantly turned her sight to where the stockroom established.


    Right, there it was. Between the restroom and the room where power distribution had been coordinated. Right, there it was. Along the corridor...


    A succinct glimmer captured her eyes made her head ran down to the floor of the corridor. And there she saw it, not her pet, but how akin when the adjective ''Shiny'' would be used comparatively to this floor and her wight.


    Such very clean and well maintained, from here to there-- there would be no there. She ceased that word. For at the certain endpoint of this corridor stretched, she saw a dirt--  she doubted that it would be the right term.


    Stain, flaw, blemish or the like would never be applicable to be used to explain what she was seeing. Anyway, she would call it dirt, although it was not.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    That dirt was moving slowly with a rate of an inch per inconstant time. If it appeared to be moving which was the question to herself, she didn''t know what to react if it vanished: to be glad for the floor was clean once more; or be scared for she was seeing things-- the right word: ghost?


    "Miss Lambra," she was pulled back to the reality (from the initial of thinking the unknown possibility of what she saw that right now was gone) when she heard that familiar voice full of dominance. A voice who confined them all during the earthquake.


    While still in advancement en route to the stockroom, with her speed was reduced, she said, "Chief?"


    Everything on the upper landing was on their unsafe condition, everything might collapse anytime. But the chief didn''t place his worries about the integrity of the structure, what worried him most was what inside the stockroom would reveal for them.


    To think that all of the household pets of their kind had already egressed the facility and there were those wild animals hadn''t still been discerned of their whereabouts.


    If all of these patterns would lead to a single spot: then the stockroom it would be.


    "Don''t take another step inside," the Chief said.


    "Why wouldn''t I?" turning back as she halted her pace before the threshold of the stockroom, Selena asked the Chief.


    "It''s unsafe in there," he caught her up.


    With a smile on her face, she drew a slender branch that was once hidden on her leg. It appeared to be a wooden flute. She presented it to him as he also stopped at the threshold, "I came prepared for this moment Chief."


    Together they ran their sights inside the stockroom.


    They were shocked to see the inside.


    -----


    Snappily making his way approaching the back door of the ambulance, Police officer Sander Acapulco was captivated to his very own shadow.


    Such bold and hideous form had been cast by the sun and was served right after his pace. Though he liked the form of himself was concealing from the light, if only he could amend things with regard to the color of the shadow, he would make it the same as what his skin color was: fair toned tan.


    Imagining what had just struck his mind, he was glad that it wouldn''t happen. The color black would be nonexistent and unimaginable if his wish would be ever granted.


    As soon as he got to the back door, he anticipated that the driver already extracted his gesture: he would go to the back of the ambulance, open the carriage and inspect what insides of it.


    But just as the moment he drew his hand to open the door, it was like he obtained a magical power together with his rank of being a Police Officer. Before his hand touched the opening mechanism of the door, therefore no contact to the vehicle had happened, the ambulance backdoor opened aggressively.


    He was shocked to see the inside.


    -----


    Be polite and smile exuberantly. She knew how to make friends, she searched the internet, and based on the web this was the key to have some: be polite and smile exuberantly.


    Though people hadn''t still noticed her for being there, she retained that composure. They were busy talking to their neighborhood including but not limited to the topics happened recently.


    "Why are they looking at that way?" said by the one who stood at the front of Hannah.


    "I heard them gossiping about animals," replied by a person whom she pertained


    "Animals?"


    "Yes animals, um, by the way, I heard them say a black feline. If my memory serves me right, you happen to be having one right?"


    "I happened to be, yes, but she went missing."


    "Missing eh? I heard them say ''missing animals'' perhaps."


    "You gotta be kidding me," she was shocked to know what came outside.


    -----


    Knowing nowhere to go and going back to the stockroom would be their final destination, these group of animals remained immobile at their respective position.


    Even though the two birds had a capacity to fly away, they did not do it. Something was holding them from doing it. And whatever it was, it involved complexities for humankind to understand-- to get enlightened.


    The stares that the assembly was throwing to these group of animals just wouldn''t subside. And it started to incriminate the dignity of these creatures.


    Stares here. Stares there. And a familiar voice of a girl rang a bell to the ears of the black cat. She turned that way.


    Making her way out from the assembly, the girl was trying to approach the group of animals the fastest way she could. For that, she took the shortest route. Too bad, the assembly was disoriented from the quake.


    "Estica?" she shouted the name of her pet.


    Swiveling their heads from once interlocked for the sight of the group of lone creatures, there they found a girl in action. Someone knew her and someone not.


    Struggling herself just to make it out in there even if it meant she would bump someone, somebody, everybody along with her path.


    "Excuse me," as she took another pace.


    "I''m sorry," for she bumped someone after she took that pace.


    The occurrence of the event that was happening one after the other remained in frequency, it would only meet its finale when she finally got outside from the crowd.


    "Estica?" she was shocked when she came outside.

 Chapter Twenty-five

    INSTANTLY AFTER THEY REACHED the threshold, together, they ran their sights inside the stockroom. And just a paced distance away from them, they saw the two another them: a formidable schoolgirl of the Xyrale High and a dutiful chief of police of Pulupandan. Apparently inside the purposeful reflector.


    A complete carbon copy that when the other cocked his head to there, the another other would also follow his head to there.


    A splitting image, very identical and could be mistaken as a Siamese twin. A reversed image of the one another only that, they were already separated by the two worlds to whom the other couldn''t stand on its own: the reality and the mirror.


    The scream that came in here had drawn their consciousness out of them, but nevertheless, they stepped the other side of the threshold.


    Chief Police Jim Cauldron dropped his pistol and Selena Lambra dropped his wooden flute.


    Although the atmosphere in here was heavy and was concealing something mysterious, except for the mirror, they found nothing. Literally.


    -----


    Instantly after he reached the back door of the sedan, the word AMBULANCE could no longer be intended to inform as its purpose. Except for the A and E, the rest of the letters flew to the air as the back door hinges oscillated itself from above.


    Although it appeared to be, it was only the standard. To Police Officer Sander Acapulco, it seemed that the aftershock of the quake occurred to his Corazon. His heart trembled when he saw her.


    Holding the lock on the inside, Nica Barenda appeared to be the one who opened the door in order for them to go outside.


    The left hand was at the handle of the back door while her right was holding the tail end of the stretcher. Her face drew a surprised reaction.


    "Sander," she let a word escaped her mouth without her consciousness.


    From a jaw-dropping moment for seeing this girl in an unexpected scenario, he retrieved himself. Though his skin color was congenitally tan, and he loved it, something was adding to it. A chemical reaction of your body when you felt embarrassed and ashamed was known to as was blush.


    "Nica," he replied with one-eighty degree opposite to how he approached the person at the driver seat of the vehicle.


    "You''re in there," she said.


    "Yes, I am."


    He stared at her. She stared at him. It took them a considerable amount of time before Nica confiscated the awkward scenario they were at, "No, I mean, you are exactly there."This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Casting down his eyesight, it took him five seconds or six at most, to digest what she exactly meant of.


    "I''m sorry," stepping aside to make way for a stretcher was coming toward at him, he made himself red as pepper.


    -----


    Thanks to the World Wide Web she had her demeanor for today.


    Forget what happened recently and stepped into something else: be friendly.


    The page she viewed online seemed to be credible. A lot of people accessed that virtual tabloid and almost ninety percent of them left the thumbs up rating.


    That''s why she was confident enough that it appeared to be nobody could swivel her head from here to there. If the case was persuasion, she would remain standing with her principle.


    But that''s not it, Hannah made herself turned to the back of her when life offered her the word ''Interaction''. Without knowing the terms and condition, unnoticed she grabbed it.


    When a squeeze and a glide of a fingertip was made to her back, she turned around. There she found a girl, with an age that was hard to accurately guess-- maybe the same to her or maybe not-- wearing an earphone, appeared to be the one that made that action.


    Although she avoided eye contact with Hannah, she managed to speak those: " Hi, hello there."


    From a surprised countenance, she instantly got back to her demeanor for the day and astonishingly replied: "Hi."


    "You''re also late?" the girl asked Hannah as she unequipped her earphones. First to the left then to the right.


    Although the way of how the girl said those words were blended with a shy tone, in the mind''s eye of Hannah, she was felt intrigued. She thought nobody saw her, and that was nobody should. They were all looking at the other side when she entered the assembly, but how come she knew.


    "How could you tell that?"


    "Um. (when she realized the approach of her was wrong, immediately she established eye contact with Hannah) I''m sorry for hearing me wrong. What I mean is that, this is the line of the late¨¦s. And I bet since I know you, you might be able to tell me, what will happen to Me, or if I''m right, Us."


    -----


    Now that the girl and her cat was reunited at long last, the problem remained to the remaining animals. In an auction where the bond was the medium to bid and the recognition was the key to tame, the animals waited as the progress of event continued.


    Cathrina Ramsay couldn''t believe what happened after the earthquake. It was not about the feeling when the surge subsided, neither the dents it left on the land, nor a tidal wave would be soon to announce. It was all about how mysteriously she and her cat was reunited when the quake ended.


    "Thank goodness Estica, you did not just resurface, but you look as healthy as you could be," she said those as she tickled the black belly of her feline. The cat, on the other hand, drew an expression of anticipation although keeping it innocently.


    Where everybody already gathered themselves at one piece after the earthquake, and thus no aftershocks could be felt after that, and also Cathrina recognized every name of every animal in there, their breeds, their owner and their respective addresses. A dog''s encouraging bark made her turned back.


    Stood with its legs, ears twitched in excitement and tongue''s out and lolling. Chief Jim''s Labrador Retriever gathered all the owners of the said animals.


    Everyone drew a surprised reaction akin to winning a jackpot in a lottery. It made them run towards to their beloved wight.


    Upon they made unto there, he messaged it. When she''s about to touch it, she cuddled it. Now that they''re rebounded each other, he patted its head. Nothing to be afraid of, she played with its tail.


    To think that after the disaster this would happen, what a very rare kind of coincidence. They didn''t matter to question how this one took place and moreover they treasure this moment: united once more.


    When the wind wiped to the west, one moment after that, something happened. It happened very terribly.