~The Becoming~ Chapter 3: The Woods

Read Chapter 1 and 2 to understand Chapter 3! Happy reading!
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It only took ten minutes to get to school but they were the weirdest ten minutes of my life. 
Everyone was staring at me. 
I didn’t know what to do except keep my head down and scroll through Insta . 
I wasn’t exaggerating either. Every time I looked up from my phone they were staring. The lady with her son was giving me the evil eye. The man smoking in the back glared at me. I almost laughed out loud. He was sitting under a sign that said ‘Absolutely NO Smoking!’ But something in his stare told me not to laugh. I would regret it if I did. 
I ran my hands through my hair wondering if it looked horrible, but by doing that I was  sure it made it look even worse. I just wanted everyone to stop looking at me. 
Then they did. 
Every single head turned another way. Nobody was looking my way anymore. 
It was weird, I had to admit. But I was glad. I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. 
I had assumed they were staring at me because of my missing parents. My family was well known in our town, my dad being a lawyer and my mom being a doctor. My dad kind of became famous, from one of the cases he took a while back. I couldn’t remember what it was about though. My dad never really talked about his job with me. I had always assumed it was ‘top secret’ so I never asked. 
I kept scrolling on my phone, but I spaced out thinking. About my parents, life. 
My phone dinged, bringing me back to reality. Oliver had texted me back. He said we could meet at my locker. I texted him back  a thumbs up.
Finally, finally it was my stop. I rushed off the bus and felt everyone’s eyes staring holes into my back. The bus driver gave me one last strange look of disdain, and I gave one right back. 
I couldn’t, I wouldn’t let some random people staring at me make me feel any worse. My day had already been stressful and I didn’t need weird people adding to the stress. 
I got off the bus and put one foot in front of the other. Everyone flooded in through the front doors heading for their lockers. 
When I got to my locker Oliver was already there. I saw my locker was decorated with little streamers and someone had written 'Happy Bithday Kara!' on my mini whiteboard. It made me smile. 
“Hey,” I said as I started unlocking it, glitter falling to the ground as I did so. "Did you do this?" I asked gesturing to my locker. 
"Yeah, but Emma helped," he laughed as he leaned against the wall. Emma had been my best friend since Kindergarten. Everyone had assumed we would grow apart during middle school but we endured and are still best friends. 
“How are you?" He asked me, his smiling turning into a frown. 
“I’m doing alright I guess,” I responded, but he looked at me as if he was expecting a different answer. He raised an eyebrow. 
“I mean I’m worried and kind of stressed out but otherwise I’m okay,” I said as I slammed my locker shut. “And I had the weirdest bus ride ever. I kid you not, everyone was staring at me.” 
I wasn’t sure if he would say something like ‘Don’t be so vain Kara’ But as I told him it was like he was expecting me to say it. Which didn’t make any sense to me. He nodded. 
“Yeah that's weird,” he said but the way he said it seemed like he didn't even think it was werid. Which was weird to me.
We started walking to our classes, I had English, he had Geometry. But both classes were next to each other. 
We made small talk about why mini foods are better and regular size foods. But it felt like I wasn’t really there. I mean of course I was there but my mind was somewhere else. 
Then I was somewhere else too. One second I was in the hallway talking to Oliver the next I was in the woods. 
It was dark and foggy. The wind whistled through the trees making them sway side to side. Where was I? 
Then I heard it. Or them. 
"Kara!"
I heard my mom's voice. She was calling me. 
"Mom?" I screamed, my voice echoing off the trees. My heartbeat quickend. 
"Kara!" My dad's voice. I started running toward their voice. I knew I was getting closer as I pumped my legs as fast as I could. 
Then there they were, in a small dark clearing. I ran toward them but as I was about to reach them they dissolved into thin air. 
"Kara? Kara are you okay? Wake up!" Dad, I'm here. Where are you?
I opened my eyes and the fluorescent glow of school lighting blinded me, I had always hated those lights. I was in the hallway again and I was laying on the ground. Oliver was squatting next to me. 
“Are you okay?” He asked, putting a hand on my forehead. 
“Yeah I’m fine,” I said as I sat up. “What happened?” All I remembered was....running. Leaves. Wind. My parents. 
“You...fell and your eyes...They rolled back...Are you sure you're okay?” He asked urgently. “Should we bring you to the nurse?”
“No I think I’m alright, low blood sugar,” I lied.
His eyes were still wary but he gave in. He grabbed my hands and helped me up. My head starting pounding, I must have hit it hard when I fell. Or something. I still didn't really understand what happened. 
We were silent. 
As I walked to my class, I realized something. I had been hallucinating. 
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Thanks for reading and if you want Chapter 4 make sure to leave a comment or a like/love! 

Penelope

VT

17 years old

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