*****
Next day arrives much earlier than my expectation. Sitting alone on the breakfast table, I am still under the charm of the fighter’s. What grace, charm and strength they had! That black looking wolf! Oh my God! I am actually mooning over those boys like some crush struck idiot. Shaking my head, adjusting my glasses back on nose, I finish my milk when the seat opposite to me is pulled and I see a boy, making himself a plate and filling his glass with orange juice. As he catches my sight, I smile and he smiles back. Waving him, I straighten up from my seat and start towards my first class of the day. English! It just so happens, that as I keep my bag and adjust my seat, the seat next to me is filled with the same boy. “Hey,” he says, “we meet again.” “Yeah,” I smile, “Ian, Ian Maan. First year in English Major, You?” “Tris,” I clear my throat, “Same course,” class is started to fill and students are chattering among themselves. The other seat, on my left side, is occupied by another boy…sorry…this one is a man! Bald, with a tattoo on his neck, muscles of his arms clearly showing and the black leather jacket is actually makes him a hot stuff. “Hi,” he says, and I turn to his side, “Hi,” “You smell edible,” he chuckles, and I feel heat creeping on my cheeks, “Umm,” I hesitate, “Stop making her blush, Ray.” Says Ian, from the other side. Ian has soft features, beautiful face like the rest of the super-naturals. His eyes are deep blue and a charming smile makes him more angelic. “This man is a vampire,” says the man named Ray. Ian is seen to be blushing. My blood goes slow in my veins as I try to make the sense of what Ray has said. “This one is a werewolf,” Ian says and just on cue, teacher enters the class. The conversation is halted there, for the time being. Done with the introductions, soon, we are taken over by the ongoing of the classes. Turns out, three of us shares all the classes together, yes, even the music ones, too. At the starting, I wanted to take the dance ones but, being poor in my feet tasks, I have taken music, instead.
Sitting on our lunch table together, Ian says, “I need to run over for my document submission. It is still pending,” “Bye,” Ray and I reply. I see Ray’s gaze linger on Ian’s back, as he turns to me. “So you are with the fighters group, are you?” I ask, “No,” he shook’s his head and takes a sip of his juice, “I am of their group, true. But, as we all know, those guys are too tough and too stubborn to include anyone in their group,” “I am joining in the mid-term,” I say, “Tell me something more about this weird school of yours,” “You find this weird,” he wipes his mouth with a napkin and then clears his throat, “of course, first human and things…,” he shrugs and I roll my eyes. “Fine,” he says, “Stay close to me, alright? Let’s start with that group in the corner,” he says, and I am automatically turned to the direction of his pointed finger. “Fighter’s,” he says, “The lean but bad-ass sort of guy that is Clive. Next to him, very boyish but a shrewd mind guy, that is Ralph,” I see the mentioned guys are indulged in a very intense talk. “The third wolf, he is a mind reader, Elmer. Mark, the closest to the leader, he is the one sitting next to the leader of the group. And, of course,” he sighs, “Not to forget the man himself, Ted, the main one,” I don’t need to even look for him. There he is. Sitting next to the one named Mark. Crooked smile playing near his lips, he looks like their king with four of them being his subject! As if we called all of them out loud, Ted, along with the rest of them, turns to my side. Heated and scared, I manage to pass a tight lip smile to him. His and others brows are raised in amusement as if; they have seen some sort of surprise. Curiosity in the group’s gaze fades, as soon as it had entered it, because exactly at that time, they spot Ray next to my side and turn to their talk again. “See,” says Ray, “I told you. They talk to only high creatures and the intelligent students of the batch. After all, they are one year senior to us.” “You know them pretty well,” I say, “Why didn’t they include you in their group?” “I am…different,” he says, “Moreover, I don’t want to be counted among the superior ones. I am happy,” I smile, “See the guy sitting there on the bench? Lonely and indulged in his novel?” “Yes,” I say, “That is Lee, from Tibet. He is a dragon.” “As in,” I say, “the shape-shifter?” “Not exactly the shape-shifter but, like half human and half –dragon!” I have heard so many weird things in these few minutes that, very less things are amusing me, at the moment. Ray has a quiet a lot of knowledge about each student. From tigers to snakes, mermaids-mere boys, wizard, witches and all the other super-natural creatures residing in this school, to the fact that my room-mates are the only fairies residing in the school. “This is like my being Alice in wonderland,” I say, and he bursts in laughter. “Tell me,” I say, “Do you people really turn into the creatures you are? I mean…the full moon and everything?” “Myths,” he says, shaking his head regretfully, “Every one of them. Don’t believe them, alright? Moon’s power does attract us but we change by our own will, desire and need.” “And vampires? I mean….Ian and others; do they really feed on human blood?” “That is the only truth,” he says and I gulp down my fear, “Though, of course, they all have been given strict instructions about not doing so. For the sake of emergencies, their rooms are stalked of animal blood and for their everyday consumption too.” “Sun?” “Irritates them, that’s all.” Ray shares quite lot of things with me and I am surprise by the facts, which are being poured inside my head.
*****
Back in my room, after the dinner gets over and three of us are busy in our late night reading, going to bed preparations, I hear Lyn near me, as she sits and laughs, “So, someone has befriended two cute guys of the class, ha?” I raise my brow and look at her, “Yes, but, they are good friends, that’s it,” “Seriously,” she pokes me, “Damn it, it’s easy to tease you,” we laugh for a quiet time and then, controlling myself, I ask her, “You don’t have any boyfriend here, do you?” “No,” she shrugs, “Nobody has ignited those kind of feelings inside me. I am still waiting for Mr. Right to arrive,” she sighs and I see a certain kind of sadness lurking in her eyes. “Hey,” I sit upright, “Are you alright?” “Yeah,” she nods and smiles, “Lyn,” I say hesitatingly, “The first night of my in room, I saw someone, inside the room…over there,” I point the direction of the corner, and, as if, expecting someone, right then at the moment, Lyn turns to that side, along with Kay, who was listening to our talks from across the room. “Who, exactly?” she asks, “I don’t know…the person’s face was hidden by a long black hood. He came near to my bed, then….” I scratch the back of my head in nervousness. I don’t want to tell them about the kissing and everything. Some how, it feels too personal. “You must be dreaming,” Kay says, sounding highly doubtful, “No one can enter the room without knocking, Tris. It is highly impossible,” “I may have been dreaming,” I lie and see them smiling and nodding at my side. Who will believe me without any proof?
*****
Somewhere in the midnight, once again, I feel chilled to my breath and core. This time, I don’t open my eyes. No, I am too scared. For certain, that once again, that person will come in front of me. “Tris,” that dark and deadly whisper calls me out and, squeezing my eyes tightly shut with fear, I duck my head inside the quilt. Chanting the Hanuman’s mantra in my head, I pray to let the thing pass. After a moment, as my fear starts receding down, I take my face out of the quilt and sitting upright, glare at both sides of the room. Lyn is sleeping peacefully and Kay’s side, well, is empty! Where is she? Is she in the library again, studying late night? But I know Kay too well, she must be doing some dance practice or something. Shrugging, I feel my throat parch dry of all the spookiness, which I have been experiencing from past minutes. Taking my water-bottle from the bedside table, finding it empty, I sigh deeply. Slipping into my sleepers, I make it outside of the room and quietly close the door behind me. Making it to the water cooler, I fill my bottle and turn around, only to be pinned against the wall by a pair of strong arms, covered by a long black robe!
*****
I struggle against that phantom, once aga
in. The struggles grow frantic and I am almost going to the panic stricken mode, when, his hand covers my mouth, “Don’t scream,” He says, “I am not going to hurt you, you get me?” I nod and feel my irises going wide, “Sshh,” he keeps his pale finger on his black lips. Just that and he loosens his grip on my mouth, “Who are you?” I whisper rather shakily, “Why are you scaring me every day? I am not any unusual person, just a mere human. Don’t give me heart-attacks please…,” “I have been assigned for your safety,” he whispers back, “But, who are you?” “I am Thanatos,” he replies, “the affinity, with which deity Krishna has blessed you. I am death, and, you, Tris, can see me.” I am frozen on the spot and unable to reply him back. “Why are you covered? I can’t even see your face,” “There is no need,” he replies and turning his back to me, I see him going to the side of the dark. “Hey,” I shout and start running to the side where I have seen him going. “Hey,” I cry again and, turning to that side, I find no one! Where has he gone? I am still searching around. He is got to be kidding me! Death, did he said death? What sort of nightmare is this? Entire castle is wrapped in silent and I am breathing hard. Thanatos or death, where has he gone? I have so many questions for him. Where has he vanished? “Tris,” somebody whispers near my ear. Shrieking and spooked at the same time, I turn, only to find Ian by my side, with his fangs out! “Freaking hell,” he says and his fangs go back. “Ian, you moron,” I say, making that angry face on him, “you scared me, shitless!” “What are you doing here, at such hour?” he asks, “All the dark things reside in the corner, Tris. Not safe for you to come out,” “Says the monster himself,” he giggles at that statement of mine. “I was filling my bottle,” “Which has gone half-empty again.” He directs at the liquid flowing on the floor.
****
Next morning, sitting with Ian, Ray and Lyn, I tell them the proceedings of the night. Of course, thing is known to Ian but, some how once again, I hide the thing about the mysterious phantom. I should tell it to someone but, the question is, who? Lyn and Kay will worry and as for the guys, well, I don’t know! Ian is still staring at my side with some curious expression. As Lyn and Kay makes it to their respective classes and Ray proceeds to the other side of the castle, Ian ask me, “Tris, if you like someone then, how should you tell them about your feelings?” “It depends,” I say, “Who the person is and if you think, he shares the same feeling for you,” he flushes a little. The entire day, my mind is hardly there on my classes. The things have gone to the level where I am actually caught day dreaming by Mrs. Sandvia, the wise mermaid. That phantom, that Thanatos guy! He said, he is death! So then, is this it? Is this where I am not human? But, I don’t have powers like my friend. Neither am I vampire, nor a shape-shifter. Neither a wizard, nor a mutant, like the dean. I feel like going to Alan and asking him the reason for bringing me here. He should have some answers to it.
The day is stretching unbearably to my limits and is getting on my nerves. As the recess bell goes crazy, I am relieved and make my way to the canteen. Two weeks have already passed, since I joined this weird community of super-naturals but, it feels, as if, I still have to find my adequate space in this alien land. All the stories, fables and tales of fairies is coming to life in front of me, everyday.
I pass the corner of the ladder and is going to step down the first one, when without my knowing, my foot misses it and I lose my balance on it. Obeying the gravity of the mother earth, I am instantly going to go down tumbling all the same, when, out of somewhere, a hand catches my wrist and I am saved. “Careful,” it says and regaining my balance, turned forcibly to the safe and leveled side, I glare into the most cold and merciless eyes I have ever seen. My books, without my knowledge, have already scattered on the floor and my bag, too, is somewhere on the floor. “Careful,” the voice says again, “Tha-thank you, T-Ted,” I stutter like an idiot, “Know my name, already?” he says amused and I straighten myself. Bending down, as I start collecting my books, I see him collecting my bag, too. “Here you go,” he says, “thanks,” I repeat, trying hard not to glare at his side. I am already heated so much. I don’t want him to see me in this blushing site. “You are that human girl, aren’t you?” “Um, yes,” I say, and look at him, while straightening my glasses. “ I haven’t had the chance to say, hi,” he pauses, “but, that day, when I sighted you with that Ray,” he makes a weird face and rolls his eyes, “ I thought, you are like him, you know?” he winks and shrugs his shoulder. I don’t get the hidden meaning behind his actions but nod all the same and smile, as if, I have got the meaning of what he is trying to say. “You want to join us for the group dance practice? Me and boys are going start with it today,” “Um,” I clear my throat and controlling the strutting again, say, “I –I don’t….dance. I mean…I don’t know how to dance,” “I am not telling you to join the group.” He rolls his eyes in that I-know-everything-way, “All I am doing is to invite you for seeing it, if you want to.” “Oh!” I control the feeling of not slapping that too smart smile from his face. How dare he make fun of me in that idiotic way? “I,” “Kay will be there, too,” he replies and grins, as he see me struggling with my answer, “You living with those two beautiful fairies, aren’t you? Well, I am sure, she will be delighted,”, “Fine,” I say, “Tell me the time,”
****
Later that evening, accompanied by Ian and Ray, once again, I make it to the practice hall, which is as large as the auditorium itself. “Fighters” are practicing for the upcoming dance competition in which, this year, for the first time, Shakti academy is participating. I am thrilled, as I see the practice going on. Ian leaves my side and I see him proceeding to the side of window, as if, something is disturbing him. The music is still going on its blast and I see Kay and Ted doing some amazing moves and steps, as I nudge Ray in the ribs, “Hey, what happen to him? He looks disturb,” “Nothing,” Ray looks at Ian’s side and I see, some sadness lurking in his eyes, in another minute, it is gone. “I don’t know,” he shrugs him aside and starts to clap, as the dance gathers its speed.
Things are getting weirder by every passing day. Something has happened between both Ray and Ian, which neither of them are telling me, in its entire form. Even in classes, I hardly see them talking to each other and Ian makes sure to evade Ray’s gaze, whenever possible.
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