Chapter 3 Strange Attacks

Karen Pov

As I made my way to the library, I spotted Mila, June and some other students standing opposite a giant board which was situated at the entrance of the building. They didn't look so happy at all, Mila was holding a poster on her hand. She placed it on the board and collected a red pin from June, June didn't looked so good either. She wrapped her arms around her body with the sense of black outfit, Mila wasn't excluded either.

Did somebody died? I asked myself as I made my way to meet them confused. As I approached them the first thing my eyes went to was the board, fear crept my heart as I stared the board once more. It was filled with pictures of students who had died, and not just one about hundreds. Some recorded as missing and others having the red pin on them to indicate their death.

"Holy cow, there's just so much records of death than the students in this school," my voice hitched in my throat.

Mila turned to me with sadness plastered on her face, she lowered her gaze trying not to make eye contact with me.

"What happened to all of them?" I asked curiously.

June opened her mouth to say something but Mila interrupted her. "The animals attacked again last night." She exchange stares with June who didn't offer a word. "They killed our friend and course mate."

"I have class to attend, see you guys later," June mumbled with a thin-lipped smile which was obvious was came out forcefully before she walked away.

"What's wrong with this damn animals, why do they go about killing student," I complained as we walked toward the library together.

"No one knows what kind of animal they are and I'm sure the track team didn't know either," Mila replied.

My eyes widened at her last words. "Track team," I tasted the words in my mouth, it does taste like a solution to the problem to me.

Mila sighed. "Due to the several animal attack in Bradenton college, the school authorities came together to bring up a college research investigation teams. They call them the track team, because they are constantly tracking down the trace of this animals."

As Mila continued to explain further to me, I began to feel relieved within my soul. I've finally found where I was meant to be–I was meant to be a member of the track team.

"Where's their base located?" I asked.

She turned to me with confused eye lashes. "Don't tell me you want to join the track team?"

I toyed with the pen on my hand. "I didn't say so, I'm just admiring." I tried to act all cool around her.

"Don't at all," she gave me a serious look. "That's like signing your death certificate yourself."

I sighed. "Okay? You're right. I was thinking of joining the track team." She opened her mouth to say something but I stopped her with a finger raise up. "But not for a selfish reason, I'm really curious about what this animals are and why they're constantly killing students."

"Trust me, you don't want to know," Mila muttered and walked away angrily. The way she said the last words made it obvious that she knew something regarding the killing and was trying so hard to hide it from me.

I stood at a spot for a while thinking of what Mila was trying to hide, I watched her as she walked into the hallway while I made my way to the library.

*****

"I want to join the track team," I told Mr Rogers as he sat against his shining polished desk with fingers crossed on the table and eyes staring at me like I was about to commit suicide and he was my therapist or life coach.

He winked his eyes and rubbed his balded hair with his palm, before adjusting his eyes glasses.

"So, Miss Norway. You're saying you want to join a team that goes into the woods at night, searching for activities of some weird animals that kills faster than diseases?" He asked.

I nodded slightly.

He smirked with a slight chuckled. "I think you need to reconsider your decision, Miss Norway. According to what I'm staring at right here." he lifted the sheets of papers that contained my details. "You've only spent three weeks in Huston, that's not enough to want to die for this city."

I tried not to take notice of the fact that Mr Rogers was trying to convinced me to change my mind. My determination was stronger than his words. "Yes, sir. I'd love to join the team."

He sighed and grabbed a read pen from his desk and asked me to sign below a straight line at the bottom of the paper, when I was done signing. He brought out a blue pen and did the same and then stamp the paper.

"Hall five, that's the meeting ground and take this." He stretched forth a red pen with a bold TRACK TEAM printed on it. "Give this to Mrs Howard, she'll be your mentor, I wish you good luck."

I collected the pen from him and left his office. The hallway was bursting with students almost at every region, as I made my way to hall five. The hall was at the top floor of the building, and the hall number written in bold red paint. The thought of the way they used red as a way to scare people away made me think they were actually weird and must've loose knots.

Confirmation to my thoughts, it was written at the middle of the door to the entrance of the hall. 'If you don't have loose knot or not ready to die, don't bother pushing this door open'

I mean, who in the hell will see a death sentence and still gladly embraced it. I don't have loose knots and the thought of being around people who had, made me want to resign from the team even without getting to know what's behind the door.