Chapter 2 Who's there

Emily's world faded into darkness, but her mind wasn't silent. Whispers surrounded her-familiar yet foreign, like echoes from a forgotten past.

Images flickered through her mind: flashes of golden eyes, ancient symbols carved in stone, and a figure cloaked in shadows standing atop a mountain beneath a blood-red moon.

Then, a voice-soft but commanding-cut through the chaos.

"Wake up, child of the Forgotten Blood. Your time is near."

Emily's eyes snapped open, her heart racing as if she'd been running for miles. She blinked, trying to adjust to the harsh fluorescent lights above her.

The faint hum of machinery buzzed in the background, and the air smelled faintly of antiseptic. She was in the nurse's office.

"Emily?" Beth's worried face hovered over her, eyes wide with concern. "Thank God-you scared the hell out of me!"

"I... What happened?" Emily's voice came out hoarse, her throat dry.

"You passed out in class. Mr. Shank called the nurse, and they brought you here. You've been out for about twenty minutes."

Emily pressed a hand to her forehead, trying to shake off the lingering sense of fear. The image of the black wolf with yellow eyes burned behind her eyelids. Its wicked laughter still echoed faintly in her ears.

"Did you...did you see anything outside?" Emily asked cautiously, searching Beth's eyes for any hint of recognition.

"Outside?" Beth frowned. "No. Why?"

Emily hesitated, her pulse quickening. So I was the only one who saw it... again.

Before she could say more, the nurse approached with a warm but professional smile. "How are you feeling, dear?"

"I'm fine. Just a little dizzy," Emily replied, sitting up slowly.

"Well, your vitals are normal, but you should take it easy for the rest of the day. If it happens again, we'll need to notify your father."

Emily nodded absently, her mind already spinning with questions. She knew this wasn't just some random fainting spell.

The wolf... the voice... the strange language that somehow felt natural to her-it all meant something. But what?

Beth helped her off the cot, and they made their way back toward the hallway. Students bustled past, their chatter echoing against the lockers, but Emily barely noticed.

"You sure you're okay?" Beth asked again as they approached their next class.

Emily forced a smile. "Yeah. I'll be fine. Just... a weird day, I guess."

* * *

The final school bell echoed through the halls of Creston High, signaling the end of another long day. Chairs scraped against the floor as students shuffled to gather their belongings.

Mr. Shank, the physics teacher, stood by his desk, adjusting the sleeves of his plaid shirt as the students filtered out of the classroom.

"That's all for today. Don't forget to review Chapter Seven for next week's quiz!."He called out after them. His stern voice softened as he added, "Take care, everyone. See you tomorrow."

"Goodbye, Mr. Shank," the students chorused, some more enthusiastically than others.

"Hey, how do you feel now? " Beth asked concernedly as she slung her backpack over her shoulder facing Emily.

"I'm alright Beth" Emily replied reassuringly

"Okay..." heaving a huge sigh of relief. " Let's get going now, "Beth added as she grabbed Emily's hand and led her out of the classroom.

"Come on, Em. Let's get out of here before the hallway turns into a stampede," Beth said, lightly bumping her friend's shoulder.

"Yeah, let's go," Emily replied with a slight chuckle.

The two girls navigated through the noisy crowd, weaving past clusters of students chatting by lockers.

Their footsteps echoed faintly against the tiled floor as they stepped outside, the air was crisp with the promise of fall, and leaves danced lazily in the breeze as they made their way toward the school gate. Though Beth chatted lightly about an upcoming school project, Emily's mind kept drifting.

Emily offered a faint smile as they reached the school gate, where a few cars were already pulling up to pick up students. Beth spotted her father's black sedan waiting near the curb.

"Good afternoon, Miss Bucker," The driver greeted Elsbeth from afar.

"Afternoon, Mr. Mark; I'll be with you shortly," Elsbeth replied, facing Emily.

"Let me drop you off, Emily; I don't want to leave you in this condition," Beth said, squeezing Emily's arms.

"Ugh, thanks, Beth, but I'd rather walk today; I just need to clear my head. Talk to you later, okay?"Emily replied politely with a warm smile.

" Okay..." Beth huffed, flashing a smile before jogging towards her father's car.

Emily walked out of the school premises; her father had told her he had an important meeting and would send a driver, but she had told him not to bother.

As she strolled along the quiet, tree-lined avenue thoughts about the strange beast and the chant she heard earlier flooded her mind. Suddenly Emily heard light footsteps behind her as if someone was following her.

Her pulse quickened. It's just your imagination, she told herself. Still, she found herself glancing over her shoulder again-nothing. Only the long shadows stretching across the sidewalk and the distant hum of traffic from the main road.

She paused, gripping the straps of her backpack tightly against her shoulders, her breath visible in the cool evening air.

A faint rustle came from within the park, and Emily froze.

Someone was following her!