THE SECRET OF DEATH

six

Since a few minutes ago, when break time ended.  She was already sitting on the toilet of the girls' bathroom that the school had provided.  There are 10 toilets in the women's bathroom and in the rooms.  She is currently sitting in booth 4 from the front.  She sat nervously in the room.  She was restless not because of the rotten smell of the cubicle or because she was skipping classes.  She was nervous because something that had burdened her for a long time was now slowly breaking out.  Causing her brain to force herself to remember something she wanted so badly to erase.

She buried her face in her palms and said something.  Like words of wisdom or prayers so that she can relax and be confident that everything will be fine.  Her palms were slowly moved away from her face when she got a signal from her cell phone that didn't have a quwerty button, the phone vibrated.  Slowly she took the phone in her lap.

"We'll meet after my class is over."  She read a short message from someone who wanted her to meet according to that person's instructions.

She breathed slowly, "couldn't you finish your lesson sooner?"  send.  She sent a reply to that person.

While waiting for a reply from that person again, she was very nervous for some reason.  To the extent that she played with her shoes tapping them on the white floor without a pattern.  She doesn't care if someone hears the tapping of her shoes if it's loud.  All she wanted was to cover up the nervousness and tension in her chest.

"Kriikk...." The sound of the restroom sounded shrill, a sign that someone was entering.  The person's footsteps sounded clear in her ears.  Then for some reason she stopped tapping her feet.  Cold sweat started to cover her face and all over her body.  A few strands of hair slid down her forehead slowly down her neck.  Her throat was suddenly dry.

She put the phone in her pocket and she started to stand up from her seat.  Her ears that had previously caught silence now felt noisy just because of a girl who might have permission to go to the toilet or something she was worried about.  Her hand now unlocked the toilet cubicle that she had been using in silence.  She took a deep breath before pushing open the cubicle door.  Her eyes were left closed, she felt that she didn't have much courage to accept the reality out there.

"Sorry, can you turn off the faucet the sink . I can't go back there anymore, it's tight..." said a girl with shoulder length black hair.  The wrinkles on her face were very sad plus she held back her embarrassment when her hands were now holding her stomach as if holding something back.

She had opened her eyes after she was drawn to her conscious mind from the paranoia that she created herself.  Her hazel eyes are now directed to a girl who her disappeared behind the door.  Hearing the order from the girl she regained control of herself, she walked slowly towards the sink that the girl said, it's true that the girl didn't have time to turn off the tap.

She stared at her reflection in the flat mirror, then her hands were washed in the water, her wet hands were now directed to her face, she wiped her face with water so she could realize if her hallucinations had gone too far.  After washing her face, she closed the faucet and at the same time her hazel eyes caught something on her forehead, a red spot.  Slowly she held has forehead and looked for the source of the red spot.

A spot of fresh red blood was writhing on the large mirror of the sink .  Her nose could catch the characteristic rancid smell of blood, she stepped back slowly with the intention to avoid the writing on the wall.  She actually wanted to scream but for some reason suddenly her neck seemed to constrict and she couldn't say anything except in her heart.  Her eyes felt hot and slowly a drop of fear was seen running down her cheek.

"DO YOU MISS ME? I WILL COME TO YOU!!!"

That's the writing on the wall above the sink mirror.  "God, God, God..." she thought screaming in her heart mentioning the holy name that is said to help her with this fear.  The fear that could make her fall down and never be there again to step on the ground or crawl behind the booths earlier.

The girl now widened her eyes while withdrawing the voice that had been drowned out, "WHAT DO YOU WANT?"  her voice that had sounded soft before finally came out and filled the entire small room, even the girl who didn't turn off the faucet from the cubicle, could clearly hear the hysterical screams.  But, because of something that made her unwell she could only shake her head and let the girl do whatever she wanted.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT, HA?!!!"  this girl screamed again especially when her eyes caught a clear glimpse of a girl with brown hair bowing behind her, her long brown hair was very dull and covered her face.  The dull haired girl just stood there raising her hand as if soon those pale white hands that had no blood flowing would reach her shoulders.  Her hand with curved fingers was covered in blood because it came from her arm which had bruises that were bluish and red.  "WHAT DO YOU WANT?"  she shouted again, now her voice could come out freely but because of her paranoia she occasionally sobbed and didn't want to turn around at all, she could only see the girl's reflection in the mirror.  In fact, she could catch the girl's feet which were completely uneven on the floor and were not wearing shoes, only her left leg was adorned with a shabby white sock.

The paranoid girl now covered her mouth, holding back her tears.  She could already make her voice out, but?  This time her legs didn't agree with her brain at all, or because something was smothering her feet.  Like an iron ball with a mass of 200 kg.  "You promised not to bother me again," she whispered.  She could still see the girl floating behind her, "leave me, please..." She begged.

Slowly the girl floated toward him, in a moment the girl held her shoulder or floated up to her.  "Because you have promised to get what I want..." finally the shabby girl spoke up, her voice was low but made a frightening impression on those who heard it especially the paranoid girl.  "You promised....You promised... You promised me..."

"LEAVE ME.....!!!!"  the paranoid girl screamed again, her chest pounding with fear.  Her body now turned to look at the shabby girl who was floating slowly towards her.  The paranoid girl closed her eyes and somehow, her hysterical voice shattered the sink mirror, and the glass shards were now flying as if the girl had directed them.  Directed at the shabby girl, "YOU DIE!!!"  along with her scream, the glass shards flew and were ready to hurt the shabby girl.

But...

"You are crazy?"  the girl with short black hair who had asked for help to close the sink faucet earlier noticed the hazel eyed girl acting strangely even she saw as if the girl had snapped at someone and what was even more strange, she could clearly see that the girl was breaking and directing the mirror shards at her.  behind without having to turn around.

She couldn't even stop to think that if the fragments were aimed at her, if only she didn't dodge she could have died in that place too.  However, when she dodged a piece of mirror crossed has right arm and as a result has arm was scratched and a few seconds resulted in a feeling of pain and fresh blood flow later.

She winced as she held her wrist as if trying to stop the sudden bleeding.  "You're trying to kill me, huh?"  the girl snapped.  Her feet which were clad in the same shoes as the girl in front of her were brought closer to the girl.

The hazel eyed girl realized.  She realized that because of her actions she might harm people.  Her eyes are now exploring the entire bathroom, looking for the girl who suddenly terrorized her and a writing using blood on the wall, all of that is missing.  She only found the sink mirror broken into pieces and some of the shards scattered about 2 meters from where she was standing.  She also saw the shoulder length black haired girl holding her arm which was now dripping with fresh blood.  She covered has mouth tightly after looking at her palms many times.

"You're trying to kill me!?"  said the shoulder length girl emphatically.  The girl was also in front of the hazel eyed girl who was shaking as if she was scared of something.  She also noticed if the girl muttered something, faintly audible but, she could hear two words, she came back.  She wanted to ask who would come back but, because her anger was already exploding she held her back.  She can only endure it all and believe that the girl in front of her is indeed a mental disorder.

The shoulder length hair girl's hand was now grabbing the hazel eyed girl's hair.  "You need to be taught a lesson. What can you do when my arm hurts. You crazy girl.... Crazy.."

The hazel eyed girl could only sob and accept the indecent treatment from the shoulder length haired girl.  The shoulder length hair girl increased the frequency of her actions, a broken glass in the shoulder length girl's hand, the glass shard was directed at the hazel eyed girl's hair.  "An eye is paid for, but I think your hair can replace the wound on my arm."

"I'm sorry – earlier – that – everything was out of my control, earlier – she sued me again. I'm sorry...." She sobbed, the hazel eyed girl tried to escape and explain everything.

The short haired girl laughed disdainfully, "You think I'd believe it?"  now a handful of hair held by the short haired girl was out of place.  "No one will believe it and neither will I. You are a crazy girl."  The short haired girl stood up and backed away as she was preparing to leave the crazy girl.

Crazy girl.  The hazel eyed girl's head was ringing with one sentence that made her feel depressed and angry.  Moreover, she found her long hair which is now uneven.  She stared intently at her messy hair on the floor because the short haired girl had cut it with the glass shard earlier.

She got up, her body turned to stare at the back of the short haired girl with fiery eyes.

Realized by being watched, the short haired girl turned around.  She frowned when she caught the hazel eyed girl looking at her as if she was the bottom of the food chain and ready to be stabbed.  To be honest, she felt goosebumps and fear slowly running through her veins.  But she would try to fight it, just like before.

"You want to repay me?"  asked the short haired girl while raising one eyebrow.  "You're joking, crazy girl?"

The hazel eyed girl raised one hand, and stared closely at the short haired girl.

"An eye pays for an eye.." she said.

"What did you say?"  asked the short haired girl as she took a step forward.

*****

She spent 6 minutes using the toilet and 4 minutes traveling to the room she had entered earlier.  In her little head was ringing something that made her abnormal a few days ago.  She unfolded her arms when she had arrived in front of a lacquered brown door.  She turned the golden doorknob and pushed slowly.  After she closed the door, her feet stepped slowly towards the fourth bed from the door.

The fourth bed since two hours ago has been occupied by a female student.  The girl who was involved in a sudden incident.  I don't know where the feeling came from that she felt she had to help the girl on the bed, even though logically she didn't know who this girl was?  All she knew was that the girl was a new student and a classmate of someone she had known for several years.

She carefully approached the bedside and pulled out a metal chair tucked under a white table that matched the bed beside hers.  She pulled a tissue from the table and wiped the seat which was completely devoid of foam.  After finishing wiping the chair seat, she sat down and tried to relax.

Her gaze was now directed out the window, staring at the leaves of the trees that move according to the direction of the wind that blows.  She closed her eyes and tried to dissolve into the peaceful atmosphere outside.  She hopes that after she feels herself united by the peace outside, she can forget everything and hope to live a calm and normal life.

"Give me back right now!"

 Her eyes that had been closed were now wide. Her back which had been leaning against the back of the iron chair was now far away. Her slender hands gripped the arm of the chair tightly. Her eyes were watery, she explored every corner of the room without moving. She looked at the student on the bed, but there was absolutely no change, still the same.

 Her forehead began to give birth to cold sweat. She even dared to bet if the voice was very clear. She tried to ward off these assumptions but the more she wanted to dismiss them the more convinced she was that her deeply buried fears might soon surface.

 Her hands that were gripping tightly on the chair slowly moved away, she withdrew her hand and now positioned it in front of her chest and made a prayer. She closed her eyes and lowered her head so that her lips almost kissed her own. She prayed in her heart to be given a calm and a direction.

 "Margaret?" said someone who suddenly broke the silence created by Margaret Clark who had been praying. "You are okay?" asked the person in a worried tone even though his face didn't look worried at all.

Margaret realized when someone called her name, she opened her eyes slowly and lowered her prayer hands after she said amen to her last word. The word that is expected as a sacral for all her prayers earlier.

 Her hazel eyes now glanced at a male student who was standing at the corner of the bed waiting for her reply. "Yes I'm fine." She replied later, her tried to relax herself.

 "Did something happen?" asked the male student again.

 Margaret exhaled and looked away, "I heard her talking to me. In this place, her voice is very close to me." She really wanted to say this but, she felt doubts about what she experienced. She felt no need to tell this to the man, only she knew. And trying to solve the problem earlier, did she really hear that voice or was she hallucinating because of fear.

 "There is nothing!" Margaret replied quickly. "How was that girl?" he tried to get out of the zone that he did not want to talk about by changing the subject, at the same time he also wanted to know how the girl was doing.

 The boy shrugged, then he sat on the edge of the bed, "she felt sorry for doing that to her. It was beyond her control. She was also hysterical like crazy because she saw some wounds on her body." His hand now opened a drink in the bottle and handed it to Margaret. "I guess we shouldn't get involved, how about that?" he offered.

 "Thank you." She accepted the bottle that the man offered her. She was about to drink it but she was aware of the man's offer. "Why do you say that?" Margaret asked emphatically.

 The man just shrugged his shoulders not knowing, he took a sip of his drink when his hand had managed to open the seal of the bottle cap. "I was worried about you."

 "Oh, okay.." she put the drink that was given to her on the table. "Sean!" she shrieked. "You do realize? If not us who else? Will this girl be able to complete the curse herself?" She searched for an answer by looking sincerely at Sean's brown eyes, "do you want to bury this the next time it happens?" Margaret's eyes filled with tears.

 Sean exhaled after he took the bottle away from his lips. "That conscience of yours could hurt you, I hope you don't have to worry about her anymore. If she wants this girl, let hers have her. Then I think things will go back to normal."

 Margaret shook herself hearing Sean's completely unexpected answer, "How long are you going to be this stubborn? Do you remember?"

 "Remember what? Remember when you almost died? Or because I cared about you more than her?" Sean's voice rose instantly as he interrupted Margaret's words that had not yet arrived.

 "I understand how you feel, but you know it yourself. Until now I'm still not relieved, as if he doesn't accept all of this. I feel like all of this is a punishment for me for ignoring her."

"Stop turning on yourself!" Sean asked, "back then it wasn't just my wish but her. I don't think she wants us to get involved anymore."

 "But, if not us who else?"

 Sean got off the edge of the bed and approached Margaret who was sitting on the chair with mixed feelings, he held Margaret's shoulders and looked at Margaret's hazel eyes that were moving, he knew the meaning of this, "Margaret, since when did you get so crazy about this kind of business?" ? It's not like we agreed not to get involved anymore, do you remember what she said before? She wanted us to live quietly so she sacrificed herself. I hope we don't have to make any more mistakes, how about that?"

 "So you want us to be quiet until she dies, and everyone else one by one she takes over?" Margaret replied nervously, "if we had died, I don't think we'd have died cowards."

 Sean took his hands off Margaret's shoulders, he took a few steps back and turned around. He had absolutely no idea that Margaret was so serious about what he said. He held his temples, then walked away from Margaret on a chair and the girl who had been curled up on the bed.

Margaret stood up too, "where are you going?" she asked.

 Sean paused, "physics quiz." Then Sean was completely away until he could no longer see Sean's back swallowed up behind the door.

 Margaret smiled and said something to herself, and glanced at the girl on the bed who was completely unconscious.

 *****

Alexa's light brown eyes slowly opened, after her eyes widened the first impression she caught was the smell of drugs, shades of white, props, health posters, and a red haired girl to her left. The red haired girl looked very enthusiastic when she found herself awake from her long sleep. Now her mind is whispering who is this girl? Is she a classmate or what? she then rose from her tiring bed. She sat on the bed stabilizing herself. She held her temple, which had been sore for some time.

 "Are you all right?" said the red haired girl, she held Alexa's forehead looking for an answer to her anxiety. "If you're not feeling well, you can stay here. I'll be waiting for you." The red haired girl asked Alexa again.

 Alexa brushed aside the girl's cold hand slowly, "I'm fine." Then she glanced at her arm for a moment, the arm that was injured from the sudden incident this afternoon. She touched it for a moment.

 "You don't mind if I bandage your wound?" said the red haired girl, "if someone didn't stop the girl earlier, maybe the wound would be deep and needed stitches, but the reality is not."

‌ Alexa raised her face to glance at the girl for a moment, "yes. Indeed, sometimes luck comes in strange ways. I think I am really lucky." Alexa nodded then. Then has feet were lowered slowly from the bed and now has feet touched the cold tile barefoot. She squatted down and grabbed a pair of black shoes under the bed and put them on. "Thank you." Alexa said as she finished putting on her shoes. She tidied herself up and grabbed the black almo mater embroidered with red on the head of the bed. "Mine right?" Alexa asked when the almo mater was already in her arms.

 The girl nodded without hesitation, "yes... It's yours."

 "Once again, thank you," Alexa said again and stepped away from the room.

 "Need a quant?" the girl offered was friendly.

"Uh, oh... No! It's fine, I'm just going to class get my stuff and head back to the dorms." Rejected Alexa while waving her hands around. She felt heavy if the girl once again helped her without hesitation. She felt that if this girl helped her again then she would crown herself as a person who always burdens other people. Moreover, she did not recognize this girl at all.

 "I don't think that's necessary."

 "No need?" repeated Alexa confused.

 The red haired girl seemed to be trying to remember something about Alexa. "You're in the same class as Sean Thompson, right?" asked the girl again, "if I'm not mistaken he is your class president right?"

 Alexa stopped for a moment after she had actually left the room. She paused, digesting the name of the person the girl had spoken to her. She could remember the face of the person mentioned even if it was vague. She remembered the unpleasant incident this morning, Alexa tried to ramble again. But just as her heart wanted to blame it, that person's face became a cover as her vision blurred a few hours ago.

 Alexa broke her memory chain, "oh, Sean Thompson?" she repeated.

 The girl pulled open the brown door and glanced at Alexa repeating Sean Thompson's name. "Yes." She nodded at Alexa's right side, "he just sent me a short message." Then she grabbed her cellphone in her skirt pocket, she stared at the cellphone screen for a moment and brought her cellphone to Alexa's face. "So don't worry, you can go straight to your dorm." Then she pulled out her phone and put it back in her pocket.

 "Uh," she sighed softly, until now she still couldn't believe it when the class president's light hand brought Alexa's bag to her dormitory. "I thought he hated me." She said softly even in the ears of the girl next to hers only heard an unclear whisper.

 "What did you say?" asked the girl.

Alexa was aware of what she said earlier, she did not expect that her inner words could come out of her lips. "It is nothing." Alexa replied smiling softly, "I guess I should thank him."

 "Oh, I think that's better. But you don't have to carry the burden, the class president does have such a task."

 Alexa nodded and started walking again though slowly and after that the girl followed her. "But what's your relationship?" Alexa asked curiously, because she had been hooking up with Sean Thomson all along.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Let me be clear. My name is Margaret Clark. Just call me Margaret." She held out her hand.

 Alexa took Margaret's hand gently, "Alexa Brown, call Alexa."

 "Nice to meet you." Margaret added before their hands were cut off. "Sean and I are cousins." She explained, "so I guess it's nothing new if you see me getting really close to him from time to time."

 Alexa just nodded at getting the answer she was really looking for. She walked slowly with Margaret, actually she felt awkward with the introduction because she wasn't usually able to be close to seniors at her school. She is afraid, if at any time there are words or actions that will get her into trouble with someone older than her. Or she is afraid if she becomes the material of bullying. "You better not have to accompany me."

 Margaret frowned "you feel awkward with me?"

 Alexa rubbed her arm slowly, "I'm not used to being friends with seniors at school." Answer Alexa honestly. She looked down, hiding her face in embarrassment.

 "Actually, I'm the same age as you but, because I'm taking accelerated classes, I'm one year faster than you to graduate. And I hope you won't be awkward with me after you know this."

 Alexa nodded as best she could, even though Alexa had gotten an adequate explanation, her awkwardness couldn't be overcome so quickly. "Oh I see." Alexa said short.

 "Oh, really? All right, wait for me." Margaret replied when she just received a call from her cell phone. Alexa didn't know who Margaret was talking to, but from the look on Margaret's face, Alexa knew that the caller was really important.

 Margaret glanced at her cellphone for a moment, and glanced at Alexa who looked at her questioningly. "I'm sorry, I can't walk you all the way to your dorm room. I have to be somewhere." Margaret revealed a face of regret at the sudden action. She turned around and while Alexa stared at Margaret's back which was slowly moving away. Seeing that Margaret was quite far away from her she turned and took another step towards has room.

 "Alexa!!!" Margaret called even though she didn't approach Alexa. "Call me if you feel anything odd. That's my number!" Ordered Margaret who was already far away, several other students passed beside Margaret without paying attention to Margaret's words which were so resounding in the stuffy halls.

 Alexa stared at her cell phone which vibrated a few seconds ago, she saw a new number ringing there. She lifted her face and looked for Margaret's figure that she had not seen. She turned and looked at her phone intently. A smile tugged at Alexa Brown's thin lips, she smiled not because she got Margaret's number or a sweet short message but, she smiled because her cellphone network was full.

 Without thinking she quickly chose the cellphone number that she had been missing since yesterday. With great hope she chose the green phone icon there. As she walked she put her cell phone to her right ear and smiled for a few seconds.

 "I miss you!" Alexa answered as quickly as possible before the person on the other end answered first.

 *****