CHAP. FIVE—EXACTLY LIKE STRANGER THINGS.

『.*+ • ᴄʜᴀᴘ.ꜰɪᴠᴇ• *+.』

SCHOOL WAS COMING TO A CLOSE AS students flocked out the exit doors.

Some were hanging around the concrete staircases, the main building pillars, or the large lion statues. Even after the whole day sitting down and taking lessons, it really took the air out of the redhead.

Scarlett couldn't keep up with Professor Ada's algorithms. And it came with the homework. She wasn't sure about the others though, Danté slept throughout most of the class. And strangely, Nicolai wasn't in all day.

Was it because of how he acted earlier?

After the bell rang, the group all walked out as if they were up to something. They never showed up to the cafeteria—Scarlett became scarcely aware of it. It was like they were hiding something.

But why would she care?

"Hey, Scar. Wait up!" The 17-year-old gingerette looked back at Shawn and the three geek-keteers. "Okay. That can't be my nickname."

"I told him it isn't going to catch on," Dorian chuckled. "It's a work in progress," Shawn crossed his arms.

"You're going already?" Maddie asked the blue-eyed girl.

"Just waiting for my uncle. School's out, so...where else am I supposed to be?" Scarlett shrugged.

"But we never saw you in any class. Are you in the 11th grade?" Zack asked.

"Yeah?"

"Funny. We didn't see you in any of our classes," Dorian said as he flung his bag over his shoulder.

"Oh. I'm in this class; the...uhm...what's it called again? The special class or something." The three geeks immediately froze and gawked straight at the rubicund teen. It was like their whole world just shifted.

"Y-you...you're in... the Specials Class?" Maddie muttered.

"Yeah? So?"

"What's the 'Specials Class'?" Shawn asked, curious.

"It's a class of delinquents that are always in that room every day. And no one sees them," Zack elaborated.

"We don't actually know those guys, but they're incredibly weird. They don't come to the cafeteria at lunch or do P.E. with any of us. Hardly anyone knows who they are or where they came from," said Dorian.

"Rumours say that they've been attending this school for years and haven't graduated. But they're our age."

"That...doesn't make any sense," Scarlett shrugged. "Been here for years yet...they're our age?"

"We know!" Maddie whispered discreetly. "But we think..." the freckled girl gestured her finger for Shawn and Scarlett to lean closer. "We think they're not human."

Shawn and Scarlett were taken aback, pulling confused looks. "Wha...?"

"It's...just a theory," the girl nervously curled one of her frizzy red curls.

"We've been in Pastonville our whole lives. We've seen these guys once in awhile and they always leave as a group. Everywhere they go, they're always together," Dorian explained. "We know every house here but we don't know where they live or where they go."

"And we've seen a lot of stranger things out in this town lately," Maddie continued. "Just last month, someone was found dead in the forest, with a deep bite wound to the neck and extreme blood loss.

The cops crossed it out as wolves or bears, but they never ate the corpse. And the blood loss might've been that the blood-soaked deep into the soil. Some ruled out that there's a deranged serial killer on the loose. But there was no evidence of any used weapon. So anyone who enters the forest, don't come back. The case remains a cold mystery.

But we think—the Specials had something to do with it."

Shawn and Scarlett processed everything and they both looked a little staggered. The gingerette somewhat tried to pin their findings into one word. Which was the only bizarre one they could conclude with. "So you're basically saying—they're...Vampires?"

"Exactly!" Maddie squealed with a look of euphoria going into her eyes. She backed up from Scarlett and anxiously adjusted her glasses. Whereas Zack pressed the bridge of his nose in frustration. "For the last time, Mads. There's no such thing as Vampires, Werewolves, Fairies, or Wizards."

"But that's our only lead." The freckled teen pouted.

"'YOUR' only lead, not ours. You should stop reading those Twilight novels. Next thing, you'll say Taylor Lautner entered your room in the night and whisked you away in his big strong arms."

"Stay out of my fanfiction, Dorian! Knock it off!" Maddie growled and punched him on the arm. Scarlett blinked at the thought, Maddie reads Twilight Saga novels? And mostly, she favored werewolves over Vampires.

Typical fangirl.

But then she wondered if she could ask her if she had the Midnight Sun edition.

"Well, I hypothesize that they're an extraterrestrial race posing as humans and they're looking for more hosts," Zack exclaimed.

"Seriously?" Shawn and Scarlett plated unsurprised gazes. "That's what I said," Dorian sighed. "But I still do believe in paranormals so—"

"Look. Vampires? UFOs? They don't make any sense. Guys, we're not kids anymore," the tall raven haired newbie stated.

"I agree with Shawn on this one." Scarlett nodded. "I think you've watched too much of Stranger Things. Next thing, you'll be running around the neighbourhood, on your bikes looking for clues."

"Uh, you're kind of accurate at that," Maddie muttered as she pointed at their bikes parked at the parking bars.

"But you don't see anything mysterious about them. Don't you, Scarlett?" Dorian asked, diverting everyone's attention to her.

"Well, I never really bothered to notice. Some of them were nice. But what I don't know is why I'm put in that class."

"Have you done anything against the law?" Maddie asked.

"No."

"Hm. Weird."

A horn honked, gaining the attention of the five teens. A black SUV parked right by the sidewalk and a man that looked like Shawn's older version waving in the distance. "Oop. That's my dad. See ya tomorrow."

"Yeah sure," Scarlett stated as he watched the teen trek down the steps towards the sidewalk and got into the car.

"Well, we're off too. We're going to keep investigating," Zack said as he was walking toward the parking lot. Dorian and Maddie soon followed.

"Hey. Uh, Maddie?" The megane freckled girl turned back to Scarlett. "Yeah?"

"Do you happen to...have the...latest novel?"

"W-wait. You read Twilight?" The teen gawked in shock before pushing her glasses up. "Yeah. But I couldn't buy the latest one back home."

"My older sister has it and she tends to keep it with her. Plus she's out of town." Maddie answered.

"Oh."

"But there is a book store I know. Chances are that it could be there. It's not far from my house so I could give you a lift to check it out."

"Thanks," Scarlett rose a faint smile. Guess there was an advantage to having friends. Her uncle Josh was right.

But wait...he was going to pick her up. Nah. She'll go back to the school to wait. If Maddie says it isn't far. "No problem. Let's go. They won't close for another 10 minutes." Maddie grabbed her bike that had the standing posts on the back wheels for Scarlett to place her feet on. "Hop on."

Maddie carefully got on as Maddie cycled out of the school premises. Rolling down the hill of the road—feeling the cold autumn breeze through her red ginger hair. There was something about Pastonville that Scarlett started to like.

The open forest, no pollution, and it's not hot and unpredictable as Texan weather. Even though her class was a bit strange, even when she had the unordained encounter with 'the evil stepmother and the wicked stepsisters', she found people to talk to. Actual friends. Scarlett wasn't often open to people until now.

But maybe it was a streak of luck the universe has blessed her with.

"Here we are," Maddie turned and parked right at a book shop. "Thanks. I'm gonna need you to send me back to school after."

"Sure." The two tone-haired redheads entered the shop, and were met by aisles and shelves of books. "Come on, I know where they are." Maddie gestured her fellow age-mate towards the next aisle. She instantly found the Twilight novels. "New moon...Eclipse...Breaking Dawn...a-ha! Here it is, Midnight Sun!"

Maddie pulled it out. Scarlett took the look at the price and her eyes widened. "50 dollars?! But the books back home cost 15!"

"Guess it's not what you wanted to see," Maddie wheezed. Scarlett groaned and threw her head back. "I'll get it next time. Do they lay-buy here?"

Short after they left the store, "Maddie!" The teens heard a motherly voice call out. "Shoot. I forgot I was supposed to help my mom out with her muffins. Sorry, Scarlett."

"It's fine. I'll just walk back."

"See ya tomorrow then," the frizzy redhead hopped back on her bike and drove further down ahead, turning at the next corner and disappearing. Scarlett dejectedly sighed. She clenched her shoulder bag tight and continued walking back. She walked right up the hill, already getting out of breath without realising it.

The teen slipped and tripped off the road towards the steep height from the road high up down the leafy ground of the forest. "Shit!" She groaned in pain, the next thing she felt was a warm red liquid flow down her head.

"Great." The teen looked up to the road, about 7 feet high with stones piled all around and acting as a wall between the houses and the forest. How come the road had no shielding or anything?

With how high the edge was, it was surprising she wasn't walking away with a mild concussion. She looked around the forest—and looked for an exit out of the wall. Maybe if she walked ahead towards the school, she'll find an opening to climb out.

Just as she sauntered, the teen felt like there was something in the forest. Birds flocked out of the trees, but she definitely heard something move. The hairs on her neck stood out, a chilling sensation rippled through her pale skin. Scarlett sensed—she was being watched.

'...Just last month, someone was found dead in the forest, with a deep bite wound to the neck and extreme blood loss...

...The cops crossed it out as wolves or the bears, but they never ate the corpse...'

Scarlett thought back to what Maddie said earlier, then remembered her Uncle's warning.

'...Don't...I repeat—DON'T go out into the forest.'

The teen couldn't help the feeling that the very thing—was watching her. Scarlett gulped before taking more steps forward. The more steps she took, the more she felt stalked. She heard snapping twigs from a distance. Her conscious told her to get a move on and get the hell out and do it fast.

She started to speed walk faster, then increased her pace until she started to sprint and run. Looking back at the forest, something ran past in a blur. 'Shit. Shit shit shit shit...'

Scarlett bolted into the forest, internally cursing herself for not being fit to run. The route made her run straight down into the forest, she just hoped there was a road just down ahead, the whole area was on a hill. She just needed to reach a road before - and whatever it was after her - doesn't get to her.

Until something zoomed towards her and rammed her right onto a trunk of a large pine with such force. She quickly met glowing fierce grey eyes and a terrifying glare.

A male with greyish-white hair and sharp canines. Airing out a dark hiss at her, Scarlett screamed—beyond afraid.

-END-