DEMONIC WHISPERS

My eyes snapped open on their own. My breathing was heightened and my bangs were plastered on my forehead. I felt cold and scared. I had had a dream. It was so terrifying. The demons, twisted, dark creatures, had been eating me. It had felt so real and the pain . . . I shuddered at the memory. I rolled over on my back. Goosebumps rose on my skin. My room mate had forgotten to turn down the a/c.

My eyes adjusted to the darkness of my dorm room. I was so tired. I spotted a couple of my books scattered across the floor. I must have thrown them on the floor when I fell asleep, I thought. I yawned and turned my head to the right. My eyes went wide with shock. IT WAS NINE A.M. IN THE MORNING! I WAS GOING TO BE LATE TO CLASS!

I threw the covers off my legs and sprung off my bed. I stumbled across the room, stubbing my toes on my books and reached my set of drawers. I couldn't afford to be late. Mr. Hanks would not repeat his lesson and he didn't give any extra credit or anything. He just taught without stopping. If I was going to be a veterinarian I couldn't be late for his class.

I quickly stripped, throwing on a pair of jeans and an orange shirt. I couldn't even take a shower! I ran my fingers through my light auburn hair pulling it up in a pony tail and using the rubber band on my left wrist to tie it back. I rushed into the restroom not even bothering to turn on the lights. I opened the faucet and splashed cold water on my face to wake me up.

I grabbed my purple tooth brush from it's holder and squirted tooth paste on it. I shoved the tooth brush in my mouth and brushed vigorously. I spat. I rinsed my mouth, the tooth brush and turned off the water. I grabbed a random towel off the towel rack and dried my face. I dropped the towel; I couldn't afford to care about neatness right now.

Picking up a clean pair of socks off the floor, I shoved them on my feet. I went looking for my sneakers. They were under my bed; I quickly put them on, tying the laces sloppily. I glanced at the clock. 9:20. I had to hurry. My class started at ten but it was on the other side of campus. I had to sprint in order to get there.

I picked up my green bag pack off the floor and my keys, shouldered the bag pack and threw open the door. I rushed out of the room, slammed the door shut and ran. I was out of the dorm building in less than five minutes not that I was counting or anything. Other students were outside, talking and laughing. I ran past them, ignoring their startled cries. If only I could fly.

I came up to a four way crossing only seconds later. Before I got there, I was already glancing both ways. Out of nowhere a motorcycle came zooming down the road. I was going to hit it! A hand shot out and hurled me back on my back. My books and pens stabbed into me. I grunted in pain.

"Watch where you're going," snarled a female voice. "I'll drag your ass down the street if you hurt my baby."

I winced and looked at the girl. Her face was covered by a helmet. She wore a leather outfit. She was no way a student. Here voice sounded so frightening.

"Sorry," I mumbled. My heart wouldn't stop hammering in my chest. A little harder and it would burst out of my chest!

"You better be," she snarled. The engine roared and she went speeding away.

I sighed in relief. I was still alive. That's when it hit me. I WAS GOING TO BE LATE FOR CLASS!!! I got up and kept running. I dodged people and bicycles. I couldn't stop for anything in the world. My bag pack thumped heavily against my back, increasing the pain. I was getting out of breath. I had never been a good runner; not even in high school. I had always been the weak kid.

I burst into the classroom just as Mr. Hanks walked out from his office. Thirty pair of eyes, or so, turned to look at me. My face turned red. I quickly walked down the flight of stairs and took my seat. My arm pits were itching from embarrassment. I couldn't look at anyone in the eye.

"I thought you were going to miss the class," whispered a girl beside me.

I looked at her. Briana's green eye shadow popped out against her brown skin. She was neatly groomed and not at all ruggedly looking like I was.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," I muttered.
***
I walked out of Mr. Hanks classroom, mentally drained. He had gone on and on about numbers. Math wasn't my best subject but I understood it. It was just that I wasn't in the mood to learn anything right now. My stomach had been growling through the two hours of Mr. Hanks lecture. I was so tired. Last night hadn't been the only bad dream I had. For the past two weeks I had been dreaming about dying and getting eaten.

It was affecting my sleep and my life. My bag pack felt heavier than it had this morning. I guess it was all the the packet of work I had to do by this upcoming Friday. A movement caught my eye. I turned. There was nothing in the bushes. I swallowed. I wasn't paranoid or anything but I had been seeing shadows out of the corner of my eye. Yet when I looked there was nothing there.

What was happening to me?

I continued down the walkway deep in my own thoughts. I edged around the group of students crowding the walkway. I didn't have many friends in college; only people that I talked to. I kept my eyes down as I pass them. I hated drawing attention to myself. If I looked at someone, that person would get offended. I was not in the mood to deal with any crap today. One of the students moved back. In my haste to avoid any collision, I side stepped into another person.

"Bitch, watch where you are going."

I looked at the girl. I knew that voice. She was the one who had pushed me this morning! Her back hair fell loose on her light skin shoulders. Her brown eyes seethed with murder. I stumbled back away from her. I was already attracting trouble where ever I went.

"I'm sorry," I said. What else could I say?

Her eyes narrowed. "You're that girl from before," she said. "What's your problem? Did you make it a priority to annoy me or what?"

I was lost for words. I couldn't even form a coherent thought.

"Aren't you going to answer me?" she demanded. "I deserve an explanation. Well?"

I turned and ran. Coward my mind screamed. I was a coward. I hated fighting and confronting people. I kept running until I was sure I had lost her. I found myself in front of the library. I looked behind me. No one was following me. I was such a little while from the stores.

I can go shopping, I thought. That should keep my mind off of my horrible life.

I veered to my right walking toward the meter or so away bus stop. I needed to relax. I had to get a hold of myself. I took a seat on the green bench. I glanced at the newspaper beside me. The headlines read Young woman of twenty found dead last night. I picked it up and scanned the first page. It talked about the girl ripped apart and tortured but police didn't have any leads.

This isn't the first death. There were people missing as well. My neighbor in the dorm had a television. Tracey and I go over a couple of times during the week. The news was crowded with death and missing. The accidents were so close to the college. A killer was on the loose.

I dropped the newspaper unable to read more. There was something weird going on here. But what was it? I looked across the street. No one seemed to notice anything about the world. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't know about the deaths. People were always ignorant of the happenings in the world. They didn't care because it hadn't happened to them.

A faint breeze ruffled by uncombed hair. A sense of forbidden came over me. The hair on the back of my neck rose. I felt like I was being watched. I slowly turned my head around and stared into the bushes. I couldn't see anything. I moved a little forward. I hunched my shoulders. My imagination was running wild. I thought about how someone would jump out from behind the bush and attack me.

I stood up. Stop it, I thought. Stop acting this way.

The bus rounded the corner and came to a slow stop in front of the bus stop. The door squealed open. I got on the bus glancing at all the passengers. I found a free seat at the back and sat down. I unshouldered my bag pack and placed it on my lap. As I was looking out the window. The bushes rustled and something dark darted out. I found myself shaking and my brow covered in sweat. I had been spied upon after all.