I WASN'T THE only one who seemed thrilled over the idea that Branden Richards was to be teaching our class, for approximately forty five minutes. It was still a thrill. Branden instructed us to line up.

  He paired us up. I was paired up with the last guy in the line, who was on the right side. I had hardly ever fenced with anyone, I mostly practiced with Mr. Pablo, he was teaching me the basics as I was still learning, my progression with him was relatively slow but in that time I learnt and could exercise a few moves.

  We stood infront of our opponents quiet and still. We were to typically defend ourselves from our opponents and stop at his command, then resume when he'd tell us to. Simple. When we began I discovered that sandy blond guy I was fencing was alot uncertain of what he was doing, I saw his hand shaking as he grasped his sword. He did although dodge every basic hit I made, swiftly, I also noticed how he waited for me to make the first move then he'd fight back.

  I remembered what Mr. Pablo said about the fencers who waited for the first move to be made, carefully studying your opponent's fighting strategy and learning how to destroy you in an instant. Clever. I tried a different pattern to try and trap my opponent, I moved my feet as fast as I could to distract him, and get to his side, while lunging at him. I guessed it worked he seemed timid by my new moves. I had the last hit before Branden told us to stop. He asked everyone to switch sides then continue. I now had a view of Branden where I was fighting, he was looking at the fencers on the right side of the room.

  He paid little attention to were we where, glancing a few times, never stopping. So I thought of catching his attention by performing a move I saw him do the first time I saw him. Didn't actually think it throughly before executing it, I did however, catch his attention just not because I miraculously imitated his swift move but because I stumbled while doing the turn, it looked alot cooler and easy to perform in my head, I tried to hold my balance but I instead ended up Shuddering right on my confused opponent, he struggled to keep both of us on our feet, that he started falling backward like a rolling stone, he missed a step and hit another student who joined the calamity, his friend too. My balance was still on my opponent, when we all stumbled to the floor, right infront of Branden.

  I took a brief moment to think of how all this went wrong and how I could have avoided it all and causally still been fencing on my feet with my rusty opponent. Optimistically, I wasn't the only one on the floor. I looked up at Branden, his reaction told a story; a simple story of boredom disappointment. He peered at us as he put his hand over his face and the other tucked under. I felt he was thinking of all the better things he would have been doing right now, questioning why he agreed to do all this or what made him agree to do this.

  ''Get up.'' His voice was as cold as ice, he didn't flinch.

  I imagined him being somewhat excited being told that he'd mentor fellow students, the disappointment I saw in his eyes was the same feeling I thought he felt after seeing that stunt. I instantly was the first to get up, l held a shoulder and pulled myself up, then pretentiously, acted like I wasn't responsible for that mishap. To be fair it wasn't my fault entirely. I got a hold of my opponent and helped him up.

  ''Austin. How long have we been here?'' Branden asked.

  Ryan Austin lifted his sleeve. ''Ten minutes.''

  ''I swear I don't know how he does it.'' He said with an exhausted edge. ''Resume. This time Westlake try not to take the whole class down.''

  my head automatically thought that should have been how he ended his remark, but even I knew that was too good to be true, I was an arse at this.

  I squirmed, scratching my head, glancing at the class they were staring at us, next time I thought quickly I'd stick to what I knew. Out of all of it, it finally dulled on me, that Branden actually knew my name.

  ''How strangely of how it can be classified into a word- a word that can't even begin to make it any more subtle, it can't be hidden nor can I display it, it can't be crashed nor can I lose it, it can't be missed nor do I want it, How I wish I could escape it, the feeling of-'' my opponent whispered as we walked back. I walked behind him listening.

  ''Hatred.'' I finished, ''Correct?"

  He chuckled quietly in his helmet.

  ''Poetic.'' I complimented. ''Sorry about that stupid stunt.''

  ''Nothing to be sorry about, I thought it was funny, beside, whatever was going on priorly.'' He said.

  I half smiled. ''You weren't bad.''

  ''It's funny, you thought I was referring to myself.''

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  And I chuckled. ''fair.''

  It was fair because I assumed the same thing.

  ''I hate how my Dad decided to switch me to fence this semester.''

  ''You can say that again.''

  ''I can play any instrument without ever cringing. But when it comes to this sword.''

  ''I feel like were stuck in the same boat-?'' I implied for him to introduce himself.

  ''Federico. .'' He said.

  We both weren't getting anywhere with our sour fencing, we were completely jaded and I knew we both just wanted to call it a day, and amble out of there. I strongly thought. So I thought of a better way we could spent the next couple of minutes.

  ''I have an idea of how we can spend the remaining minutes.'' I said to him.

  My enthusiasm wasn't as hyped from when I started, I figured it was because of my silly stunt that changed my mood and for some reason I actually thought Branden would be joining the fencing as well. He basically just stood there, more jaded than anyone in the room, well I couldn't blame him we weren't anything pretty to watch. And before he completely went mute he gave a few tips to some fencers but did no demonstration.

  I and Federico caused no more trouble we just wielded our swords toward each other in a more relaxed way, he lunged I'd defended and reciprocate. It was as easy as it sounded, in no time I was back home, shuffling upstairs to my room. I got in and collapsed on my bed tossing my bag on the other side of my bed.

  It had been a long dreadful day and all I wished for at that moment, was to float into my jacuzzi and take the longest nap. I began replaying every moment of my tiresome day. Nothing made me more happy than to leave school and be by myself. I hated the solitude but I preferred the absolute silence, even though I felt so much solitary, my thoughts always filled the emptiness I felt. My day wasn't all that dull when I started to cross out every detail.

  I thought about it being one of the oddest days I'd ever had. I opened my eyes and stared at my ceiling evoking my nightmare. I had a full flash of my nightmare, come right before my eyes, my eyes that felt like they were about to rupture out of my head staring at my Entirely That small black spot was gone, my eyes searched the ceiling again hoping to see it somewhere but it was gone, I slowly got up remembering how it ripped itself out of there.

  My breathing rose when I heard sounds coming from the door near to my exit door. Again. I didn't understand it, what was up with my room, this had got to be some sort of misunderstanding or sick joke, but I was skeptical if it were either, I got up out of my bed, marched to my door, I wasn't afraid, how could I be afraid of what I didn't believe in. But for some reason my hands seemed to shake. I opened the door and poked my head in, and of course the sounds came directly from my closet. I bit my tongue, convincing myself it was all in my head.

  I walked in, quietly walking to my closet. I paused infront of it as I recalled the whisper that came out of there. I touched my door, wondering if I'd find the worst in there. My hand slowly went down to the knob. My breathing worsened, I shut my eyes tightly and opened the door. I immediately opened them bracing myself to see the worst, I'd say I often let my curiosity get the best of me.

  Believe me when I say I was glad to see a person in there. It was one of the help. I breathed collectively in relief.

  ''It's just you.'' I gasped.

  Staring at a girl I had never seen in my life. Probably my age or a year or two older than me. If I was being honest, I hardly knew our staff, I was only familiar with two faces Albert and Rebecca. She was new to me just like all the other blurry faces. I looked at her, she was holding an unempty laundry basket. I wondered what was she doing in my room, Rebecca was in charge with cleaning my room and she was Not Rebecca. She must have noticed the suspicious look I was giving her.

  ''Um. . . I was bringing your laundry. Sir.'' She said looking down, her voice shaky with every word she uttered, I must have frightened her I thought with that look. But my paranoia convinced me to continue to interrogate this appalling situation.

  Our help was only supposed be around up until five p.m sharp, and this was half passed five. I still didn't understand.

  ''Laundry? Rebecca does my laundry.'' I regarded.

  Without ever lifting her head, her voice pleaded with me.

  ''Sir. She didn't come today, she-she'' she almost sounded like she couldn't breathe, she took a moment to catch her breathe.'' She called in sick, Mr. Rodriguez asked me to be her replacement for the time being.'' She stuttered.

  ''Aren't you supposed to be gone by now?'' I asked.

  I thought she was about to cry. She couldn't fish any word out, I had no clue of why she was so frightened.

  ''Calm down. I won't hurt you, I was only asking, I didn't mean to scare you. Okay?''

  I said croonly, a bit rushed to the absurdity tone, I didn't understand what was with all that over edgyness she actually made me cross thoughts on whether I needed to be suspicious.

  She nodded.

  ''You- you don't have to answer me if you don't want to. I understand.''

  She nodded several times. ''You're free to leave.''

  I stepped aside and she quickly walked passed me. I didn't think I was terrifying, I thought perhaps she thought she was in trouble and I was apparently scolding her, as for I the only thing that didn't make much sense to me was her timing, why was she still in my room by this time, she probably had some good reason, but hard for her to say I supposed, and I wasn't about to force it out of her, Albert could prudently help with that.

  I leaned against my wall, pondering, thoughts bombarding each other, was I imagining that black spot the entire time; or was it actually not present to begin with, or did it just disappear, just like in my nightmare, was my nightmare actually real or was it just a nightmare, and the sounds I heard from my closet; those voices that spoke, that door opening by itself, and my lights what was up with them? All of it felt confusing, what was really there and what wasn't.

  I came down to One conclusion. Which I knew I was going to regret saying it, because I couldn't believe myself I was actually putting it into consideration. But it explained much, I squirmed at the thought of it but it wasn't hard to come to it, I could deny it all I wanted and come up with a thousand other reasons, just to get away from it. But they was no other logic explanation for hearing those strange voices.

  My room was being haunted. By what? probably something beyond my imagination.