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The first evidence of my hypothesis in hypnosis was the fact a student goes missing after a few days and I had proof of that. A girl named Clementine was looking for her friend who had been missing. No one found her and no one knew where she was but she showed up at school and stabbed a fellow student with a knife.
I ask people to recall what happened that faithful day. Some claimed they couldn't remember, others were too shocked to recall. Only Trixie an upperclassman told me of that day. According to her, Clementine's friend showed up with an expressionless look on her face and walked passed her. She tried to call out to her but was ignored so she went off to look for Clementine to ask questions about her friend. Then the murder happened.
I asked her if she told the police and she said yes but none of them believed her! This is proof that she was hypnotized but one question remains, who was doing the hypnotism?
I slam the book shut. 'Hypnotized huh?'
It had been a week and three days since Carl's disappearance but no sign of him or sign or news of him.
'Maybe he is trying a new tactic?' I think putting the book in the secret compartment in my room. 'But Ms. Brittany vanished on a school night and appeared the very next day with a weapon and now a student has disappeared for close to a month. Is the 'Demon' trying to throw us off?'
I wanted to call Caroline but I decided to wait until we get to school. After a quick shower and a sloppy breakfast (which was not enough to shake me awake), I head to the door when my Aunt Helen told me I had to be home by 2 PM to make them dinner.
"I can't. I have club practice." I reply grabbing my jacket.
She scoffed. "Cancel it."
"I can't. It's important. I will be home by 4 PM." I open the door and walk out of the apartment building while she yelled threatening to kick me out if I get pregnant added I was going to turn out to be a prostitute like my mom if I continued my 'club activities'. It stung but I am used to her insults.
Besides, this wasn't the first time she called me a 'prostitute'. When I was in junior at my former school, I told her someone was following me and she said it was my fault for trying to seduce him.
'I cried buckets that day.' I look up and see Gwen waiting for me with a paper bag. Smiling, she hands me a paper bag.
I smile back "Thank you."
She pats me on the back and we walk in silence. "Did you sleep well last night?"
I nod.
"That's great. I hope you have been studying for the exams."
A grin spread all over my face. 'Gwen has been so helpful. Making me lunch, so I can save money, asking about my wellbeing and making me feel at ease.'
I sigh and look away. 'She is doing a lot for me. I don't know how I'm going to repay her.'
As usual, we part ways after changing our shoes and I make my way toward my homeroom.
"Wow! You are good at this game!" Andrew said.
"Yeah!" Ralph cheered.
"I really like the way you designed your character," Brianna said.
I slowly walk into the room and see something that made me blink twice. There seated on the chair with a laptop in front of him and a controller in his hand was Jake and my friends with other students surrounded him.
"Oh look out!" Brianna chirped.
"Gosh! Don't talk with your mouth full." scolded Aubrey.
"You know we are not meant to be doing this. The exams are around the corner." Brutes said.
Jake smirked as he pressed the buttons on his controller at a fast pace while I slowly sneak out of the room.
'What on earth is going on? Three days ago they despise him but now they like him because he plays video games?'
Then the students cheered and I take a peek through the classroom window to see what happened.
"Wow! You beat the boss!"
"That's amazing!"
"And at the nightmare mode too!"
"Amazing!"
He looked with a smirk on his face as everyone congratulated him. Feeling something churn in my stomach, I head to the women's room to do my business. By the time I was done, he was gone and the teacher was in the classroom. After telling the teacher why I was late, the lesson went on but once it was time for Math Class, the teacher was nowhere to be seen.
"Where is Mr. Green?"
"I don't know."
"Do you think he is sick or something?"
"I am not sure."
Suddenly Mr. Indigo showed up holding what seemed to be a book in his hands. "I regret to inform you that Mr. Green would be absent today. So all of you are requested to go to the library to study for the exams."
Some of the students groaned and looking to my right, I see Valarie was in a savage mood but that was replaced with a smile when her seatmate whispered something into her ear. Confused, I look to my right and see Jake standing by the doorway with a smile on his face.
'Oh come on.'
"Do you want to study with me Emma?" he asked the minute he walked in.
"Uh," I look behind me and see Valarie was giving me a clear warning not to accept his invitation. "I can't. I have to go to the library to study for the exams."
"That's fine, let's study together." with that, he grabbed my hand before I could protest and dragged me to the school's library. Picking a seat by the window and further away from other students I force myself to sit in front of him.
"Is this place uncomfortable for you?" he asked with concern.
"No. It's good," I replied rubbing my wrist.
"Are you..."
"No, I am fine." I take a seat, open the book and start studying.
'Probability can be confusing sometimes.' Feeling a set of eyes on me, I look up and catch Jake staring at me like I was a new specie he had discovered which is ironic because he was reading Biology.
"Umm, can you stop staring at me please?" I politely ask my face heats up in embarrassment. "It is making me uncomfortable."
"I want to know more about you," he said and ignoring my request.
My blush went deeper. "What do you want to know?"
"Everything!"
I jolt back at the tone of his voice and shiver. 'What the... Why is he looking at me like that?' My heart was beating faster than usual as a smile appeared on his lips.
"I want to know everything about you, Emma. Your likes and dislikes, your favorite color, your favorite food. You know the basic stuff as someone who wants to make you happy."
A chill went up my spine but I force a smile. "How about some other time?"
The look on his face transformed into disappointment. "Oh, okay. But I want to know more about you."
I quickly nod wishing there was a way to get out of this creepy situation without being rude. "Maybe later."
Silence fell as I tried to concentrate on what I was reading but with him staring at me, it was impossible.
'I wish he could stop staring. It is making me uncomfortable.' I take a deep breath. 'Okay stay calm. It would be over soon.'
So, I endured the uncomfortable atmosphere for an hour until the lunch bell rang. As I pack my things to leave, he grabbed my hand.
"Do you want to have lunch with me?" he asked.
'Enduring another thirty minutes in that uncomfortable atmosphere? No thanks!' was my initial reply but I force a smile instead.
"Sorry. Maybe some other... Ouch!"
He tightens his grip around my hand.
"I know. You want to have lunch with your friends huh?" he asked giving me that creepy look. "You know, your friends won't mind if we had lunch on our own. I asked them and they agreed. I even made a lot of food for you and it is way tastier than the rubbish Gwen makes. Why don't you try it for a change hmm?"
I could see my reflection in his eyes which burned with an unknown emotion!
"Jake you are making me uncomfortable," I say trying to wrench my arm away from his grip but he tightened it.
"Hey, guys!" Brianna yelled approaching us but she stopped midway. "Oh I am sorry, did I interrupt something?"
I read her facial expression and panic. "It is not what you think."
"It is okay," she came closer and Jake let go of my hand. I seize the opportunity to grab Brianna and flee from the library.
"Hey what gives?" she asked once we were out of the library.
I wipe the perspiration from my face. "Nothing. I just feel uncomfortable around him."
She grinned. "Hey, it's okay. He is nice. He even beat the tough boss in..."
"Yeah, I saw you guys in the morning."
Her eyes widened. "Really? You missed it! He beat the boss in nightmare mode!" she nudged me and winked. "He even likes you."
I widen my eyes and look away. "I...I didn't know but wasn't he rude to us a few days ago?"
"Yeah but he apologized and let us play all the games in the arcade on him and he even helped me with the dance game! Maybe he is just nervous around you that's why he asks like that."
I was so confused that my eye twitched. 'What just...did I miss something over the weekend?'
"Good thing the math teacher didn't come. I forgot to do my assignment." Brianna added easing the tension.
"Were you playing video games again?" I ask despite the pit in my stomach and she nods but points behind me. Goosebumps appear on my skin but when I dare to look back, I see Bert instead.
"Geez Emma. You look like you have seen a ghost!" he said holding two lunch boxes in his hand.
Relief washed through me. "Oh, it's nothing. Say whose lunch box are you holding?"
"Oh it is Eric's," he replied. "Well let's go to the roof I am starving here!"
Suddenly Jake appeared holding a basket in his hand. "Yeah let's go."
The tension rose high and once we got there and the look Gwen and Caroline gave us didn't help. What made things worse was Eric's presence. Why? Nobody liked him.
Jake laid the carpet on the floor and put the food on it.
"Wow, Jake this food looks amazing!" Brianna cheered.
He gave Gwen a triumphant smile. "Thank you."
Ignoring the food, I take out the sandwich Gwen made from the brown bag and take a bite. My face twisted to that of discomfort as something stung my teeth filling my mouth with a sour taste.
"Oww!" I look at the sandwich.
"What is the matter?" Gwen asked.
"I am sorry but did you taste the sauce before you put it on the sandwich?"
"Let me have it!" Eric snatched it from my hand and took a huge bite. His eyes watered and he quickly spat it out.
"It is repulsive! Absolutely repulsive!" he said tossing it away. "Did you taste it before you gave it to her?"
His words and actions annoyed Gwen. "I can make that sandwich in my sleep you moron!"
"Then it was obvious that you were asleep when you were making it." he turned his nose in the air. "Even Shakespeare himself would vomit at this."
Furious, Gwen folded her arms in anger.
'Gee she looks upset.' I pat her on the back, "I am sure the sandwich taste..."
But Jake shoved something into my mouth before I could complete my sentence.
"Don't talk with your mouth full." He said shoving rice in my mouth again and again until my cheeks looked like that of a hamster.
Andrew giggled. "You look cute!"
Jake cringed as they all laughed. All except Caroline who looked angry for some reason. I swallow the food in one gulp and Jake stuffed my mouth with rice again.
"Mmm mmm." I shove his hand away while swallowing the food and getting the hiccups.
'Oh no!' I hiccupped again causing my chest to heave. Everyone stared for a while until Bert handed me a bottle of water. I grab it and take a huge gulp.
"Thank you." I hand the bottle to him.
He blushed. "It is okay. You can keep the bottle."
That surprised me. "Oh okay."
"Mind if I join you?" we looked up and see a blond-haired boy wearing a crumpled-up uniform with a bandage wrapped around his right arm but what scared me was the weapon he was holding; it was a baseball bat with nails sticking out.
Andrew growled. "What are you doing here?"
He shrugged. "Getting some lunch pea-brain. Wow, it looks like you have a feast here."
He sat next to Gwen and proceeded to grab my chopsticks but Jake slapped his hand away.
"Get your own you bastard!" he growled.
The boy looked at him and grinned. "Sure!" then he grabbed a clump of rice from the cooler with his hand and began to eat.
Well, his actions disgusted everyone including Jake who packed up his things and left. Well, we all did. The class was starting soon and we did not want to be late.
'Well, that was a strange event.' I think as I walk to the classroom. Then I was dragged from the collar of my shirt and slammed hard on the wall.
"What the..." I say trying to breathe.
"You little bitch." an angry voice said and all I could see was a baseball bat. "I heard you got that witch's book is it true?"
Her voice was so fierce I could only nod.
"Where is it?"
"I...I left it at home."
That made her swing her bat in my direction but I dodge the blow.
"That was a near miss." She said ready to hit me again.
I use my arms to shield myself. "What do you want?"
"What was written in that book?" she asked pointing the bat at me.
"I...I don't know!"
"You don't know?"
"I haven't read it yet!"
She huffed and instructed me to bring down my arms. "When you read that book tell me what is in it understand?"
I gulp and nod.
"Answer me!" she screamed.
"Yes upperclassman," I mutter. She huffed and walked away leaving me emotionally exhausted.
'I lied to her.' I slide to the ground. 'It was wrong but there is something about that girl that makes my skin crawl. She is giving the same negative aura Jake gave and I don't know why?' I cover my face with my hand. 'What I'm I going to do?'
"Emma?" a sweet voice called. I look up and see Gwen looking at me with concern. "Are you okay?"
I shake my head and stand up. "Please, can you walk me home today? I have something to tell you."192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ41SDACejdC
