"You don't belong here Selene"
"they're watching you"
"everyone hates you"
"they're going to hurt you"
"don't trust anyone"
They whispered in a sinister voice.
The creatures with the face of her classmates slowly crep closer and closer to Selene, they move as if their limbs hung loose to their body, shifting in a slow, unnatural motions.
Selene's breath caught in her throat, her breath shallow, as her eyes darted from one face to another. They were too close far too close and yet none of them seemed to notice the anomalies around them.
Her fingers curled tightly against her palms, nails digging into skin as if pain could help anchor her back to reality.
"Please stop…" she whispered, though her voice barely is bearly audible.
The room tilted, their movements slowed, loose, and wrong that made her stomach twist.
She took a step back, then another, but the space behind her felt like it was surrounded by those voices, closing in.
Her heart pounded louder than their
voices, louder than the whispers beginning to crawl back into her mind.
They're getting closer.
Selene squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head, as if this action can banish the voices she hears all away.
"Selene breath all of this are not real," As she breathed heavily, over and over.
But when she opened her eyes again, they hadn't stopped. Their faces became closer now too close. Close enough that Selene could see the slight twitch in their smiles, the way their eyes didn't look human as if those eyes looking at her are something that can see through inside her.Her back turned stiff as she gaze at those creatures.
"Stop!," she shouted in a loud voice her voice cracking. "Just, just stop!".
No one answered.
One of them tilted their head, slow, deliberate, as if the motion had been practiced but never perfected. Their head look as if there is no bone inside their bodies Another leaned forward, their arm dangling at an angle that shouldn't have been possible, fingers brushing the air inches from her face.
Selene flinched hard, her whole body recoiling in fear.
"They're not real"
"They're not real"
"They're not"
"Why are you scared?" a voice murmured close to her ear.
Her breath hitched as the room pulsed. For a moment everything stretched, the walls, the floor, their faces warping like broken glass.
Then
"Selene?"
The voice was different it felt real. Everything suddenly snapped.
Her classmates were back at their desks, sitting normally, talking and laughing looking as if nothing had happened. No twisted limbs, no creeping faces. Just normal.
Selene stood frozen, her hand gripping the edge of her desk so tightly her knuckles turned white.
A classmate frowned at her. "Are you okay?". A voice filled with concerned ask.
Selene didn't answer, she could still feel those creatures, they felt real, close.
And somewhere, just beneath the peace something was still whispering.
"Selene?…"
"Are you alright? You're trembling."
Selene snapped back and looked at her classmates. They were now gathered around her, but not like before.
Their faces are normal again, filled with confusion and concern instead of that slow, unnatural stillness of what she saw as her classmates.
"I-I'm fine,", she said quickly, pulling her hands closer to herself.
"You don't look fine,", Mira said, frowning. "You were just staring at nothing."
"I wasn't", Selene stopped, her voice catching. "I just… zoned out a bit".
John crossed his arms, glancing at Selene. "You've been doing that a lot lately."
"That's not true", Selene muttered, avoiding his eyes.
"Selene", Mira said softly, stepping a little closer. "You we're shaking".
Selene flinched.
"I said I'm fine", she snapped, louder than she meant to. The group fell silent.
A pause.
"Did something happen?" another classmate asked carefully.
Selene hesitated. Her gaze drifted past them just for a second toward the empty space behind John. Nothing was there.
Nothing
"…No", she said finally, her voice quieter now. "I just got dizzy".
John didn't look convinced. "You looked like you saw something."
"I didn't", Selene said firmly.
Mira exchanged a glance with him. "Selene maybe you should go to the clinic to rest".
"Yeah Mira's right".someone else added. "You're really pale".
Selene nodded slowly, even though her chest still felt tight, like something was squizing it tightly from the inside. While her heart is beating so fast, as if her heart would leap out of her chest,
"Okay", she murmured.
She stood up, her chair scraping softly against the floor.
"I'll just… get some air".
Mira reached out slightly. "Do you want someone to go with you?"
Selene shook her head . "No, I'm fine".
She turned before they could say anything else, she kept walking toward the door. Each step felt like a heavy rock is attached to her feet.
Behind her, the classroom noise slowly returned to whispers, chairs moving, and quiet murmurs.