The Night Children

Chapter 8

Edited. 

Pain. Everyone has felt it before. It nags at you, tickling every essence into your body until your muscles scream with the agony of it. It can shatter your mentality in half, filling your thoughts with desperation until the only thing you respond with is the tears in your eyes.

But now, as I stared at my hand, I was only filled with numbness. Its throbs matched my racing heartbeat, but it was like I was acknowledging the feeling from an outside perspective. My skin had swelled, welting into a flushed colour. Dried blood coated my knuckles, like a cracked oil painting on a marble wall. I couldn't clench my fingers, my nerves whirling into overdrive so all I could do was hold my breath, biting my tongue enough to feel my jaw crack with the pressure.

I couldn't understand the truth. The truth that Miss Anderson had driven a pencil through my hand, refusing to allow me to set off the fire alarm. The truth where Isaac went to harm me, his face one of fury. I couldn't understand any of it. I couldn't understand Aaron, the one person who was exaggeratingly consistent in my life. Every time I thought of his bloodied face my heart gave a massive jolt. I saw the look of anger in his eyes, the amount of pure hated that set his golden gaze ablaze. It wasn't natural for him. The boy I knew wasn't the boy I saw.

I heard the door creak open and I looked up to see Miss Anderson walk out of the office, her face expressionless. Her eyes snapped to mine, narrowing into thin slits. She frowned in my direction, her lips tightening as if she was about to say something. She seemed to think better of it and stalked off, ensuring she slammed the reception door on the way out.

"Renee" I jumped and turned in my seat to see Mr Osmin holding the door open to his office. I slowly got up, wincing at the sudden flare of pain in my arm. Mr Osmin glanced at me questionably but I ducked my head before he could speak his mind.

I had never been into the principal's office before. I had no intention to. Aleena on the other hand practically lived in here. I now knew why she called it a hoarder's home.

Glass objects littered cabinets lining the back of the room. Statues, figurines, crystallised objects and designs were broadcasted or sitting on stools, shining dully in the bright room.

My eyes travelled to the large desk centred in the middle of the room. A lasered glass pallet had the quote of 'Academic Integrity is Key' sketched into its surface. Next to it was a picture of a small girl – his daughter I would assume. It seemed to be the only ordinary thing in the room.

Mr Osmins voice cut through my thoughts. "Please take a seat Renee."

I obeyed, hesitatingly lowering myself into a rickety wooden chair. I caught myself wondering why the chair wasn't glass as well.

"I called you into my office to give you an opportunity to explain the previous event." His words were serious and toneless. His voice was formal but not in a way that reminded me of Aarons formality. Aaron spoke with a polite, second natured intellectual voice. Mr Osmin spoke in a voice that hinted he wanted to sound formal for the sake of maintaining his authority.

I nodded, noticing the way he moved his hands to lock them into soft fists. "We were doing speeches—"

"Who is we?"

I cleared my throat. "Isaac, Aaron and I."

Mr Osmin nodded, reaching over to retrieve a note pad. He began to write things down. My hand throbbed indignantly, and I stifled a groan of pain.

"It was my turn to speak and I grew anxious. I stumbled and was told I was a disgrace." My voice began to shake from the pain in my hand. Mr Osmin glanced up, his eyes searching mine. A frown touched his lips.