Surrounded by the darkness of the past

This is the first day she has to go to class. She doesn't know what lessons are like at the local place. After all, teachers here deal with disobedient, and arrogant youngsters for whom they need nerves of steel.

Over the weekend she managed to get used to the behavior of her peers. They don't count for anything. Even classes with a psychologist don't exactly help them. They are rebellious and rude. They noticed that Sara is not like them and can't defend herself, so they made her a scapegoat. This was to be expected, but she didn't think it would be such despicable behavior.

Fortunately, she has Laura on her side, who sometimes stands up for her, although at times she gets fed up and yells at her to get a grip.

The boy who helped her that evening turned out to be a new student, who arrived the same day she did.

The girls are delighted with him because he is the son of the prime minister. He seems to ignore everyone. He is arrogant and doesn't wrap his head around when someone gets in his way. Furthermore, he looks like he has no intention of making new friends. And despite his attitude, he is well-liked because of his respective status, while Sara is oppressed by his character. Girls make fun of her, and boys non-stop reproach her for lying on the stairs in her underwear. They offer her non-committal arrangements, and instead of slapping them, she just runs away.

There is no self-confidence.

Sara stops at the entrance to the classroom and observes with panic what is happening inside. The room is in complete chaos. Boys are beating each other up, pushing each other on benches, and girls are standing in a corner, peering into mirrors and applying a thick layer of lipstick to their lips.

When she goes inside, someone brazenly pushes her, causing her to land with her knees on the floor.

She gets the impression that she has skinned herself. Everyone in the class bursts out laughing, thinking it's funny. The brown-haired girl lifts her face and looks at them with tears in her eyes.

She is embarrassed.

- Since you occupied the entire aisle I had no choice," says the girl, who has been teasing her from the beginning. She is Laura's biggest rival, but the brunette can rub her nose in it.

- Sara, what are you doing? Get up and pull all your hair out of that dumpster! Why do you allow yourself to be treated this way? Do you want to be a laughingstock? - She hears the angry voice of her roommate above her. Seeing that the girl is not going to listen to her, she walks past her and punches her rival in the face. Surprised, Julia catches herself with a burning cheek. - You'd better wash off that makeup, because I can see that your eyelids can't take the weight. I don't know what Matthew saw in you," she adds with superiority in her voice.

- You shouldn't be interested in this," says a boy who just appears in the classroom. He walks up to Sarah, and extends his hand to her. He helps the girl up from the floor. She hisses in pain as she straightens her injured knee, so Matthew grabs her around the waist, which she finds uncomfortable. She feels a blush on her face. Everyone is looking at them. - I'll take you to the doctor, and you Julia, think about what you're doing. Everyone here has many behinds, but most are trying to change their behavior. You are not doing anything about it.

Julia boils with anger, while Laura watches them closely. Both of them are jealous. And not because he helped Sarah, but also by being kind to her.

- I warned you that you couldn't handle it. You are too nice to be in this place. They see that, and it's why they treat you that way. The people staying in this center are problematic people. They love to bully the weak, it makes them happy," Matthew declares as he leads the girl to the doctor. - You are different from the rest, and I guess that makes me feel like defending you. You are like my sister, just as innocent. All my life I've been protecting her, but eventually, I lost a little, that's why I'm here.

Sara glances at him with apparent interest. Matthew spoke to her first, and besides, he has been kind to her from the beginning. And although he is the most popular boy at the center, he doesn't act like a bully at all. Usually, such people pick their noses, but he is entirely different.

- Thank you," she replies quietly, to which he nods and smiles friendly. Sara looks ahead, and unexpectedly feels a pleasant tightening in her stomach, when she notices the blond man heading from across the street. She herself doesn't know what the feeling is, especially since she's never had the chance to experience it before, but it's certainly pleasant. This boy caught her attention the very first time she met him, and it's not just about his looks.

She herself doesn't know if what she feels now is infatuation, but one thing she is sure of: this boy is her type. And even though these are only her desires, she has always believed that one day she will meet the man she imagined being her ideal. And although her character does not allow her to continue in that direction, at least she can enjoy the sight of him.

The blond man casts Sarah a brief glance, and she discreetly looks back at him, which does not escape her companion's attention.

- He's the new one, right? Alan? - he asks, so the girl looks at him abashed and feels herself blushing. She shyly nods, so Matthew smiles charmingly. He can see that the newcomer has caught her eye, yet he is fine enough not to pursue the subject. He is well aware of how difficult it is for a shy person.

*

The doctor washes Sarah's knee and makes her a bandage, then tells her to return to class. Matthew went early to excuse her.

The girl enters the classroom and apologizes for being late, and the teacher asks her to take an empty seat. She tentatively looks around the room and finds only one empty chair, which is on Oliver's bench. Classes look strange here, especially since the girls have to sit with the boys.

Sara doesn't know if it has anything to do with the class being quieter, but she feels embarrassment.

- I fought so much to sit alone, and you ruined everything," he says in an unfriendly tone.

Out of the corner of her eye, she glances at him and, meeting his unsympathetic gaze, quickly turns her face in the opposite direction.

Oliver scares her. And even after he has helped her, he still manages to be mean to her.

- And if you want to look at me, do it normally, not glance with a frightened look, as if I were at least biting," he adds.

This time she does not honor him with a glance at all. He has a terrible character, so she prefers to pretend he's not here at all rather than listen to his spiteful remarks.

She curiously looks around the classroom to see who she goes to class with. She catches a glimpse of a few familiar faces and is surprised to see Matthew sitting on a bench with an ex-girlfriend.

Sara manages to see that he is a prankster, which pleases the rest of the class, as they laugh at his jokes.

The door opens halfway through the lesson, and in it stands Alan. With indifferent eyes, he looks around the classroom, and Sara feels that strange joy again when she sees him.

- It seems that there is no free place for me," he says and wants to leave; however, the teacher does not allow him to do so. With a hand gesture, he encourages the boy to go inside. The blond listens to him, but reluctantly obeys the command.

- You are welcome. Today you can sit at my desk, and tomorrow you will get your bench," he declares, making room for the new student. Alan walks through the entire classroom, and everyone's eyes are focused on him. He takes a seat at his desk and spreads out in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. - Your rebellious attitude is cute, but only until then. In this place, you will quickly regain your sanity," the teacher adds, looking at the blond boy. Alan ignores his words and looks around at the students. He keeps his gaze a moment longer on Sara. The girl quickly lowers her face, feeling that she is blushing. She is embarrassed because she was caught by him.

*

After class is over, she decides to take a walk in the fresh air, especially since she hasn't yet had a chance to see what's behind the building. Laura has disappeared somewhere with her best friend, so Sara has no one to ask to show her around. She could ask Matthew, but she is too shy to do so. He would probably agree, but just talking to him is not part of the plan.

Sara stands in front of the building and puts on a sweater. She carefully looks around. This place gives her the creeps. There is a dense forest around the fence, which doesn't allow much light, and thus it seems dark here. The fence itself is very high, probably made so that no one has a chance to escape. It looks old, but solidly made. There are wire spikes attached to the ends, further deterring escapees.

There are additional trees and a small pond behind the building, and the rest of the area is covered with grass. The girl guesses that there is nothing else there, especially since the playground is in front.

She approaches the pond and looks curiously at the old oak tree. She notices hearts and names of lovers carved on the trunk. With a smile on her face, she touches them with her finger.

She is afraid when Julia appears behind her. She is accompanied by her two best friends, who do not leave the leader's side.

- You clung to my boyfriend like a turnip to a dog's tail," the girl says. Sara looks at her with fear in her eyes.

Julia comes closer, and the brown-haired girl retreats backwards, and is alarmed to discover that she is on the edge of a pond.

- And not an ex-boyfriend? - asks one of the girls, at which Julia throws her a furious look. The blonde immediately falls silent, fearing to irritate her friend.

- You just pretend to be so innocent and use it to hit on someone's boyfriends. I wonder why you ended up here? Good children parents don't get rid of from home. This is a center for naughty youth," she says with emphasis on the last words.

- I ended up here innocently accused because my father was in the wrong," she answers quietly.

- What are you doing? Leave her alone, you painted zebra. - The girl breathes a sigh of relief when Laura stands up for her. She can be mean at times, but she can count on her help.

Julia smiles mischievously, and unexpectedly pushes Sarah into the pond. The girl screams, and a moment later dives into the water. This is something she fears the most, since she can't swim.

The girl never learned to swim because of her mother's death. She remembers the day perfectly. She was in kindergarten when her mother went to pick her up. Just then there was an accident on the bridge. From the opposite direction, a drunk driver was driving directly at her. She tried to evade him, but the man hit her, causing her to lose control of the wheel and drive into the guardrail, which unfortunately did not stop the car. She died on the spot, and since then, Sara has never dared to go into the water. Furthermore, she was afraid because it reminded her of her mother's death.

Now she can feel what she feels, with her last strength trying to surface and catch her breath. She gets the impression that something is pulling her to the bottom. She attempts to lurch upward, but can't. She feels as if something is holding her leg.

The girl looks down and freezes as she sees indistinct figures writhing near the bottom. Because of her panic, she has less and less breath in her and feels that any moment she will run winded. She is so terrified that she feels like screaming, but the water prevents her from doing so.

She looks up one last time and sees that someone has jumped into the water. Her eyelids are getting heavier, and she doesn't have the strength to fight. She presses her lips together, but the water begins to flow into her mouth and nose. She struggles too long and violently until her body weakens, deprived of oxygen. The last thing she remembers is the sight of a transparent figure appearing in front of her face, and then darkness sets in....

*

Sara hears indistinct voices above her. She tries to catch her breath and starts coughing. Someone helps her up, and she spits water out of her mouth. Breathing hard, she tries to calm down. She opens her eyes and sees people. Among them, she recognizes a frightened Laura, a wet Simon, Julia's friends, as well as the perpetrator of the stunt herself, who covers her mouth with her hand. At the sight of a conscious Sara, she lets the air out of her mouth.

Unfortunately, a moment later, she freezes again when she spots Matthew and Oliver running towards them.

- What happened? - asks the boy, who has helped the girl many times before. He comes closer and crouches by her side, looking at her closely. - Are you all right? - She coughs and nods.

Laura walks up to Julia and once again today slaps her.

- Do you even think! You almost killed her, idiot! - she yells out, tugging at her blouse. Julia tries to push Laura away, but only Matthew's intervention makes the brunette let her go.

- Matthew, it's not like that. I just pushed her slightly. I had no idea she couldn't swim.

- This time you overreacted, Julia," he raises his voice, grabbing her hand. - I turned a blind eye to your antics, but the measure is over. At this point, we are going to the director, and there you will sing the whole truth to him. Let him do the right thing with you, because I've had enough," he claims, then turns to the rest, and his gaze softens. - You'd better get her to a doctor, because there may be some complications later. I will take care of Julia accordingly.

The girl apologizes to him and begs him not to do it, but he does not listen to her at all. He forcefully takes her with him, and Julia's friends run after them.

- It's true. We should take you to a doctor," Olivier says, so Sara glances at him. Without a word of objection, she nods. The brunet walks over to the girl, and helps her up from the ground.

- All right. I can go alone," she says and looks at a wet Simon. She realizes that he was the one who helped her. If it wasn't for Laura's friend, she would probably be dead now. - Thank you," she adds, smiling at him gratefully.

- I don't understand how you can let yourself be pushed around so much," Oliver says contemptuously, casting the brown-hair teenager a stealthy glance. - I would have killed her a long time ago if I were you," he adds, then speeds up his step and walks away, leaving them behind.

*

This is the first time she has experienced such a nightmare at night. It's hard for her to fall asleep because of the pain in her chest, and moreover, she keeps thinking about what she saw underwater. She doesn't know if it's a hallucination caused by near-death, or if there really was something there. She remembers vividly the strange figures circling the bottom. They were transparent: they looked like phantoms.

She was pulled by them, as if they would rather not let her out of there. They acted as if they wanted her to swim lower, to see the bottom from a close distance.

Eventually, the stress contributes to her being exhausted and, despite the pain in her chest, she finally falls asleep.

In the dream, she goes through it again. She is underwater, struggling and trying to emerge at all costs. However, things are different now. No one jumps in to help her, and she is dragged to the bottom. Phantoms swirl around her, and the girl stifles a scream. She knows this is her end. She is so weakened that she gives up.

Despite this, she is still alive and feels the abyss consuming her. And she calmly watches the bright spot that is the light coming from outside. She wants to close her eyes, but something prevents her from doing so. She must watch her death.

This is what she thinks until her body hits the hard bottom. Beside her there are many other bodies, or rather human skeletons, who died the same way she did. By drowning.

The girl opens her eyes and realizes that she is in the center. She tentatively looks around the room she shares with Laura and notices that it is still night. She glances at her roommate's bed, which is empty. Nocturnal frolicking is her element, while Sara prefers to get enough sleep to function properly during the day.

During the nightmare, she screams a lot because she feels her mouth has dried up. She rises from the bed and puts her favorite slippers on her feet. She walks over to the cabinet. Furthermore, she takes water out of it and drinks from a bottle, as she would rather not look for a cup.

She turns around and freezes when she notices a crouching woman in the middle of the room. Her head is tucked between her knees, and her black hair covers her face, creating a frightening scene.

The bottle falls out of Sara's hand. Water spills on the floor. The woman lifts her head and looks into her eyes. The teenager is shaken by chills. The woman's eyes are blank, and her face is massacred. Her body is battered. Sara gets the impression that for a brief moment, she forgets to breathe. She is so terrified that she can't move. She feels as if fear has paralyzed her body. Furthermore, she is overwhelmed by panic, which grows increasingly in her with each passing moment.

Never before had she been as afraid as she was at any given moment.

- If they had killed me earlier, you would never have appeared in the world," she grunts awkwardly and with a quick step approaches Sarah.

A loud scream came from the teenager's mouth.

She opens her eyes and, breathing heavily, spots Laura crouching in front of her. The brunette stares at her with frightened eyes.

Sara feels that her face is flooded with tears.

- What... what happened? - She asks confused, looking at her friend. She rises, and Laura puts her hand to her forehead. She is concerned about her condition.

- You're fired up, Sara. We have to go to the doctor," she announces, and the girl looks around the room, realizing that it is already dawn, and she is sitting on the floor. Her attention is drawn to a bottle lying under a cabinet and a puddle of water that has not yet dried.

So it wasn't a nightmare? Was what happened that night real?

- Laura, did you sleep here all night? - she asks in a trembling voice, fearing her answer. The girl looks at her with an apologetic gaze and denies it, shaking her head.

- No. Forgive me. I'm your roommate and should take care of you. I'm truly sorry to leave you alone like this," she replies, and Sara shudders. This is precisely what she feared the most.

It wasn't a dream, it really happened.... Someone was indeed with her that night. And it wasn't Laura.