Chapter Five Edith #2
Now I can’t seem to sleep even after taking some melatonin.
I toss and turn in bed, recalling how miserable dinner was.
Bea and I were supposed to eat together, but as I approached her excitedly, she joined up with her new friends instead of me.
So I scanned the dining hall, unsure where to sit, hoping to find Nils or Emilía.
Instead, I spotted Tala next to Isaac, and someone else with cropped brown hair and plenty of piercings.
Tala waved when she noticed me standing awkwardly, but I settled on the empty table closest to the exit and ate alone.
Rolling over, I check the time on my phone again.
It’s already 11 p.m., but it only feels like 7 p.m. for me.
Tala is already snoring in her room. I don’t know if she’s an exceptionally loud snorer or if everything just sounds that much louder to me now that I have this animal inside me fighting to come out.
Maybe a run will help me clear my head and sleep.
I pull on a tank top, a pair of joggers, and my running shoes, and I’m out the door.
Outside, the air is cold and crisp. Moonlight illuminates Skallagrim, drenching the campus in an otherworldly blue.
Despite the full moon, there are plenty of dark and shadowy crevices in the large recesses of the ancient buildings.
Lamps line the path, warm beacons of light, but no one else is around to see them.
After some quick stretches, I take off.
My feet pound over the path, falling into a familiar rhythm. The only thing I have to worry about is the next step. Running reminds me of home, even as I pass unfamiliar buildings. Soon sweat slicks my skin, my breathing grows heavier, and my muscles start to strain.
With everyone sleeping, campus should be quiet.
But instead every sound seems magnified, too loud in my ears. Not just my heavy footfalls or quick breaths. I can hear branches creaking, birds flapping, and—footsteps. The hairs on the nape of my neck start to rise. Slowing down, I glance over my shoulder.
The courtyard is empty. Only the creepy statue of the school’s founder stares back at me.
Yet the footsteps continue.
Suddenly, this no longer seems like such a good idea.
I thought I’d be fine since this is still a school campus, and I’m confident I can outrun anything.
Skallagrim is supposed to be safe. But is a girl really ever safe alone at night?
We should be able to go wherever we want, whenever we want, without having to worry about our safety, but…
A shiver spreads through me. What am I doing, running in the dark by myself in a strange place?
I turn around, ready to head back. Wind wails through the courtyard.
Leaves rustle. Out of the corner of my eye, something moves.
Someone. I whirl around, but the statue of Egill stands in the same position.
“Hello?” I call out, voice raspy.
No answer.
I definitely heard something.
My heart pounds. I still, breath caught in my throat.
I expect to find a pair of glowing yellow eyes staring out of the darkness.
But there’s nothing. As I scan the shadowy alcoves, my vision starts to…
change. The world takes on an eerie glow like I’m looking through night vision goggles.
Even the lamps lighting the path appear brighter, searing my eyes.
I blink quickly. After a few times, my vision returns to normal.
What the hell is happening to me?
Footsteps echo through the quad, growing louder.
I start jogging faster.
For the first time, I see a bit of value in being a berserkr.
You have claws, I remind myself, picking up my pace. Use them.
Ever since I was expelled, they haven’t reappeared. Whatever is happening to me, I can’t control it. It seems more like it’s controlling me, showing up at the worst possible time. I slip the key for my dorm between my fingers and make a fist with my hand.
It’s not claws, but at least it’s something.
Hopefully I’m almost back to the berserkr campus. I swallow hard, throwing a quick glance over my shoulder. No one is there. At least not that I can see. Even so, I can’t shake the feeling that I’m being stalked.
Come on, come on… I run faster, desperate to find my dorm.
My stomach flips. I don’t recognize where I am anymore. All the buildings look the same. Their weathered stone reminds me of a mausoleum. Cold dread crawls over my skin, spreading goose bumps in its wake. One of the lamps lining the path flickers and goes out.
“Edith?” a familiar voice asks.
“Oh my God!” I practically jump out of my skin. When I spin around, I’m staring into Emilía’s doe-like eyes and familiar face. She must have been following me. “You scared me.”
“Sorry, sorry!” Emilía says, waving her hands. “I was just surprised to see you out here.”
“Jet lag,” I say by way of explanation. “Since I couldn’t sleep, I decided to go for a jog, but now I think I’m lost. Which way is Odin Hall?”
“You’re going for a jog near midnight? You must really like running.” Emilía laughs. “You’re headed toward Freyja Hall on the witch campus right now. The berserkr campus is over that way.” She gestures in the opposite direction. “Sorry, I’d offer to take you, but I’m meeting someone.”
I don’t point out that I’m not the only one out this late. She must be on her way to some kind of romantic rendezvous. Still, it’s a good thing I ran into her.
“Thanks,” I say, breathing a sigh of relief. “Again.”
“Let’s hang out soon!” She heads in the direction I was coming from.
“Sounds good,” I call after her.
I turn around, jogging toward Odin Hall.
At least now I know I’m heading the right way.
Wait. If Emilía is heading in the direction I came from, then it couldn’t have been her following me. She must have just been leaving her dorm. But if that’s the case…
My stomach sinks.
I didn’t imagine those footsteps, right? If there’s even a chance my mind wasn’t just playing tricks on me, then I can’t just let Emilía walk into danger. She could be heading toward whoever—or whatever—was stalking me. I have to warn her.
Without hesitating, I sprint after Emilía.