Charles and Emily sat together during lunch. It's been two weeks since the show. They both were in deep thoughts, none of them touching their food. " And these dreams you keep having, you say you live them? " Charles asked Emily while holding her hand.

" Yes. I keep living them, while I sleep. Last night it happened again, but there were two of them. " She replied in almost a whisper, while still leaning in.

" The Creatures? " Charles asked her while squinting his eyes hard at her.

" Yes, the creatures. You know I keep..." Emily halted as she stared back at him. " You think I'm out of my mind, don't you?" She asked him.

" Well, I hope you are because I  wouldn't want some crazy beast apocalypse. I don't want those things, flying into my room and attacking me. " Charles replied and took an apple. " My room is my privacy and I hope they understand it's off-limit. " He added and munched on it.

" You know what I think? I think you are not helping here." Emily said and sighed while rolling her eyes.

" Well it's not my fault, how do you expect me to think you've started to dwell in your nightmares, huh?" He informed her with a questioning look." You got proof?" He raised a question.

" Proof?" Emily said. " Yea, well how about this for  proof?" She asked and took out the scarf wrapped around her neck.

" Holy sh*t!" Charles exclaimed as his eyes stared at the wounds around her neck. It was red and it formed a ring. " Aren't these..."

" Claw marks, Yes," Emily concluded, as she quickly wrapped the scarf back on. "Every time I shut my eyes to take a Goddam rest, I keep seeing them. I see a flock of them, a legion of them." She added.

" I think it must be the spell," Charles said and snapped his finger. 

" You mean the night of Mysteries?" Emily asked with a scoff. " It didn't work..."

" But what if it did?" Charles interrupted, looking quite convinced.

" I don't understand," Emily told him. She wanted answers to her questions. Her brows furrowed and her fingers were nervously tapping the table.

" I'm not sure but I think Mr. Mysterio lied when he said the spell did not work. I think he placed a curse on you." Charles added.

Emily was taken aback. " A curse on me? But why?" She asked no one in particular. 

" That I don't know," Charles informed her and munched loudly on the apple fruit. " But it's either that or you are just hallucinating."

Emily scoffed and Charles laughed. " Don't you ever say such again? I was scared out of my damn mind." She pleaded and munched on his apple.

" Hey, you owe me a new one," Charles complained and she chuckled.

******************

The students were all in shorts and white shirts, as they stood in the basketball room. The games teacher, a heavily built man held onto a ball and was talking to them. " I don't know about you girls but what I do know, is that you girls are going to lose the tournament, with your sassy walks and noisy chatter..." The coach began but was interrupted by muffled laughter from the boys.

with a glance, all the boys went silent. " That's what I thought." He said and turned to face the girls. " You have to be confident, strong, and take the bull head-on..."

" Just like Carl took Sophie head on." A boy mumbled in their midst and they burst into laughter.

" Who said that?" The coach asked angrily and turned toward a black skin toned boy. " Tell me who said that, or you will be on the bench in the upcoming tournament." He demanded.

" Gunner sir." The dark-skinned boy replied as he tried to keep in the laughter.

" Gunner!!" The coach called out angrily. " Come out here and show me what you've got, or you'll be out of the team." He threatened.

A fair-skinned boy, with freckles and curly brown hair, walked out of the group of boys. Grabbing a ball, he turned to face the coach. " Who am I playing against?" He asked.

" How about against Emily Wills?" The coach asked as his eyes scrutinized the group of girls. " Alright, where is Wills?"  He asked as he did not see her.

" Here coach," Emily replied as she ran into the court while trying to put on her sneakers. " I'm sorry sir, I was caught up..."

" Save it." The coach interrupted. " You and Gunner are going to demonstrate." He informed her.

" What?" Emily asked in disbelief as her eyes met with Gunner's. He had a grin on his face, as he bounced the ball. " Why him?" She asked.

" Because I said so." The coach replied. " Now get your ass in the demonstration!" He commanded.

" Yes, coach." She replied with a sigh and walked toward Gunner.

" Oh boy, this is going to be fun, don't you think?" Gunner asked her with a smirk. " Here take, I will go defense and you will go offense," he said and passed her the ball.

With the ball in her hands, Emily dashed for her target, while bouncing the ball. She dodged Gunner's attempt to touch the ball and reaching the pole, she took the ball to throw.

Her mouth flew in disbelief, as she suddenly saw a bloodied corpse on the pole. She recognized the body, it was her father's. Tears streamed down her eyes as the ball fell from her grip.

She could hear screeches and the sounds of shattering glasses. Turning around quickly, she saw her classmates in a bloody mess. The crazy creatures were all in the room, tearing them apart.

She looked for Gunner and saw him torn in half. His eyes were gouged out, and blood spewed from his mouth and wounds.

There was a headless body and she could tell it belonged to their coach. Going to her knees, Emily screamed at the top of her voice, attracting the attention of the creatures.

One of them flew towards her and placed its claws on her shoulder. " Emily wills." It called out her name, in a whisper. " Emily wills." It kept on calling until " Emily wills!!!" Someone called, jolting her.

It was their coach and his head was still on his body. She quickly looked around and saw everyone staring at her. Even Gunner towered behind the coach, staring down at her.

" Are you alright?" The coach asked her while feeling for her temperature.

" Yes, Yes I'm fine," Emily replied as she wiped her tears and looked toward the pole. There was nothing on it, not the corpse she saw earlier or any trace of blood. " I just have a headache." She replied and stood up.

" Emily," Charles called, walking toward her, with concern written all over him.

" Please I need some space," Emily replied, and picking up her bag, she stormed out of the hall.

All the players were shocked as none of them could explain what just happened. They all saw Emily running toward the pole to score and suddenly dropping the ball. They were confused as she turned staring at all of them, with horror on her face. They did not know what was wrong with her, as she did not look ill or was suffering from trauma.

" Alright let's keep playing. Gunner, you and Clara should show me what you got, and Charles..." He halted as he noticed Charles walking out and slamming the door. " Don't know what's the matter with those two." He said and turned to the players. 

Emily walked down the hallway, heading for the restroom. Her hair was messy and her headaches from the pain.  Walking into the restroom, she shut the door and walked toward the mirror.  She turned on the water and began splashing on her face. 

She wiped her face while sniffing. She did not know why, but she felt she needed someone to tell her she wasn't going crazy. She needed someone to turn to, someone who could experience what she was going through.

" You are not crazy Emily Wills." She heard someone say to her. The voice sounded feminine and unfamiliar. " I see the creatures too." The voice added and her eyes flew open.

" Who are you and how do you know my name?" Emily asked in almost a whisper, as she stared at the mirror. She could see a silhouette in a dark corner of the restroom, and she felt chills run down her spine.

How long was the lady or girl standing there? Who was she? Where did she come from? Emily wondered as her heart pounded rapidly.

" Who am I?" The girl asked.

Emily could see her shining white teeth that were exposed in the dark. She felt her eyes sting and her fists clenched. 

"The question shouldn't be who I am, but what I am." The lady spoke.

Every ounce of energy Emily had left, was sapped away as soon as she spotted a tail behind the lady. "I'm not here to harm you, not yet. You have something I need, Emily Wills " The lady said and stepped forward and out of the darkness.