Chapter 3 - Out of Sight

Hiding out of sight

The lurker of the night

Avoiding the light

He always smells the fright

Lock your doors tight

He appears for both the wrong and the right

Despite cries, struggles and attempts not bright

All will perish before his might 

      -Page 7, Chapter 7. Poem of the dancing shadows by George J. Northtooth. 

…..

"The centaurs were usually said to have been born of Ixion and Nephele. As the story goes, Nephele was a cloud made into the likeness of Hera in a plot to trick Ixion into revealing his lust for Hera to Zeus. Ixion seduced Nephele and from that relationship centaurs were created. Another version, however, makes them children of Centaurus, a man who mated with the Magnesian mares. Centaurus was either himself the son of Ixion and Nephele or of Apollo and the nymph Stilbe." 

As his voice echoed within the silent classroom, a man with eyeglasses and neatly tailored white cloak donned on him was walking around the place with his hand holding a book. 

He has gray, shoulder-length hair which gently hangs over a furrowed, lively face. With clear blue pupils, set well within his eyes as he overlooked the students around him with an observing gaze. 

His name is Raymond Mullock. Most of his students were calling him Professor Ray. He has been teaching for four years in the ECC or stands for Education Competence College. Within his history of education, he has always been teaching the subject of mythological history. Ever since he started his teaching career and until this day. 

"Another tribe of centaurs was said to have lived on Cyprus. According to Nonnus, they were fathered by Zeus, who, in frustration after Aphrodite had eluded him, spilled his seed on the ground of that land. Unlike those of mainland Greece, the Cyprian centaurs were horned. There were also the Lamian Pheres, twelve rustic daimones of the Lamos river." 

Out of the blue, a hand was raised in the middle of the crowd. With the attention of those presents within the room shifted to the origin of the hand, the familiar face of a girl appeared inside of everyone's vision. To their surprise, the girl who was usually busy with her phone suddenly had an interest in the topic of the study. 

"What do you want to ask, miss Weistern." 

When her last name was being called by the professor, Ellie quickly pulled down her hand and asked out loud, "What about ghouls?" 

"And... What about them?" questioned back the professor while he fixed his slowly dropping glasses with his finger. 

"Are they real?" 

"Pfft!" 

Her unexpected response had elicited one of the students to snicker in ridicule. Some of his friends that were sitting near him were no better. They were chuckling besides him as they cast their glance of mockery towards Ellie's direction. 

"Please be quiet, mister Barnes." 

Giving a slight glare to the boy who was laughing at his classmate's attempt to ask a question, professor Ray reminded the young man that he was still here and wouldn't like to be interrupted. His effort yielded a result as the student who had his name called was quickly wiping off his smirk from his face. Including the rest of those who had sneered to Ellie as well. 

However, as the professor turned his face back to Ellie, the familiar ringing noise had echoed throughout the room. The bell to indicate the end of the teaching session has rang for a few times. It was particularly a pleasant noise to the student's perspective as they began to close their notes or books and started to prepare to leave the classroom. 

"Miss Weistern, please contact me outside of the college's hours to continue our conversation. You all already know my email, so do not hesitate to ask." 

While he closed the book in his hand, professor Raymond said his piece as he spoke it in a playful tone and sent a small wink to Ellie's direction. On the other hand, Ellie had responded by rolling her eyes in slight annoyance. 

Sitting beside her, Elizabeth, who was watching the entire ordeal and noticed the professor's jesting behavior had reacted in a small giggle. Especially since the person the professor had teased was her best friend. 

"Don't laugh. Who knows if he's actually a real pervert." quipped Ellie nonchalantly, her hands starting to clean up her desk from the study books while the other students were walking past her table to the classroom's door. 

"But he isn't, Ellie. You know how kind he is to the students and even make us call him with his nickname rather than his real name. He just likes to tease you and me because we are the only girls to take interest in the subject he is teaching." Defended Elizabeth while she followed her friend's lead and started to pack up her books. 

"Hey~ Guys~ Do you believe if ghouls exist?~" 

Behind Ellie, a voice latched with full of ridicule was sounded. That sentence was said to the friends around him, but the real objective of the speech was to taunt a specific person. And Ellie wouldn't need a second to guess who that person was. 

Elizabeth quickly put her hand atop of her friend's shoulder. As she put a little strength to her grip in hope to hold her friend's emotions back before spiralling out of control, Elizabeth slightly shook her head to tell Ellie that it wasn't worth it. 

Meanwhile, Ellie faintly gritted her teeth in irritation and ignored the jeers of her classmates. Her view of the childish act like this was the same with Elizabeth. Nonetheless, frustrated things are still frustrating. 

The moment both of them watched their classmates gone and was the one people left in the classroom, Ellie sighed heavily and spoke in anger, "Roy F*cking Barnes." 

"Ignore him. He's just insecure with himself. Come on, let's go!" 

Pulling the hand of her friend, Elizabeth dragged Ellie out of the classroom. With the sound of their footsteps fading into the background, the silence and tranquility of the classroom restored to how it used to be. Everytime no one was present, the quiet atmosphere came back to reign the space. 

However, before the stillness of the room, something unnatural had happened. indistinct, yet visible, it slowly drifted into the air every so slightly. Forming the shape of a smoke, it twisted itself. Then, a faint whisper sounded within, before eventually it disappeared from sight. 

"I found you."