The students were abnormally silent as we went out the classroom. Many were saddened with the news like a ghostly air caressed every one of us. One of the good teachers who maintained good rapport with his students, gone unexpectedly.
I remembered Mr. Ross was impartial when it comes to his students. He did not favored anyone and was also dedicated to maintaining his integrity as a teacher. He was very thorough especially in teaching but he was known not to bend if a student asked appraisals of his/her failing grade. He reminded me of Mr. Benette teaching styles. Both best teachers of their craft.
Our feet dragged against the tiles as we walk along the corridor. Bert broke the silence, “I feel like going home. All I can think about is the face of Mr. Ross” His voice faint and sighed.
“Me too.” Carla seconded. She walked at my sided gently banging me, shoulder to shoulder, as if she needed a warm body to hug. Carla was a kind and sensitive
I paced faster than two days before with my sprained foot still healing. I learned to endure pain and it was still there every time I put my weight on it. I pressed gently at a steep road towards the Engineering science building passing thru a series of benches constructed along the road and under the trees. Students frequented this area to pass the time and during free periods. A place that gave comfort to students as the trees provided cool shade and brown leaves mantled the grass. We called this place, Freedom Park. Students felt free whenever they stayed in this place, far from the teacher’s offices, and far from the stressful classroom atmosphere.As usual, I was concentrating on my phone while I walk, texting my friends about visiting Mr. Ross’ wake. Carla would always text me first about everything and would move me to reply. I preferred to make myself busy with texting while walking towards the Engineering Science building as I pass through heaving student
There she was. Sat on a bench alone under an oak tree. There were three or four students loitered in Freedom park, most of the students must have gone home. A lot of oak trees were planted in this park that gave comforting shade to the students. Birds chirped transferring from one tree to another. Some of the trees were planted for almost a hundred years now. Orange clouds now appeared in the sky and the grayness of the area was illuminated faintly with the lamp posts. Maria was busy with her phone as she waits for Lance and his friends. I was looking at her from afar, wondering how to approach her. I have calculated numerous complicated problems in school but this one was the hardest to calculate. I could not easily anticipate how Maria would respond to my approach. Maybe a simple ‘Hi’ would do? Or asking ‘How was your day?’ I was embarrassed by the thought that she would instantly reject me right before I spoke a second sentence. I asked Carla for assistance to acc
I slumped myself on my bed after dinner. My mum and I talked routine conversations about school but she had little concern with my training with dad. I thought she did not want to know about the training, maybe she knew all about the sort of training when dad underwent this initiation. I was in no mood to talk much about school and my mother sensed it and she did not want to pry. I felt distracted by what happened this afternoon. The incident replayed in my mind a thousand times and I did not believe my eyes. It took me possibly the hardest part of my young adult life, to speak with Maria. She was unexpectedly friendly. I had prepared myself to be rejected but it seemed it was the opposite. She had friendly eyes and her voice was very comforting. I did not want to end our conversation quickly but the worst of it all, she was a witch. But she saved me from the falling branch. Should I tell my father about her? She will be killed or apprehended. Is she the witch that k
This was my second encounter with her. Maria was much more pretty with her natural beauty. I hesitated to talk first, I became conscious all of a sudden, and her presence overwhelmed me. My conscious mind stopped functioning, as it surrendered itself and relied fully on what my eyes had conceived. Just watching her as she ran her finger at the back of her ear, and her eyes wide staring directly and I felt like melting. My tongue rolled as I tried to say hi. But I held it and did not utter anything before I embarrassed myself. She stood near me and the shadow of the tree made us almost unseen by people from afar, from her parents.“I am glad you came. I can’t think straight too of what happened this afternoon.” Her voice was soft and friendly. It made me sighed and gave me the will to respond to her. Fear that crept in me suddenly vanished, what remained was my heart pounding fast.“Yeah. Me too. I just want to understand what happened.” I
My long-distance stares were more frequent than before. First, was that I was admiring her beauty and at least we had a moment at her house last night. Secondly, observing her every move to extract a possible hint of a murderous act or witness abusing her powers.As Bert, Carla and I, walked towards our classroom, passing the pavement of freedom park, we crossed paths with Maria and she smiled at me, her white teeth gleamed. Her dark eyes glistened and her hair flew dramatically that a few strands faintly caressed her cheeks. The duration of her smile was longer than a smirk and I smiled back until she completely passed by my shoulder.My heart pounded fast and seemed to have butterflies in my stomach. My self-consciousness of how I look suddenly emerged and it rattled me for a bit. I was not used to Maria striking a smile at me and this proximity.Bert and Carla saw it and Bert teased me while gently pinching my arm. “You’re the man!&r
This could be a trap, Maria might have reported me asking about the two teachers’ deaths. They might use their magic on me and kill me too, defenseless and stupid. I must be cautious and trust no one other than my friends, Carla and Bert. He may be a warlock, sanctioned to kill me, from discovering Maria’s powers and the Coven. On the other hand, he said about the Keepers, he might know that my father was member of a secret organization. From this, I must tread carefully.“If you are a member of the Keepers, what is your proof?” I asked cautiously.He sighed and with a hint of approval in his expression. “That is good. You must not trust strangers, witches are cunning and deceptive. Here,” He said while he took out his Moonstar pendant beneath his uniform.We have the same pendant and it must not be fake. The intricacy of its design was difficult to imitate. The moonstone was real as it gleams varia
My heart stopped at the first sight of her. I was surprised that she approached me first. Her expression seemed depressed but she hid it behind her smiles. Her teeth with the smirk she wore displayed an optimistic expression but not her eyes. Her eyes were gloomy like the dark overcast. Her head slightly bent and her hands clasped in front. She was hiding something, something that she’s ready to disclose. It may bear the truth about the deaths of two teachers. “Good to see you, Maria!” Bert greeted. “Me too, Bert. It’s good to see you.” She said softly. “Good luck, man!” Bert whispered to me as she dragged Carla away from us. A serious aura engulfed our circle between me and Maria. Bert felt it, Carla, too. Carla slightly hated Maria, not because Maria was a typical b*tch but maybe she let popular students surrounded herself as typical b*tches do. Shielded herself mysteriously even though she outshined them. Maria had immense pr
Collins fetched me at school and we drove towards a place outside the city. With us was Edward, who sat on the front seat. The place called Busay, a local ancient language that meant a ‘river’, was located on the outskirts of the City of Cebu. The place started on a foot of a large mountain and into its depths. The car’s engine challenged the steepness of the asphalt road as it wounds itself along a two-way narrow road. A few residential houses situated the place as was heaved with trees beyond the pavement.I felt the pressure rose on my ears and slight fog caressed our car as moisture grew from the car’s windows. The night sky blanketed the place and faintly lit the road with street lights. The moon and the stars beautifully stagnated themselves through black theatric space.It astonished me as I peeked through my window. My mind was troubled about the Keeper’s move tomorrow. I tried to ask Edward about the details but he insisted that s