005

THE biology teacher walked into the class and the students rose up without ado to greet.

Everyone seemed happy and prepared for her, unlike the chemistry teacher who had just left the class, he was boring.

Miss Alisha smiled as she walked further into the class, towards the other end to drop her books and teaching materials on the teacher's desk. Then she motioned for the students to sit. 

The girls studied her dress instantly, she was looking all pink that morning, a pink top and skirt, pink heels.

"I love you Miss," Zaina shouted and blew her a kiss.

"Zaina," Rina gasped, turning to look at her, she winked.

"I love her," she whispered, shrugging her shoulders.

Miss Alisha heard the girl and smiled broadly.

"Love you too Zaina," she said.

She never knew why almost all the students in the school love her that much, including the juniors, everyone just loved associating with her.

"Get out your science notes," her tiny but firm voice echoed in the classroom. "Take out all foreign materials," she added.

There was little rattling here and there as the students obeyed. Zipping and unzipping of bags, opening and closing of lockers.

Soon it died down, sanity once again returned to the class.

"Hello ladies and gentlemen...", she cleared her throat, "we really don't have much to do today", she walked over to the desk to pick up one of her books.

"As a matter of fact you were informed the last time we met about...um..."

"A project Miss Alisha", a student from the far end of the class shouted, interrupting.

Her face changed, carrying a stern gaze. The student flinched on her seat, Miss has become pissed.

She got up.

"I'm sorry Miss, sorry for interrupting", she said.

Miss Alisha waved her to sit as she walked to the front of the class, the book in her hands.

"Let me give you a break down, an insight on how the project gonna be like".

They all opened their jotters, pen in hands and eyes on her.

"It is a plant album project. We just completed a topic about carnivores and insectivorous plants, that is plants that feeds on insects, right?"

"Right Miss", came the unison reply.

"Good, this project is gonna be somehow tedious", she looked up from her book, "but with your money, I don't think so", she winked.

"Write down, sundew... venus flytrap… pitcher plant," she paused and looked up from her book, "now you gonna get these plants and make a plant album with them."

There was an uproar immediately as all students shouted at once.

"But Miss", a boy got up, "where we gonna get them? Recall they are all wild plants, you told us yourself that they can only be found in the woods, and in the wild," he concluded, most students nodded concurring with him.

Miss Alisha smiled and nodded, she was happy at least the students got something about the wild plants. She looked at him.

"Well Priceley, you are absolutely right, and this is where I said your money comes in", she raised her eyebrows.

"How?" They asked in unison.

She walked to the desk and dropped her book, then faced the students.

"It is either you go into the woods to get them, or you pay people; I mean the brave, you pay them to do that for you, or you lose your marks."

They began jubilating, seemed Miss Alisha had just made it easier for them.

"Thank you Miss," they greeted.

Oops, Rina looked round, they were all rejoicing, for them anyway, but for her, she was gonna go there herself.

Where did she see the money to pay someone to get her just leaves huh? 

Damn! She would go there herself.

But the fear of the woods... she had to kill that else she lose her marks.

The woods was located at the outskirts of Shimla Kingdom, almost similar to a dense forest.

It was always very quiet and lonely. News even had it that there were wild animals roaming about in there.

Only few people of the Kingdom, obviously the brave ones do farm there and also some local bakery owners who goes to get firewoods for their bakery. While some elderly ones go there to get herbs and herbal sticks for medicines and brushing their teeth respectively.

Aside from that, people hardly nears the woods, and this was where Miss has sent them to.

Well it has been made easier for those with money, she sighed.

"Are you okay?" Zaina asked.

Rina gasped, she had obviously forgotten they were still in class, she looked at the front of the class, Miss Alisha had already begun connecting the projector for teaching.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she nodded.

Zaina stared at her for a while as she watched her opening her books with shaky fingers.

"Are you sure Rina?" She asked again.

"Yep, I'm fine," she forced a smile.

Zaina sighed.

"How are you gonna get your leaves for the project?" She asked.

Rina flinched on her seat, not expecting it.

"I will get it Zaina, don't bother about that."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded.

"Yeah, very."

"I can actually get it for you Rina, you know," she winked.

"Come on Zaina, you have actually done a lot for me, let me do this," she said.

Zaina gave up.

"If you say so, but don't forget I can still help."

"I know," she turned towards Miss Alisha to stop the conversation.

I mean, she just couldn't let Zaina do this, she had been doing virtually everything for her, helping out with the financial needs her mother couldn't attend to.

She could do this herself, let her leave her do this, she gonna try.

***

Rina got home to meet an empty house, thank goodness, just the way she wanted it.

She didn't want her mother poking into this matter, or even getting to know of her plans that afternoon.

She quickly brought out the spare key from her school bag, then dashed into her room.

Hurriedly, she changed into something light and casual, just a jean shorts, a black t-shirt and black sneakers, picked up her jotter and put it into a smaller bag, then she left the house.

She glanced at her wrist watch, 3:30, it said. Could she actually meet up? 

She looked towards the horizon, the sun was still far from setting, she smiled and broke into a run.

About thirty minutes later, she got to the entrance of the woods. As expected, it was quiet, no sign of a human.

She began scaling the entrance with her eyes and she noticed a vehicle's tyre marks on the floor, might be the men from the local bakery, they must have come there earlier for firewoods.

She looked around, nobody was watching, not even a bird, and she dashed in, through a narrow footpath.

Going further into the woods was the scariest moments of her life, the tall towering trees made the base look like the day was already dark.

She continued walking further, her eyes scathing for the leaves as well.

At first she couldn't get any at all, she was already feeling fatigued and about giving up, her stomach rumbled, amounting to her problems already.

But some unseen force kept pushing her in, and just down there behind the iroko tree, she saw the sundew.

Wow! She couldn't believe her luck as she fell beside it, plucked as many leaves as she could, then brought out her jotter and placed them carefully.

She got up and the zeal to continue came back in full force.

Getting the other leaves wasn't difficult at all, seemed like the first leaf was a pass to get the others.

Minutes later she was done, time to go back, she glanced at her wristwatch as she began walking back.

It was almost 5pm. Goodness, she needed to leave as soon as possible.

Taking the path she had used in coming, she began running.

Minutes into her running a sound ahead startled her and she stopped, breathing heavily.

What was that sound? She looked towards where the sound was coming from, she saw nothing.

She thought it was her subconscious mind and she continued walking, this time slowly.

Boom, she heard the sound again, it was the breaking of a dry twig this time.

This now was obvious, even if the previous one wasn't, this one was. She quickly found a place to hide.

A cleavage of a fallen tree metres behind, formed a hiding place. She crutched into the cleavage, forcing her petite stature in.

Just then, she began hearing footsteps and she gasped. What!

She listened so attentively, her heartbeat was so loud that she even prayed for the intruder not to hear it.

The footsteps became louder and louder, coming nearer and nearer, the person seemed to be walking carelessly, of course, he or she wasn't expecting anyone in the woods, and at that time.

The fear in her at that moment was so much that she had to prevent herself from screaming out by cupping her mouth with her hands.

Just then the owner of the feet making the footsteps, slowly walked by, she gasped again. From her hideout, she could clearly see. It was a huge man, holding a small dagger.

He was so tall, had broad shoulders and he was masked as well, she couldn't get his face.

Now very sure he had walked more further into the woods, when she couldn't hear his footsteps again, she came out, then looked towards the direction he had taken, she saw his retreating figure.

Who was he and what was he doing at the woods, at this time and masked as well? Holding a dagger?

There was no time to waste, she needed to leave as soon as possible.