The Unwanted One

I didn't know exactly when it started, but I noticed that my deskmate, Willow Quist, began looking at me in a strange way. At first, she subtly moved her desk a bit farther away from mine. Later on, she moved her chair over to the window. I patted her shoulder to remind her to focus on the lesson. Unexpectedly, she was so startled that she fell off her chair. With a terrified look in her eyes, she scrambled to her feet and bolted out of the classroom in a panicked state. I was utterly confused, and I wondered if I had somehow upset her. So, I decided to talk to her the next day to clear up the misunderstanding. But when I arrived at school the next day, the seat next to mine was already empty. Our Elandric teacher, Nadia Long, hesitantly told me that Willow had voluntarily requested to transfer to a regular class. The class we were in was the top honors class in Yewtree High. We had the best teachers and resources. Willow had told me not less than ten times about h

Ramona reminded me about the piece of paper on my desk that Jean had been looking for during gym class. "She must have had a reason for doing that.""I know, but I have no idea why she did that," I said helplessly, showing Ramona the paper.I added, "It's just a regular health check report showing that everything is normal with me."No matter how I racked my brain, I couldn't figure out why Jean had rummaged through my desk for my health report.Ramona was equally perplexed. "Could she have been worried you had some contagious disease? Maybe she was scared that you'd pass it to her or something."I glanced at myself and remarked, "I don't have a skin condition, and I look perfectly healthy. Why would she think that?""Duh. Of course, I know you're not afflicted with any kind of disease," Ramona said, rolling her eyes.The whole situation was just too bizarre.Suddenly, I remembered asking the class monitor, Noah Fitzgerald, if I seemed strange in any way just a few days ago. He

Paulina suspected I had psychological issues and sent Noah to talk to me. Though he was reluctant to do so, he begrudgingly sat beside me.Just as he sat down, I asked, "Ramona doesn't exist, does she? That's why you were so afraid the other day. It wasn't because of the grove, but because I mentioned Ramona, right?"Noah's eyes widened in surprise. After a long pause, he swallowed hard and replied, "Not entirely. I'd heard from Willow that you often talk to thin air, calling it Ramona. You'd eat meals with her and walk home together with her… But that's not the scariest part."Noah glanced around nervously, trembling the whole time. Cautiously, he asked, "Is Ramona here right now?"I shook my head. "She's been gone since yesterday."I was still trying to figure out why she had disappeared.Noah let out a sigh of relief. "At first, I thought you were… insane. But that day when we were talking in the hallway, the sun was shining… Then, I saw it… I saw a shadow next to yours."Eve

"Many years ago, a horrifying death occurred in this school," Kent said. "Back then, the school's management wasn't as strict. Many elderly people would bring their grandchildren to play on the field, and scavengers made a living rummaging through the trash bins in our school grounds."He then removed his glasses with a heavy sigh. "That was when a madwoman appeared."Kent paused for a bit before continuing to recount the events with a heavy heart. "At first, she just sat quietly in a corner, holding a few bottles and smiling as she watched the children on the field. Sometimes she'd bring scraps of vegetables or old bread. "She wasn't dressed too shabbily, so people assumed she wasn't entirely abandoned and homeless. I was the only one who found her behavior strange. I reported it to the administration, but the headteacher didn't take it seriously.""Then one day, tragedy struck. The madwoman suddenly pulled a knife out of the rotting leaves she was holding…"Kent's voice took on