Normally life was painful, but today was a special new flavor. I sat in the class, barely listening to the innate chatter of the students. Honestly, I couldn't even tell what class it was, it took all I had just to pretend to care. But there was energy in the air. I felt crazier than normal. Despite that, I was not asleep or dozing off like usual. Again I blame those bastards for making me their pet project. So for my meager revenge, I focused on them.

My primary interest was “Robert" the eldritch monster, who was in class playing the part of dutiful students. It was not the teacher's fault nightmares, beyond words simply sat in his classroom and enjoyed his class. But I couldn’t ignore it despite what it wanted.

“"Robert"” silently watched the homeroom making a note of everything. He watched everyone, keeping every micro-expression in mind, unlike his sister, who ignored the world. It made sense "Robert" was far more honest about his innate curiosity. Unlike his sister, he would only watch so much as to find a weakness. At least it was much better than the elder sister who would fit right in with the comic book villain lineup. At least I could understand the motives of the children.

The father was an enigma, and I couldn’t even understand their mother's words. It was funny in the cosmic sense, but I was too close to the punchline. All I could do was pretend it was just okay as they altered my being.

First, they cut my coffee and energy drinks from a respectable ten to a pitiful two. Either a cup of coffee or an energy drink, but not both. Never at the same time. Then they cut my vocabulary, as I was too wild for my own good. I could swear seven times a day, and even my mind was not safe. They even changed my wardrobe, getting me more formal clothes. They even banned me from sleeping in class. This left me crazed and far too sensitive to the damned world. Hoping for some peace, I shifted my gaze to the other people in class. They were talking with each other or acting like self-righteous fools while a genuine threat sat ready to kill them at any time. Then my body reacted to a new unknown.

It was like staring at a dead body, one that was half-rotted and left in your yard. Strangely, all I could feel was the bitter bite of annoyance that focused me on the teacher. He was introducing a new student who honestly looked like the goth girlfriend meme.

She didn’t have any mature bust or sexy appeal; being far more normal for the school. Her eyes strangely attracted me despite how plain they looked, almost like mangled meat. There was no strange pose or weird quirk and it should have been smooth, but I felt disturbed. A deep loathing from my very being swam through my body as I watched her. She paired the vest with the skull with simple jeans.

“This is Victoria. She is a late transfer, but she is going to be with us. Move beside Victor and make sure you all know about the midterms coming up. Sure, Victor has improved and you seem less zoned out than before. So show her around, ok?” Mr Richard gestured to my desk.

At least I know he earned the name Dick, I thought, looking at the teacher. Smiling, I nodded, desperately restraining my rage. Those dark beings also seemed to be aggravated by this stranger and it made me even more uneasy.

Those thoughts consumed my being as I answered, “ Sure.”

She smiled with near-perfect teeth that strangely annoyed me. “Ok now back to it.”

Only I flinched. The others didn’t notice the stranger's oddness, or the monsters sitting beside them. Terrified, I attempted to mask it, to blend in. Of course, the other people couldn’t feel shit as usual but something stirred in them. Like the sheep- people they were a predator sent a primal panic across the room. But it was the monsters who grinned. Their faces barely maintained the facade of humanity as flashes of inhuman power stared at the stranger. That girl didn’t seem to notice, merely smiled at me.

This made my class uncomfortable, like a prisoner watching a judge read a criminal record. Slowly the feeling of uncertainty got to me, like waiting on the first shot in a war. I alone could see the monster bristle. “Robert"s hand clenched as his fingers became claws. Fur warped around his wrist poking out from his trench coat. His sister simply stared with a hollow, bitter look. Like the predator she was, she recognized the new threat. Slowing down, she watched and looked at others ready to kill. She made me even more nervous and more reason to escape. It got so bad it affected the normies.

Even those idiots who never noticed the massive claws or strange limbs but they were on edge. The skin paled, and sweat dripped off tense faces that suffered under a phantom threat. It was like a sheep watching a hungry wolf. Everything was secondary to the threat, and I saw at least three teacher compose shatter. I only lasted until noon, in the middle of math class. It got to me. It was enough. I needed a quick way out.

Acting on that impulse, I held up my hand using the oldest trick in the book.

“Sir, can I use the bathroom, please?” I responded by leaping up from my chair.

Frowning, the math teacher stared at me. She was a mousy woman with a simple black pantsuit that seemed somewhat crumbled by movement. As a teacher she was ok, focusing on the technical and preferring the notebook to improvisation. But Math was annoying, and she didn’t help.

“Fine, but when you get back this question on the board is yours. And again it is, miss. Now hurry back” she responded.

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Nodding, I leaped up scampering out of the room. Sparing no looks back I dashed forward to the bathroom. Truthfully I didn’t need to pee, it was just the fear of the room. That would make the list of I never want to do again. But I would never get that chance. I slid down the wall coughing violently as I struggled to maintain sanity. Tears streamed out of my eyes as I curled up onto the ground. My mind crumbled. It was a worn cloth that slowly was ripping apart. That made sense, I was a used bastard. Used by my own obsessions and by dark gods for whatever they were planning.

I needed the bat. It always helped, I needed it. Reaching out onto the floor my nails scraped across the ground. Sure it hurt but the pain I prayed would hold me together. But if that light would hold him the darkness could consume me. Desperately I kept beating my fist on the ground in growing strength. After the fifth slam of my fist somehow the bat appeared, and my hand crashed down onto it. That warm kind light helped me slowly helped me like a patch to my mind.

Grasping it I simply bathed in the weak light, the panic fading from me. Then the shame came. Has anyone seen me freak out? Was I too loud? I panicked. Glancing down at the bat it grew insane. How did that work? Where did the bat come from?

Breathing heavily, I was about to toss it away, but that light wields it to my hand. Perhaps it was evil, but it helped me a bit. I need that sparking stick at least for my mind.

Standing, I rubbed my face. Slapping it I stared at the rotten fuck up in the mirror. Then I washed my face attempting to clean up. My hair was still greasy and my face looked dead. Whatever spark of life I had did not expect my appearance. The water didn’t help either, it just made me feel worse.

But like most things, I just sucked it up and kept going. So I did a simple routine to clean up. First washed my face then gargled with the tap water ending a couple slaps to my face. After an hour, I focused. Slowly, I reconnected with the normal life and, for a moment, I thought it was all a grand delusion.

But a hammer to a guy's skull. Another twisted nightmare came on my weird detector. Turning to the door I noticed another shadow. Something was outside and was approaching even faster. Raising my eyebrow I pointed my weapon at the stranger.

“If your human, please don’t” I pleaded. “But if not, you're entering the fuck around, I will match it with the find out.”

It was not my best threat, but I hoped it was effective. For a moment it was the stranger who simply stood at the door. Then at an inhuman speed, it ran forward with a hand of tendril and hooks. It was like the one from the hospital was vaguely human, but the eyes were a bit too shining, the skin had a glistening texture and the hair just looked fake.

In a strangely sweet voice, it screamed “Come here, bright boy. Give me a kiss”

“Kiss a train. Bitch you're not even in my top fifty.” I retorted swinging my bat at the head.

It was like hitting a pole, the bat echoing as the creature was tossed back. Unlike before, I wasn’t just high on life or in my soup of madness. But now I was bent by the forces around me and more capable of handling these nightmares. My hand held my strange bat as I dodged a flurry of blows from the left. It tried to bite my head off with a sudden pair of jaws on the face. Slipping back I avoided the blow only to get hit by a savage knee to my gut.

Spitting I rose, wraith burning within my every soul. It mocked me for striking a classic kung-fu pose. The arms out with a wide stance and a shaking head, like it was screaming. Who knew the monster liked Brue Lee? I mean who didn’t? I thought.

“Come taste death” It sputtered with a flick of the wrist.

I narrowly escaped that attack ducking forward to the beast. It tried to capitalize leaping forward, right into my trap. Suddenly shifting I swung my bat with all my strength, shattering the creature's head with a world-consuming clang. The blow was so strong it sent that monster back at least three feet away from me. Rushing forward I slammed my bat down to the monster.

I will not lie, I overdid it. After ten minutes I beat any human feature out of the body. My clothes were covered in a strange goo. I assumed it was the beast's blood, as it painted the ground. It was mind-clearing. That was until the bell rang.

How would I explain the corpse? Would I get locked up? I panicked looking at the dead body on the floor. Damn it, I didn’t even have time to clean it up. Maybe the bathroom then what of the rest of it, and what about the blood on the ground, and the smell? Before I could not even do anything someone stepped through the door. Tossing the bat I fixed my eyes on the body I tried to fake shock, a gasp escaping my mouth.

“Who could have done this ?” I sputtered.

“That was a bad lie, Victor.” the stranger spoke.” If you must kill at least have the decently to keep it tidy.”

Turning to a stranger terror consumed me once again. Honestly, this was going to make me the biggest coward around, almost everything jumped me. The damned new girl gave me a cheeky grin. Her perfect teeth caught the sunlight as she quipped.

“Wow you kill messily” she critiqued with a twink in her eyes.”You killed a Shoggoth with a bat. That bat you should toss it it ruins your pretty face”

“How the hell? No. Damn it not again. How many inhuman fuck faces do I need to meet? Is it some kind of magic ritual bullshit?” I growled.

“I.. oh that is the worst. What are you ?” I mused.

“Until you become less cute.” She retorted looking at the body. “Got any way to clean it up ?”

“Sorry, I am just gonna have to settle for jail. No magical hero can come and save me. But I know you are planning something. Can you just fuck off ?”

“Nah I can’t do that. Is it your friend Robert? He seems fun and rather powerful too. Will he solve this? “

That gave me pause. How did she know that? Was she like them? No, she felt weird but not like a monster or a great demon. It was more like looking at a corpse which was a special ew. They did not like each other.

“No, this would be funny to him. He would watch.” I grumbled looking at the door.” So you gonna rat me out ?”

With a strange predatory stare, she smiled pointing at my bat. “No. But I will even offer you help with your body if you just give me a bit of information on that. Just a bit please”

That was not a bad deal. I had no way to clean it up and with no way to fix this, it would ruin everything. But just like that another monster digging into me seems to be even worse but I couldn’t find any other way. Well, moral way.

“I could blame you “ I attempted with a shitty smirk on my face.

“No, that is your word against mine. Then there is your reputation and your appearance. Nice try tho.” She snapped with a smug look on her face. She was like a damned cat who just found the perfect toy. It was my luck. I put superheroes and manga characters to shame. Rubbing my temples with rage I sigh, making another damned agreement.

“Damn it all. I know my future, I will be a lawyer. It is the only way to deal with you damned monster bastards.” I growled finally. “Sure I got the bat from Roberts's house. No, I will not toss it, It is mine and you can fuck right off with that”

Giggling, she got close her black hair falling loose from her head. There was a faint smell of metal, like a copper coin, or a battery coil. She grabbed my hand and held it kissing it. This zapped me with the strange current that felt like being tased. I couldn’t even scream only a weak gargle came from my throat. Then she stopped, leaving a black kiss mark on my hand.

“Right, my name is Shelly. Get out of here as this will not be pretty” she said with a much colder tone.

“Well damn, wait what? Ok pikachu, warn me next time.” I spat turning to a stall. Quickly entering it all I sat, letting the strange noises happen outside. But I couldn’t care, I just couldn’t handle another deal with some inhuman.