It was almost silent; a buzzing sound radiated across the room as florescent lights glowed above the girl's dark blue irises. 

Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes before stretching for another day. 

The girl looked around her room, her brows lowering. Oddly enough, her chest felt cold- feeling colder with every beat of her heart.

Her eyes spun and her head ached; with a conflicted expression, the girl whispered a desperate question: "Where am I...?"

The room was dim and the walls were white, the floor was checkered, black and white.

A flash took the girl's attention, her reflection stared back at her from the mirror across the room. Her eyes widened as a chill found it's way up her spine; her hair, blonde and short; her face, doll-like; the only mark on her body being the stitch across her face.

Questions compiled into thoughts. One after the other, they piled up, tying a cold knot inside her. 

Her face dashed around, the chill in her chest growing into a fear. 

She fell on her pillow to scream, her eyes starting to water.

Minutes passed as she laid on her pillow, a river flowing out of her eyes... The knot untangled, just a bit. 

She got up, wiping her eyes. 

Maybe now she could try to understand what had happened; About how she got there, where she could be, and what she could do... 

She failed.

Her bowels erupted into an explosion of nauseous heat. Like a weight, growing larger and heavier in her stomach. The questions multiplied- nearly breaking out into another choked scream.

A terrifying realization tore her soul, a major chunk of her memories were gone; the only piece she could reminisce, was her name.

Seemingly out of nowhere, an announcement echoed across the room; "All students to the school theatre..."

As if her distress wasn't enough; the girl's door swung open, allowing a somber air into her room; a ghastly hallway greeted her, distant footsteps mocked her.

The footsteps came closer and closer, her heart quickening with each step, the girl's throat was stained with what seemed to be acid. 

With panic, she threw her blanket over herself; yet, something called to her.

She peaked from under her only defense, swallowing dry saliva; curiosity killed the child.

An entity immerged from the shadows; it's phantom hair swaying behind, glowing eyes blood red; it turned it's head to the girl, and for a brief moment, eyes stabbed her soul from the dark.

Her eyes were blinded by tears; in front of a predator, she was nothing but prey. 

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Her insides started turning. The weighty fears were more than enough, they burst out into a scream. 

All oxygen left the girl's body, a moment of silence arrived; a moment later, the shadow spoke.

"Uh... Hello?..." Said a horrified young boy.

"Aa-uhm... Hi..." The girl squealed.

"Are you... Okay...?" He asked with a raised brow.

"Y-yeah..."

Letting out a sigh of relief, he blurted out: "Uh, I'm Peter; who are you?"

Sitting up with the bottom half of her body covered in her motherly blanket, she replied

"I'm... Alice..."

"Well Alice, I'll see you at the theatre, wherever it's at."

Peter continued his journey, waving a goodbye, with a number of young boys and girls walking on from behind him.

Alice, convinced that this was all just a dream, was calmed by a seemingly normal person like Peter; though still uncomfortable with the situation, she was calm enough to try and wake herself up.

She contemplated ways to wake herself up, yet- she could only come to a simple approach.

Alice raised her hand, questioning whether she really should go through with it... Though, soon enough...

A slap whipped her face red, throwing her head against the bed. 

She laid for a second or two, shock corroding her sanity; she felt pain... She felt pain!

No, Alice wouldn't give up that easily, nay- she sat up to bruise her face once more!

Again, the action was fruitless- yet, she couldn't just accept it; so she whipped her face once more! 

Again, she failed to wake up; yet she continued, another whip- yet, she was still "asleep".

She paused a strike before slowly touching her face, shaking.

Alice, confused and grieving, stopped her desperate escape and fell, face first, on her pillow. 

Acid tears reddened the skin around her eyes. 

It was pointless.

Her pathetic attempts to wake herself up all failed, she could do nothing more.

Filled with dread, Alice let out an aggravated sigh. 

"What do I do...?" She whispered to herself.

Finally; all hope that she was dreaming evaporated into nonexistence. She forced herself to stop thinking. She knew she had to face reality.

Deciding it was best to follow the demands of whoever was behind all of "this"; Alice warred against her survival instincts, lifting her legs out of bed, and eventually out the door.

The soft carpet cushioned her trampling feet, her cold doorknob's touch accompanied her wary steps. Crawling out of her hatched egg, she pushed through the barrier of hesitation that bound her there.

Outside her room, she witnessed a group of students moving to the school theatre. Walking on, Alice joined a death march of children.

A familiar buzzing sound enveloped Alice's ears, as light, which radiated from an indoor lantern, reflected off the crowd's dead eyes. 

Finally reaching the light at the end of the tunnel, Alice and a group of kids made it out of the checkered passageway, out to a forked stairway. 

The vermilion carpet extended to the bottom of the stairs, ending at the ground floor; the warming light illuminated the faces of the student body. 

Stepping down to the first floor, Alice's eyes sparkled, she was enchanted by the titanic chandelier that twinkled above their heads. 

Classical music waltzed around the checkered floor as they marched threw the entrance hall, into the monolithic theatre. 

Dark-red theatre chairs filled the room, uniform and ordered. Golden-lit lanterns decorated it. 

The presuming children sat on the theatre chairs, Alice sitting next to a stranger. 

The doors slammed shut, the lights vanished, weighing down the air. Almost instantaneously, the room was pitch black. 

A cold sweat covered Alice's face as she sat, wishing for the event to start, fighting hard against thoughts that littered her conscience.

The light from the stage slowly enveloped the room as the crimson curtain lifted, lifting the air with it. Ease hugged Alice's heart; maybe now she could finally be at peace. 

Perhaps, she was safe all this time.

Puffs of air contacted Alice's neck, sounds of breathing came from behind; an unfamiliar voice spoke to Alice.

"You're new here, aren't you?"

★ Fin.