The Night Children

Chapter 4

Edited

I walked in the snow, my boots crunching against the thin layer of ice that coated the road. I glanced towards the sky, taking in the dense clouds that swarmed with snowflakes. I now knew why the weather forecaster warned Brookefield to stay indoors.

I glumly shuffled my feet to stop from slipping, my mind flickering back to this so called guest I was meeting today. I was not in the slightest prepared to see Miss Anderson this early in the morning, the thought that I would be in the same room with her alone was already daunting enough.

I wanted to understand the menace in her tone, or at least learn her past. Someone with that much anger in her gaze has a story to tell. But I wasn't sure if I wanted to hear it.

Once I reached school, I shoved open the main hallway doors, feeling red faced and puffed despite the cold weather. I wasn't used to walked all the way to school let alone exercising at all.

The hallway was unnaturally deserted, my footsteps echoing down the corridor dimly. The back of my neck prickled as I walked along it, a gradual feeling of being watched seeping into my conscious. I disregarded it once I reached Miss Andersons office, not even bothering to knock as I did so.

I pushed open the door, blinking for my eyes to adjust to the dimly lit room. The office was small and dark, a single rectangular window situated in the corner of the room but it was covered by an expensive looking curtain. Her desk was the only thing in the room, its surface bear except for a few papers and a laptop.

I felt myself frown, there was not one indicator that she had a family, her walls free of any portraits that most teachers commonly used to display their loved ones.

My eyes landed on Miss Anderson who was talking to someone quietly, a small smile playing at her thin lips. It was a genuine smile, one that didn't pull at her face menacingly. She looked more humane than she ever had been, the shadows eliminating the harsh wrinkles on her face.

At the sound of the door creaking she glanced up, the smile slipping off her face to fall into a frown. She jerked her head almost in a nod but I noticed a muscle in her jaw jumped.

"Come in." She said curtly, her eyes flashing with hostility. I swallowed down a grim frown and instead slowly shut the door, taking my time so I could mentally prepare myself for her wrath.

I glanced back at the guest, but all I saw was their shadow against the poorly lit room. I titled my head to angle back towards Miss Anderson. She was studying me, the tightening of her fists an indicator that she didn't like what she saw.

Finally to break the silence, she spoke. "Miss Argent, meet our guest."

The figure in the chair turned to look in my direction, the movement catching the dampened light from the window.

A young boy, probably my age stared back, a smirk playing on his lips. His blonde hair was ruffed up and messy, ending in curls that just touched his collar. His skin had a golden tinge to it, a common reminder that he wasn't from around here. His cheekbones defined his face, complementing his sharp jawline.

I took him in, observing him quietly. His lips were full and upturned, his smile crevicing his cheeks into dimples. Long eyelashes skimmed across his ruffed fringe, almost too feminine to juxtapose against his boyish smile.

His eyes captured mine, and immediately I felt myself drawn to them. They were a mixture of brown, blue and green. The light illuminated the array of colours in his irises, enough so flecks of golden seemed to dance and swirl beneath his gaze. Pale scars etched just under his jawline, nothing but flits of a lost story engraved into his skin.