Note from a Stranger

Scarlet went home after thanking Theo for his hospitality. She felt she was able to understand him a little better. For the following days, most of her classes were quiet. It was until she entered Professor Valerius's class. The classroom was in disarray due to the occurrences from the ceremony. The students were chattering loudly among themselves.

"Did they catch those rebels?"

"My father said that he had never seen anything like this in his time."

A small noisy group crowded around Kina. She was boasting about her close encounters and how she handled them.

"You were amazing!" They were all showering her with praise.

"Thank you, thank you." Kina played with her curls. "At least, I did something against those rebels besides you know who." She smirked in her seat as she watched Scarlet walked over to her seat.

Scarlet thought to herself.

I’m not sure if Kina actually did anything. Everything seems like a blur in my head.

When Scarlet reached her desk, she immediately noticed a folded up note on her desk.

She opened it.

The note read..

I know you're not part of this world, go home before you get hurt.

The voices around her faded into nothingness. The only sounds she could hear were her short breaths and the thumping of her heart. The room changed into a frightening black void, leaving only the words on the paper she could see. A cold wave of fear washed over her.

Someone knows who I am?

Her eyes roamed the room, taking in every face. There were many students in the room and she had no idea who could have left the note.

Who wrote this? What do they want from me?

Scarlet shivered in fear. The note was on her desk before she came, so it might have been someone who came earlier than her in the classroom.

Was it Kina?

Scarlet’s purple eyes widened and stared at Kina intensely that gave her shivers across her spine.

Kina grew uncomfortable and blurted out. “Geez, stop staring at me like that, would you? Have you lost your mind? I can’t stand all of these wimps.”

Scarlet was standing in the aisle blocking the other students from getting to their seats. One student was irritated by this.

"Hey, move along."

Scarlet was still zoned out and was dismissing everything around her.

They started yelling for her to move.

The last student entering the room was Flen. He noticed the commotion and the angry students near Scarlet. He pushed them aside and made his way upstairs. He went over to the impatient students.

“Don’t rush her, that’s not a polite way to ask someone to do something for you.”

He gently tapped her shoulder and said, "Excuse me, Miss Scarlet."

She snapped out of it and saw Flen’s bright yellow eyes.

“Flen! Oh, I’m sorry.” She was blocking a long line of students who could do nothing but stared at her until she moved away out of their path.

She then hurried and sat down in her seat. He patted her head.

He whispered, “Hi Daydreamer girl.”

Scarlet was embarrassed.

As he passed her to head over to his seat, she saw his arm was bandaged up.

I don’t remember him being bandaged like that, when did he get hurt?

The note consumed her thoughts again.
Should I tell Theo? I don't want them to hurt him.

She had a troubled look on her face.

Professor Valerius enjoyed picking on rattled students. He noticed Scarlet and chose her to answer his question.

He asked her, “What weapon was best used against a shape shifter?”

She said in a whisper "I don't know."

“Miss Scarlet, if you even think of passing my class, you better study harder. It is a shell flute; it can transform them back into their original form. You had better pay more attention to my class.”

The other classmates sneered at her for not knowing the answer. Flen was upset that they were mean to Scarlet. He balled his fist tightly under his table, trying to contain his anger.

Scarlet was overwhelmed by the note and the professor's treatment of her.

I miss not being called on and minding my own business. I miss my old world.

Scarlet tucked her head into her arms, shutting out the outside around her.

When the class ended, Kina approached her.

“You know, you should really quit while you are ahead. You will probably fail this class anyway.”

Scarlet was still disconnected that day. She did not respond. Kina was dissatisfied with a lack of response.

Flen walked toward her and Kina. He stood protectively in front of Scarlet.

“Kina, you should leave Scarlet alone.”

Kina wanted to explain to Flen that it was a mistake. “Flen, I didn’t mean---"

Flen pointed her to the door, “Please leave.”

Kina complied. She was more upset that her crush was siding with someone she disliked.

Scarlet started to poke her head out from her arms. “Thank you Flen. I’m not myself today.”

Flen smiled, “That’s okay, everyone has those days. I did not see you leave the ceremony, I'm glad you made it out safely. “

“Thanks, I’m glad you did, too.” Scarlet replied.

She stared at his bandaged arm again.

“What happened to your arm?”

“I got a little hurt after fencing.” Flen quickly answered.

Seeing the size of the wound, Scarlet was not entirely convinced it was a mere fencing injury. It appeared to be much worse. She understood there was more to it, but since Flen did not want to elaborate, she did not want to sound like she was prying.

“I hope it heals soon.”

Flen offered to walk her to her dorm. She politely declined him.

Scarlet went straight home; she looked behind her every so often to see if she was being followed. When she came into her room, she placed the note on her desk and sat with her back against the wall. Pim ran to the door holding onto the heel of her foot.

"Woo, woo."

She smiled, "Hi Pim." She gave him some head scratches.

She had not been wearing her speaker device lately.

I don't want to bother Theo either about this. He has plenty to worry about already.

She was worried that someone other than Theo knew her identity. The identity of that person was puzzling to her.

A note slid in through her door and into the room, it read…

Meet me at the Memory Bank at sunrise tomorrow morning, come alone.