First Kill

 Tuesday, July first.

The summer times can be brutally hot and humid around July. Even hotter in a school full of students that didn't pass the grade. Making up enough credits for their lack of studies will cost them a steaming afternoon sweat. Julia Hayes is just another person stuck in the sweltered temperatures of a scorching classroom on the third floor of the building with the sun beaming from windows off its radiating energy.

"Julia, this heat is killing me like our assigned teacher." Said Jewels Miller. Another one stuck in the traumatizing torridities of summer school that will forever be brainwashed into her amygdala.

"I told you not to call me that!" Responds Julia with a concerned look over to her schoolmate that she had told before about not saying her name. 

"Sorry about that. You must really have a hard time with your new mother."

"That's stepmother. And I'm not use to my father moving on with someone new- especially who carries the same name as mine."

"Yeah! Even stranger you having friends with it. That other Julie who talks too much and-

"That Julie is nobodies friend! She's always gossiping and wants to know everything." Said Julia Hayes in a haste to stop Jewels from not only talking about another Julie at school that spreads rumors, but to keep her from having to hear that name over and over again. Her father has been in a serious relationship with a new women that plays the would be role of a stepmother.

Hahaha!

"Don't you tell me!" Replies Jewels as she laughs it off.

Outside of the school hallway, a women approaches the classroom door, opens it and enters the room. She is dressed in a beige button short sleeved shirt, red pants and dark red shoes. A rather weighted women with average skin and short brown hair. Giulietta Killiment- an assigned summer school teacher. Jewels begins to whisper over to Julia Hayes.

"The festival is just a few days away, are you going? ..Justin will be there!"

"I don't know.." Julia Hayes whispers back as her eyes gaze a sudden glance over to the teacher who can feel the extremely soft chatter amongst the two.

"The day is just about over, you all can head home. Just remember the rules- nobody is to stand around school grounds after 3:pm. You may use your lockers, it won't have it's deep clean until summer session is over." Said Ms. Killiment as she begins to organize her stuff before leaving the premises.

Julia Hayes and Jewels Miller walk out of the classroom amongst a few other students that leave appearing as if they were cuffed in shackles to their ankles and wrists. A shadowy image by the hallways could be seen like a black smear on the wall as the students exit. Perhaps ghosting- carbon particles from candles. Or something flammable. At this school- likely in most, candles are prohibited. Something was drawn to a cold part of the school walls for a dark shadow to appear like that.

"What a summer mood killer." Said Jewels Miller with a sigh of relief that the first day of summer school has completed. "Did you know Ms. Kill was engaged on Independence day? It was at the spot by the festival where we're going."

"The whole school probably knew that information. It spread like a wild fire- everyone was there." Replied Julia Hayes as they both walk to their lockers located on the second floor.

"I wonder who she had to kill to get such a rock."

***

Ms. Killiment gathers her things and puts them by the side of her table. Her lesson plans that are meant to deliver and assess students are barely introduced during the course of the summer school program. She knows her students are not focused on their first day and just wants to finish  the morning heat in what feels like the inside of a boiler room.

The time is nearing its 3:PM and she decides to have a quick lunch rap she had with her. As she sits on the mobile chair at her desk, a standard- one of 48 to 60 inches in length with a light wooden finish- she feels a cool draft from under the table at her legs. With her pants on along with a hot atmosphere, Ms. Killiment could sense what felt like something that an air conditioner could produce. She thought nothing of it and kept eating.

Once again the shadowy image could be seen by the hallways where Julia Hayes and Jewels Miller were walking all the same. It traveled up the stairs from the second floor and onto the third. Under the teachers table it comes to appear giving off a dark cloudy reflection from the floor close by her chair.

THUMP!

The teacher turns her head hearing an out loud sound coming from the hallway entrance of the classroom. A small lighted shadow is seen running away from the doors rectangular glass viewing. Ms. Killiment lifts herself up off the chair and walks towards the door thinking their are students playing around.

"Girls?!" She yells checking if anyone is around. Giulietta gets up off the chair and walks to the door peaking out through the transom taking a look around the hallway. It's empty corridor with lockers having no lock pads are all closed, the windows at the end of the hallway are sealed and the floors are gleaming cleared.

"HELLO?" She opens the door from her classroom and sticks her head out for a clearer view, but to no avail. No one comes out to reveal themselves. The halls remain empty as she slowly backs up to reenter the classroom. Only she looks downward and notices a red mist flowing from the floor. Reddish and purple colors begin to form like red aquarium fishes in a blue sea from a clear-fully clean beach below. Giulietta Killiment begins to panic and returns into the classroom full of its colorful scarlet trance.

Within the mist-fulness she spots a masquerade.

And out appears a dagger shinned and sharped.

Those eyes she wonders.

Those eyes she ponders.

The teachers eyes popped wide wondering what to do and couldn't act on her decision even if she tried. The ghostly dark shadowed image raises its weapon and slices her left hand’s fourth finger. 

The one with her engagement ring.

It slides right off from the drenched crimson gush and falls to the floor. She screams and stares at her hand thinking how it was cut like this and why. How could that even be possible to severe only that particular finger. The red smoky mist covers the classroom with only the manifesto of a wraith's face covered in its unusual masquerade. It continues to cut into her front and back with ease like brushing off dirt from a desk with a dust handle. Her body twisting and turning stumbles past the doorway and into the hall covered in her own life liquid. She slips from the drips it left on the flooring and then falls hard.

THUMP!

***

"You heard that?" Said Julia Hayes while she's with Jewels Miller by their lockers preparing to leave for the day. They heard a sound coming from above where they had their first summer session.

"..Could be the janitor." Responds Jewels Miller as she continues to grab her stuff. Julia runs off to see what's going on as Jewels yells out to her.

"HEY WAIT!"

She runs passed the halls heading to the stairwell.

"JULIA!"

Jewels runs behind her going up the stairs and onto the third floor.

Both stop suddenly with Julia Hayes letting out a huge gasp of air after her eyes connect with a view to a kill. Jewels Miller's face in shock mode while Julia Hayes eyes look to see if anyone is in the classroom or if someone will come out of it. At that very moment, her eyes notice a ring pinned to a locker by the dagger that was used to murder Giulietta.

Jewels looks at the weapon with the ring...

"...Looks like the wedding's off."