PROLOGUE- HELL'S PROMISE - II

Sitting in our class, waiting for the bell to ring, I feel perfectly normal. Like its just another forgettable day. Of course, for anyone with a semblance of sense, if they were to be in my situation they'd have a hard time calling this day normal. I guess it is a little...confusing. Maybe I only think its normal cause I can hardly pick apart my own feelings. It doesn't really matter, of course. All that matters is that I get a good grade on this worksheet and the three after it. Or else I'll get mom's wrath...from now on it may just be her wrath I have to face.

After all, my dad is dying.

The statement leaves a strange aftertaste on my tongue, the truest definition of bittersweet. Not that there should be anything bitter about it. The fact I feel so conflicted makes me sick in itself. If only I could just be free from any hesitation about the death of another person. I wish I could embrace complete and total apathy, for just a few hours. Next to me, I see Chloe scribbling down answers on her worksheet. Of course, every single one of them were correct. How'd I know? I made copies of all the answer sheets for worksheets on the first day when the teacher went to get coffee and have successfully managed to keep up my high grades cause of my photographic memory. Meanwhile, Chloe is just a genius. She adores books and puzzles more than anyone else I've ever met.

"Hehe, done!" She holds up her worksheet to show me and I nod with a proud look, cause that's exactly how I felt. No one in this world is as smart or cool as my little sister, and that's just the truth. I look away when she sets down her paper, looking at the classroom door. What will it be like when I go home today? Will he be there, waiting for us? Will he be nice, or will he be so angry he really does kill us despite his injuries? Suddenly, I can feel my anxiety trying to shoot through the roof. Ugh, no good, now I'm just stressing myself out. I shake my head to keep myself from freaking out right here in the middle of class. It's okay, it's okay. I sigh quietly, keeping my head down as I panic.

Class continues on with little fanfare, eventually bringing us to recess. Standing in line to leave class, I wait until the teacher has turned his attention to other students to sneak out of the line with Chloe to sneak off and up the many staircases to the first floor and begin working our way through the main halls. As we do, we point at the many different PSA posters and make jokes at their expense. Maybe it was mean to laugh at something trying to be so positive, but if it could be laughed at, maybe it wasn't exactly all that effective.

We eventually arrive at our destination, the school's library. Opening the door, we carefully make our way inside. In our hands we hold the library books we've successfully finished, ready to turn them in for our next steals. By the time we reach the counter, the librarian is already waiting for us, their exasperated face quickly replaced by their earnest smile. We walked off to hide amongst the shelves, looking for where we left off from last time. The feeling of being so explorative was what kept this place so fun, even though we had definitely combed it to its fullest. We would do the same with the public library, but...well, actually, maybe we would be able to do that starting now.

"Hey Chloe, tomorrow wanna go check out the big library?" The question made her little face light up. She pumped a fist in the air, her enthusiasm sky high. I chuckle a little before noticing something. A book so out of place there's no way it could have been here before. I move next to Chloe and carefully pull it off the shelf. Sitting in my hands, the thing gives a strange feeling of danger. I quietly gulp, wondering if I'm doing something I really shouldn't be. I carefully open it up to the first page and see...nothing. I flip to the next and, once again, nothing. Growing from nervous to curious, I flip past every page and, yeah, nothing. I grumble, feeling just a bit cheated, before looking for a library barcode on the thing, and finding none. Also incredibly curious. Honestly, a part of me knows it would be smarter of me to just put the thing back, since it can clearly only lead to trouble, The other part of me, however, is very curious about this mysterious empty book. I discreetly shove the book in the back of my pants before grabbing a book off the shelf.

Once Chloe is ready to go, we both head over and check out our books, myself being careful to keep my backside hidden from view. Once we're safely out of sight, I sigh, pulling the book out of my pants. Chloe seems surprised but I assure her it's nothing they're gonna miss. Reopening the book, I notice something that wasn't there when I first checked it. It was a date. August 2nd. 2 days from now. I was definitely back to feeling unnerved now. What the hell was this book? Gulping, I close the book and decide to ignore the feeling of growing unease in my chest. I must have just missed it while going through it the first time. Deciding that had to have been the case, I shut out any other thoughts on the topic. For now, of course. I'm sure I'll come back to it eventually. Till then, I find myself coming back to what It is I'll end up being faced with when I come home. Inside myself, I pray for the best scenario.