It all started as a dream for Lara Williams, a young, determined sixteen-year-old girl. As she grew older, the dream began to affect her life because it occurred almost every day. It was not just a dream—it was a nightmare.
Whenever she closed her eyes to sleep, she dreamed of killing her parents and siblings, the people she loved the most. The nightmare began to affect her behavior. She started distancing herself from everyone because she now saw herself as a monster.
Things worsened one day when she was bullied at school by the school bully, Josh. In her mind, she imagined fire burning him—and it became real. When Lara realized what had happened, fear consumed her. Josh screamed in pain, attracting many students. Before anyone could attempt to put out the fire, Lara imagined the flames quenching, and they did. By then, Josh had already passed out.
The students rushed Josh to the school clinic while Lara fled the scene immediately. She ran to her secret place—a spot filled with tall trees, making it dim even during the day. Lara loved that place because people rarely went there. The gentle breeze and the sound of birds chirping always calmed her. It was the only place where she truly felt at peace and distant from people.
She discovered the place when she was ten, the same year her nightmares began, and she had grown deeply attached to it.
When Josh finally woke up, he was questioned about what had happened, but he refused to say a word. When his parents heard the news, they rushed to the school and asked him the same questions, yet he still remained silent. From that day on, Josh—the school bully—became unusually quiet and stopped bullying altogether.
"Hey, Lara, let's go grab lunch. I'm starving. The history teacher is always getting on my nerves, always keeping us in class during break time," Lilith said.
"Yeah, the history teacher really did us dirty today. I don't even want to talk about him. Let's go grab lunch—you're not the only one starving," Lara replied tiredly.
The two friends walked to the cafeteria, bought their food, and sat down to eat. When they were done, they walked around the school premises until break was over.
Ever since Lara's nightmares began, she had withdrawn from her friends. Whenever they tried to get close to her, she would run away or say hurtful things that pushed them away. But Lilith never gave up. She was stubborn and knew her best friend hadn't always been this way.
Lilith tried many times to get Lara to open up about what was wrong, but Lara continued to distance herself. When Lara noticed how persistent Lilith had become, fear gripped her heart. She loved her friend deeply and missed the days they laughed and played together, but she couldn't bring herself to tell Lilith about her nightmares. She feared Lilith would see her as a monster.
Lara didn't want to lose her, and she didn't want to hurt her either. She believed distancing herself was the best option. But Lilith kept getting closer, refusing to give up on her. Eventually, Lara stopped running away, though she constantly tried to keep her emotions under control. That wasn't always easy. Whenever she got angry, it became difficult to restrain herself. Thinking about what happened to Josh terrified her—she didn't want to hurt anyone else.
Only her parents, siblings, and Lilith knew about her nightmares, so they all tried their best not to provoke her anger.
Eventually, Lara told Lilith everything—her nightmares and what had happened to Josh. From that moment on, Lilith became her strongest support.
As they walked, they crossed paths with Xavier—the quietest student in school, always wearing a hoodie. He was also their classmate.
Only a few people had ever heard Xavier speak, and Lara was one of them. He was calm to the core and possessed a captivating aura, with eyes so intense that people often found it hard to look away. His quiet demeanor made him well-known among students and staff, and he was often referred to as "Ghost."
Lara often wondered why Xavier was so quiet. Most days, he didn't speak at all unless a teacher asked him a question.
Whenever their paths crossed, Xavier usually held her gaze, locking eyes with her in a way that made her wonder why. There was something about him that drew her in.
This time, however, when they crossed paths, Xavier didn't look at her at all—he simply walked past. The change unsettled her. She briefly wondered if it was because Lilith was with her, then brushed the thought aside.
"Have you ever wondered why Xavier is so quiet?" Lara asked.
"I don't know. Maybe he's the devil, or maybe we're below his standard to speak to," Lilith replied.
"No, it feels deeper than that. Anytime we cross paths, he looks me straight in the eyes like he's peering into my soul," Lara said.
"Why are you worrying about that ghost? You're just being paranoid," Lilith complained.
"Just forget it. You wouldn't understand. I have this feeling he's like me," Lara said, frowning.
"Come to think of it, Lara, I don't think anyone has ever seen his face. He's always in a black hoodie, all his things are black, he's tall, walks like a model, and his aura is intimidating," Lilith added.
"Yes, I agree. Even the teachers are scared of him. I think break is over—let's head back to class," Lara said.
After school, Lara and Lilith said goodbye and went their separate ways.