𝔹𝕖𝕥𝕨𝕖𝕖𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕍𝔼𝕀𝕃 𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 𝟙

I waited at the bus stop my mind reeling at my thought of what I heard. The wind blowing around me leaves Spiraling around the streets as cars ran over them. The leaves escaping under the engine as the car pass.

I wonder what I should do? How did mom even get such a strange necklace in the first place? … then again why dose the necklace have my name on it?

I glanced at my phone when a feeling of someone watching me sent shivers down my spine.

I looked around to see if anyone was near me nobody seemed to be around the street barren almost as if the town was abandoned.

I sat at the bus stop my heart pounding in my chest as I tried to avoid the strange feelings that somebody was around.

I checked my phone to see how long I had left the bus was to show up when a shadow ran past me from the corner of my eye.

I spun around checking the direction the shadow ran for somebody to be nearby, praying that it was just a random pedestrian running to catch somebody or maybe a ride.

What the! I swear I thought I saw somebody. I thought as I watched the leaves a plastic bags dance across the street disappearing into a pole. I could hear the sound of the bag Russell faintly across the street as it fought for freedom from the pole.

“Maybe I’m just imagining things again,” I said to myself as I glanced back at my phone praying even harder that the bus would show itself and I could head home.” I’ve definitely washed way too many movies and TV shows lately.”

I played music on my phone to destress from the nervous feelings I was getting, jumped as I could feel a hand rest on my shoulders.

“Who’s there?” I called into the nothingness of the street still not a single car driving by. The uncomfortable feeling that somebody was standing next to me increased as I got up from my spot at the bus stop.

I don’t even want to wait I’m just going to head home it’s only a couple blocks from my house anyway. I thought as I started walking towards the direction of my house not even looking back in the direction of the bus stop.

An uncomfortably chilled washing over me as I walked further and further away from where I was sitting.

“It’s you,” a familiar voice said sounding surprised. “You look worried are you okay?”

I turned my head to see the Blaine look-alike walked towards me, he was still wearing his white T-shirt and black pants.

“Oh, it’s you,” I said feeling unfazed by his presence, the strange feeling of ease as he stopped in front of me.

Have I gone mad? … Then again maybe if I have somebody with me that’s strange feeling will go away and if somebody is following, they may leave me alone knowing him with somebody. I guess it won’t kill me to talk to this look-alike.

“And it’s you… Blaine said puzzled as he looked at me curiously.

“Sorry, that’s not I meant it’s just I’m surprised to see you,” I said trying to sound as polite as possible. “What did you say your name was again?”

Blaine looked at me and smiled. “Names Blaine Valentine and yourself?” Blaine asked politely as he bowed to me.

Really! His names Blaine, Blaine Valentine the same Blaine that I know? Does he think I’m stupid or something? How is he not the same Blaine that I know?

“Blaine Valentine? And what’s with the bow?” I asked as I suppressed any urge to argue with him taking a deep breath as I waited for his reply.

“Yes, my name Blaine and I was bowing respectfully to why is something wrong?” He asked sounding dumbfounded.

A little bit, you’re claiming to be a man that I know with the exact same name, the exact same hairstyle, the exact same height, the exact same color, the exact same color. The only difference between them are their mannerisms and old-fashioned style close this Blaine seems to dress himself it’s like he just walked right out of the medieval era completely oblivious to normal fashion standards.

“No, it’s just you have the same name I somebody I know, you also look a lot like him,” I said nonchalantly. “As for the bow… Well, we don’t exactly how these days so it’s more surprising to see somebody do it.” I said as if explaining social norms to somebody who magically teleported to this era in time.

“I see, well I’m sorry I look like somebody you know I hope I didn’t confuse you,” Blaine said sounding apologetic.

“I’m sorry too,” I began as I started walking towards my house, I could see Blaine looked confused before following me. “For accusing you of being my friend last time we saw each other,” I said ignoring the time that I saw him in my bedroom.

Blaine looked thoughtful for a moment as he thought back to that time, his eyes widening in shock as he put what I said together.

“It is fine,” he said as he kept up with me. His shoes light as he walked almost as if he was just floating instead of walking. “I could see the confusion explained I would be confused myself.”

I sighed in relief as I looked around, the streets were still barren and empty as if the whole town just got up and left. No cars were parked on the sides of the roads just the buildings lingered as if waiting for people to enter.

“So, can I ask what your name is or are you going to not answer me again?” Blaine asked.

“Name’s Zaphira and do you mind if I call you Valentine? It would be a little confusing since you share the same name as my friend it would get confusing after a while, I would know who I was talking to.”

Blaine looked at me for a moment as he thought about it. “Sure, most of my teachers call me that anyway.”

“Cool,” I said as I continued my walking not sure what to say.

“Do you attend the Academy? I’ve never seen you around so… I was just curious if you attended.” Valentine said.

Academy? Like high school or something? Nobody calls high school and Academy unless you go to one of those crappy schools in Mur Haven.

“No, I just attend a regular high school,” I said as I thought of the lame school that I attended that seemed to be ruled by Raven and her wrath.

Valentine looked at me confused as he stared at me blankly. “High school?”

What he is never heard of a high school? But he’s heard of and Academy… What a strange boy.

“It’s like an Academy but… For regular people, you don’t need fancy money to attend or high expectations to graduate.” I said as my worries began to fade.

“Interesting,” Valentine said as he looked thoughtful, his gaze fixated on something beside him.

No seriously are we in the same dimension or is he just a figment of my imagination? How does he not know what a high school doesn’t he attend one? … Granted a very fancy one but still a high school, right?

“So, why do you ask if I attend the Academy? What do you learn at the school?” I asked curiously ignoring my surroundings as I crossed the street.

“I currently take fencing, and basic classes such as mathematics, history, science, demon lore, and magic,” Valentine said nonchalantly.

Fencing? That’s a subject I didn’t think anyone still learned, I guess it’s true fancy high schools come with really weird after-school subjects… Wait did he just magic and demon lore? Okay, I’m starting to think he’s not from here who learns magic and lore?

“Where did you say you are from again?” I asked hoping he would say some weird mythical place.

Valentine tilted his head puzzled as if I had said something strange to him. “Oh… Umm… Astoria.”

Ha- ha you gotta be kidding me what the hell is he fucking with me? So, his name is Blane Valentine and is also from Astoria…. How is he not messing with me?

“Astoria?” I asked confused as I looked at him.

Valentine looked at me, a puzzled expression on his face as he tried to understand my confusion. “Yeah, are you also from Astoria?”

“Something like that.” I said as I rounded the corner. I must have been more interested in our conversation than I thought as I could see my house coming to view. The coming reassurance that I was close to home as I stepped off the curb.

We got closer to my house my mind focused on what he said about magic and demon lore.

“Do you actually study magic and demon lore? What exactly kind of Academy do you attend?” I asked

“Just a regular Academy nothing fancy,” Valentine said sounding envious. “Not like the good Academy from Mur Haven, you could learn just about anything from that Academy you’re not limited to what you could learn here.” He said.

It sounds like he’s talking about the regular school's VS academies. Going to a regular high school is like…Hmm, a crappy public school from the West End but with a bit more love, and the academies are those fancy elite schools that you’d have to practically sell your soul to get into.

“You are a very interesting person, Zaphira,” Valentine said as he smiled at me.

“You are a very interesting person yourself; you have a lot of things that make me puzzled and a lot of things that make me think,” I spoke

Valentine said nothing he just tilted his head before getting distracted by something and turning his head. I shrugged as I walked off the curb getting close to my house and looking away from him to see if any cars were coming not that it mattered.

I turned to look at him but he was gone, just like before he vanished without a trace, not even a shadow passing by was like he just vanished from existence.

“Yep, I was right he is a really weird person,” I said to myself as I got to my house stopping on the driveway to look at the street still no sign of cars or even people. “Did I really just walk five blocks without coming across a single person or even a car? What the hell happened to the living?” I asked myself before turning to my front door and unlocking it before entering.