9 Days Before

It was a nice summer day, but unfortunately, Kel, a high school freshman, had to spend it in summer school along with a few classmates: Opel, Lin, and a few others who hadn't received passing grades.

Opel was an outgoing, easy-spoken kid who loved clubs and all sorts of activities, mainly due to the chance to make new friends.

Kel couldn't comprehend Opel's desire to befriend every single person he encountered.

Unlike Opel, Kel held certain standards, even though they might not have been the highest. It wasn't the best of standards, but it was something.

Lin, on the other hand, was more of a people pleaser, though he tended to keep to himself most of the time.

Kel was fairly average - average grades except for math, average height, and average looks (Kel's reflection appeared on the teacher's whiteboard).

"Get off your phone, Mr. Clark," the teacher's voice startled Kel.

With a quick movement, Kel stashed his phone in the cubbyhole of his desk and cleared his throat.

"If I catch you using your phone again, I might just have to photograph the lessons.

Maybe then you'll take an interest," the teacher warned, turning around to face Kel. Kel glared, then looked away and muttered to himself.

"Perhaps you need to retake English, Mr. Clark. I didn't quite catch that," the teacher said, causing the class to gasp and murmur.

Kel, now embarrassed, chose to focus on the lesson in front of him.

At the back of the class, Lin shook his head at the situation, suppressing his laughter to spare his friend from further embarrassment.

"We'll be having a test today, exercising our brains!" the teacher announced, moving on to the next lesson and preparing the students for the test.

Some students groaned while others seemed content. The trio of friends - Kel, Opel, and Lin - were among those who dreaded tests and preferred to avoid them whenever possible.

The teacher began by distributing the test papers, briefly going over the first three questions before allowing the students to complete the rest on their own.

The test consisted of 24 questions, ranging from basic math to challenging ones meant to deter the students. The teacher aimed to strike a balance between difficulty levels, hoping the students would tackle the trickier questions.

Guiding the students through the first three questions, the teacher covered an easy question, followed by a challenging one, and then a medium-difficulty question.

Students handled the first question smoothly and efficiently, all following along.

The second question took more time, with some students understanding it while others struggled, but eventually, they all managed to tackle the first three questions well.

After assisting with the initial questions, the teacher took a break at her desk to attend to paperwork, possibly socialize, and prepare for future lessons.

Mrs. Koi, as flexible and understanding as she could, is known for being a supportive "friend" to her students in times of family or personal turmoil.

As the students focused on their tests, Mrs. Koi reached into her desk drawer, offering gum and stress relief gadgets to help the students concentrate.

The students smiled, some even wanted to fist-bump the teacher, and a newfound respect seemed to develop among them.

"We'll take a break outside after this test. You're all doing splendidly. Those who finish can head to break early. The cafeteria has snacks and cold drinks for you. It's summer, after all," Mrs. Koi announced, inspiring the students to work diligently on the test or simply finish it quickly.

Kel raised an eyebrow and curled his upper lip in an expression of realization, drawing a chuckle from those who noticed.

The students continued with their tests; some immediately headed for the break while others stayed behind to complete their exams.

Mrs. Koi reacted similarly to students who quickly turned in their tests after her announcement.

Lin, seated at his desk with his hands folded at the back of his head, feeling the tactility of the buzzed portion.

He looks at the unfinished test before him and sighs, realizing he hasn't made much progress.

He glanced around to see the progress of others; some were on the fourth page, others on the second, and most had reached the third page - where Kel and Opel were working.

"Well, I guess I procrastinated a bit too much," Lin mumbled to himself before picking up his pencil and beginning to work.

Half an hour later, Kel and a few others handed in their tests.

Lin and Opel exchanged a glance, a silent agreement to speed up their pace before Kel claimed all the good snacks.

Kel, however, interrupted Lin's focus by making peace signs followed by a middle finger.

The teacher caught him, and Kel sheepishly apologized before leaving the room.

Lin glared at Kel's retreating figure, then gave a thumbs-up to the teacher, who nodded in response.

With a nod of determination, Lin turned his attention back to the test.

Opel faced the final question, surprisingly a challenging one for him. Usually, the end of the test contained medium-level questions, which were difficult yet manageable.

This question, though, proved to be a real challenge, making his brain work overtime.

"Ugh," Opel groaned, raising his hand for assistance. The teacher walked over, and Opel defended himself, "I know we're supposed to do this on our own, but it's my last question. I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask for help."

The teacher reassured him, "Sometimes the final obstacle is the most important one. It may seem impossible, but it's often achievable." With her guidance, Opel tackled the challenging question.

Lin overheard this exchange and experienced a sense of déjà vu as if he'd heard those words before.

Mrs. Koi's voice stirred something within Lin.

He felt lost in time as if each minute were stretched into an hour.

The teacher's concern brought him back to reality, her touch on his shoulder breaking through the haze.

"Are you alright?" she asked worriedly, noticing his dazed expression.

"I'm fine," Lin assured her, shaking off the odd sensation and returning his focus to the test. The teacher retreated to her desk, leaving him to work.

Opel finished his test and turned it in, sharing a thumbs-up with Lin for encouragement.

They exchanged a few words about studying, Opel went up to the desk with light-hearted attempts to charm the teacher, which she rejected.

Opel departed for the break, leaving Lin to continue his test.

Leaning back in his chair, Lin gazed out the window at the dark gray clouds, with light reflection of his red dyed hair peering back into the classroom.

The impending rain and thunderstorms seemed to create a sense of tranquility for him.

his mind coasted with the sound of raindrops on glass. The atmosphere changes suddenly as lightning flashes, and the room seems to take on a pitch of surrealism.

Inexplicably, Lin feels a sense of disconnection from reality, as if he's drifting away.

The room's lights, windows, and projector start to flicker ominously.

The projector light begins to pulse with its golden hue, Morse code-like signals emanating from it. Lin's attention is drawn to the projector as it signals something to him.

The quality around him tightens, giving a sense of cinematic surrealism - his consciousness numbing.

The lightning outside and the projector's odd behavior expands the atmosphere.

Lin hears a voice saying his name but can't discern its origin. His surroundings distort, and time seems to stretch as he becomes entranced by the unusual events.

Staring at the projector intensely, seeing it speak a language Lin doesn't quite know how to translate.

Suddenly, Lin is jolted back to reality as Mrs. Koi's voice reaches his ears.

Confused and disoriented, he struggles to regain his focus, darting his head side-to-side, blinking rapidly.

The classroom shifts towards it's normal atmosphere, the teacher giving a tinge of perplexity in relation to Lin's behavior,

"Lin, your test please." she says, keeping the tinge.

Mrs. Koi is trying to collect the tests, and Lin realizes he needs to finish his.

"oh - sorry, I haven't finished yet. Can I have a few moments?" Lin reasons with the teacher that's standing over him with other collected papers in hand.

"Yes, you can stay until you finish" She accepted the reasoning.

The classmates leave the room, but Lin's mind is still reeling from the inexplicable experience.

Lin accompanied Opel and Kel, commenting on the rain's impending arrival.

"I thought the rain had stopped a while ago," Lin remarked, causing his friends to laugh.

“You’ve got a unique sense of humor,” they said, leading him to the cafeteria’s entrance. Lin, considerably drier than his friends, observed their soaking appearance with bemusement.

"Seems like your powers are showing up, huh?" Kel teased.

"Come on, Kel, there's no such thing as powers," Lin retorted, his words met with blank stares from both friends and eavesdroppers.

"Just kidding," Lin stammered, recovering his confidence, but the group doesn't budge, he darts his vision away, escaping the blank stares.

He faces back, seeing everyone eat and communicating with one another like nothing had happened, Kel's expression formed concern as he noticed that he's been out of it lately.

Opel asked him what's wrong, seeing Lin in a haze.

"Are you okay?" Opel inquired, Lin snapped out of it, "Yeah, I'm alright.

"You do seem a bit out of it today. Are you alright?" Opel asked, his concern genuine.

Lin blinks cognitively, trying to make sense of it all, his friends around him keeping the solitude, Kel placing his hand on him, trying to comfort him

"You know, everyone's been asking me that today," Lin responded, a touch of bewilderment in his voice.

The conversation paused briefly, and the rain continued to pour outside, Kel removing his hand from his shoulder, wanting to convey something when a sudden flash of lightning struck Lin, causing everyone nearby to gasp and shout.

Everyone except Kel, whose expression was one of sheer terror, seemingly glued to the spot.

"What happened?! What's going on?" A teacher questioned Opel, who struggled to find his words for the first time.

There was a disconnect, like his thoughts weren't aligning properly, even though the words were clear in his mind.

The teacher’s patience seemed to wear thin, and he scooped Lin up, carrying him toward the nurse’s office while Opel and the other students faintly followed, stopping at the entrance as they watched the teacher carry him away, Kel unsticking himself moved in a sluggish fashion, entering the pouring rain as the retreating figure of the teacher goes to the nurses office.

Kel remained frozen in place as his friend got carried away like a piece of fabric draped in the teachers arms, hearing muffled talk as the rain poured onto him, his black hair pasting onto his face, his eyes dilated as if he saw something within that moment, besides Lin being struck violently by the bolt.

Opel, pairing with him, connects with reality, giving Kel an anxious grip on his arm, yet Kel remains detached, mirroring a manikin, swaying from the force of Opel's touch.

Rain continued to downpour, within the background of his detachment, students across the way were shouting for information, and the teacher holding Lin was yelling to call for help.

Leaving the general atmosphere was one of hysteria.

Yet, anybody that was close to the incident couldn't articulate a single word.

Having a small collection of students in astonishing horror, as the commotion unfolded, school ended for the day.

The rain persisted, filling the air with a sense of uneasiness, replacing the ambient feel towards it.

Kel looked down with his widened gaze plastered to him, Opel tried to get him to sway, but it resulted in the same mannerisms from his first attempt.

"I gotta - I gotta go Kel," He says stumbling over his words, he places his hand one last time on Kel to see if he'd follow, but his friend was akin to a stain.

Opel walked away, his clothing soaked, looking down as he thought about Lin and the incident, leaving Kel alone with his distressed alienization.

Within his depersonalization, he sees himself standing on the sidewalk, being soaked with the pouring rain.

Within his out-of-body perception the rain generated haze, but it escalated into a thick black fog, establishing a blanket around him.

alienated words assembled around him before he got violently thrashed back into his body.

but when he woke, he was already half way home, a sense of palpable unease hung into the air, giving a sort of numbness to his recollection.

With the sudden shock of being in a different place than he previously thought he was, Kel panicked racing towards his home in hopes to never discuss. Although the unintelligible language dug at his psyche, crawling around in his consciousness, causing his brow to lower, skin drawn tightly around the eyes, and his mouth quivering.

Kel exerted his legs to move faster, feeling his muscles tightening with every pendulum.

trying to leave the sickening dilemma behind.

Within the main office, the teacher waits for the ambulance to arrive while Lin is being looked over by the nurse, but before they could arrive a person dressed in a casual fashion with a baseball hat had made an appearance asking the staff a series of questions.

As the man talked, the co-working staff pointed in his direction, as the man walked towards him the office doors swing open with the ambulance’s carriers.

The staff repeats his point and the man before him steps out of the office right before thanking the staff for any cooperation.

“Where is he?” The carrier had asked, the teacher got up, “He’s over here, follow me” He says, leading them to Lin to haul him out.