Dark Horizon by Luv Howrse (e reader manga txt) 📕

It was raining, but what fell was not water. I was breathing, but it wasn't air. It was bright, but there was no light. I was hot, my house was burning and I was trapped. My eyes scoured the blazing building covered in a blanket of dancing flames, as the scorching heat licked painfully against my unprotected skin, for an escape route. Discovering none I slowly felt my confidence deteriorate like the foundation around me, and any hope of survival being washed away like footsteps in the sand.Choking on the smoke, the darkness that only will power and adrenaline had been keeping at bay began clouding my semiconscious mind. Suddenly the smouldering ash covered floor was rushing up to meet me which was all I needed to be tipped over the edge into the black abyss that awaited.

 Gasping for air, I shakily sat up in bed. They were back, the haunting memories of times I try my hardest to forget, I could usually fight off the nightmares for months at a time but it would seem I was beginning to fail for tonight had been the second time this week. I was losing the war not just the battle and it scared me, my darkest secrets that I've locked away deep inside myself trying to escape, and winning. Each time more detailed, more painful, more real in every way; I don't know how long I can keep up my act. I feel my mask becoming thinner and it wont wont be long before it cracks and reveals my true self broken and afraid. Calm down, I thought to myself taking a deep breathe. The bright red numbers on my clock told me it was five thirty seven, I had plenty of time to have a shower and get ready for my first day at school. School was the last thing I wanted to think about at the moment, its funny though living with my aunt, constantly travelling, never staying at one place too long ; you would have thought I would get use to being new yet even now just the thought of it made me cringe. 

Peeling off my pyjamas, wet with sweat I walked into my en-suit bathroom and turned on the shower leaving it running while I waited for the room to warm up. I looked at myself in the mirror, the gloss was fading in my dark thick hair and my icy blue eyes seemed to be sinking back into my face, the deep curves of tiredness beneath them shaded grey onto my now pale skin. The glow of youth waning away, I barley recognised myself these days, sighing I got into the shower and began scrubbing some temporary colour into my skin. The hot water undid some of the knots of tension inside me, recently my life had been getting - stressful to say the least, with the haunting dreams back, school and the constant travelling, the paranoia from moving town to town, always avoiding major citys its as if we're on the run but from what? I never feel safe anymore like someone or somethings watching me, stalking me everywhere I go. Whispers and movement in the darkness, I'm tired of everything the sleepless nights, the stress - life. Sometimes I find myself wishing I had died that day, I would be with my parents living happily in 'paradise' but fate had other plans and so I lived and my parents burned their screams of agony echoing into the night until a cold silence fell across the world and everything became still. 

"Anna breakfast in five" my Aunty shouted up the stairs snapping me out of my thoughts. How long had I been in the shower, I wondered. I wrapped myself in a towel before walking out, I glanced at the clock as I headed towards my wardrobe, seven AM? "Anna!" she shouted again, never mind. I quickly got dressed in a pair of jeans, a turquoise turtleneck and a pair of converse before heading downstairs my hair now wrapped in my towel. "It'll just be a few minutes" she chimed from the kitchen so I crashed on the sofa and flicked through the channels. 

"You okay?" she asked,

"Yeah",

"Dreams again?"

I nodded silently.

"So… excited, new school?" She said trying to make conversation,

"Sure… how long are we staying this time?" I questioned wondering if this was the one,

"Oh maybe - a couple of weeks"

"A couple of Weeks!" I exclaimed "We normally say a month maybe two, why can we only stay a couple of weeks?"

"It's complicated- I" she was cut off by the smoke alarm, great. We both rushed into the kitchen to find smoke coming from the toaster. "I think I'll just give you money for school" she said "speaking of which you'd better leave soon" I turned and ran upstairs to quickly dry my hair and do my make up. It was eight o'clock already and I was late which means I'd have to cycle in the rain.Perfect. Grabbing my black mountain bike, I began peddling towards my new school.

   I remained calm as I walked into the school cafeteria; a series of graffiti covered white walls surrounded me as I made my way through a labyrinth of tables and chairs. I tried to keep my gaze on the floor but I didn't have to look I could feel their curious eyes burning a variety of holes into me,gripping onto my new text books tighter, I felt my hands become clammy. I took a deep breathe this wasn't me, Im strong, I don't need friends to stick up for me, I can defend myself. I straightened myself and walked proudly across the food hall.I entered the queue and began to edge slowly towards the front with my tray in one hand and my books in the other. I watched disgusted as they poured liquid egg on a plate,with a slice of burnt bacon and toast that seemed more like stale bread it was  so undercooked, yet still hard as rock but after travelling around with my aunty for 10 years I think now most if not all of my taste buds have become numb, they must of if I can actually tolerate the gruel that woman prepares for us. I paid for the ‘meal’ and scoured the cafeteria for a place to sit, choosing a small two seater table at the back of the room, I made my way through the crowd of scrutinising teens. Setting down my tray on the table, I dropped my bag on the floor trying to avoid any gum or random splats of food of what I hope was macaroni. The food tasted just as bad as it looked but it did its job and I found myself relaxing. This feeling was short lived as I found myself becoming bored with fifteen still to kill. I looked around at students nearby, lets see we've got the high skirts, baggy jeans and leather jackets in the east, then the checker shirts,lab coats and glasses in the west with a anyone else in the middle. Well hello handsome, I thought as I locked in with an emerald pair of eyes slightly covered with dark blonde tips that grew lighter as it travelled to his scalp. His black shirt wrapped tightly around his sculpted body. It was then I realised he had stopped in his tracks and was now staring at me with a weird look in his eyes, okay thats kinda creepy. I quickly turned around ignoring him and hoping he would leave me alone. Suddenly a hand gripped my shoulder and I nearly jumped out of my chair, I spun around expecting to find the guy from before but in his place was a girl around my age with long golden hair plaited on both sides. Her deep brown eyes filled with excitement. 

"Erm can I help you?" I asked politely,

" Help me why would I need help, do I need help? Nope Im good! " She rushed " You're new yes? Thats a stupid question of course you're new everyone knows everyone in this town, but I don't know you so you must be new! Hi Im Kate." she began to uncontrollably shake my hand,

" Hi… Im Anna" I said pulling away from her.

" Welcome to hell Anna, as you can see Im a little hyper right now too much coffee, and the charity dance coming up in a couple of weeks, and Im supposed to be making final preparations, but Gary still needs to fix the lighting and Elizab- Im rambling now aren't I, sorry." Yeah just a little I thought, " So me and my friends wondered if you wanted to sit with us at lunch because- well you looked lonely over here, so…?" No friends I reminded myself, but it would be impolite not to accept and its not like we're going to become best friends just by sitting together. Oh how wrong I was.

"Sure" I smiled.

Lets see first I have Math then Science followed by ICT, Lunch, PE and lastly English not a bad first day. Okay, so Math in M3 with Mr Simmons, I pulled the map of the school out of my bag and scanned it for the location. There, M3 second floor of the east wing. I swiftly discarded my tray and proceeded to my first lesson of the day.

"Good Morning students I hope you've all brought in you trigonometry work sheets from last lesson" said, who I assume must be, Mr Simmons in a british accent. Given the series of groans that followed, not everyone had the work which would probably lead to a grumpy teacher just what I need. "I'd also like to inform you that on friday there will be a test, so today we will be doing a worksheet to give you some time to prepare, although Im sure all of you will be studying outside of school too." he smiled, I liked this teacher. " Oh and I'd like everyone to welcome our new student Anna Sinclair, Anna would you like to say a bit about yourself?" he asked.

" Theres not much to say" I said seriously,

"Okay then take a seat anywhere" he gestured to the rows of students, I again headed to the back of the room. As I made my way up the aisle my eyes locked once again with mystery man from cafeteria and for a moment I could have sworn his eyes were as gold as the sun but with a second later they were back to their usual colour. However I still couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this guy that meets the eye, hmm…

The rest of the lesson went pretty smoothly, the class were given old test papers and other worksheets to complete and revise from. A few times I had caught the same guy staring at me, far too often for my liking, and I can only assume he's curious but still there's something about him that frightens me I just don't know what, yet. Finally the bell rang and students began filing out of the room and joining the swarm of kids in the corridors. Whipping out the map, I looked for my next lesson - Science, S1 Mr Peterson. East wing floor two luckily the stairs were right outside and I don't have to go far minimising my chances of getting lost in the crowd of teenagers. Science is one of my favourite subjects, there is something about the way it explains life that just seems so logical, there is always a cause and effect no magic or powerful being that decides our fate, our destinies are our own to decide. It reassures me of my independence, which while growing up was all I ever had. Sure my aunty was