Harleen...

"What? Are you serious? But I really have to get to school! Argh, fine." Harleen sighed. She locked her door, and stomped, rather than walked downstairs. She was so angry. Her driver ditched her at the last moment. She would've been very understanding if only this last moment of cancellation hadn't occurred before. She started her journey from her house towards school.

The school was closed for the winter, but a few diligent teachers wanted to take some tests, classes and get students to submit their due assignments. But Harleen was a smart kid. She wasn't going to school for any of that. After all, she studied well, and her assignments were submitted on or before the due dates. She was going to school for her applications to be filled by the teachers for college. College. Graduation. She detested these two words. And these two words had been revolving around her from the past few months, and future few too, it seemed. This added to the apathetic behaviour of her driver of cancelling at the last moment. 

She walked in anger. It seemed as though if someone interacted with her then, she would snap at them first and then start crying. 

Finally, she reached school. She breathed a sigh of relief, but didn't bother to put on a smile. She got into the school through the main gate. "Strange," she thought as she saw the security seat empty, and the deserted school. She entered the building and didn't bother to enter any class to greet her best friends. 

Harleen headed to the staff room, but to her surprise, the staff room was not only empty, but all the lights were switched off too. She headed downstairs to check the classrooms. Empty. Just as she was about to exit, she heard a voice from upstairs. 

"Oh so that's where the classes are held today. But why up there?" She moaned as she climbed the stairs anyways. 

She climbed to the second floor, and saw the light of a few classes switched on. She walked towards them, and opened one. But to her surprise, the class room was empty, and it was eerily chilly inside. She sighed and walked towards the air conditioning switch and switched it off. "It's such nice weather, and everyone wants AC," she complained to herself. 

As she was about to head downstairs, she heard someone call out her name,"Harleen?" She turned and said,"Yes?" "Harleen!" Harleen walked towards the voice. She stood in the middle of the hall. "Hira? Is that you?" she shouted. Silence. She turned and headed back towards the stairs. "Harleen!" the voice shouted again. Now it seemed to her as though it was coming from upstairs. "Hira, if that's you, stop it. I'm not in the mood to play right now," she shouted. Silence. 

"Harleen, come here! Let's study together!" Harleen froze. "What the hell?" she thought to herself. Now, Harleen being Harleen, she would've not bothered and headed out. But somehow, her curiosity got the better of her. She climbed another flight of stairs. 

Just as she climbed the last step, her phone rang. The caller ID read: Priya. 

"Hello?" she spoke into the phone. 

"Hey girl, what's up?" said Priya.

"Hey. Nothing much, I'm at school, what about you?" Harleen said. 

"What are you doing at school?" asked Priya. 

"Oh god, these college applications. Coming Friday is the last day, so I'm getting everything done," answered Harleen. 

"What? Is someone with you?" asked Priya, a little confused now. 

"No. Why? Although I'm pretty sure Hira or one of them is somewhere around trying to play hide-and-seek. LOL," chuckled Harleen. Just then the voice called out,"Harleen! Harleen, come here!" Harleen looked around. No one. 

"No babe, you don't get it do you? School's closed. Like, there are no extra classes today or tomorrow. That's why I got confused as to why you are there at school," said Priya eagerly. 

Harleen felt her world spinning. 

"What?" she screamed into the phone. 

"Yeah, you heard me," Priya said. "No sch-." She cut Priya mid way. She was about to turn around, and run, when, "Harleen... come let's study together." Someone whispered just near her right ear. She got startled and turned abruptly. No one.  

She climbed down the stairs quickly. As she did, a rustle of footsteps, banging of a door, the voice calling out her name desperately. She didn't know how fast her heart was beating, how terrified she was of whatever was going on, tears rolled down her cheeks and she fumbled for a number. Any number. But to her horror, no service. "No!" she cried. "But it was just working!" she thought to herself. 

Thoughts raced through her mind. "Is this the end?" "I haven't even had my first kiss yet!" "As much as I hate these college applications, I really want to go to college." "Harleen, shut up, and run." 

She ran like she never had, not even for the PE running test had she run this fast. She exited the building as fast as she could, through whichever exit that came into sight. 

She ran as far away from the building as she could, and stopped. Amidst all the adrenaline, she didn't realise how much she had run, and how tired it made her. She stopped to breathe at a considerable distance from the horrifying building. As she was huffing and puffing, she turned her head towards the building. 

She screamed and cried and ran with all her might again. She exited the school without looking anywhere but straight. She only had one destination now. Home. She didn't want to be anywhere else, but home. With her mum and dad. 

She wanted to be as far away from the woman dressed in red, who stood at the window watching her, with her lips reading: Harleen.