"…and the opposing forces create a magnetic disturbance in the ionosphere, which leads to – as you well know – a protoneurotic chain reaction between the individual particles of…"
The professor's voice echoes loudly through the classroom, as if pure volume could get his knowledge into the students' heads. His heart bleeds for them. Day after day, his energy is drained in the futile pursuit.
A boy in the back of the room rests his head behind a large textbook. He seems innocent enough, but he thinks dark things in his sleep. The others would find out eventually – it would be a rude awakening.
A straight-backed girl scribbles notes furiously in a notebook. She was once pure and bright, but something has diminished her glow in the recent days – something must have happened to her; something bad.
In the shadows in the back of the room, a boy leans back in his chair, sketching the girl next to him. All the rest of the day, his soul is dull – but as soon as he sees her, it flares into life.
~*~
Lai kept her eyes glued to her notes. If she shut them, she'd be overwhelmed by the lights again. Even so, just feeling everyone around her - the energy they exuded - was almost too much to bear.
Why did she even come?
Oh, right… because she was 'special'.
Uh huh.
She filled her mind with the teacher's speech – semi receptive cyphers, organic ribonuclei, superior and anterior Knowell's Jester – trying to block everything out. Knowledge was power, right?
A couple by the window had been passing notes all period. Now, things had escalated: a wave of energy washed over Lai. Someone must've gotten up the courage to ask for a date. Whoop-de-doo. Now she had a headache. Trying hard not to tremble, Lai got to her feet. The professor didn't even notice at first.
"Sir, may I go to my locker? I've forgotten my… ruler."
Tense energy hit her like a brick wall. The room was suddenly empty without his aggravated voice to fill it. He frowned. She leaned against her desk for support. Finally, he grudgingly nodded to the door and continued rambling about whatever this class was supposed to be teaching.
As soon as her hand touched the door handle, she felt dread – pure dread. Something on the other side of that door wasn't nice. Did she really want to risk finding out what it was? Well, she had actually forgotten her ruler, so…
It felt like she'd been punched in the stomach. She was nearly suffocated by the darkness that enveloped her. Lai stumbled back into the classroom, slamming the door behind her. Now, she was blinded by the light.
Someone coughed. Regaining her vision, Lai plastered on a shaky smile and addressed the room, "Why, I've just remembered: my ruler's actually in my backpack! Silly me…"