Serpent's Classroom Rewritten

The Sixth Part: Another Day

I wake up just on schedule, 6:30AM.

Before I even struggle to roll myself out of bed, I hear rummaging around the closet.

I know it's not mom, she's still asleep. I open the closet to inspect what made the noise, but find nothing. Must've been a rat or something.

I turn on the light, and see Sia, lying stiff as a bored on the floor, eyes glued shut.

"Aye, Sia. S' time to go."

I lightly tap her.

The moment I do, she jumps up, and shouts,

"N-NO SIR! I'M NOT SLACKING! I-"

I shushed her before her shouting woke anybody up.

"Easy Sia, it's just me. I'm getting you to your hiding spot."

"O-oh, alright. My mistake..."

"You're fine, you just need to loosen up, 'Kay?"

"Alright, I'll try..."

I escort Sia to the basement, and take her to the area I made for myself in case I was ever kicked out of my room. A nice, clean mattress, reasonably sized blanket and pillow, a decent working fan, and out of direct sight. And, if she needs to hide, there's a closet right next to it. I never actually got to use it, considering that they never did. Now that I think about it, why WOULD I get kicked out of my room? Wouldn't they send me to the living room or something?

Getting distracted.

"Sorry it ain't much. It was originally for myself, but since you need rest, it'll do."

"Oh, it's fine. I'm more than okay with it."

If she's okay with a mattress in a corner of the basement, I'll have to ask her at some point what kind of hell she was living in.

I wave Sia goodbye, and close up the basement as quietly as I can.

6:40, still good. Parents aren't awake, and I've got plenty of time to get ready.

I pack up what I need, a little less than last time since I got a better feel for the place.

I imagine that any normal person would've said fuck that and not shown up again after that first encounter where the building went all Winchester, but I can't afford to do that.

Some fancy footwork later, and I'm out the door. Since it took over an hour or so to get there by car, it'll take at least twice as long by foot. I'm already used to walking long distances and I know where the place is, so it's no monumental task.

—————

An hour and a half in. I can tell I'm close. I would say I'm "superior" for knowing where to go without a gps, but I feel no sense of superiority for myself whatsoever right now. I'm basically at the bottom.

I hear a rustle in the bush.

I ignore it. I've been on a bunch of walks, I know the behaviors of woodland critters.

But then I hear the rustling again. and again. and again. Almost like whatever's in there is... stuck.

I move closer to the bush, and the rustling becomes more frantic. It knows I'm there.

I crouch down, and look inside the bush, and what I see baffles me.

A pink squirrel, wearing a pink bandanna fitted specifically for it.

"What in the hell..."

I go to touch it, knowing that it'll probably bite me, but it'll have been the first time I've touched a squirrel.