By: Vivona Xu

When I shuffled into the classroom, I saw her, and the beady black mark embraced on her pale face. She doesn’t know of course, no one knows how they are going to die except me.

Usually, I keep my head hanging down, so people do not approach me. If they do, I would be forced to meet their gaze and see the inevitable mark of death. Most of my peers were either going to die by sickness, car crash, or old age.

Penny Woodlock was different. She had alluring blonde hair that was always in braids and sparkling green eyes. I knew Penny was transferring to our school the day she came, and I specifically arrived at school half an hour earlier to avoid walking past her. I pushed the wooden door and strolled across the plastic tiles confident I avoided another frightening vision. Despite my precautions, she was sitting with her legs crossed and wore her neatly ironed uniform at the front of the classroom.

I slowly lifted my dull eyes from the ground and stared at her face. My face burned and my pulse kicked against my skin. How could she die in such a gruesome way?

She looked up from organizing her color scented markers, “Hi! I’m Penny and it’s my first day here.” She smiled and stuck her hand out.

My eyes spaced out and my face relaxed as I dropped my head and solemnly limped to the back of the room.

When class began, I stared at the back of her head that was glowing from a burning light bulb directly above her.

During break, I stayed behind as others filed to the recess yard. I watched her slowly shuffle her papers into folders as her new friends chatted with her.

I sat slumped in my chair staring at the blackboard at the front of the room. My ears perked up as I heard Penny and her friends laughing in the stairwell.

I counted back from five and closed my eyes. A loud bang echoed through the halls and a singular unified bloody scream rang across the building.