The nurse came in later, narrow eyes. She gazed at me, her eyes traveling from my eyes to the bandage on my forehead. Her eyes narrowed more still, but she turned to arrange some paperwork.

I rested for a while, gathering my strength. The first bell rang. The second bell rang. Then the third. I sat up, the dizziness and grogginess long gone, though I still felt a bit sore in some spots. Then, silently thanking the nurse even though she hadn't done anything, I scurried out of the room.

Max rose. I tasted the name, stretched it and squeezed it, testing how it sounded. I put his face beside the name, those long lashed and fair hair, his eyes the color of sapphires. The name fit so well, so utterly well that it was almost disturbing.

"Miss Lyra! What year did world war II start and end?" I glanced at the face of my teacher, not really seeing, and answered absently as if memorized:

"Started in 1939 and ended in 1945." The history teacher looked at me in distaste and some envy, because she had thought I wasn't listening.. The fourth and last bell ran, people rushing and pushing and pulling to get out the door first. A long sigh escaped my lips, as I was the last one to leave the deserted classroom.

I stopped dead in my tracks, listening. Whispers had flooded the hall, familiar voices conversing. I leaned on he doorway, as silent as I could be.

"Yeah, she is, I tell you!" The voice whispered, irritated.

"How can you be sure she is the one?" Another voice, cold and demanding. My heart sped up eager to know who she was, to know whom the voices belonged to. My heart raced so fast I thought it would give me away.

"Wait, I hear-" He broke off, pausing to listen intently. I held my breath. Everything was so quiet, you would have heard a pin drop. My heart raced even faster, content to pump adrenaline-

"Lyra, it isn't polite to eavesdrop on someone else's conversation now, is it?" A hand gripped my shoulder from behind, holding on firmly. I jumped so violently I almost lost my balance. Laughter echoed, and I turned around to growl at whoever had grabbed me-

I stopped dead.

There stood Jace Blackrose, grinning in an eerie way. And Max was behind him, almost pitying.

"What are you doing here?" I asked with a steady voice, cautious at his every move, my body tense.

"Relax!" He laughed again, patting me on the shoulder. "I was just meeting a friend." He gestured to Max, whom looked as uncomfortable as I felt.

"I am not your friend." And the he fell silent again. A frown played over Jace's lips, and he let out what sounded like a "Tut-tut."

He turned to me, and his expression softened.

"Sorry if we frightened you, kid. Here," He added, when I looked unconvinced. There sat a white rose in his hand, decorated with pearls as if evening dews. I couldn't help but smile, and my body relaxed a bit. I twirled the rose in my hand and thanked him.

But when I looked up, the hallways were deserted once more. Only the ghost of their presence remained, forever etched in the empty hallways.

"What the.." I had only looked down for a second! How did they leave in such a short amount of time?

"Unless..." I whispered, trailing off. I didn't even want to open myself to the possibility, to even let my mind wander there, and tried to push the thoughts at the very back of my mind.

But the thoughts came bubbling back up, haunting me and screaming at me. Their voices louder than my own, they chimed:

Unless....

THEY ARENT HUMAN.