Today was a new day.

I guess that's a really dumb way to begin a book- but it was true.

Actually, no- it was common sense.

Everyday is a new day, and we don't know what fate will bring us- ever. I guess its kind of sad, but a blissful thing in life- not knowing what tomorrow will bring. I didn't mind it. Not at all, actually.

I was sitting in class silently, looking out the window with a blank expression on my face. Really, I did everything with no expression on my face. Showing emotion meant showing weakness, and I didn't want that. I guess no one did.

Especially not now in the current era of extreme crime and 'supernatural disturbances' becoming more common by the minute. The world was evolving into something evil- not that it never was, to be honest. But if you think about it- I can't blame the land for the destruction that has been caused over the millions and trillions of years. No.
The only ones to blame were ourselves.
The teacher was rambling on about photosynthesis and the conducts of chlorophyl. I was more interested in the chemistry and psychology side of science- I guess it seemed more interesting to me. How our minds portray the illusion of reality through our five senses, which practically translates to the question of, "what really is reality?". Chemistry is just as interesting. All the different mixtures, reactions and the ways we can create things out of harmless substances. It's quite incredible, actually.

I began drawing circles with my finger on the desk, feeling the groves and scratches in the wood. I sat in the far back corner of the classroom next to the window. There was a small tree of some sort -a suckle maybe-, with it's leaves becoming intense shades of red and orange. It's little branches were brushing against the window, as if a small child was lightly tapping their fingernail on the window pane. At first, I was annoyed out of my mind by the metronomic noise the branch made, but now it has become a background noise that I had adapted very well to. Honestly, it helps me think straight at times. Being near the window was also an advantage. Our school is pretty old, and the classrooms were small and at times got hard to breathe in. Being near the window was kind of nice, since I at least got a bit of fresh air in this stuffy classroom- while the window was open, of course. The tatty classroom of old towels- dank and damp. It was quite unpleasant, actually. I thoroughly disliked it.

I was a good student at school. I was generally an intelligent pupil and cared about my grades, unlike many of the other students did so very often. I focussed a lot on my studies, although -sadly- there was no one really to impress. My parents were dead, I had no siblings, and my extended family lives elsewhere. No one is there for me. It really wasn't a big deal, since I am quite capable by myself.

I live alone in an apartment block, just down the road on the outskirts of the big city. It is really nice and quiet there. It was also cheap rent. I had some funds from the government, because I chose to live without a guardian. You have to be at least 16 for that- and darn lucky that I'm 17. The units were pretty safe. They were barred with metal at the windows and each apartment consisted of an iron door and an electronic key. It decreased the possibility of a break-in by a lot, for crime wasn't unusual these days.
I also have a job at the dojo that rested in the quiet forest some miles away from my little town. It was mainly forest there, and it was an escape for me- escape from all the ruckus of bustling city lie. I took the bullet train there, and had to walk an extra couple of kilometres to get to the dojo in the middle of the forest- since the tracks didn't run all the way through the forest. It was a sacred place- and I loved it.

I took training there for several years, and became a skilled swordswoman. Now, I do a lot of cleaning and teaching at the dojo, and I get paid for it. The master pays me a little extra, since he pities my loss.
Honestly? He is the only person I trust. His mother died of a dreadful disease when he was very young, so he knows what it's like to loose a loved one in a time of pain and loss.

I snapped back to reality when the bell went to signal that class was over. I stood up slowly as everyone was beginning to leave quite hastily. It was always a rush to leave the classroom, no matter what the occasion. I didn't really get it- I couldn't be bothered trying to squish through all of the loud, rowdy students and fight for an empty space in the over-crowded hallways. It was wasting too much energy. After majority of the students have left the classroom, uniforms rustling, footsteps tapping away on the wooden floorboards, books being slipped into cases, I stretch my arms upwards and I grab my bag.

I suddenly feel a chill in the room and freeze. I look around the room slowly, gazing at the small desks, the scratched floor, a few students still in the classroom and the dusty chalkboard. There was a certain presence in the atmosphere like no other- it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. However, no one else seemed to feel it. I turned around to see if anything was different- maybe a window was opened and I didn't realise. My eyes followed the sill of the grotty window up to the room's stained ceiling. The window was closed, so there was no explanation. I sighed, thinking it was just my imagination playing sick tricks on me.

But, before I could exit the classroom, I saw something out of the corner of my eye.

There was a figure peeking through the window.
It was someone watching me through the bottom of the window like some creep. I snap my head within a millisecond to try and see what was creeping out of the corner of my eye. I furrow my eyebrows, confused.

They were gone.

Who was this person? And why was he spying on me?
Suddenly, I hear loud footsteps in the classroom, causing me to turn my head back over to my teacher whom was waiting for me to leave.

"Miss Akagawa, what are you doing by the window? Class is over now." Said the teacher, as he stood at the door, about to leave.

I didn't realise I had been here for so long.

I shake my head and turn back to the teacher.

"Sorry sir, I thought I had saw something." I say, apologetically.

I begin calmly walking towards the door, still slightly confused, as he sighed.

"It was probably just a bunch of kids. Now hurry along." he said, closing the door behind me as I walked out.

I nodded. Yeah, it was probably just a kid.

But why did it feel like it was more than 'just a kid'?

I shake it off. It was probably just my imagination once again. I might just be beaten down from the school day and needed a little bit of a rest- that's all.

But one thing that I didn't realise, was the
<< blood >>
the figure had left behind on the tattered windowsill.

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