Called Out

Scarlet's POV ...

l am now sitting on a bench here in our school. Watching the birds tweet together. Watching the grasses sway. Watching the tree's leaves fall. Watching how natural the world I am living in right now. How I am lucky to have peaceful surroundings. I can feel the fresh air that blows to my face.

l am now living with my family at Ranchdale. A small city with a small civilization. Life is just simple here and I enjoy it very well. If you would leave here, your life would not be really complicated.

Houses and buildings here are not quite tall as other cities' infrastructures. The school building, company building, or other types of buildings here are not that big.

Buildings here just have the average height, Luckily, our family is one of the richest ones that live here at Ranchdale. However, we still tend to be close with the citizens that live here, and we are helping each other. We do not consider each other rich or poor, but we still have respect. It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy socializing with everyone that makes happiness.

Our life in this city is just calm and peaceful.

There are no crimes that are happening, and people here are just acting naturally. It is the beauty of our city, and I am glad that I am living in this kind of city. I feel safe here, somehow. I'm used to not having too much crime. I am also not used to a lot of violence.

I would say that I enjoy this kind of life here even though I feel bored sometimes, but would rather pick this peacefulness than other cities' enjoyment of chaos. I mean, who wants to live in a city with a lot of chaos? I am not against urban places, but for me, I just want to be in rural places.

My school is the Classic Maiden Private School. This is the school I am entering since then because it is the only school found here in our small city.

While I am deeply thinking about the lifestyle our simple city encounters ...

"Scarlet!" I immediately turned my back and look while smiling when I saw my friend running toward me. Her name is Elizabeth, but I call her Beth. She is a really good friend of mine. She is my friend since we were kids. She has been there for me ever since. We were been together almost our lives.

"Have you done our assignment in Science? I am not yet finished, and I am thinking if you can let me copy yours?" She said while looking at me with pity eyes. I know where this is going again.

"Am I obligated to let you copy my answers almost every day?" l asked her with a high tone and then I rolled my eyes. She really does this every time to me.

"This would be the last time, I promise!" She said to me while smiling and convincing me.

"You said that a hundred times already Ms. Elizabeth Lou" I gave her my notebook that has my answers. I can't stand her, she is my best friend.

"I knew that you would give me your answers because you love me! Hahaha," She said while laughing and looking at me. I just looked at her giving her a look to stop teasing me.

"Anyway, thank you for this. I'll make it up to you. I will do your homework in Math tomorrow," She said while making a cute face.

"Well yeah thanks, I am so lucky to have you as my best friend," I said and smiled sarcastically, and she just rolled her eyes.

We are just laughing while entering the gate of our school campus, The Classic Maiden.

Our school was built way back 1800s. Yes, our school is really old already. Some buildings and classrooms were renovated, but they did not change the design. The architecture of this school is not modern.

Some say that it should be renovated like a new and modern one to be more appropriate for the students, especially since it is the only school here in our city. For me, I think it is just okay because the way they built it is very classy.

By the way, I am Scarlet Amethyst. A 17-year-old girl who is going to turn 18 next month. I am having mixed emotions about my incoming birthday. I feel nervous and excited. I am already entering the age where legality comes. I enjoy being a kid or minor, but I am really excited to be an 18-year-old girl who faces legalities in her life.

"Are we going to go now to our classroom, or we will go first to the canteen again?" I asked Beth because we usually go first to the canteen to buy some food before going to our classroom. Sometimes, we eat our food during our ongoing classes. Luckily, Our teachers never caught us.

"Of course! I am hungry because I did not eat breakfast, and we do that already every day. It is like our routine."

"Okay sure, since it is still early-" She suddenly held my hand, and then she pulled me right away to the canteen near us.

"Easy! Wait you're too fast!" I told her because she is literally dragging me already.

As long as food matters, Beth really speeds up.

"Come on you are walking so slow, and I am really hungry!"

We came here to the canteen fast. I smell food and it is making me hungry.

"I think I will also buy some," I said while looking at the meat. That meat looks so delicious.

I really love meat. My parents also give me. meat every day. If I do not eat it, I will feel weak. Sometimes I wonder if I'm really a carnivore, but I am not taking it seriously.

"Hey! Scarlet! Are you drooling?" Beth asked me.

"What? No!" I really checked if I am drooling, and I am not.

"I am not!" I said to her again to defend my side. It is really embarrassing if l am truly drooling.

"I was just joking. You were not drooling, but your face looks like you really want that meat" She pointed at the delicious meat.

After we bought some food, we are now walking on the sidewalk beside our campus. This side of the campus is close to the forest next to our school. It is a little bit scary for almost all of the students. But for me, I do not feel any fear of the forest.

"Scarlet"

I heard a strange voice calling for my name. I stopped walking and then I am starting to find where that voice came from. I am now looking at the side of the forest because l heard that the voice came there. From the forest wherein no one is allowed to go.

"Scarlet" That voice again called my name.

It is very strange because that voice sounds like he is calling me for a reason.

"Scarlet? I kept walking and talking yet I am not talking to anyone because you stopped walking!" Beth said while walking toward me. I think she continued walking when I stopped.

"Did you hear that? Someone called me!"

Maybe she also heard someone calling my name.

"Scarlet" I heard the voice again but looks like Beth does not hear it.

"Did you hear that? She is calling my name." She looked at me like I am being weird.

"Are you crazy? I am not hearing anyone calling for your name!" She told me.

"Didn't you hear that? She already called my name thrice! He called my name loud and clear" I said and then she looked at me seriously.

"When was the last time you slept?" She asked me while holding my shoulders and then shaking me. I just rolled my eyes at her and then I removed her hands from my shoulder.

"Look, I am okay. I have enough sleep and I am not crazy. 1 just literally heard that someone called my name three times." I told her. I can see on her face that she does not believe what I am saying.

"Okay, do you still hear the voice?" She asked me.

I stopped for a minute and then listened.

Time passed but there is still no voice calling for my name.

"It is already gone," I told Beth, and then she went near me. She wrapped her around my shoulder.

"Okay, that is good. Just forget about it because we are already late!" She told me and then she pulled me into the building where our classrooms were found. She likes pulling me wherever we go.

Anyways, l just looked at the place where the forest is. I can't be wrong. I really heard Someone calling my name. The question is, who called me?