17 A Forest Trail

*drip**drip**drip**drip*

The annoying sound of water dripping through the kitchen pipe. A sound which she had become accustomed to in the last few years. 

Even though it was not much, it was comfortable for her. Even through all the hardships, it was peaceful once she was back in this lonely home. 

She dreamed again, of her mundane life. How happy she was at getting those almost expired eggs for free, those sales she fought hard just to get a decent piece of clothing. The happiness she felt when her ex-boyfriend proposed to her. 

How hard she fought to live another day, to move on as if nothing happened. No matter who belittled or insulted her, she just moved on as if she wasn't affected. But deep down, she was just.... bearing through. 

She fought so hard, only in the hope that one day she would find happiness. But alas...

.

.

.

*AAaachoooo!!!!* 

Pearl sneezed like an old man in his 50s. Her sneeze echoed through the lavishly decorated school library. 

"Umm. Excuse me.." she apologised sheepishly.

"Shhh...!!" the old librarian grandpa tremblingly shushed. 

Pearl apologetically bowed her head and slipped into less populated corners of the library.

"Pheww... I wouldn't believe this isn't a real body but a man-made one if I didn't know better." Pearl mused to herself. 

It has already been over a week since she moved into the academy. Today was the third day of the class and it was nothing like she imagined. Even though it was immensely boring she could always learn something... or so she thought. But the teacher was only reciting out of their textbooks. 

She still persevered till the second day thinking there might be some change, but alas, it was still the same. Every single teacher only came and recited the textbook. It was almost as if they only intended to pass the time and pretend they were teaching. 

She even braved through and raised her hands to ask a question. The reply she got was, "If you are not illiterate, just read by yourself."

She learned the teachers and professors in the academy were only there because

a) they didn't have any hopes or talent to get somewhere better

b) they were too lazy

c) they had screwed up big time somewhere else. 

She had yet to meet someone who was not in this category. Hence, she took it upon herself to educate herself. She even discovered that most people are just here to make sure that they are 'educated'. They didn't care about learning as long as they could get over the next 6 years. 

And if they did want to learn something, the library was free to all. So this was how she began her life in the Academy of the undead. Unless it was some of the few mandatory lessons or essential 30% attendance, she would just go to the library. 

"Ahh..." 

She heard high-pitched but muffled moans of some woman from the dark corners of the library. This was not an uncommon incident, Every library had some dark romantic corners where such exciting things often happened. But the only problem was the man in question. 

Pearl could see intertwined naked figures in between the shelves. The dark-haired man with a chiselled appearance was hungrily devouring the woman underneath him. The woman in question's pale grey hair was in a mess. Her wrinkled cheeks were flushed red as she panted for breath. 

Pearl didn't have anything about a romance with an age gap. The only problem was this was the 7th person she had seen this same man with. He never discriminated against them based on appearance, age or even gender. He wants them all. 

Oftentimes she had discovered this man with his newfound lover in some bush, empty classroom or in any kind of convenient corner. The same man named Tom something Wraith whom she met on the flying sting ray.