As the rain poured down around them, Aro stood frozen in shock, her eyes locked on Preston, who remained fixated on the spot where the faceless woman had been just moments before. The shattering of the stained glass window had left Jennifer wounded and shrieking in pain, while Zendaya and Abimbola attempted to pull the glass shards from her skin. Aro could hear shouts and footsteps approaching as other students rushed to the scene.
With immense dread and disbelief, Aro finally tore her gaze away from Preston and rushed over to help her fallen tormentor. She knelt by Jennifer, her hands trembling as she tried to assist in removing the shards. Jennifer’s cries filled the air, and Aro couldn’t help but notice the irony in her desire to help the very person who had made her life a living hell.
“Jennifer, are you okay?” Aro asked, pulling a single glass shard from Jennifer’s elbow.
Shrieking in pain as a response, Jeniffer screamed at Aro. “Get away from me you witch.”
Preston remained rooted in place, seemingly in a trance, his eyes darting around as if searching for something only he could see. The faceless woman’s presence had vanished, leaving an eerie feeling in the air, as if the storm had swept her away.
“What happened here?” A teacher’s voice boomed over the chaos, and the approaching footsteps grew louder.
The school staff had evidently heard the commotion and rushed to the scene to assess the situation.
Aro looked up to see Mrs. Vera Bankole, the school’s co-founder, accompanied by a group of teachers. They quickly took charge of the situation, instructing Jennifer to be carried to the school infirmary immediately. Zendaya and Abimbola, covered in rain and panic, followed their wounded friend as she was carried away.
Mrs. Bankole turned her stern gaze to Aro, who was still on her knees, wet and shaken. “What caused the window to shatter like that? Did anyone see what happened?”
Aro hesitated, torn between revealing what she had witnessed and the fear of ridicule and accusations. But she couldn’t keep silent, not when she suspected a malevolent force was at play.
“I… I saw someone,” she stammered. “A faceless woman was here, right beside Preston, and then the window shattered. It was like… she did something to it.”
Mrs. Bankole exchanged a knowing look with the three women with her, causing a shiver to run down Aro’s spine as Mrs. Bankole’s expression grew somber.
“Miss Arogundade, thank you for your honesty,” Mrs. Bankole said. “This is a matter we need to investigate further.”
Preston, still in a daze, was finally pulled out of his trance by one of the teachers. He blinked and looked around, clearly bewildered by the events that had transpired.
“What happened?” he mumbled, his eyes focusing on Aro.
Aro’s heart raced as their gazes met. “I don’t know, but you were… you were right there. And you could see her too.”
Mrs. Bankole ordered one of the teachers to take Preston to the infirmary also, and he was led away, still in a state of shock. Aro couldn’t help but feel a mix of fear, concern, and curiosity about his connection to the mysterious faceless woman. He had seemed oddly affected by her presence the most.
As the rain continued to fall, Aro was left standing amidst the broken glass and turmoil. She knew the secrets of St. Benedict’s Girls’ College ran deep, and the events of that day had only scratched the surface. It was a chilling reminder that there was more to the school than met the eye. Aro couldn’t help but wonder what other horrors lay hidden in the shadows and what role Miss KoiKoi, the faceless apparition, played in the mysteries of St. Benedict’s.
The investigation had just begun, and Aro was about to discover that unraveling the truth would be far more terrifying than she could ever imagine.
