Story Notes

There are 30 desks in my class, I sit at 29. Number 30 is always empty behind me.

Since Monday, I feel someone breathing on my neck in class, yesterday, I found hair on my desk. Long, black and wet. I turned around fast, desk 30 was empty. But the chair was warm. I told my teacher about desk 30 but she said that we only have 29 learners in this class and there's no desk 30. I counted but i still saw 30 desks. She counted and said the desks are 29. I took a photo and showed her, there were 29 desks in the photo. But behind me where desk 30 should be there was a girl standing and smiling at the camera.

I went to the restrooms around 2pm, the door was open. A girl whispered:

"Can you pass me toilet paper?" I passed it under. No hand took it, It just disappeared. Then she said: Now can you pass me my head? I left it in your bag. I ran away but my bag was heavy.

I got to the classroom and there was a test waiting for me. After writing, I was last to finish. I dropped my paper on the desk and left. The next day my teacher asked me why did I submit 2 papers, I was shocked. I only submitted 1. She gave me the second paper. Same name, same handwriting, but all answers were wrong.

A day after, I went back to school at 6am to check my desk. The class was locked, no one was supposed to get in. I looked through the window. My desk was still there, and on it there were 2 papers. But someone was sitting at my desk now, writing a THIRD one. Same uniform as mine with hair covering face. When she looked up, she had my face. I had to go in and get my paper even thought i was not supposed to. I ran to my desk and grabbed both papers.

The second one changed while I was holding it, the answers were now all correct. And at the bottom, new writing appeared in real time. Ink moving by itself: "NOW WE HAVE THE SAME MARKS. NOW WE CAN BE IN THE SAME CLASS FOREVER." I felt a cold hand on my shoulder. I turned and there was one was there. But then, every desk in that class got filled with papers. All with my name.

I burned both papers behind the school. I thought it was over until this morning, results came out. I passed with 80%. But on the class list, there are two of me, same name and same ID number. Two seats belonging to me?

I stopped turning around and I stared forward the whole lesson. The breathing on my neck got heavier. At the end of the lesson I found a note stuck to my back with a pin. I didn't feel the pin.

Note said: "IF YOU DON'T LOOK AT ME, I WILL HAVE TO SIT CLOSER". I looked down and my chair was moved forward as if something was pushing it from behind.

The next day I got early to class. I went to desk 30, the one behind me. There was a bag under it, it looked like my bag but I was holding my bag. I opened it, books inside. Same as mine but old (2014) and a diary. First page: "Day 1: The girl in front of me is pretty. I hope she notices me.

Day 45: She never turns around.

Day 46: So I will make her."

Last entry was yesterday.

I decided to change seats and I sat in the front row. I felt breathing on my neck again. I whispered "You're not behind me anymore." A voice whispered back, right in my ear, from the desk behind my NEW seat: "I am now." I turned around and desk 30 was now behind my new seat too, empty warm chair. And now the desk I used to sit, there was someone else sitting in it. Wearing my uniform with my face. She was looking at me and smiling.

I couldn't take it anymore, I turned around and desk 30 was empty. Again, but this time there was a mirror on it. In the mirror, I saw myself sitting in my desk. And behind me there was her, long black hair, dirty school uniform and a head tilted too far. She was looking at me in the mirror.

She leaned close to my ear in the reflection and whispered: "You kept ignoring me. So I had to take your seat."

I spun back around to my desk, it was not empty. I was sitting there, same uniform, same face but eyes were all black, looking at the real me and smiling. I realized I'm the one standing behind now. The girl in my desk waved at me and whispered: "Sit down. Class is starting." I sat in desk 30. I couldn't stop myself. The chair was still warm because it was always mine.

THE END.

Chapter 1

1. COPYRIGHT.

2. ABOUT THE WRITER.

Lebea N.H. is a horror writer from Greater Letaba, Limpopo. She was born and raised in Limpopo, she loves telling dark village stories with Khelobedu twist where the horror is not in America, but right here.

3.SUMMARY.

My class has 29 students but 30 desks. I sit at 29. The empty desk behind me is always warm. I tried to ignore her, until she took my seat, my face, and my name.

4. STORY.