Hell on EARTH

I was about to run away again when I heard someone calling my name.

“Aura! Wait! Aura Reed?”

Fear pierced through my chest, forcing me to stop, turn around, and plaster a friendly expression on my face. In the brightly lit hallway of the university dorm, a tall, tanned blonde with a cheerful face was hurrying toward me. During the few seconds it took her to reach me, I managed a polite examination and noticed two tattoos—one on her neck and another on her chest—along with an overall intimidating look.

“Yes, that’s me,” I replied in a flat voice, bracing myself for whatever was coming. The girl didn’t seem to notice my unease. She grabbed me by the arm and started pulling me in the opposite direction of the dormitory entrance.

I cast a longing glance over my shoulder.

I’ll do it another time. I’ll leave another time. Just a little longer.

“Did you hear me?” the girl asked, raising her light eyebrows as she looked at me. Judging by my expression, I hadn’t heard a word. She repeated herself:

“I’m Kristina, your roommate. Just don’t even think about calling me Kris unless you have a death wish,” she warned quickly.

Kristina dragged me past other rooms, where students were just starting to settle in, chatting about how lucky I was to be paired with her. I didn’t feel lucky. One look at Kristina made me want to find a place to hide. She embodied the kind of person I should avoid at all costs.

“Do you smoke?”

I shook my head, avoiding eye contact. Kristina smirked crookedly.

“I didn’t used to, either.”

Why does she talk like it’s inevitable that I will?

“And here we are,” Kristina announced, stopping in front of room 666. She expertly pulled a key from the pocket of her short denim shorts and slid it into the lock, chatting enthusiastically:

“Hope you’re not superstitious. I was a freshman when my roommate had a full-blown meltdown, refusing to move in here. Honestly, I thought she was really weird—kept rambling on about demons—so lucky for me, you’re here instead.”

“Everything’s fine,” I croaked, horrified to find my voice hoarse. To hide my nervousness, I forced a wide smile, but Kristina wasn’t looking at me anymore. She flung open the door and led me into the room.

The first thing that caught my eye was a massive periodic table hanging from the ceiling. I was surprised but didn’t comment. This room was something else, especially compared to where I had lived before. Actually, it was the best place I’d stayed in years.

The light brown carpet on the floor was already a luxury, and the two beds with lavender covers, placed parallel to each other and to the door, looked incredibly inviting after the chaos of the past few days.

I snapped back to reality when Kristina touched my hair and remarked with a knowing tone:

“You have beautiful hair.”

On shaky legs, I approached my suitcase at the foot of the bed and unzipped it, using the task as an excuse to keep some distance from my new roommate. But Kristina wasn’t planning to leave me alone.

“Is it naturally chestnut?”

“Yes.”

A lie.

My entire life was a dark web of lies, pulling me under like a deep ocean of fear and despair. And no one could ever pull me out of it, because, fortunately, no one would ever know the truth.

Why?

Because even I didn’t know it.

***

Since arriving at Etton Creek University, about two weeks had passed.

It was just enough time for my promise not to run away to root itself in my mind, but far too little to adjust to being around so many people. They paid me no attention, and that made it easier to cope—but not enough to forget that I wasn’t like them.

They had pasts: friends, family, memories. They didn’t flinch at every little sound, had no reason to fear the unknown, and didn’t carry the weight of constant dread.

“Aura, what do you do for fun?” I’d shrug.

“Aura, where are you going for the holidays?” Another shrug.

With every question, I felt the wall between me and the other students—really, between me and other people—grow taller. A brick wall reinforced with iron. A wall of incomprehension.

I was ashamed of what had happened to me, and even more ashamed of what might have. The gap in my memory wasn’t accidental. Something happened to me two years ago, when I was seventeen, and I still couldn’t shake the lingering anxiety it left behind.

So, I left it all behind.

I left my past where it belonged—in the past. There was no going back.

…Except for Kristina, my eccentric roommate, who looked like a rock star’s girlfriend. Aside from her, I’d met only a handful of people during my time here. To me, they were just a faceless crowd. Kristina was the only one who could distract me from the obsessive fears that haunted me—the fear of what had happened two years ago, when I woke up in a filthy alley, covered in someone else’s blood, with no memory of how I got there.

It must have been something terrible, given that I still couldn’t remember.

***

Saturday morning greeted me with a startling wake-up call. A loud crash echoed through our room, jolting me upright in bed as I looked around in shock. Despite the dim morning light filtering through the heavy curtains, my gaze immediately found Kristina. She was staring at me with a horrified expression before her eyes dropped to the carpet.

Shards.

They were obviously from the vase that had held those awful fake flowers since the day I moved in.

“Sorry,” Kristina finally exhaled, though her cheerful voice carried no hint of regret. “I never liked that vase anyway. Not that I dropped it on purpose or anything. I didn’t drop it.” She sighed in frustration, tugged at her sweatpants, and crouched to gather the broken glass. “That stupid vase always falls. It was only a matter of time before it broke.”

If Kristina kept her desk tidy, this wouldn’t have happened.

“Liam gave it to me. You remember him, right?” She didn’t give me a chance to respond before adding, “Oh, wait. I haven’t introduced you yet.”

Again, I didn’t get a word in before she switched topics.

“Come with me to town. I need new test tubes and a microscope. That dumb thing”—she gestured to the shattered vase—“damaged the glass, and I have some super-important experiments to run!”

Getting out of bed, let alone going somewhere (where there were people), wasn’t appealing in the slightest. I mumbled weakly, already knowing she’d insist until I gave in:

“Maybe next time?”

“Next time is today,” she countered, just as I expected. “You’re always cooped up in here. You haven’t even met Liam yet,” she scolded.

I couldn’t deny I was curious about this guy who seemed to occupy all of Kristina’s thoughts. She seemed so independent, so he must be someone truly remarkable to capture her attention like that.

Kristina dumped the shards into the trash can by her desk, then approached me. Today, her long blonde hair was streaked with artificial purple strands.

“Come on, babe! You need to get up right now and finally step outside. You’ve been sitting in these four walls all day, doing your lab work. If you don’t take a break, gases will form in your brain, and you’ll stop thinking rationally.”

“Okay, fine,” I sighed. The words escaped before I could stop them, confirming yet again that something was wrong with me—I couldn’t even say no.

“That’s my girl!” Kristina punched the air triumphantly, and I laughed softly, embarrassed but oddly grateful.

I was thankful for her ability to lift my spirits and drag me outside. Thankful that she turned out to be nothing like I’d assumed when I first met her, spotting the tattoos and the mischievous glint in her eyes. Thankful that she didn’t ask questions.

It didn’t matter if it was because she sensed my reluctance to talk about the past or simply didn’t want to discuss her own—Kristina was a good person.

Well…except at six in the morning, when she blasted Saint Asonia’s “Blow Me Wide Open” on her boombox.

***

It took me a few minutes to get dressed and pull myself together. I skipped breakfast, deciding it would be better to get this forced trip over with as quickly as possible.

Kristina and I were descending the gothic staircase of the dormitory, and just as I was nearly knocked over by a girl strutting past in leopard-print pants and a bathrobe, followed by a guy skating down the corridor, my roommate casually said:

“By the way, I just remembered something.”

I had to squeeze past a group of large girls in robes, so I only caught the end of her sentence: “…a girl.”

“What?”

“I said—” We were descending further, and I kept my eyes on the steps to avoid tumbling down. “I said some girl from the First Medical Pavilion was looking for you.”

I felt Kristina’s piercing gaze and glanced back at her.

“I don’t know anyone from the medical faculty,” I replied.

Kristina wasn’t letting it go, her boots clattering against the stairs.

“Well, she came up to me at the café yesterday morning to confirm if you were Aura Reed or if she had mistaken you for someone else. I told her it was you, and then she left. She looked pretty shocked. Like she had a gas buildup in her brain or something.”

We reached the expansive first floor, with its high stained-glass windows and arches opening into the university courtyard, bustling with students and faculty. I looked at Kristina, and she looked at me.

“I still have no idea what you’re talking about,” I assured her, as she continued staring at me like she was trying to solve a puzzle. “The only person I know from my department is Faith, and you’ve met her.”

The guy who had nearly broken my leg earlier was now hurtling down the steps on his skateboard with a battle cry that startled me so badly I almost collided with Kristina. With an understanding chuckle, she took my arm and steered me toward the tall oak doors.

“Well, it wasn’t Faith. It was a red-haired girl with a fetish for hippie-style accessories—beaded bracelets and all that junk. Disgusting.”

“I don’t know anyone like that,” I said firmly. Kristina nodded, ready to add something, but suddenly froze, turned around, and tilted her head toward the staircase. I followed her gaze.

“What…?”

“It’s Liam,” she said, her tone as grave as a death sentence. Her eyes darted around the spacious ground floor like she was searching for cover. “And he’s probably wondering where I’m headed.”

A guy in a red sweater and dark pants was indeed coming down the stairs.

“Why does he need to know where you’re going?” I gave Kristina a puzzled look and took a step toward the door, but my roommate abruptly changed direction. With confident strides, she approached a lone brunette in a tight red dress and black blazer. Baffled, I followed Kristina, who grabbed the brunette by the wrist and started shaking her like a madwoman.

“I just wanted to let you know,” Kristina began dramatically, gesturing toward the staircase with a nod, “that my friend”—she indicated the guy descending the stairs—“wants to ask you out on a date. I understand this sounds weird, and you’re probably wondering why he didn’t do it himself, so before you ask, I’ll answer: he thinks a stunning girl like you will reject him!”

Both the brunette and I were equally stunned. I felt an uncontrollable urge to laugh, but it stuck in my throat when the brunette looked at me, waiting for confirmation. I nodded fervently, and she glanced toward the staircase.

“Liam Collins?” she asked, her voice tinged with excitement. Kristina nodded enthusiastically, her eyes gleaming manically.

“Yep. He’s a total coward. I mean… brave! Very manly, but he can’t muster the courage to introduce himself to you.”

I secretly feared the brunette might declare we were out of our minds and that she already knew Liam, but she simply smiled.

“Then I’ll go up to him myself,” she said, flashing me a victorious grin before heading toward the unsuspecting guy.

“We need to lie low! Liam will shake her off in no time!” Kristina whispered, grabbing my wrist and dragging me outside. I glanced back just once to see the brunette blocking the guy in the red sweater. A giggle burst out of me, quickly escalating into full-blown laughter.

We were still laughing about Liam and the brunette when we arrived at the student café, where Kristina planned to grab breakfast before our shopping trip.

“He’s going to throw a fit,” she said, grinning in anticipation as we entered through the glass doors.

The café was cozy and inviting, but not for me. Surrounded by people, I instinctively tensed up. Mentally, I revived my promise to be stronger. I can’t run away again.

“Hey,” Kristina nudged me lightly and raised an eyebrow. “You meditating?”

I gave a strained smile.

“It smells nice here.”

It really did, and Kristina quickly switched topics to food.

“Yeah, despite not being able to focus on my studies, I come here every day.”

I could easily believe that.

“Takeout or dine in?” she asked with a smirk, as if she already knew my answer. Of course, I said takeout—I didn’t want to stay here.

We moved to the counter, where the mouthwatering aroma of fresh pastries made my mouth water.

“Hey, Sam!” Kristina waved to the guy behind the counter. He was a tall young man with a scar above his eyebrow and a tattoo on his neck. Despite this, he seemed friendly and attractive.

“Hi, Kristina,” he nodded, then shifted his gray eyes to me. “And who’s this?”

“This is my friend Aura Reed. Be careful with her—she has a black belt in taekwondo.”

That was news to me, but I didn’t show my surprise. Sam laughed.

“Really?” he asked, giving me an amused once-over as he leaned on the counter. “A sweet and dangerous little thing. Hmm… I like that.”

“Just reminding you that I have some skills too, Sam,” Kristina said with mock menace, making me glance at her.

“I remember,” Sam replied with a good-natured smirk, cracking a joke I didn’t catch because my attention was drawn to a group of guys sitting in the café’s far corner on a semicircular couch.

They were noisy and clearly having fun. In some ways, I envied them—they must have reasons to joke around. One of them—a guy with a cold gaze but a warm smile directed at someone else—looked at me. His face quickly turned into a blank mask.

I turned away, blushing. Kristina chatted with Sam for a few more minutes, and I couldn’t interrupt her, so I stood there, hoping that guy wasn’t still looking at me.

“Kristina,” I finally whispered, unable to handle the tension any longer. She glanced at me.

“Yes, Aura, we’re leaving.”

Kristina said goodbye to Sam and dragged me out to the café courtyard, under linden trees with yellowing leaves. I exhaled in relief, glad to be away from the crowd. Only then did I notice the bag in Kristina’s hand.

“What’s that?”

“What do you mean? I asked if you wanted a chicken and cheese sandwich, and you said yes.”

“Really?” I blushed, embarrassed. “I must not have noticed.”

“Oh.” Kristina frowned, peering into the bag. “I hope you’re not allergic or something.”

“No.”

***

Kristina went to the 24-hour supermarket to grab a meat pie, and I took advantage of the silence to let myself drift off to sleep for a while. I dreamed of the day we’d had: Kristina and I speeding on her motorcycle through green trees, past well-manicured streets that brushed against a mysterious forest, laughing all the way. Then Kristina morphed into that smiling guy from the café, the one with the piercing gaze. This time, I could respond to him, because in my dream, I was the queen of witty comebacks.

The dream ended at the best part when the front door creaked, and my eyes shot open. A thin sliver of light from the hallway stretched across the room all the way to Kristina’s desk, triggering a surge of anxiety. My heart pounded wildly in my chest.

“Kristina?” I croaked, my voice hoarse. My throat was dry.

The click of the light switch bathed the room in brightness, and as my blurry vision cleared, I sat bolt upright on the bed, clutching the blanket tightly around me. A stranger had entered the room.

“Who are you? How did you get in here?”

“Through the door,” the stranger replied with a charming, toothy grin. His tousled blond hair and gray eyes somehow gave me the impression that he could be trusted. He looked so harmless in his crisp white polo shirt and ripped jeans with frayed holes at the knees. Harmless, but I still didn’t trust him—I’d never seen him before.

“You’re Kristina’s roommate, right?” the intruder guessed. A crease formed between his brows, making his face look even more innocent and endearing, like a puppy’s. “Aura Reed?”

I nodded cautiously, my eyes never leaving him, watching his every move. He headed toward Kristina’s desk, explaining his visit as he went.

“First, I thought Kristina would’ve warned you about me. Second, I’m sorry I woke you and scared you. And third, I’m only here to prepare for a presentation, not to assault you.” He leaned against the desk, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’m Liam Collins.”

Now it made sense. Recalling this morning’s trap involving the brunette in red, a flush crept over my cheeks—something Liam undoubtedly noticed.

“You’re really here to prepare?” I stammered, gripping the blanket tighter. My gaze darted to the door, silently willing Kristina to walk through it.

“Of course. Don’t believe me?”

I glanced at Liam quickly and forced a weak smile. Honestly, I hadn’t expected Kristina’s best friend, Liam Collins, to look so… innocent. He didn’t even have a tattoo. And his hair was its natural color.

“Uh… and are you planning to wait for Kristina?” I said, hinting with a glance at the clock, still clutching the blanket like a lifeline. “She went out…”

“She’s on her way back,” Liam replied, still studying me. He must’ve picked up on my discomfort because he suddenly averted his piercing gray eyes and looked around the room. “Where’s my vase?”

My eyes widened involuntarily.

“Uh… Kristina didn’t tell you?”

“No.” He scanned the other furniture surfaces as if expecting Kristina had simply moved it, maybe to the wardrobe. Eventually, our eyes met, and he asked, “She broke it, didn’t she?”

“No,” I stammered, tripping over my words in an effort to defend my roommate. “It was an accident.”

“Of course,” Liam said with a chuckle, and I was about to reassure him that Kristina had been very upset about losing his gift when the door to our room flew open, and my roommate walked in carrying a heavy bag of food.

“I could hear you singing from here,” Liam teased, flashing her a dazzling smile, as if he wasn’t the least bit upset. Kristina rolled her eyes, stomping across the room to the desk in her boots.

“Stop spying on me.”

“I’m not spying; I’m biding my time to catch your embarrassment on camera and upload it to YouTube,” Liam said, framing her with his hands like a camera lens. Kristina swatted his arm.

“Shut up.”

She set the bags of food on the desk and tossed me a can of soda, which I barely caught. My hands started trembling, unbidden memories resurfacing—memories of the last two years, where all I’d drunk was green tea and water.

“So, Kristy, you got rid of that vase I gave you,” Liam began matter-of-factly, watching her rummage through the bag.

“Don’t call me Kristy!” she snapped, still rifling through the groceries. “Your vase was bringing me nothing but bad luck.”

Liam rolled his eyes, peeled himself off the desk, and sprawled across Kristina’s bed. I was a little surprised by their dynamic but decided to keep a low profile, sipping my soda as I watched Kristina pull out chips, pie, candy, and other snacks from the bag.

Suddenly, Kristina turned, startling me slightly. She shot Liam a withering glare that made it clear she didn’t appreciate him lounging on her bed, then softened her gaze as she looked at me.

“Congratulations, Aura. You’ve now met Liam the Sweet Angel.”

“Sweet Angel?” Liam repeated mockingly, propping his head up on his fist. “I’m pretty sure you used to call me something else.”

“I think it’d be overkill to insult you right here and now,” Kristina retorted, flashing a pointed smile and waggling her eyebrows.

“So, Reed,” Liam turned his attention to me, making me flinch. I liked how he used my last name. He lay back across Kristina’s bed, letting his head dangle upside down to look at me. “What’s your major?”

“She lives with me; what major could she possibly have?” Kristina interjected, sitting down beside him on the bed. Questions always made me uneasy, so I took several large gulps of soda to stall. Nearly choking, I coughed and managed to answer:

“Yes. I’m in chemistry.”

“If you ever need help, say, making a bomb to blow up some room, let me know,” Liam joked, smiling. I couldn’t help but smirk—he really was charming. I’d expected Kristina to introduce me to some long-haired biker, not someone this likable.

“Why would she ask you for help, dork?” Kristina playfully slapped his stomach, making him flinch. “She’s got me.”

“But wouldn’t a guy be preferable? Didn’t think of that, did you?” Liam teased, sitting up with a businesslike air. “All right, Kristy, let’s get to work.”

“Is it that kind of business?” Christina laughed, clarifying. I felt my cheeks flush, and my mind screamed that I should leave the room. Liam wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

“If you’re not interested in studying inorganic compounds, that is.”

“Why didn’t you say it was inorganic chemistry from the start?” Christina feigned indignation, playfully pushing him away. “In that case, I obviously choose it.”

They actually got to work, exchanging mutual insults and sarcastic jokes, managing to stay productive until half past ten. Time flew by for me as well—I found it entertaining to watch Christina and her friend. I felt surprisingly comfortable, lounging on my bed with a book, until the sudden sound of a ringing phone shattered the calm.

A wave of unease washed over me, but I quickly pulled myself together, glancing sideways as Liam leaned over Christina’s legs to grab the phone from the nightstand.

“Hello?” he answered softly, as if he knew exactly who was calling. “This is Christina and Aura’s room, the coolest biochemistry students on campus. How can I help you?” He paused for a moment, then looked at me and, covering the receiver with his hand, whispered, “It’s for you.”

Leaning forward, I reached for the phone. My palms were sweaty, and a lump formed in my throat as I raised the receiver to my ear.

“Hello?”

“Aura?” That shrill, familiar voice on the other end shocked me into silence. My breathing stopped, and my grip on the receiver tightened. Liam and Christina were both staring at me, their expressions filled with curiosity. I was so terrified I couldn’t muster a smile or reassure them that everything was fine. Because it wasn’t fine.

“Aura? Can you hear me?!”

I hung up, lowering the phone to my lap.

“Who was that?” Christina pulled a pencil from her mouth and ran her tongue over her lower lip. I shook my head and gave a lame explanation.

“Just static. Probably a prank call,” I mumbled, forcing my lips into something resembling a smile and exhaling slowly under their watchful gazes.

Christina turned to Liam, smacking his knee lightly.

“Hey, you know I get calls all the time from girls asking for your number, right?”

“Oh, speaking of that,” Liam snapped his fingers, as if remembering something. “Do you think it’s a coincidence that I’ve been stalked all day by a hot girl in red?”

“A girl in red?” Christina bit her lip, trying not to laugh.

“Yeah, a girl in red. Very persistent. She told me you were the one who set us up.”

Liam abruptly sat up, grabbing Christina by the neck and pulling her into his chest, playfully messing up her hair with his hand. From what felt like a great distance, I heard her hissing angrily and demanding to be let go, but Liam didn’t budge.

“Why do you do this to me, darling? You know I’m devoted only to you.”

I got to my feet and blurted out, “I’ll be right back.”

Liam let Christina go, and she shot me a look like a trapped animal. Her blonde hair, streaked with purple, was tousled and clung to her flushed cheeks.

With shaky legs and a forced smile, I left the room.

My heart pounded deafeningly as I rushed down the corridor to the payphone at the far end. I inserted a coin into the slot and dialed the number.

One ring.

Nausea rolled over me, and my pulse quickened.

It wasn’t too late to stop. I could pretend no one called. That no one was looking for me.

Two rings.

Oh God, what am I doing?

What am I doing?!

“Snakepit Psychiatric Hospital. How can I help you?”

A deep breath. I focused on my words and spoke clearly:

“Can you connect me to Dr. Reed?”