Her Replica

One.

The alarm blarred, signaling the rise of another eventful day in Alexa Klein's life. She sprang up immediately, her eyes glancing at the digital alarm clock, which was screaming four-thirty. She had gotten the clock some days ago. It was an outdated version of its kind but, one that was equal to the cash her pocket had at that time.

Letting out a sigh that was laced with silent grumbling and complaints, Alexa climbed down her student sized bed which she had been using as old as time was. She paved her way through the messy objects that lay everywhere in the room to the bathroom which had stayed unwashed since a week ago. She seemed to be used to the environment and didn't bother about its effect on her.

Five minutes later, she was done in the bathroom and two minutes was a lot of time for her to get prepared for school. By the time she was done, it was prompt five on the clock. She rushed out to do her early morning sales.

The Klein family lived in one of the prestigious and vibrant locations in Los Angeles, which was quite tasking for Alexa as the business she engaged in had a different target of their own. That early hour, she picked up recyclables, including bottles, plastic water bottles, and everything and anything plastic. Her borrowed cart was always filled to the brim. She rushed as fast as she could, to supply the items she had picked to her buyers, who gave her a thousand dollars, sometimes fifteen hundred dollars. The buyers included a man in his gray, fifty years of age, a woman the same age as the man and a youngster who was older than she. She was well appreciated by the trio.

Alexa did these three rounds every morning, earning her three thousand or thirty-five hundred dollars.

Ridgewood Academy, old and historic as it was, stood under the warm rays of the new day's sun, the building holding tales that were theirs.

Alexa was late again as usual, her hair having its signature look, disheveled and damp, her appearance unattractive. Her school uniform smelled of damp and her footwear looked tattered, as though she was homeless. She was a good definition of poverty.

In this institute of excellence, she was like a puzzle piece that didn't fit, a pawn that is tossed on and about in a game of chess.

She had gotten an acceptance letter to this school at the start of the year, for what was even more nerving was the fact that she had not applied to this school. She didn't have such qualities to attend here, or maybe her parents didn't give her one. This was her fifth month here in this unwelcoming environment.

She walked through the entrance, making her way to her locker. On her arrival, the locker was already open. Alexa bit down on her lips, out of habit, her mind telling her that today was another day of torture. She opened it and immediately, an animate object rushed out towards her. Petrified to the core, she fell back, ducking her face. She aimed for the door which was the closest to her locker, but on reaching there, she realized that it was locked.

Dread filled her. It was one of those pranks, but this one was quite expensive! The door she had seen was just opened some minutes ago...

"Help me! Somebody please help me!" she cried. While dodging from the animal, from the corner of her eyes, she discovered that it was a reptile, long and unfriendly. It was a cobra! Black and unsightly.

"Help! Somebody please help me!" she cried.

Laughters and glee pried through the metal door, dancing into her ears.

"Don't worry Alexa. It's just thirty minutes. You have already exhausted a minute, twenty-nine minutes remain" the girl named Sonia taunted.

"Sonia, please. Stop this joke! I swear I would do anything you want me to do! Please!" she screamed.

"Ethan plans on going out with you. You could gain his favor if you remain strong and quiet through this ordeal", Lira mocked. All the students at Ridgewood were well aware of Alexa's obsession with Ethan.

At the mention of Ethan, Alexa's world seemed to have paused. Ethan was the guy she had come to fall in love with the first day she got there. He was the hottest guy she had ever seen, the top basketball player in the whole of Ridgewood Academy. She showered him with gifts every time and every day, in hope that he would look at her. He gave her hope every time, but she was bad luck to herself and always ruined those hopes.

His name seemed to have given her courage and she stopped screaming, being mute as though nothing was going on there. However, due to its nature, the animal kept attacking, making Alexa run around. She whimpered all the way. The animal was furious as it couldn't reach its target and began spitting ferociously. Alexa got wind of this and closed her eyes, sometimes covering them with her hands. She hid behind lockers, but the animal was too wise. Alexa was dead scared.

It was just two more minutes to go, when the cobra gave her a fierce bite, tearing a portion of flesh and in that process, sending a ton venom into her system.

"Aarghhh!" Alexa cried. "Help me! I can't take this anymore".

The animal got hold of her legs, wrapped itself around them, wounding its coil up to her belly. Alexa covered her face and cried.

"Sonia, please! Have mercy!" she cried. But Sonia wasn't there anymore. She had left with her girls to call for help as instructed. Well, even if she was still there, she couldn't even escape anymore.

What was even more painful for her was the fact that she couldn't go out with Ethan and would end up dying.

The door to the locker room flew open, letting in two hefty men. The cobra seemed to have sensed danger. It gave Alexa another bite before letting her go in order to escape. But one of the men caught it by the neck, squeezing it tightly while hitting its head.

Alexa was carried out by the second man. The school had already called nine one one and soon they arrived. By the time they reached the ambulance, Alexa was already spasming, a seizure taking place.

The whole school was in total chaos at the scene that was unfolding. The possibility of Alexa dying was eighty-five percent.

"Is the damp ogre queen finally going to die?", a student asked his fellow.

"Maybe", the fellow replied.

"The girl has pure bad luck", the student said.

"I know, right?", the other replied.

Kiera rushed downstairs at the news. She was already in tears at the sight of Alexa's spasming body.

"Alexa!", she cried.

The paramedics looked at her. "You could go with us to accompany her", the female health-care worker said to her.

Kiera nodded and went in.

"I'll go with you too" Ethan said. He had rushed out immediately after Kiera. The paramedics agreed, and they all went together, leaving the institute in a state of chaos.

Sonia and her group stood by the window.

"What if she dies?", Lira asked.

Sonia glared at her. "What are you so scared about? Even if she dies, it's not our fault. We went out to get help, but it was already too late by then. If worse comes to worst, we know who to call" she said, looking them straight in the eyes.

Lira and Nina swallowed and didn't say much again. They looked on as the ambulance sped away, leaving the environment with the echoes of its siren.

A figure sat on the rooftop while looking at the scene downstairs unfold. His ocean blue eyes seemed to have seen right through the whole incident. However, his brows tightened at the thought of the girl who was fighting for her life. "Choco", he mouthed.