corridor behind me. Rubber-soled shoes squeaking gently against the tiles reminded me how much I liked being in school when the building was deserted. It had a totally different feel, a relaxed feel. Some people might have found it creepy, but I found it refreshing.
I didn’t have to be on the look-out for the Ashley Scott’s of the world to come pouncing on me with one judgment after another, or lewd remarks from idiot boys who thought way more of themselves than anyone else did. I could actually hear myself think. I could also hear people walking up the corridor behind me.
The person’s footsteps quickened.
I figured it was one of the other mathletes heading home from the party. Who else would be in school on the last day at this hour?
I turned. The corridor was empty.
I stood in the empty corridor for several seconds listening for the sound of a person moving or breathing. Nothing. The building was eerily silent. Scratch that thought about liking being in school when the building was deserted. The fine hairs on my arms rippled to attention. Being in an empty school wasn’t cool at all; it was actually kinda creepy.
“Hello?” I said it softly out of the embarrassment that no one was actually there. It was obviously just my overactive imagination.
I waited for several seconds. Satisfied it was indeed my imagination, I turned to continue away. I took two steps and thought I heard the rustle of clothing.
I spun back around.
“Hello,” I called more loudly, but this was out of mounting fear and not embarrassment. “Tran, is that you?”
I didn’t think it was Tran, because Jenny was with Tran the last time I saw him, and I didn’t believe he could get her to be part of a scheme to sneak up on me. Then, who?
I couldn’t believe how quiet the building had become. I could hear myself breathing, which wasn’t hard since I was hyperventilating. While I knew I wasn’t the only one left in the building, it sure felt as though I was.
I turned and picked up my pace, heading for the exit. I again thought I heard the footsteps behind me, but I kept walking. I had made up my mind not to turn around again. I felt if I did, I might see something I didn’t want to see, something out of one of my nightmarish dreams. The exit was in full view and I counted the footsteps until I got there. Forty footsteps … Thirty footsteps… twenty footsteps… ten… Boom!
I barreled through the exit door and out of the building. I was immediately engulfed in sunlight and fresh air. The sound of birds, trees, cars, people, assaulted my ears. It was a welcome assault.
I leaned back heavily against the door. As I stood there breathing in big gulps of relief, I realized that as I was exiting the building I thought I heard the faint sound of laughter behind me. Again, the fine hairs on my arms stood on end. It was a familiar laugh, one I’d heard not so long ago in my dreams, when Satan was stalking both me and my mother.
Of course, I wasn’t certain I’d heard anything. The door had slammed shut behind me closing out all sound before I could be sure. It might have been my imagination again. One thing was certain, though. I was glad school was out for the summer. No way was I going back into that building before September.
*
I entered the house and headed straight for the kitchen to get something cool to drink. The day had warmed up again. The sun beat down on the pavement and flared up off the sidewalk like a heat lamp. The walk from the bus stop had left me hot and dry.
When Amanda heard me come in, she bounded into the room, her toy mouse hanging by its tail from her mouth. She trotted over to me, dropping the toy mouse at my feet. Looking up, she mewed.
I had just grabbed a cool bottle of water from the fridge. “For me? Thank you, Sweetie.” I stooped to scratch her behind the ears. “Mommy is so proud of you.”
That’s when I saw the blood drizzling from the mouse’s nose. This mouse was no
I didn’t have to be on the look-out for the Ashley Scott’s of the world to come pouncing on me with one judgment after another, or lewd remarks from idiot boys who thought way more of themselves than anyone else did. I could actually hear myself think. I could also hear people walking up the corridor behind me.
The person’s footsteps quickened.
I figured it was one of the other mathletes heading home from the party. Who else would be in school on the last day at this hour?
I turned. The corridor was empty.
I stood in the empty corridor for several seconds listening for the sound of a person moving or breathing. Nothing. The building was eerily silent. Scratch that thought about liking being in school when the building was deserted. The fine hairs on my arms rippled to attention. Being in an empty school wasn’t cool at all; it was actually kinda creepy.
“Hello?” I said it softly out of the embarrassment that no one was actually there. It was obviously just my overactive imagination.
I waited for several seconds. Satisfied it was indeed my imagination, I turned to continue away. I took two steps and thought I heard the rustle of clothing.
I spun back around.
“Hello,” I called more loudly, but this was out of mounting fear and not embarrassment. “Tran, is that you?”
I didn’t think it was Tran, because Jenny was with Tran the last time I saw him, and I didn’t believe he could get her to be part of a scheme to sneak up on me. Then, who?
I couldn’t believe how quiet the building had become. I could hear myself breathing, which wasn’t hard since I was hyperventilating. While I knew I wasn’t the only one left in the building, it sure felt as though I was.
I turned and picked up my pace, heading for the exit. I again thought I heard the footsteps behind me, but I kept walking. I had made up my mind not to turn around again. I felt if I did, I might see something I didn’t want to see, something out of one of my nightmarish dreams. The exit was in full view and I counted the footsteps until I got there. Forty footsteps … Thirty footsteps… twenty footsteps… ten… Boom!
I barreled through the exit door and out of the building. I was immediately engulfed in sunlight and fresh air. The sound of birds, trees, cars, people, assaulted my ears. It was a welcome assault.
I leaned back heavily against the door. As I stood there breathing in big gulps of relief, I realized that as I was exiting the building I thought I heard the faint sound of laughter behind me. Again, the fine hairs on my arms stood on end. It was a familiar laugh, one I’d heard not so long ago in my dreams, when Satan was stalking both me and my mother.
Of course, I wasn’t certain I’d heard anything. The door had slammed shut behind me closing out all sound before I could be sure. It might have been my imagination again. One thing was certain, though. I was glad school was out for the summer. No way was I going back into that building before September.
*
I entered the house and headed straight for the kitchen to get something cool to drink. The day had warmed up again. The sun beat down on the pavement and flared up off the sidewalk like a heat lamp. The walk from the bus stop had left me hot and dry.
When Amanda heard me come in, she bounded into the room, her toy mouse hanging by its tail from her mouth. She trotted over to me, dropping the toy mouse at my feet. Looking up, she mewed.
I had just grabbed a cool bottle of water from the fridge. “For me? Thank you, Sweetie.” I stooped to scratch her behind the ears. “Mommy is so proud of you.”
That’s when I saw the blood drizzling from the mouse’s nose. This mouse was no
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