 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
Prologue
February
I wasn’t supposed to be dead by the end of my sophomore year! I had plans: get a car, go
to college, attend prom wearing an outrageously expensive prom dress.
Faced with my imminent destruction, I saw just how unimportant all those things really were.
I could hardly see in the dark room. He… no, IT was in there with me. They weren’t coming
to save me this time, not after all I’d done to them. There was nothing to stop it from tearing
me limb from limb.
Why me? I asked myself for the thousandth time. Why did I have to be blessed with this
curse?
Because, I always answered, you’re just that lucky.
School was supposed to be the safest place a person could be. That obviously wasn’t true
of my school, not when things like that thing were crawling around in its bowels.
Its low growl came from a spot by the door, my only escape. It was just toying with me. It
could smell my fear. It knew what I was thinking.
Isn’t that ironic?
It was closing on me. Getting ready for the kill. Needless to say, I wasn’t ready to die. What
fifteen-year old is? Still so much to do.
I couldn’t take it anymore. I crawled out from my hiding place and stood, trembling.
I never really thought of myself as a hero, but I really wished I was one just then. At least
then I’d have the courage to take this thing on.
I looked into its face. I was looking at death. Mine. The thing made a noise, a sort of
chuckle. It brought itself to its full height. Then all went black.
February
I wasn’t supposed to be dead by the end of my sophomore year! I had plans: get a car, go
to college, attend prom wearing an outrageously expensive prom dress.
Faced with my imminent destruction, I saw just how unimportant all those things really were.
I could hardly see in the dark room. He… no, IT was in there with me. They weren’t coming
to save me this time, not after all I’d done to them. There was nothing to stop it from tearing
me limb from limb.
Why me? I asked myself for the thousandth time. Why did I have to be blessed with this
curse?
Because, I always answered, you’re just that lucky.
School was supposed to be the safest place a person could be. That obviously wasn’t true
of my school, not when things like that thing were crawling around in its bowels.
Its low growl came from a spot by the door, my only escape. It was just toying with me. It
could smell my fear. It knew what I was thinking.
Isn’t that ironic?
It was closing on me. Getting ready for the kill. Needless to say, I wasn’t ready to die. What
fifteen-year old is? Still so much to do.
I couldn’t take it anymore. I crawled out from my hiding place and stood, trembling.
I never really thought of myself as a hero, but I really wished I was one just then. At least
then I’d have the courage to take this thing on.
I looked into its face. I was looking at death. Mine. The thing made a noise, a sort of
chuckle. It brought itself to its full height. Then all went black.
Chapter 1
First Day Blues
September – 5 Months Earlier
(Note - This is the very end of Chapter 1, not the whole chapter)
Unfortunately, the science hallway was downstairs on the opposite side of the school.
There was no way to make it without getting caught in the crowd. I breathed deep and
regular and moved as fast as I could. It wasn’t too bad today. At Mr. Jenkins’ room I was third
in the classroom behind the twins.
I perched on the stool nearest the door. If there was anything that could make a chemistry
class fun, it would be those two. They would figure out some way to blow something up,
“accidentally”.
“Christine! Christine!” they chanted in unison.
Mr. Jenkins, who stood behind his desk, looked at us and shook his head, a hint of a smile
on his face.
The class came in a few at a time, pounding fists, giving high fives and hiding cell phones
that they’d been texting with in the halls. Again, I recognized most of the faces. Nobody I
hated terribly, which was a good thing.
When the bell rang, Mr. Jenkins welcomed us, then explained what he expected of us.
However, he was crazy enough to want to teach today. Doesn’t he understand that we aren’
t supposed to learn anything the first day of school?
“Let’s see how much you guys know about chemistry,” he began, getting groans from the
class. “Let’s start with the elements. What is an element?”
“Isn’t that like fire, water and air and stuff?” called Frank Brown from the back, bringing a
few giggles.
Mr. Jenkins laughed a little too. “No, it has nothing to do with that.” He looked around to
see if there were any hands up. “Anyone?”
He wouldn’t get an answer from anyone on the first day. I put my head on the table.
He continued talking as I closed my eyes. Someone better answer me! I swear if one of
your stupid kids don’t answer me I’ll…
“What?” My head shot up.
“I’m sorry…” Mr. Jenkins waited for me to tell him my name.
“Christine.”
“Christine. Do you have an answer?”
He still wore the same smile as when we walked in. All eyes were on me. Usually when
someone said something stupid the boys cheered and the girls giggled. No cheers. No
giggling.
“Didn’t you just say… Oh never mind.” I shook my head to clear it. I couldn’t have been
dreaming. My head was only down for a second.
“Continuing on then.”
I dropped my head back to the desk.
Another year and another group of retards. How did they ever get this far…
My head shot up once again. “Okay, what’s going on?” I shouted this time.
Mr. Jenkins stopped mid-sentence and looked directly at me, no longer smiling.
Everyone’s eyes were boring into me again.
“Is there a problem, Christine?”
“You call us stupid and a bunch of retards and you expect me to say nothing?”
His eyes glazed over and his hand seemed to shake for a second, but he composed
himself so quickly I was sure I was the only one who noticed. “I didn’t say that.”
The whole class was laughing now. Not the regular murmurs or giggles, but great bellows
of peeling laughter. No one had heard it. Why not? He’d said it clear as day.
“You won’t be a problem for me this year, will you?” Jenkins asked me.
I just put my head back down on the table and waited for the bell to ring. When it did, I
escaped even faster than usual. I didn’t want to talk to anyone about what just happened.
I knew what I heard. Mr. Jenkins definitely said those things. The fact that no one else heard
it meant one of two things. Either someone was playing a joke on me—which was highly
unlikely—or I was going insane. I really, really hoped it wasn’t the latter.
First Day Blues
September – 5 Months Earlier
(Note - This is the very end of Chapter 1, not the whole chapter)
Unfortunately, the science hallway was downstairs on the opposite side of the school.
There was no way to make it without getting caught in the crowd. I breathed deep and
regular and moved as fast as I could. It wasn’t too bad today. At Mr. Jenkins’ room I was third
in the classroom behind the twins.
I perched on the stool nearest the door. If there was anything that could make a chemistry
class fun, it would be those two. They would figure out some way to blow something up,
“accidentally”.
“Christine! Christine!” they chanted in unison.
Mr. Jenkins, who stood behind his desk, looked at us and shook his head, a hint of a smile
on his face.
The class came in a few at a time, pounding fists, giving high fives and hiding cell phones
that they’d been texting with in the halls. Again, I recognized most of the faces. Nobody I
hated terribly, which was a good thing.
When the bell rang, Mr. Jenkins welcomed us, then explained what he expected of us.
However, he was crazy enough to want to teach today. Doesn’t he understand that we aren’
t supposed to learn anything the first day of school?
“Let’s see how much you guys know about chemistry,” he began, getting groans from the
class. “Let’s start with the elements. What is an element?”
“Isn’t that like fire, water and air and stuff?” called Frank Brown from the back, bringing a
few giggles.
Mr. Jenkins laughed a little too. “No, it has nothing to do with that.” He looked around to
see if there were any hands up. “Anyone?”
He wouldn’t get an answer from anyone on the first day. I put my head on the table.
He continued talking as I closed my eyes. Someone better answer me! I swear if one of
your stupid kids don’t answer me I’ll…
“What?” My head shot up.
“I’m sorry…” Mr. Jenkins waited for me to tell him my name.
“Christine.”
“Christine. Do you have an answer?”
He still wore the same smile as when we walked in. All eyes were on me. Usually when
someone said something stupid the boys cheered and the girls giggled. No cheers. No
giggling.
“Didn’t you just say… Oh never mind.” I shook my head to clear it. I couldn’t have been
dreaming. My head was only down for a second.
“Continuing on then.”
I dropped my head back to the desk.
Another year and another group of retards. How did they ever get this far…
My head shot up once again. “Okay, what’s going on?” I shouted this time.
Mr. Jenkins stopped mid-sentence and looked directly at me, no longer smiling.
Everyone’s eyes were boring into me again.
“Is there a problem, Christine?”
“You call us stupid and a bunch of retards and you expect me to say nothing?”
His eyes glazed over and his hand seemed to shake for a second, but he composed
himself so quickly I was sure I was the only one who noticed. “I didn’t say that.”
The whole class was laughing now. Not the regular murmurs or giggles, but great bellows
of peeling laughter. No one had heard it. Why not? He’d said it clear as day.
“You won’t be a problem for me this year, will you?” Jenkins asked me.
I just put my head back down on the table and waited for the bell to ring. When it did, I
escaped even faster than usual. I didn’t want to talk to anyone about what just happened.
I knew what I heard. Mr. Jenkins definitely said those things. The fact that no one else heard
it meant one of two things. Either someone was playing a joke on me—which was highly
unlikely—or I was going insane. I really, really hoped it wasn’t the latter.