Lightening flashed, and all the lights in the office flickered, it made the huge silent room all the more eerie. I couldn't help but think that this was the last time I stayed after to finish my article, it would just have to wait until the next day. I don't think I could handle being in this room by myself... during a storm... at night... again.
"Thank god i'm almost done." I said to no one in particular, anything to fill the quiet void.
I clicked the save button, and my computer screen went black...
"This can not be happening!" I shrieked as all the lights in the room shut off, "NO! All that work for nothing!"
I jiggled the mouse and banged on the computer to no avail, "Come on! you can't be serious... this is so not happening!" I tried coaxing the machine back to life. I promised I would be nicer to it, I promised to let it sleep once I was done. Nothing worked.
Aggravated, I silently sat back in my chair with my head in my hands. What was I gonna do? Before I could think of anything, I heard a sound. I heard squeaking outside the door, down the hall. Getting closer. I froze and tuned my ears to the sound, hoping whoever it was would turn around and go down another hall. Squeak. Squeak. Squeak. The foot steps stopped outside the door.
I watched scary movies when ever i could, so that someday i would be prepared for this moment. So by the time the door had creaked open, I was already under the row of desks holding up the computers. Who ever it was swept the beam of a flashlight around the room, the mystery man was about to leave. Until the light stopped on my back pack. Somehow it looked to be happy about alerting this person, who I’ve decided to call Blimpie, to my presence.
He began making his way through the maze of desks and chairs that cluttered the front of the room. He was making his way towards my backpack, towards me. Remembering many horror flicks where i had yelled at the girl on screen for sitting there frozen, I followed my own advice and began crawling towards the door under the computer desks. I was directly across the room from the door, contemplating how to get out without being noticed. I was going to crawl under the desks to my left until i got to the last one and slide across the floor until i was under the desks to my right 3 feet away.
I was about to begin my crawl, but was stopped. The cords from the computers above me had entangled me in their wiry embrace. I was stuck. This was not how I thought I would die. I began setting myself free. Once my task was done, I turned to find that blimpie was kneeling on the floor staring at me. I screamed and punched him in the face, he fell over and I felt a sense of accomplishment. Go me! My revelation was short lived as he began to sit up, he was pinching the bridge of his nose and scowling. Without a second thought, I did the opposite of what a girl from a thriller would do. I ran like hell.
I ran out of the room and down the hall as if I was one of the schools track stars. I rounded the corner, and saw a glimpse of him chasing behind me. Right? or Left? Which way would lead me to safety? I had no idea and I didn't have time to consider it. When in doubt... go left. So I went right. I figured he would get there too, think the same thing, and go left. To make sure of it, I ran through an open door, shut and locked it, if he didn’t see me to his right, he would go left. I backtracked away from the door until my back pressed up against the cold rain splattered window. I couldn’t breathe.
As the evenings events hit me, my nerves gave way and I slid to the floor. Tears spilled down my cheeks relentlessly. This was not the time to be crying though, I had to be strong, now more than ever. You can't successfully escape the clutches of a... a... a blimpie with your life intact, when your eyes were blurry with tears. I wiped them away and hid in the corner, across from another door that led into the room next door. It was easier to stay focused and keep the grief locked away if I imagined this was just another scary movie, and I was the girl who would survive. At least, I probably would have survived if the storm that I had pushed to the back of my mind hadn't allowed the lights their return and scared me.
There was no way he hadn't heard me scream, so that’s probably why I wasn’t surprised that he was there. Trying to break down the door 10 minutes later. I stood there transfixed, I couldn’t look away as he continuously banged on the door. He stepped back from the door, and kicked it. The frame shuddered and told me that the next kick would have the door swinging open. I gathered my fear, turned it into courage, and when he got into position in front of the door I dashed for the other one. He shattered the door too late, for i was already in the other room. I locked the door and made my way to that ones exit, right next to the destroyed door. He must not have been thinking because he banged on the door i had just locked and i was able to coast down the hall at an incredible speed. I turned corners without giving it much thought and found myself on the second floor.
A mad man was chasing after me, I had to get out and somewhere safe. So I ran upstairs. It was the classic move of the next girl to die. Great. Just great. I ran across the hall and down the stairs at the other end, there was a door at the bottom that would lead me outside. I would survive!
My feverish merriness was short lived however, cause just as I was passing the last room on my journey to freedom. Someone reached out and grabbed me. I fought him, I fought him with everything I could. He was too strong, and quickly had me pinned against a wall in the classroom. The last thing i saw before the lights shut off again was the face of Aiden Caulfield, Editor of the school newspaper. I immediatly stopped struggling and hugged him. Tears threatened to escape again and my breathing became ragged as i tried to hold them back. He whispered sweet nothings in my ears trying to calm me down.
"What are you doing here?" I asked through strangled sobs.
"I knew you would be here working late, so I thought I would come help you. On my way to you I saw a stranger with a knife walking through the hallways, the way he fingered it was absolutely sickening. I followed him for a bit thinking maybe he was just some lost guy seeking shelter from the storm, but then he did something I don't think I could ever forget. He killed coach Clark. Coach didn’t do anything to him and he just sliced his neck. This guy is dangerous, we have to get out of here." He was shaking, shaking just as bad as I was.
I knew he was right, we had to get out of there. Looks like there would be two survivors tonight.
"Coach Clark. So that’s what his name was." said a voice filled with amusement from another door leading into the room. "But your wrong. I didn't kill him, I simply set his soul free. He's in a better place now... Don't worry though. You two will soon be joining him".
Aiden picked up a metal bat out of no where and started swiftly striding toward him. The man didn’t look scared, even though Aiden was much bigger and held the bat expertly. Blimpie the murderer just stood there smiling at first, but when Aiden was close he pulled out a knife and swung at him. He missed and Aiden hit him in the arm with the bat. The knife broke loose from his hand and went soaring into a desk out of his reach. He cursed and punched Aiden before he could swing again. Sudden pain coursing through his gut cause Aiden to drop the bat and double over. Blimpie picked up the bat and was about to bring it crashing down on Aiden’s head, effectively ending his life.
My brain kicked into overdrive and I told Aiden to lay back. He complied just as a table slid over him and pinned Blimpie to the wall. He dropped the bat and stood there squished to the wall for a moment. Adrenaline pumping through my veins, my heart, heavy in my ears, I picked up the bat and hit him hard across the chest. I hit him continuously until Aiden took the bat from my hands. He pocketed the criminals weapon, gripped the bat and ushered me out the room. We ran down the stairs and through the schools back door never looking back.

Imprint

Text: Copyrighted 2010 by Chant'e Francis
Publication Date: 10-16-2010

All Rights Reserved

Dedication:
dedicated to people