Author Topic: Short Story. (9 pages on Word).  (Read 2380 times)

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Offline Azguard

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Short Story. (9 pages on Word).
« on: September 20, 2008, 12:06:50 PM »
quick note: I encourage critique...so feel free!

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The following is for students’ eyes only. This is the kind of stuff that happens undercover, maybe in some kids’ backyard, maybe in the field during lunch when no one’s around, maybe at some teacher’s house, the stuff that students aren’t aware of until it shows up on the news, but wherever it happens the main thing is that it’s the kind of stuff that can happen at any school. The FBI covers it up, the teachers deny it, and the school administration wants nothing to do with it. Go ahead, read the story below. You know you want to…

Western High Stories

10-25-2005

   Alyssa Hamilton stood there, wide-eyed. Strands of her brunette colored hair blew softly in the breeze like strands of cotton candy. Her slightly baggy jeans touched the floor and her pink t-shirt gave a little rustle. Strapped to her back was a low slung, regular blue backpack. Her hair was tied into a ponytail for now, but otherwise she let it hang loose and freely. Unknown to Ms. Hamilton she was about to discover something surprising.
   
   Let us rewind a little bit. She was a freshman, newly entering Western High School and had only been enrolled for about three weeks. She didn't come from the junior high that traditionally flowed into Western, so she had very few friends. Most of her friends were really aquaintances and boys who were eager to approach her because of her soft beauty. Indeed, it wasn't long before most guys took noticed of her and her name became common place in boys' conversation. However, the thing she will remembered most for is her discovery and disappearance.

   Her fourth week of school started out normal enough. She was in her English class being taught by Mrs. Grover, a plump, well-dressed middle-aged lady
who was secretly a helpless romantic as most English teachers are. Today, the English class was going to take a trip to the library and use the computer lab to work on their essays which were due in a few days. As the class poured out, Amy Hamilton hung back to walk by herself and at the end. Several guys began to slow down too, but Amy ignored them and kept walking at her own place.

   "Hey Alyssa. What's your topic for your essay?" a boy named Nick asked.

   "Well, to tell you the truth, I haven't even written it yet," Alyssa replied timidly. She was not particularly interested in talking at that exact moment, but Nick didn't seem to get the clue.

   "Really? Me too! We have something in common then!" Nick said with a half laugh.

   "Yeah," Alyssa said giving a half-hearted chuckle.

   "Hey Nick! Hurry up you slowpoke!" one of Nick's friends yelled from ahead of the group.

   "Ok, well, catch ya later," Nick said.

   "Yeah."

   Alyssa slowed her pace some more. Now she was several yards behind the group of students walking down the hallway. Their chitter-chattering tuned Alyssa out as she became lost in her own thoughts such as what she wanted to do for that night. She knew her parents were going out so she would be spending some time with her older sister, Jessica, who was a senior in high school. Alyssa was a good student. She wasn't perfect and certainly not a staight A student, but she was better than average and ranked in the Top 75 in her grade. She was trying to arrange her schedule in her head so that she would have time to do her homework and spend time with her sister.
   As she continued walking she passed by the detention hall. A dark, dreary, cold, and wet place mashed between the two main central buildings of the school. This is where students wait after school to go to detention. It was often dark because the roofs of the two buildings would often cover the sunlight. Suddenly, she noticed a slight movement, and turned her head to look. A door had just closed, but it wasn't the detention room's door. In fact, it was the opposite side. She had never noticed that door before. Sure, it was there, but nobody really ever bothered to open it or ask about it. It was painted white, same as the wall, and not blue like most of the doors in the school were. It was almost like the door was trying to blend into the wall.

   "That's cool," Alyssa thought to herself. It didn't seem like a big deal. Maybe it was just a door leading into the library, or maybe it was an office behind the door. She continued walking and got to the computer lab.

   "I saved you a seat," Nick said enthusiastically when she got there.

   "Thanks," Alyssa said, even though she felt slightly uncomfortable next to Nick.

   The other students had already turned on their computers and were visitng different websites and playing games or listening to music. Then Alyssa became aware that the teacher wasn't there yet. After five more minutes of waiting, Mrs. Grover finally came in the room.

   "Sorry about that, I had to run some errands. Let's get started shall we?" she asked.

   Alyssa began working on her essay on the computer. She wanted to get as much of it done as possible before she got home. Unfortnately, Nick kept bothering her and asking her stupid questions. She felt a bit sad for him because she knew he was just trying to start a conversation, but the truth was, she didn't want to be bothered. However, she didn't know just exactly how to say that to him. She tried not to squinch her eyebrows because she was starting to become extremely annoyed at him.

   "Mrs. Grover," Alyssa's hand shot up.

   "Yeah Alyssa?"

   "May I use the restroom for a second?"

   "Yes, but hurry up."

   Alyssa got up from her chair, took her backpack with her, and walked out of the room. Mrs. Grover looked at her, looked at her backpack, and then looked away.

   A breath of fresh air met the girl outside and cooled her from the groggy, warm air of the computer lab.

   "Now what?" Alyssa asked herself. She didn't really need to go to the bathroom. She just wanted to get away from Nick for a second. Alyssa decided that she would walk around and use up some time so that it seemed like she went to the bathroom and so she began her slow gait.

   "Hey! Wait up!" a familiar voice rang through the hallway.

   "Oh man, what does he want from me?" Alyssa asked herself. Of course, it was Nick.

   "You going to the bathroom?" he asked as he caught up to her.

   "Of course I'm going to the bathroom you dimwit," Alyssa said. Or that was what she wanted to say, but didn't. Instead, she simply said, "Yeah."

   "Cool," Nick replied and started to walk with her.

   Alyssa changed her direction so that she seemed to be headed towards the girls' restroom. On the way she passed by the detention hall and paused for second.

   "What's the matter?" Nick asked.

   "Well..."Alyssa began. I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell him what I've been wondering about, she reasoned to herself. "Have you noticed that door across from the detention room?"

   "Yeah. What about it?"

   "Do you know anything about it?"

   "No."

   "Have you heard anything from your friends?"

   "No."

   "The teachers haven't said anything about it?"

   "No."

   Some help he is, Alyssa thought. Her bright, brown eyes continued to look down the hallway, hoping to catch anything that might help her in knowing what was there.

   "Actually...I heard something from one of my teachers," Nick began.

   "What?"

   "Well, I think it was built at the same time as the detention room. I'm not sure what it's for." Then Nick's expression changed and his voice lowered. "I have seen teachers go in and out of that door. I've always figured that it was a teacher's conference room or something, but then I heard that some kids were kicked out for going in there. A bunch of juniors I think, like last year."

   "What happened? What did they see?"

   "I don't know, but the next day several more kids got kicked out and the school made a policy change. Something about drugs and guns or something."

   This only made Alyssa more curious. She started to walk down the hallway.

   "Hey, where are you going? The bathrooms are this way!"

   "I know. I'm just taking a longer way. You know, so I don't have to get back to class so fast."

   Nick's eyes widened, and his mouth turned into a grin, "Ohhhh, I get ya".

   The door seemed to loom bigger as she walked towards it. Behind that door was something that had gotten kids kicked out. Behind that door was something the teachers knew and the students didn't. Behind that door was a secret that somehow violated a student's rights. Alyssa didn't know, but she felt it. Finally, she came to a stop at the door. She stood there, wide-eyed. A soft breeze blew her hair, wisping it around like a tree's leaves. Her backpack hung low on her back. She didn't remember why she brough the backpack, it was just there. Maybe she was even thinking about ditching the computer lab and English class altogether.

   "So..." Nick slowly said.

   "Huh?" Alyssa had forgot Nick was even there.

   Nick smacked his lips together, "Um, how long are we just going to stand here?"

   "Let's see what's behind it," Alyssa suddenly blurted out.

   "Are you crazy?" Nick said a little too loudly and it echoed through the hallway. Then he lowered his voice, "Why would you want to go in there?"

   "To see it. To see what's behind it of course."

   "You know what I just told you right? Kids get kicked out if they go in there."

   "So? Don't you want to see what's behind it? What makes kids get kicked out?" Alyssa grabbed the handle of the door and pulled. Nick suddenly jumped in mid-air as if he just realized he was standing on a crocodile.

   "You're a very weird person," Nick said with his hands in the air. "What school did you come from again?"

   "Lexington Cone Junior High," she grunted as she continued pulling on the door handle. However, it wouldn't budge.

   "Must be locked," Nick said. "We should get back to class. The teacher might wonder what's taking us so long, especially cuz we're out at the same time. Maybe they'll think we're making out". Nick burst in a smile.

   "What?" Alyssa snapped as she let go of the door handle.

   "I mean, uh, we shouldn't be here ya know?"

   Suddenly, a set of voices echoed around the hallway.

   "See what I mean?"

   "Don't worry. Walk this way and pretend we're just passing by," Alyssa motioned. However, she couldn't tell where the voices were coming from as they bounced off the hallway. Just as she and Nick rounded the corner of the hallway they ran into Ryan Muse and Stephanie Nguyen.

   "Oh hey Alyssa!" Ryan said excitedly.

   "Hey," she answered.

   "Where are you guys going?"

   "To the restroom?"

   "Together?" Apparently, Ryan found that funny.

   "Well, see ya around," Alyssa quickly said.

   "Ok then, laters."

   Alyssa slowed her pace and kept listenign to Ryan and Stephanie's footsteps. Once they seemed to be gone, she quickly turned around and ran back towards the detention hallway.

   "Not this again," Nick groaned.

   "Well, I didn't ask you to tag along. Why are you even following me?"

   "I needed to go use the restroom. But seeing that you need some help, I decided, being the good person that I am, to stop and help you."

   "Why would I need your help?"

   "To open that door. Clearly, your muscles are not equipped for moving heavy things," Nick said sarcastically as they headed toward the detention hallway.

   Then Alyssa noticed Ryan's voice again. She peeked around the corner into the hallway. There was Ryan alone, trying to pry open the door they were just trying to open.

   "What the? What is he trying to do? Is he crazy? Am I the only sane one here?"   Nick asked more to himself than to Alyssa.

   "Hmm, let's watch what he does."

   Ryan continued pulling on the door handle and finally stopped after a few seconds. Then he pulled something out of his pocket and proceeded to insert it into the keyhole of the door. He twisted it this way and that. Then Stephanie showed up from the other end of the hallway. Ryan quickly grabbed her by the wrists and led her away.

   After a few more moments of silence Alyssa rushed to the door in the detention hallway. She looked at the key hole and there was a paper clip jammed into it. Suddenly, quietly, a soft click came from the door.

   "Did the door just open?" Nick asked.

   Alyssa gave him a shrug of the shoulders and grabbed the door handle and pulled. The door opened. Nick gave a small gasp and backed up a few feet. Slowly, Alyssa pulled the door back and looked in. Behind it was just a set of white stairs leading up.

   "Let's go," Alyssa encouraged.

   "This is as far as I go," Nick said. "I'll stand guard here and uh...yell if I see someone coming."

   "Yell? That wouldn't do any good. I might not hear you, or you'll just alert more people. Here, here's my cell phone number. Speed dial me and keep your cell phone on."

   "Well, OK," Nick said, completely missing the fact that he had just gotten Alyssa's cell phone number.

   Alyssa pushed the door back and climbed up the stairs. Her heart began pounding and she found herself shaking. The cold draft in the staircase didn't help her jitters either. She reached the top of the stairs to find two more doors. One to the front of her, and one to the right of her. The one in front had a sign in front labeled, "Administration Personnel Only" and the other door had no markings of any kind though it did have a code box with numbers on it. She decided that the door to her right was probably password protected so she tried the door in front. It wouldn't budge.

   "Well, of course it's locked," Alyssa said to herself. She took out the paperclip that Ryan had used and tried chipping around at the key hole. The chances of that working again were pretty slim since she didn't know anything about picking locks. Suddenly the door opened, and a teacher came out. No, not a teacher, the principal! Alyssa quickly backed herself behind the door in the triangular space the door created against the wall and the adjacent hallway. She remembered Nick and quickly flipped out her cell phone...only to realize that she hadn't gotten his number! Suddenly, she just felt like sitting there and crying. Here she was stuck in a place where she wasn't supposed to be, and she had dragged Nick into it. Of course, Nick dragged himself into it, but Alyssa still felt that it was her fault.

   She stood there for a few more seconds and noticed that the door wasn't closed. In fact, it was jarred completely opened. She peeked out and saw no one there so she tip-toed around the door and looked into the room to make sure there was nothing there. What she saw surprised her.

   Rows and rows of computer monitors with what looked liked high tech technology alongside it.

   "What is this?!" she screamed inside her head. She peered more closely and noticed familiar rooms and faces.

   "Oh my gosh..." she gasped as the realization hit her. It was a surveillance room. There were cameras hidden in every classroom, in most hallways, and even on the football fields, basketball courts, and baseball fields. Something was out of place though. Something didn't make sense. She couldn't put her thoughts on what it was.

   There was Mrs. Grover's empty English classroom, there was Mr. Wright's English class, there was the PE class doing stretches on the asphalt. And there...there was one computer screen that was entirely pitched black though it was recording because it had lights and numbers in the upper right hand corner.

   "I wonder what room this is?" Alyssa asked herself.

   "Then she moved over to another computer monitor. It showed a person milling around a dark room, but something about the person wasn't quite human. A sudden movement on one of the computer screens in the corner of Alyssa's eye made her turn around. The blank black screen had something going on. There was movement, as if something was moving through the shadows. Then it became clearer. The top half of the screen was clean now and Alyssa could see the top of the principal's face. He appeared to be wiping at the camera screen. Soon it was all cleaned up and the principle stood in front looking disturbed. Behind him was a hallway. A familiar hallway. Alyssa realized that the hallway was the detention hallway. That was what didn't make sense. If they had cameras everywhere, why didn't they catch her, Nick, and Ryan trying to pry open the door? The answer was that someone covered the camera screen up. But who? And what happened to Nick? The camera didn't show any signs of Nick or anyone at all. The hallway was empty. There was no sign of anything ever happening, and Alyssa's phone had not rung.

   "You realize what will happen right?" a voice said. Alyssa uttered an involuntary gasp and turned to look at the doorway. There stood the principle.

   "What is this? What's happening?"

   "You don't realize the full extent of what is happening here. I will tell you, but I'm sure you probably won't remember," the principal said with a soft frown in his eyes. The principal was relatively youthful looking despite being old. The wrinkles on his face moved whenever he talked as if they were wired to his mouth.

   "I'm going to get kicked out? Is that it? What makes you think I won't just tell everyone at another school? Isn't this against some kind of law?" Alyssa bluttered all at once.

   "It's not if no one knows. And you won't remember what happened here." The principal moved toward Alyssa and she backed up into a corner. She felt around for anything she might use to defend herself even though she didn't really want to hurt the principal. There was nothing to use so Alyssa prepared to fight him with her bare fists.

   

   Alyssa was kicked out of school the next day. The school wrote that the reason was because she was found handling illegal drugs and trespassing on private school property. When some guys asked Alyssa what happened she said she strangely couldn't remember, though the school claimed they had physical evidence. Her parents opposed the decision and fought the school and in an effort not to make a public outcry, the school decided to let Alyssa stay. Nick was also allowed to stay having been charged for being factor in Alyssa's controversy. The two became pretty good friends though they couldn't explain why there was an instant connection between them. Alyssa couldn't explain to her English teacher why she skipped class, but Mrs. Grover was surprisingly understanding to her and Nick .

   It would only be a matter of time, however, before Alyssa came across that door again. It did happen again four weeks later when Alyssa stumbled on the door again. The door was labeled "storage closet" and locked with janitors going in and out of it. Though it did raise Alyssa's curiosity she never thought that much about it again.
   
   Students did speculate that Alyssa and Nick were going to be kicked out because it had something to do with the door, but they didn't dare raise the question or discuss it openly and everytime they approached them about it they couldn't remember anything about the door. Of course, there were several students who knew the truth, but they are a different story for now. So remember, next time you're staring at a mirror, it might be staring back at you. Next time you sign something from the school, make sure you read everything you're about to sign because you never know what freedom you're signing away. And next time you pass by a storage closet, it might be more than a storage closet...
« Last Edit: September 20, 2008, 12:20:00 PM by Azguard »
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