Personal Demons: Get These Thoughts out of my Head

My dad and I live in a small blue/gray house right at the edge of the woods. Our door is big and it has windows on either side of it. I whistled as I approached my doorstep. I looked up, reaching out for the knob. Suddenly, something caught my eye; the window on the right side of the door was shattered, and the window on the left side had been completely broken into. I gasped and threw myself inside. My dad slept lazily on the couch as if nothing had happened. I glanced around in terror as a noise echoed from upstairs-the bedrooms.

I hurried up the stairs, trying my hardest to keep my footsteps silent. More noises came from above me. Finally, I reached the top of the old staircase and tiptoed towards my room. I peered inside, it was a mess! Everything was spread all over the place-papers, books, DVDs…and my window-my window was broken!

I ran to my window and put my hands on the windowsill, “Ouch!” I cried out as sharp pieces of glass pierced my palms, “Well, that was stupid…” I pressed my hands together, trying to stop the bleeding. I stared out at the roof. What was in here a minute ago? I loathed the thoughts that came to mind…thoughts about the U.F.O. and Mimiru's raccoon, the turtle, and the boy in my class…I felt a chill run through my entire body. I gaped out the window, watching an indistinct figure run out of the front lawn. “Hey! You, stop right there!” I called out the window frantically, “Hey, come here! Come back!” the figure disappeared into the woods.

Mimiru stared at the thick bandage wrapped around my hand, “How'd you hurt your hand, Sassi?” she asked casually.

“I accidentally cut my hand when making dinner last night,” I lied, “its ok. I barely felt it.”

Mimiru cocked her head to the side, “Why do you look so grumpy?” she said in a mocking whiney voice.

“Don't worry…it's nothing.” I muttered, trying to hide my face from her. Trying to act casual, I ran up to the school doors and opened them for us. Mimiru nodded a thank you and continued inside. Before I went in, I took one last look at the sky and sighed. I didn't know what was going to happen next…and quite frankly, I didn't want to know.

It was sunny out, which meant that students could go out on campus for lunch period. As usual, I went outside so I could get some peace and quiet. The field was empty, so I sat on the bleachers, under the shade of a large tree. I watched as other students flooded onto the campus. I looked away when I saw Mimiru walk out with some of her friends. That's the last thing I need, I thought.

I turned myself around so that I could lay down there on the bleachers and looked at the sky above me. The sun was in mid-rise so I had to squint to see. A shuffling sound came from behind me, or rather, in my current position, above me. I got up and turned to investigate.

Mimiru, holding a tennis racket and a ball, and wearing a white and red bad mitten uniform glanced up at me and smiled, “Hey, Sassi, wanna play?”

I squinted again. Her uniform was so bright and clean that the sun seemed to reflect off of it, “Where did you get those clothes?”

She giggled, twirling her racket, “You don't remember? I went to bad mitten camp last summer. Yeesh, Sassi, you never notice these kinds of things do you? Did you even know I was gone?” she laughed.

I rubbed the back of my head, which hurt from lying on the hard bleachers, “You mustn't have been gone long then, because I don't remember.”

She laughed again, “I was gone for a whole three weeks, dummy. You didn't notice at all?”

“But you went with me and Kari for the camping trip…and that's mid-summer.” I pressed.

“Yeah, I was here for the camping trip-that was after camp. You really don't remember, Sassi?” She sounded a little disappointed.

I shook my head a little, “Not really. Then again, nothing form last summer is really all that clear to me anymore…”

She looked at me, almost as if she were in pain. “Nothing's clear? What do you mean by that? You don't remember anything?”

“Pretty much. It just isn't clear to me anymore…yeah, in other words, I don't remember much at all…” I spoke so quietly, I could hardly hear myself.

Mimiru stood silently, swinging her racket as if aiming for the ball. She flipped her hair and ran quickly to join her friends, who had been waiting for her at the court.

I glanced around, trying to acknowledge my surroundings. Some kids started playing soccer on the edge of the field; others had taken over the basketball courts. A few kids sat in the corner of the campus border with their books. I sighed happily. Finally, I was having a normal day. This is just a normal Wednesday at Norton High…no U.F.O. sightings or evil animals or aliens…This is just a small town…nothing ever happens here. Not in a town like this. You have to go to a big city to see anything real or exciting.

My thoughts went on and on until the bell rang. I sprung off the bleachers and flew into the building.

I slammed my locker door and looked down the hallway. It was empty…was I late for class?? I almost panicked-being late for class would mean staying after school! My dad would be so mad…

There was a growing silence, although my footsteps echoed down the dark empty halls. I stumbled to my classroom door and tried to turn the knob-it was cold, it almost felt frozen. I winced at the piercing temperature and tried to turn it. I gasped in horror, the knob was stuck! I shook it, trying to get it loose. It was all in vein, I couldn't open the door.

I stepped back from the door and tried to steady my breathing, “calm down, Sassi,” I said out loud, “It's nothing weird…you're just…locked out of class is all. You can go down to the office and…” I started toward the office when suddenly, one by one, the hall lights started going out. They each made a loud CLANG sound when they turned off. The sounds made me jump. I flinched every time I heard the awful sound of the hallways only illumination dying before my eyes-and piercing my ears. I watched as the last light at the end of the hall went out-and the entire hallway went dark.

I waved my hand in front of my face, trying to adjust my eyes. Finally my hand came barely into focus. I squinted through the layer of darkness and called out, hoping someone would be there, “Hello? Who turned off the lights?” I couldn't have missed a drill of some kind, could I? Maybe it's a lock down? Or maybe…thoughts of the kid and my `daydream' came to mind. I put my hand on my forehead; I desperately wanted those thoughts to disappear…

Nothing ever happens in a town like this, I thought; nothing ever happens in a town like this and nothing ever will. I found myself screaming in the dark, “Nothing ever happens in a small town like this!!”