Didaskaleinophobia - Fear of going to school.
The brown brick building loomed before her. Alexis imagined that it was a giant that had sprung up from the earth, mouth open wide, ready to devour her. She sighed. She had to go in. She trudged through the double doors. They closed behind her with a thud that echoed down the long hallway.
She stood there, looking around her, scrutinizing everything. No one was there. The hallway was empty. There were no teachers rushing to class, coffee mug in hand. There were no students scampering about. The hallway was devoid of all human life and all the lockers were shut. The tiled floor was without scuff marks. It gleamed in the dim light shed by the overhead fluorescent bulbs. She could see her reflection in it.
Alexis walked slowly down the hallway. Hundreds of lockers were lined up on either side of it. After every ten lockers or so, there was a door on either side and then another row of lockers began. She looked to the left then to the right. Classrooms 1 and 2. Both empty. 3 and 4. No one. The hallway seemed so much longer than she remembered. Alexis heard something slam behind her.
She jumped around. A door had opened and shut quickly. It was the door to Classroom 2. She ran back to check it again. No one. Another door opened and shut itself further down the hallway. Suddenly there was an uproar of movement.
All along the hallway doors were opening and closing of their own accord. Alexis heard footsteps all around her. She could not pinpoint any one source of the sound. She ran down the hallway back to the double doors. They were locked. Her heart was beating wildly. Beads of perspiration formed at her temples. She leaned her back against the double doors and watched in horror as the empty hallway erupted into movement and sound. The school bell rang, a high screechy note. Doors slammed. Lockers clicked open and books floated from them through midair.
Alexis banged the back of her head against the double doors. She scanned the hallway looking for a way out and that was when she saw them.
Reflected in the shiny, perfectly polished tiles were hundreds of gaunt students with coal-black eyes.
(C) All Rights Reserved Joanna Jadoo
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Phobophobia A Horror Anthology
HorrorPhobophobia is the fear of fear itself. It is also the name of this collection of very short one-shot horror stories where each story focuses on a different fear. Each little bite of fright is unique: from the fear of crossing the street to the fear...
