Phrontistery Of Monster Kind - Six Feet Deep

Chapter 12

The next morning, I was notified that my presence was required in the headmaster's office. All explanations I could come up with always came back to either the school board, the Department Of Education or parents trying to get me kicked out. If they had a good point or threatened to get higher-ups involved, then Harro would have no choice but to fire me.

I couldn't be much more of a safety risk than the teacher who could turn people to stone or squash them with their heavy granite bodies. I wasn't walking around in a mask that hides my face and I wasn't a walking reminder of death. Monsters couldn't see past the fleshy pink skin despite how my choice of accessories would send any normal human into cardiac arrest.

But they weren't human, that was the problem. They had their ideas of what my kind was like and the last to work and live here wasn't considered humans back then, and still aren't seen as such when telling their stories.

But if the school wanted me gone, I couldn't fault them. It was eight when I reached Harro's office, popping by before homeroom when I was forced to linger around the hallway on level three in case a student needed me or Mors, who rightfully had more important things to do.

I stuck my head in the room, tapping on the doorframe. "You wished to see me?"

"Ah, yes. Come in. Come in." He shut his book after placing a bookmark made of an old receipt. "Please take a seat."

So, I do, across from him. My chair was turned out, expecting me.

"Is it a good book?"

"It has its ups and downs, but I expect you already know that."

I hummed, acting as if I knew what he was on about. It was a storybook. What ups and downs did it have? A simple leather-bound journal like every other book at the school. All in this aged brown leather were kids' stories for the students of previous generations.

"I heard you helped Chiro out with her class. Anything interesting happen?"

He asked with a damn smirk on his face, and I swear I could see a twinkle in his eyes. It was the sort of look that if I were anyone else, I would knock some sense into them. Still might, but my fist would phase right through his head. So, I continued to smile innocently as I asked, "What do you mean?"

"I heard you got along with the students and even took part in some games."

Oh, that's not what I thought he was going to say. I expected something about a particular ghost child or even me getting along with the primary school's staff more than these ones.

"Lovely kids, plus I suppose helping Chiro would be helpful for my image. Was I not meant to-"

"You're allowed to play games with the children. Being human doesn't stop participation. I heard you gave Ms Rigg a run for her money."

"Miss Rigg- I corrected- Ms Rigg is in the garden- I mean, is her mother."

"In the garden, you say?"

"Slip of the tongue."

I'm not sure where that came from. It wasn't a human saying, and I've never heard a monster say it before. I didn't even want to begin to deconstruct what it means. I didn't know a Ms Rigg, but it would make logical sense that's what her mother would be called unless she went by her maiden name.

"I heard one of the ghost children recognised you."

"She is mistaken."

"The eight-year-old, correct–" He ignored me. "-She's always looked familiar to me, even when I went there. I know she is your ancestor, but I was starting to gather its more than that. If you could live as long as I know you have, what's stopping you from lying further?"