Two Worlds Apart || Ghost

5

Caroline

I make my way back to the classroom after dropping the kids off for art class. I had about 40 minutes to myself to get some work done. My footsteps echoed the hall. It was a quiet and slow Tuesday.

I sit back at my desk and open my laptop. I start working on creating an assignment that we will have for tomorrow.

My eyes felt droopy. I decided to get up and get some coffee. I take my cup, starting my walk to the teachers lounge, praying that there is some left. I get to the teachers lounge and thank God that there was a lot left. I hear a voice behind me.

"Hey Caroline." I turn around to see my other favorite coworker, Mrs. Peters or Taylor. Shes two years older and me with a perfect life. A husband, 2 kids, pets, and she is the sweetest person ever.

I smile. "Hey Taylor. I'm sure you're doing a better day than me."

"Why do you say that? People bothering you."

I shrug. "Yeah. I dealt with Mrs. Han and Mrs. Nelson this morning and I'm just so off today now." I put the coffee pot back.

We both walk out and walk down the hall. The coffee I had was not doing anything for my exhaustion.

"Can I ask what it was about?"

"Aaron." I say calmly, looking forward.

She just nods, understanding that a lot of the teachers here are very into my personal business of my husband's death. They all like to claim that I got him sick, and I never took care of him. I just ignore it all.

"Anyways, I just hope you're having an easier day than me. Maybe after this week, if you'd want, we could go out for drinks this weekend." I say.

She chuckles to herself a bit. "I would love that but.." She stops me in the hallway and whispers to me. "I can't drink for about 8 months."

My eyes widen and my mouth drops. "No way. No way!" I almost yell but immediately put my hand over my mouth to shut myself up.

She smiles. "Yeah. We found out yesterday that I'm 1-month pregnant."

I pull her into a hug. "This is so exciting! How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay. I'm not as sick as I was with the other two, but were both so so happy. You're actually the first one to know. I didn't want to tell anyone, so we got some time to enjoy the first few months."

"I am? Really? I promise I won't tell a single soul until you're ready." We start walking down the hall.

"I'm also really hoping you could help me through this. I know I've gone through pregnancy twice but, you know how I get, and I'd appreciate another person that's not just my husband to support me." She says. Both of us aren't really close without families and immediately became good friends when we started working together.

"Yeah, of course. Whatever you need, I'll be there for you." We get to her classroom. "I'm so happy for you. I know you'll be an incredible mom again."

"I hope so. Well, I'll let you get back to work." She smiles.

"Not like I want to." I wave bye to her and walk to my room.

I get right back to work. I had about 15 minutes till I had to get my students. I was slowly starting to feel the effects of the coffee.

I look up from my laptop out the window. I took a double glace to see what looked like soldiers, but not from here. I stood up from my desk chair to look closer. They looked middle eastern. Thats when it happened.

BOOM

A huge loud boom ran through the school, causing me to fall to the ground from the shake. Part of my room was destroyed. It opened to the outside. I crawled under my desk. Some debris had hit me pretty bad in the face and arms.

I heard voices that were foreign. My heart was racing. Thats when I remembered about the kids. I tried to get up from under my desk but immediately got grabbed by two soldiers. One held my arms behind my back and the other stood in front of me.

"Well, who do we have here? Look at you." The soldiers knife lightly grazed my neck. I read his engraved shirt as Al-Asan.

"Leave...leave me alone. And the kids." I say terrified. Another boom goes through the school, hitting the other side.

"We can't do that." He pulls out his gun, keeping it at his side. He takes his hand and puts it to my face. "We have a job to do. And your pretty little face isn't going to stop us."

He takes the gun and hits me in the head, knocking me out.

~~~~~

I wake up in a huge room. It was clearly an infirmary. I sit up a little in the hospital bed, slowly turning my head. It hurt bad. I see people from school. Some teachers, lots of students. I couldn't see any of my students.

A nurse approaches me.

"What's your name?"

I look at her a little confused, still trying to gain consciousness.

"Um...its...Caroline....Caroline Madden." I say and she nods.

"How are you feeling right now, Caroline?"

"Well, judging by the fact my head feels like its pounding, awful." I say lightly.

She writes in a little book. "Well, you were found unconscious, and badly hit by the debris."

I look down. I had lots of cuts from the explosion. I got burned as well. I look back at her.

"Do...you know if my students are here? Where are they?" I say worriedly.

"I'm sorry. We need to focus on everyone's health here before we can identify people." She says. I look around the room again at the almost dozens of people. I don't know how they van fit so many people here.

I nod and she walks off to the next person. I watch all the people be treated. I could recognize lots of kids and a few teachers. My head moved slowly looking around at people. I was so confused as to where I was or what was going on.

A nurse walks past me but I stop her.

"Nurse! Where exactly are we?"

She politely smiles. "You're in the infirmary of the military base. Its located 65 miles away from your town."

I tilt my head. "But why are we all here? Shouldn't we be at a regular hospital."

"Trust me, you're all better off here. Plus, there's a lot of questioning for you to do later. For now, you need to rest." She says before walking off to treat someone else.

I lay back in the small bed I was in and sigh. I had no idea what all was going on and where my students were.

I look toward the entrance of the infirmary. My eyes narrow a little to make sure I was seeing right. At the door stood the man looking right at me. The one with the skull mask.

Simon Riley.