The Final Ticks: A Collection of Short Stories

The Last Ticks

1:42 P.M.

The boy walked down the halls, his hands in his vest pockets, and his hood covering his face. He looked down to not draw attention. If people noticed him, things would get out of control.

He fiddled with the box in his hand. It was a small box, easily concealed in his vest. The only decoration was a clock on the face of the gray box.

He ducked into the next hallway. If this was going to work, He needed to place the box somewhere no one would notice it. Not even by chance. He looked around his hood, to his right then to his left. No one was looking at him. He smiled to himself, then continued wandering aimlessly, looking for the perfect placement.

The boy stopped on the main floor and looked up. Maybe the best place was on the ceiling. How could he stick the box up there? The boy looked around the hallway and saw a desk. That could work. He was pretty tall, too, so he didn't need that much of a boost. He hauled the desk right under where he was going to put the box. Stepping onto the table, he carefully taped it there and set the count-down timer for fifty minutes. A fly buzzed in his face. Swatting at it, he looked at his watch. Guess I'm skipping class today.

1:46 P.M.

Amy stumbled into her class, panting. I made it! she thought.

"Sit down, Miss Carters." Mr. Freda looked at her over hid glasses. "You are a minute late. That's a tardy. I thought we went over this already," he admonished. Amy quickly took her seat in the back corner of the room.

Mr. Fryda continued to drone on about the proper use of commas, something they were going over for a week now. Amy took out her notebook and started doodling, resting her head on her hand. She looked up at the clock. Only fifty minutes left until school ends.

2:17 P.M.

Amy jolted awake from her light slumber.

"The trick to knowing when to place your commas is reading the sentence out loud. If you feel a pause anywhere, add a comma," continued Mr. Fryda.

Seriously? Amy thought. Why are we still going over this? This stuff is like a plant rooted in our brains by now!

"Miss Carters!" Mr. Fryda said suddenly. "Why don't you give us an example?"

2:31 P.M.

The boy ran down the hall. Somehow, he had been caught. The stupid police just had to be walking down that hallway, didn't they? How was he supposed to know that some dork decided to take a smoke in the bathroom?

"Hey! You! Stop running!" shouted the police officer. "You're under arrest! For attempted bombing!"

The boy looked behind him. The officer chasing him was fat. Just go away and live what remaining life you have left, he thought. It's not like any of us are that important anyway. He ran down the hall, turned a sharp left, through the doors, down the stairs and saw the blizzarding snow outside. I'm gonna make it! The boy smiled to himself. All you stupid, demanding, judgmental bastards are gonna get what's coming to you.

2:33 P.M.

"Attention all students!" The loudspeaker startled Amy awake. She just couldn't get a good nap in, could she? "Please leave the building immediately. This is not a drill, I repeat, this is not a drill. Please leave the building immediately."

All the students in the classroom started screaming over Mr. Fryda, who was shouting out, trying to get everyone to shut up.

2:35 P.M.

The officers had taken off the main plate of the bomb, but the wires were all over the place, painted over, and messy. This kid had to have been a pro at this. What did they teach kids these days? The man looked at the timer on the bomb. "0:00:55."

--

Amy was still trying to get out of the building. All the kids were shoving her out of the way in their own panic and back into the classroom she feared would be her grave.

"Here, come on," said an officer in the crowd, reaching out to her. "You have to leave now."

Amy took his outstretched hand.

She was safe now.

He would get her out.

Her world exploded into yellows, oranges, and whites.

--

The boy looked at the school one last time in awe of his work. He grinned, turned around and never looked back at the growing explosions.