Red Insanity

Chapter 8: Serpent

I recognized his smirk right away. The rat had returned to harass me.

"Yur lucky Mr. Sally helps sissies."

I pretended to get a little angry and scoffed back, "I am Not!"

Rickard slammed me back against the locker.

"Only sissies wear pigtails and dresses when they aren't girls."

His friends started chanting around him. I pretended to let a tear slip down my right cheek and gave him a pitiful look.

"Actually, my pals here still think yer too big ta fit in my locker. Whaddya say? Wanna prove em wrong?"

His grip had loosened significantly as he spoke and his eyes began to sparkle with delight. I hesitated, using the moment to "think" it over. Rickard interjected me before I could speak again.

"How about I let you off fer the day?"

I gazed at him in happiness, "R-really?"

He nodded and set me down on the ground, my dress fraying briefly. I had already realized his ploy immediately. He just wanted to stuff me in his locker not "help me".

I put my hand on my chin to look like I was debating about it, then finally gave a hasty reply, "O-ok. But you promise you'll let me off, right?"

He smiled all sweetly, "Of course chum."

Rickard never called me chum. I could easily see the face behind his mask, scheming and waiting to torture me. He probably meant to say scum instead. I followed him down to his locker, the posy close behind to prevent me from running away.

"Here we are."

He pulled open his locker and let us all see the empty contents. The only thing inside was a moldy lunch bag.

"Ready sissy?"

I gulped and fake braced myself. He grabbed me from behind, hoisted me in the air and slammed me at full force into the locker. My nose connected with the divider and I slid my face back down to hug my neck. I coughed but didn't feel it. Unfortunately, all of my mom's whipping was on the back and therefore made it tough. My front side, however, was a lot less resistant in comparison. I gave the boys a nice performance and "screamed in agony". It hurt quite a lot but not enough for me to make a real sound.

"R-rickard? Umm... c-could you let me out?"

The laughter that was going on outside was silenced abruptly.

"I did say I'd let ya off for the day. If yer in a locker, I can't do a thing unless yer outside."

This part I had not planned for. I still have so much to learn. I was tall enough to have my neck at level with the divider in the locker but small enough to still fit inside. I realized Rickard hadn't shut the locker behind me. This was my chance to shimmy out but I knew he would just shove me back in, so I stayed put.

"Don't worry sissy. The boys an I got some comp'ny for you."

His tone dripped with excitement. I didn't react.

"We found 'im in the sandbox."

Confusion entered my mind. From the sandbox? What lived in the sandbox? My questions were soon answered when a rat snake was placed in the divider compartment. I knew right away. Snakes have a certain smell or a presence that I can recognize. It's like a blind person searching in their surroundings. It was then that the locker was slammed into my backside and my nose once again connected with the locker, this became enough to make a cool wet liquid rush from my nose. I couldn't move my arms around enough to wipe it.