The Forest

Chapter 13

I felt completely stunned. Everything starts to become blurry and I have to hold the walls on the school building to keep my balance. By then everyone had made it into the building and the silence laid still on the streets. I tried to focus and to move, but my body wouldn't let me. I would tell the teachers in the building that I got lost and was having trouble finding my class.

I struggled to open the front door and walk in. In the middle of the floor there was a huge print of a falcon. The falcon's wings spread widely across the floor, taking flight off the ground. It was the school's mascot and underneath it said, "Fly without wings; Dream with open eyes; See in darkness."

The inside of the building resembled much of the outside with its red and white colors. I noticed I was beginning to lose focus on where I was, I had to get to class, but in reality...I had no idea where I was going. There were other stragglers in the hall as well, looking confused on which direction to go.

I walked past the large falcon and I felt someone tap my shoulder lightly. I tried to contain the impulse to run away from whoever was behind me.

"Are you lost?" I heard a voice ask from behind me.

I turn around to face the stranger. She was an older women with brown hair that came to her shoulders. She wore thin, round glasses and had a voice that sounded like a chew toy being stepped on. On her blouse there was a label that read, "Principal Mince". I had a strong feeling I should have ran away when I had the chance.

"Uh...yes. I don't know my first period" I tell her, trying not to make too much eye contact. I didn't know anything about this woman, I wanted to be as polite as possible in fear she had a hidden ill temper that caused her to lash out at students.

"Well, I can help you with that. Please...follow me" she says and gestures for me to follow her out of the hall and into an office on the far left side of the building, close to the entrance. She opened the door for me and let me through. When I walked in there were people sitting behind desks answering calls and typing on computers frantically. Principal Mince walked over to a slightly younger gentleman sitting behind the main desk. I assumed him to be the vice principal, although I wasn't one hundred percent sure. Principal Mince says, "Sorry. I didn't catch your name, what is it?"

"Matthew Johnson" I tell her and she repeats the name to the gentleman. There was typing and in a few seconds I heard a noise coming from a printer on the opposite of the room. The gentleman walked over to it and took out a slip of paper. He took a glance at the paper and stared at me like I was a ghost. Principal Mince stared at him and then at me, most likely confused. He handed her the paper and she began to tremble a little. They began whispering and shaking their heads over and over.

It looked like they were arguing about something. He began throwing his hands in the air and pointing in my direction. Did I do something? What was on the paper? Principal Mince began protesting it seemed to whatever he was saying. The gentleman took the paper and slammed it on the table. He walked next to me and looked at me harshly swallowing hard, and pushed through the door.

I stood there confused at what just happened. Principal Mince walked over to me very slowly, almost cautiously, and handed me the paper. She didn't come too close to me, she stood a few inches away like I was a bomb about to explode. The paper had my schedule written on it, I was so lost on why I didn't receive it and why everyone was acting so strange. At the top left corner it had my name...but more importantly, it had my address.

Were they afraid of me? Were they afraid for me? Was the gentleman disturbed by the idea that I could actually live in the house? I kept asking these questions with no real answer, just more than likely, ridicule. Not ridicule from myself, but from everyone else, they seemed disgusted with me considering they can't even stand in front of me.

"That should help you" she says very softly and slowly, "....are you...okay?" she asks me and I don't realize why till I look down and see my hands shaking and and I could feel the dizziness coming back.

"...I t-think" I answer her, "Can I... go now? If that's okay"

"Sure, wouldn't want to hold you" she says and comes over to me to pat my shoulder, "Be careful" she says and I can't help but picture Suzanne's mother in front of me again reminding me again. Be careful...I repeat in my head and I can't help but wonder who could be watching.