The Classroom

A flash fiction with a twist.

“10! 9! 8! 7! 6! 5…” it yells as it stands in the doorway of the classroom ready to slam the door as it counts to 1.  It is almost smiling as there are a few students running to get to it.  It’s been raining outside and the sound of shoes squeaking against the floor can be heard as a boy and two girls try in vain to reach their first class.  A boy, Joey, and a girl, Amber-Marie make it in just in time, but the last girl, Tammy, is met with a slammed door to the face as she is locked out.  She stands there a moment and then turns to walk away, defeated.  “Guys, I don’t know how clear I have to make it, ‘it says,’ class begins one minute before the bell rings! That’s 7:59, not 8, if I have to wait again, everyone will have detention.”  It walks over to the table and picks up a giant math book and announces, “It's math today.” Then slams the book back down on a desk.  A few students are startled and it smiles.  “Turn your pages.” It says tersely and immediately the students comply.  It takes a moment for a boy; Timmy to muster up enough courage to raise his hand, but with an encouraging smile from a girl, Jessie-Jane he raises his hand.  “What?”  It says.  “I…j-just want to summarize today.”  It nods and he begins summarizing the current chapter.  It takes him a few minutes and after he is done the class snaps their fingers; it hates it when they clap but class participation in accolades is mandatory, so they snap.  

Joey King, who was one of the last to come into the class, wants to desperately ease the tension that this class seems to always have, but he’s at a loss until a usual opportunity arises.  In the next moment, it instructs the class to read, so students spend the rest of the hour reading their assigned passages in pitch silence.  The bell rings and everyone leaves, quickly.  

DAY 2

It's 7:59 and it is standing at the front of the class, the door is closed and everyone is in on time, but there’s someone new here.  “You’ve been told that the class begins at 7:59, correct?” it asks matter of fact.  “Yes.” She says standing there looking confused, she has nowhere to sit.  “Right, so did the person who told you to arrive at that time, cruelly fail to tell you that there are only 29 seats for the usual capacity of 30 students?”  It finishes saying and some students sniff and shuffle in their seats, “Quiet!” It demands, noticing their dismay.  It leaves her standing there and moves to prepare the projector, but before that, it announces, “You may quietly chatter, but I don’t want to hear individual conversation.”  A boy sitting closest the girl standing leans forward and asks her, “Hey, what’s your name?  She turns to him and replies, “Jasmine.”  “Hey Jasmine, I’m David, you can use this.” He hands her a cushion that he had apparently removed from his gym bag and unfolded.  “I’m the last to come in sometimes.” He confesses.  “Thanks.” She says with a smile and places the cushion on the floor beside his desk to sit.  “I don’t want to hear a sound.” It says and the room immediately falls into a dead silence.  After it has everyone’s attention, it drops another large book like the one from yesterday and says, “It's science today. Turn your pages.”  

Author's Note

ignore grammar problems

Reviews

[EHope]

I was intrigued. So much that I wrote down the title and name before I was able to read it so I could come back the next day. There is a sense of intrigue at the beginning. What is going on? Who is it? Why is this classroom different?

However, I was a little confused. My questions weren't really answered. I'm not sure of the purpose, so I would like to read more of the story. I'm curious how you would finish or at least continue the story.