The Shadow Hidden In The School

A teenage girl named Mary is cleaning the fields of her high school. When she is about to leave she doesn't expect a visitor. will this visitor harm her?

My name is Mary, I am a young teenage girl and this is my story. It was June the 3rd in 2005 on a Saturday when it all happened in a small town in Arizona called Bakersfield. It was 4:00 in the afternoon, I was doing community service at my high school every weekend to get some extra cash so I can pay to go to college. I never wanted my parents to pay for the stuff I wanted, I always thought you could get what you want with a little hard work sometimes. I was almost done cleaning the trash from the football field, soon I will be done and could finally, finally get some rest. At least I thought so.  

I finally finished, “Another 40 bucks in my wallet,” I whispered to myself. 

It was time to head home, but before I left I threw the trash bags by the janitor's door so all I had to do was clean up the trash. I picked up my purse that was sitting on the bench and walked towards the school gate. I stopped in the middle of the entrance of the gate and looked at my car, I noticed a man standing by my car door. He was wearing all black clothes, I couldn't see his face, his black hair was covering his eyes, like a shadow he looked like. 

I looked back at my car I noticed I left my keys in the car, it was hanging from the mirror. I quickly looked back at him, he was walking towards me, and when the sun fell upon him I could see he was holding a knife. My face was starting to sweat, I looked pale, my body was weak like it just turned off. I quickly stepped back and quickly shut the school gates. I looked up he was running towards me I had to get away, so I ran, I ran and hid behind the corner of the building wall. I was breathing heavier and heavier. 

I quickly grabbed my purse and set it down on the concrete floor. My hands were stiff, like ice popsicles that couldn't be melted, but thankfully I found my phone. As I fakely smiled I saw that my phone had no battery, I was doomed. Think, think what can I do? I peeked around the corner of the wall, he was gone, but I couldn't be too sure about that, right? In front of me maybe 10 feet away was the school's office no one was there, but what was there was the school phone if I can rush over there with him not noticing me maybe I still have a chance to contact the police. I breathed slowly in and out.

Getting in my running position I gently breathed in and out saying, “On your mark, get set go!” 

With all the stress on my shoulders, I let it out on my legs. I was almost there, just 4 more feet, but before I could smile I was lifted up gently, but thrown hard before I knew it with a blink of an eye I was being thrown. I found out that the man had picked me up and thrown me into the classroom glass. As I tumbled inside the classroom I was so sore my body ached of pain my legs had cuts of shredded glass in them, they stung like a thousand needles in my body with honey on them. I painfully used my elbows to guide my way under a desk at the corner of the classroom, my legs were all bloody, some of the glass had shredded way to deep in my leg, I tried not to move both of my legs, it looked like the petals of a rose being melted on my leg so gently. What was happening? 

I couldn't even think straight for one second. Why, why would anyone do something so cruel to an innocent person. I haven't said one word to him and he's torturing me like I'm his slave. How was I suppose to get out of this situation? As I closed my eyes and breathed in slowly, while my heart ached of pain I listened. I heard footsteps, footsteps stepping on the shredded glass on the floor. 

He was coming to my direction. I didn't dare to open my eyes and witness what was gonna happen. I kept my eyes closed until I could feel his breath against my face. He was breathing heavy like he just ran a marathon. He got closer to my ear, with his breath exhausted, he finally spoke. He spoke 3 words that I couldn't bear to hear coming out of his mouth. 

He whispered in my ear, “Another. Student. Down.”

As he grinned, he kneeled on one knee and held his knife tightly in his hand. All I could think about was those 3 words he said. His voice was hard and tough, his breath smelled like dry blood. What did he mean by “another student down?” Did he kill many other students before me? Where they all scared like I was? 

They all gave up easily, but I feel like there needs to be a change. He will go to jail for what he did and I would rather die knowing that I did something right. I slowly opened my eyes, just enough that we wouldn't notice. He was holding the knife above my head, I had to be fast. I looked down on the floor, I saw a sharp piece of shredded class it was big enough to a cut deep wound. I still couldn't believe he didn't see it, I guess he thought I was too weak to even think of saving myself. 

Well, he thought wrong. As he lifted the knife up in the air and came straight down, as quickly as I could, I moved a bit to the side where I could reach the glass. I grabbed it and will the aching of pain in my body, I plunged it in his right side. He let go of the knife as he screamed falling to the floor. I breathed hard and made a run outside to the office. My legs ached, they were sore, but I had to be strong, strong enough to get the police here. 

As I reached for the handle of the door, I swung it open. I quickly got in and grabbed the phone. I dialed in the number 911. When they picked up I was already tired, dizzy, I couldn't think straight. The only word that came out of my mouth was “help.” I let go of the phone and fell to the floor. As the phone dangled beside me I slowly closed my eyes and passed out.

I woke up in a few hours finding myself in a hospital. I sat up slowly, looking around I saw a police officer sitting in a brown chair looking at me with a grin on his face. My head hurtted, so many questions. He finally spoke to me.

“I see you're doing well. That's good. You are a brave girl, and a lucky one. There are too many crazy people in this world, and I'm glad you caught one.”

I looked at the officer with a surprised face remembering what had happened. I asked him a simple question that my mind wanted an answer right away.

“Is he….gone.?” I said with a worried face.

“He is gone alright, gone back behind bars in jail.” 

He stood up and walked out of the room in silent. As those words “behind bars” were swarming inside my head I let out a huge sigh and laid back on the pillow resting my head as the pain still ached. As I gently closed my eyes, I said my happiest words I never thought I ever say.

“I’m alive.” 

                                                  The End 

Author's Note

Thank you for reading my little short story. I hope you guys enjoyed it!