"Correct", Ms. Martinez said, very impressed. " And this happened because..."
"Well..." I rubbed my chin to remember. "It happened because it is believed that the prison was built on top of unmarked war victims graves, and so their souls haunt these walls for eternity". I said.
"Everyone give, Mr. Irons a round of a plause". Ms. Martinez said.
Everyone did give me a round of a plause, "Congratulations, Mr. Irons", Greta said, dissatisfied with the attention I just received Donald, Booker and the rest of their crew.
"You are dead meat you punk", Booker and Donald giving me a evil eye.
Behind me, Donald Clearfield mumbled something to a student, "Tell them it's time for our lunch".
"Why me?", The student fearful for his life.
"Is there a problem Mr. Clearfield?", Ms. Martinez separating Donald and the student.
"Oh no, Ms. Martinez I was just saying isn't it time for lunch, already?", Donald busted.
"Huh", Ms. Martinez looking at her watch, "would you look at that you are right about something, Mr. Clearfield". Ms. Martinez looks at me.
At least I can rest peacefully tonight, perfect Donald finally got into trouble, too. I was so glad at least, Ms. Martinez saw Donald for what he truly is. She took out her stick.
"Anyone else, up for a lunch break?". Ms. Martinez asked, without wasting any time kids muttered, "We are starving, it's a miracle we are still alive". They said.
"Well then, it's time for lunch then", Mr. Old Clearfield, would you mind leading us outside?"
The class drifted off, we were separated into the line of two, girls and boys. And Donald and his friends were right behind me. "Mr. Irons", Ms. Martinez called, "whatever happens try to stay calm". She said.
I had no idea what she was on about.
I walked in front of Ms. Martinez. When I was about to turn around to ask her what she meant. Ms. Martinez was gone - Greta gave me this look that said be careful - intense brown eyes that were certain something bad was about to happen.
The class gathered on the foot steps of the prison, where we could watch the quiet emptiness of the abandoned town.
Uneasiness, came and flowed over me, with the sun getting covered by the clouds that were getting darker than I'd never seen before covering the whole city. Maybe there's a huge storm coming or maybe global warming, because apparently the weather all across Strange City and Crystal View City had been off since last August. We'd had massive snow storm, flooding, cold fronts and electricity blackout from lightning strikes. I wouldn't have been surprised if nightfall came early.
Nobody seemed to notice. Some of the guys were playing prison break out, sneaking out of the opened fence. And of course Donald Clearfield stole my lunch from my bag, and how surprising Booker saw nothing.
I sat closer to the prison fence, away from the others. I assumed that nobody else would want to sit next to me, after all I am a walking disaster. So who knows what would I do next.
I didn't pay much attention to my stolen lunch. Eating for me was a huge hussle, but luckily for me my sister always put chocolate chip biscuits as my secret emergency stash, Donald called, "Hey Irons I got something for you, here!"
My sister was a bad cook, so I barely touched her food.
But I would give it to our neighbor's dog Husky a golden retriever, and he would eat it all nothing will ever show there was anything there. I thought dang the dog had some kind of unique taste. I thought huh I haven't seen my sister in over a weak now. I missed her so bad. When she sees me at her workplace, she'd hug me so tight and ask me if I have eaten enough food, but she'd be worried too. She'd send me straight home to bed to get some sleep, tell me that those nightmares won't get me during the daylight, even though she was wrong at most times. I wouldn't stand to see that sad look she'd give me. When we get evicted again because of me.
Ms. Martinez was talking to Greta, it was kinda strange really seeing them together so close. I decided not to think about it when Donald Clearfield appeared in front of me with his ugly friends - I guess he got tired of calling me and getting ignored - and dumped my disgusting peanut butter and jelly sandwich on my head.
"Now you look beautiful with that make up on" Donald laughed with his friends.
I ignored them. I was really good at doing so, I managed to make them feel invisible. But this time I was so tired my mind was blank. A whisper roared in my ears.
I don't recall touching any of them, but the next thing I knew, one of Donald's friends was way over the fence, dangling, "You freak!".
Booker flashed before our eyes.
No one was really paying attention to us: "You punk!", Booker forming a fist.
I had no idea what was going on. All I knew was that I was in trouble.
As soon as Booker made sure that no one saw what was happening, he punched me, I don't know how many times.
Booker was determined to make me bleed, there was this hatred in his eyes, as if I just did something unforgivable. "Now, boys - "
Donald and his friends grabbed me, I tried to cry for help. They covered my mouth and took me.
They dragged me inside the prison, they at the tiny two-metre-tall concrete cell.
"What are we doing here?"
So it happens that most of the times, I blackout like a lot, when my brain goes blank or something, as if I fell asleep for a moment and wake up in a different place. The doctor once said to me that I have Insomnia, I lack sleep so my brain tends to create images.
I don't know anymore.
One thing I know they let me down, I tried to run through them and escape and they pushed me back, and I hit my head against the hard wall. And I blacked out.
"Do you think he's dead?" Donald asked in a shaking voice.
"I don't know, someone check for his pulse!" Booker pushed one of Donald's friends.
"I don't think he's breathing" the friend said with his hand in my pulse.
They all started to panic, they didn't know what to do if I was dead this is where they will spend most of their lives.
"Okay, here's the plan we were never here" Booker said, "we'll all walk out of here together and when it's time to leave we'll ask where is Irons, ok" Booker ordered.
Just as they are about to leave the cell door shuts closed, and locks. All I did was lie there unconscious.
"I can't open it!" Booker pulling and pushing the door.
"What do you mean?!" Donald panicking.
"I mean the god dang door, won't open" Booker hitting the door with his shoulder.
Apparently all sides of the walls, started to crack up, like a bulldozer was hitting it with a wrecking ball.
"Guys -" one friend called.
They all saw what's happening, the cracks on the walls were now opening up, a dark void opened up.
"What's happening?" They all held tighter to each other.
Creatures straight from the nightmares crawled out of the walls, screeching and creaking.
"No way" Donald stunned by what he sees.
"What is it, baby bro?" Booker asked.
"What the hell is that?!" One friend frightened.
"Impossible", Booker now sees what's coming out of the walls, "Is that the Boogeyman?" Booker paralyzed.
A monster from their nightmares came to life, a demonic spirit that cast out black mist, it had a cracked face, you could see it's muscle flesh. It was laughing, it was wiggling it came straight to Donald. But it wasn't just Donald experiencing this all of them were the two friends experienced their own fears. And Booker.
"Please, please you are not real", Booker's demonic spirit fear was his own self, he was pale, shaking creaking and screeching.
When all their fears cornered them in the center.
The nightmares opened their mouths wide and sucked their faces, sucking what seemed to be their life forces. I was awake and afraid so I pretend to sleep... The nightmares gulped Booker, Donald and their friends faced up and swallowed them, I could see them being digested and after they were done. They came to me and said, "Thank you master", in whispers. And they went back to the voids.
Ms. Martinez and Greta discovered me, "What happened?" Greta helping me to stand. "It was Booker and Donald, they locked me in here" I explained to them.
But they looked at me like I was crazy.
"What?" I asked.
"There's nobody in here by those names, Daniel" Ms. Martinez so serious.