Wheel of Fortune
The ups and downs of life, constant change. Beginning of a positive cycle. Change results from prior events. Can indicate a bad turn of events and misfortune.
Only now did I realize I had kept walking, and had finally reached the school yard. I saw the old red brick building; I had been going to this school since I was 10, since all this started. By now the rumor had spread, and even my dearest friends had deserted me. The rumor being that I brought death to any one close to me. I guess it was true. I had one friend who tried to stick it through with me, but after 2 months he was killed in a hit and run. I’ll always blame it on myself. That’s when everyone started trying to get me away from here. They wanted me gone. I’ll have scars to prove it for the rest of my life.
As soon as I passed through the wire fence I noticed every one turn away from me, same old same old. I found my favorite tree, an old willow who I always imagined watching the building of our town, this school, my childhood. How many faces had it seen? What story would it tell of its immense life? I sat under its umbrella branches blocking this early morning sun, and the glares of the people around me. I let my heavy book bag slide to the ground, and pulled my knees up to my chest. My eyes started to close. I pulled up my hood, and put my forehead against my kneecaps, and I guess I dozed off…
~ ~ ~
It couldn’t have been more than 20 minutes later that the school bell rang and woke me from a light and dreamless nap. I picked up my bag sluggishly, wiped the sleep from my eyes. I watched the other school kids walk into the building, waiting for all of them to be gone. Boys and girls, my age and younger. This was the last month of school. One more month.
I waited maybe 10 minutes after the last child had gone into the school, and then automatically moved my legs to follow. Right left. Right left. Then as I walked through the double doors I felt the chill of the torment to come. Premonition I guess right? Well sadly I have no such ability. Yet? But patterns repeat. Again and again and again. The halls were silent, class had started. I walked to room 9. First period. English.
I walked into the room, the door creaked, every one stopped talking, no whispers, no scratch of white chalk on the out of date black board. Silence. I walked to my seat. 5 seats over 6 seats back. The only seat in the room that was in a corner and by a window. All my seats were like this. Away from people, near an escape. I dropped my bag, sat down in the creaky off balance and cracked chair. The desk seemed nothing more than a plank of wood nailed to 4 wood poles. The spider that was most likely the reason no one sat back here was on its web, spinning, spinning, and catching its prey. I chose the seat so I could watch it.
Watch the futile effort of the trapped fly.
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