The scream in school (ending by Joe Simmons)

A scream echoed down the empty corridor, ending abruptly.

Martin flattened against the wall, trying to become invisible, hoping whoever had caused that terrifying scream would not come his way. A very long minute passed as Martin heard only his own ragged breaths. He tried to slow his racing heart.

After what seemed like hours, he opened his eyes and stared down the hall, toward the location of that horrible sound. He didn’t know if it had come from the throat of one of his friends, a teacher, or a stranger. At the moment, he didn’t care. He just wanted to get out of the school and into the safety of his own home and his mother’s arms.

His body finally obeyed his commands and he turned to run. Just then the door to the playground flew open and dark shapes raced into the school. Martin froze again.

His head turned to the sound. As he stared at the dark shapes, he realized that they were running toward him. He willed his head to turn back to the direction of his body and tried to run away. But his legs felt like jello and the floor dissolved under him into a brown goo. He screamed in terror as he sank into the viscous fluid and could not move his legs. Suddenly he sat up in bed still screaming with perspiration covering his whole body.

The door to his bedroom flew opened and a very concerned mother burst through it with an explosion of light. She jumped on the bed and hugged him tightly in an effort to squeeze the terror from his trembling body. Her quiet, calming voice spoke to him.

“It’s alright darling! You are OK! You are safe with me here at home.”

He struggled to control his mind and his shaking body, burying his head into her bosom. She held him still for quite some time.

When she was sure he had calmed down, she asked what had caused the panic. He tried to deflect the thought.

“It was a dream! A bad dream!”

She insisted.

“Then, tell me what happened, what you saw in your dream!”

He shook his head.

“Tell me Martin! That will make it go away!”

He reluctantly recalled the scream in the hallway at school and the dark figures rushing toward him.

She laughed and reminded him that this was the fun activity they had just enjoyed that evening at the Halloween party at school. The screams were in fun and play and the dark figures were teachers and friends in costumes. The thought of the party came flooding into his consciousness and it felt just like his dream. He shuddered and decided that now that his father was gone, he had to be the man in the family and had to show courage and dignity.

He pulled back from her and apologized for the scream. Yes! Halloween parties were often scary for young children, but he would not allow this to happen to him again. She left and he struggled unsuccessfully to go back to sleep.