fhilacio
03-19-2007, 11:28 AM
Hi my name is Phil, I hope you enjoy this short story
The door
TICK, the clock strikes twelve and the school bell rings. The usual wave of boys and girls swarm the corridors and rush recklessly toward the school cafeteria. The queue lengthens as the trays of mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables are gradually reduced. I enter the queue and focus my gaze in the direction of the shiny metal tray from which whiffs of a glorious aroma gust throughout the school grounds. Its oily layer glistens behind its fogged up window. It is with this oily glistening and glorious aroma that our lunch lady Laura boasts one of the most delightful school cafeterias in the entire province. As time passes, the food slowly loses its heat and the fog on the glass window begins to disappear. I continue my gaze through the now not-so-foggy glass window until I am interrupted by a soft hazy voice from behind. “Wake up” it whispers into my ear nudging my forward. The gap between me and the person in front of me appears much too big, so I take one step forward. There is an urge for my stomach to rumble but my attention diverts to the large round clock.
TICK and the school bell rings once more. My body and mind went into a trance. My eyes fixed on lunch lady Laura who was now emptying the trays into the rubbish bin.
“Jimmy” calls a voice in the distance.
“Jimmy” the voice repeats becoming louder.
TICK and the alarm clock RINGS.
“Jimmy! Hurry up or you’re going to miss your bus”
This was the distinctive voice of my mum. I didn’t miss lunch, rather I’ve missed breakfast. My arm slams onto the alarm clock and its annoying ring ceases at once. The time was eight twenty five, my school bus leaves in ten minutes. I immediately bounce up from my bed to grab my uniform and school bag before rushing out the door. I pull my pants on and slip into my shirt before sitting up onto the stair railings.
I slide down and land with a THUMP.
I place my tie around my collar and place my feet into its shoes as I take one deep breath, glaring into the distance up the long steep street. My legs jolt forward and with every step forward part of me can feel the sensation of the cement paving beneath my feet. Sweat drops fall off my face onto my black leather shoes. I can feel the heat of the sun on my forehead as I continue to run with my head down keeping constant sight of the time on my watch. An anonymous figure rushes pass me and almost pushes me over. Stumbling to my feet I am determined to make it to my bus on time. Minutes pass and in the near distance I see the bus stop.
I see the bus.
THUMP and the bus doors close.
With the last ounce of my strength, I try to chase the bus. I see some familiar faces through the rear bus window. They were smiling at me and then they began to laugh, I felt silly but was reassured when one of them held up a piece of paper which read
Ivan peed himself, see ya at school mate.
I fall onto the floor. I lie there with the heat of the sun now resting on my face. I hear the soft ticking of my watch, it was still only eight thirty six and I am exhausted.
HONK and a car approaches.
I feel an adrenaline rush and leap onto the sidewalk. The car speeds pass. Feeling a moment of relief, I sit up onto the pavement with outstretched legs. Another car approaches. It was my mum’s car! The car window winds down and I hear my mum’s voice, “hop in honey”. Placing my hand onto the black door handle, I pull with the energy I had regained after that moment of rest. My body collapses onto the soft car seating. The door closes and the car begins to drive. I close my eyes and within minutes awaken to the tender tap of my mum's hand on my shoulders. I open my eyes and find myself already at school. I wave mum goodbye as I grab my bag and begin my walk through the front gates.
I walk into the school grounds toward my classroom. I can hear my steps echo as I venture through the corridors, looking through each classroom door as I pass and observing the similarities in all our classrooms. The same blue carpet, the same white board and the same old wooden tables with matching chairs exist. I hear another set of echoing footsteps running toward me from behind.
“Jimmy!” it calls.
I turn around and see Principal McGuiness gasping for breath and trying to speak.
“Jimmy, your mum had a car crash around the corner from the school!” she says.
My arms became heavy and I could feel goose bumps all over my body as I look into the Principals eyes. “The ambulance has arrived, you had better come with me” whispers the principal as she recovers her breath. Hearing the word ambulance made me somewhat relieved.
RING and the principal’s cell phone rings.
She hastily picks up her phone and answers. She hangs up almost instantaneously and then turns around. “That was Mr. Heights on the line; he just told me your mum did not make it”. I had no words. “Quick, Jimmy, come with me” she yells as she begins to run down the corridor.
My legs begin to move forward almost without my permission. We enter the principal’s office. She slams the door close, pulls out a key and unlocks one of two back doors in her office. “This door will take you back in time, go back and save your mother” she whispers.
“The next time you return through this door should be when you have saved your mum”
Still quite unclear of Principal McGuiness’s words I stumble through the door.
I see nothing but darkness, it takes me a moment before I realise my eyes were once again closed. I open my eyes. “What in the world?” I ask myself.
I am back at the bus stop. I take a moment and pinch myself. I can feel pain so this was real. I run down the steep street in the direction of my home. I see someone running up the street. He had the same school uniform and the same school bag as me. His head was down and I couldn’t get a clear view of who he was. He runs pass and almost pushes me over. Upon contact I get a tiny glimpse of his face.
It was me.
http://lovetowrite.myfreeforum.org/index.php
The door
TICK, the clock strikes twelve and the school bell rings. The usual wave of boys and girls swarm the corridors and rush recklessly toward the school cafeteria. The queue lengthens as the trays of mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables are gradually reduced. I enter the queue and focus my gaze in the direction of the shiny metal tray from which whiffs of a glorious aroma gust throughout the school grounds. Its oily layer glistens behind its fogged up window. It is with this oily glistening and glorious aroma that our lunch lady Laura boasts one of the most delightful school cafeterias in the entire province. As time passes, the food slowly loses its heat and the fog on the glass window begins to disappear. I continue my gaze through the now not-so-foggy glass window until I am interrupted by a soft hazy voice from behind. “Wake up” it whispers into my ear nudging my forward. The gap between me and the person in front of me appears much too big, so I take one step forward. There is an urge for my stomach to rumble but my attention diverts to the large round clock.
TICK and the school bell rings once more. My body and mind went into a trance. My eyes fixed on lunch lady Laura who was now emptying the trays into the rubbish bin.
“Jimmy” calls a voice in the distance.
“Jimmy” the voice repeats becoming louder.
TICK and the alarm clock RINGS.
“Jimmy! Hurry up or you’re going to miss your bus”
This was the distinctive voice of my mum. I didn’t miss lunch, rather I’ve missed breakfast. My arm slams onto the alarm clock and its annoying ring ceases at once. The time was eight twenty five, my school bus leaves in ten minutes. I immediately bounce up from my bed to grab my uniform and school bag before rushing out the door. I pull my pants on and slip into my shirt before sitting up onto the stair railings.
I slide down and land with a THUMP.
I place my tie around my collar and place my feet into its shoes as I take one deep breath, glaring into the distance up the long steep street. My legs jolt forward and with every step forward part of me can feel the sensation of the cement paving beneath my feet. Sweat drops fall off my face onto my black leather shoes. I can feel the heat of the sun on my forehead as I continue to run with my head down keeping constant sight of the time on my watch. An anonymous figure rushes pass me and almost pushes me over. Stumbling to my feet I am determined to make it to my bus on time. Minutes pass and in the near distance I see the bus stop.
I see the bus.
THUMP and the bus doors close.
With the last ounce of my strength, I try to chase the bus. I see some familiar faces through the rear bus window. They were smiling at me and then they began to laugh, I felt silly but was reassured when one of them held up a piece of paper which read
Ivan peed himself, see ya at school mate.
I fall onto the floor. I lie there with the heat of the sun now resting on my face. I hear the soft ticking of my watch, it was still only eight thirty six and I am exhausted.
HONK and a car approaches.
I feel an adrenaline rush and leap onto the sidewalk. The car speeds pass. Feeling a moment of relief, I sit up onto the pavement with outstretched legs. Another car approaches. It was my mum’s car! The car window winds down and I hear my mum’s voice, “hop in honey”. Placing my hand onto the black door handle, I pull with the energy I had regained after that moment of rest. My body collapses onto the soft car seating. The door closes and the car begins to drive. I close my eyes and within minutes awaken to the tender tap of my mum's hand on my shoulders. I open my eyes and find myself already at school. I wave mum goodbye as I grab my bag and begin my walk through the front gates.
I walk into the school grounds toward my classroom. I can hear my steps echo as I venture through the corridors, looking through each classroom door as I pass and observing the similarities in all our classrooms. The same blue carpet, the same white board and the same old wooden tables with matching chairs exist. I hear another set of echoing footsteps running toward me from behind.
“Jimmy!” it calls.
I turn around and see Principal McGuiness gasping for breath and trying to speak.
“Jimmy, your mum had a car crash around the corner from the school!” she says.
My arms became heavy and I could feel goose bumps all over my body as I look into the Principals eyes. “The ambulance has arrived, you had better come with me” whispers the principal as she recovers her breath. Hearing the word ambulance made me somewhat relieved.
RING and the principal’s cell phone rings.
She hastily picks up her phone and answers. She hangs up almost instantaneously and then turns around. “That was Mr. Heights on the line; he just told me your mum did not make it”. I had no words. “Quick, Jimmy, come with me” she yells as she begins to run down the corridor.
My legs begin to move forward almost without my permission. We enter the principal’s office. She slams the door close, pulls out a key and unlocks one of two back doors in her office. “This door will take you back in time, go back and save your mother” she whispers.
“The next time you return through this door should be when you have saved your mum”
Still quite unclear of Principal McGuiness’s words I stumble through the door.
I see nothing but darkness, it takes me a moment before I realise my eyes were once again closed. I open my eyes. “What in the world?” I ask myself.
I am back at the bus stop. I take a moment and pinch myself. I can feel pain so this was real. I run down the steep street in the direction of my home. I see someone running up the street. He had the same school uniform and the same school bag as me. His head was down and I couldn’t get a clear view of who he was. He runs pass and almost pushes me over. Upon contact I get a tiny glimpse of his face.
It was me.
http://lovetowrite.myfreeforum.org/index.php