NOW IS THE TIME

At 11:44, Marcus was holding a shank above my friend’s head in the middle of the cafeteria.

“Will it be your lunch money or your eyeball?”

I shoved through the circle of chanting classmates.

“Hey!” I shouted. “Pick on someone your own size, fatso!”

Everyone looked at me.

“Get off of him!”

Silence.

The time remained 11:44.

I looked around.

My classmates were frozen in place.

So were the teachers.

I sprinted to shove Marcus off.

My hands went through him.

I opened my mouth to scream.

Nothing came out.

I went through the floor, plunging into blackness.