THE SCHOOL BELL

How sick of her not to allow me to rest and now here I am standing in this morning assembly with sprained foot. It really is painful for me to stand with the hurt feet but she despite of being a doctor refused saying, “Not today it’s too dangerous, no one is allowed to miss the morning assembly today”. What could her words probably mean? How stupid I was to trip over that stone last evening and now being standing here in all this pain and who made her a doctor. Her words, do they really mean something? The train of thoughts was interrupted by the prayer being started, in pain standing there I was just lip sing around; even after more than a week here, hardly few lines could I sing. The prayer ended, but something was so unusual out here, students were supposed to head towards the class in rows but why were they still standing there, this never ever happened.

What? Who’s she? Was I so involved with my feet that till now I haven’t noticed that lady standing there. She was facing her back towards us dressed up in black, but who was she and why wasn’t she facing here? The sounds of the footsteps started loudening as all the teachers started walking towards the stage, was something special today, was this some kind of ceremony or celebration? All the teachers went to the stage and lined up there at the far end of the stage and they too turned their head on the opposite side. What is going on here, doctor’s words again rang in my mind ‘Today it’s too dangerous’, what could it mean, something was unusual but what I still have to know. I was still lost in my thoughts when the bell rang and all of a sudden everyone started running, what was wrong, they didn’t seem to run to the classes, they were running wherever they could. Students were screaming, shouting and running in all directions, but why. And even before I could think anything more, I knew the reason, the lady at the stage has already turned to our side and she wasn’t a lady she wasss, approaching towards me, her eyes red as blood her skin pale as ash, she was there floating in the air and approaching me with her mouth wide opened, I had to run, I have to fast enough but how could I. My legs froze; my heart begged to stop beating, my eyes became wider and wider as she was approaching me. My brain stopped working, my eyes slowly closed as if they have accepted the outcome already and my body prepared itself for death. But I wanted to live, suddenly I felt a push at my shoulder and I knew I had fallen probably to the ground, was I caught by Her, a hand tightly holding my shoulders as my face touched the ground. My body was shivering in terror; I wonder how still my heart had courage to beat when my eyes didn’t have to see it. Why wasn’t I killed, would she kill me later or maybe she doesn’t kill people, but she is a demon, and if she didn’t kill, why would they all run? Was I safe, should I open my eyes, but would I be able to see myself dying?

“Are you fine?” a voice interrupted my thoughts, “Hey are you ok?” that unfamiliar voice rang in my ears again. I slowly opened my eyes and looked up and then towards my side, a guy probably I saw him in one of my class was there just beside me and it was his hand over my shoulders, I was safe, I wasn’t caught by her, that’s why I was alive. He was staring me with the look my brain couldn’t even process. “You good?” “Yes” these were the only words that came out of my mouth after struggling for a minute, “Good” he said and started looking in front, I knew probably what he was looking at, should I see it? I turned to the direction he was facing and there she was floating up in the air. I realized that probably everyone was screaming, but my ears they couldn’t hear anything. I was blurring out, my eyes trying hard to remain open and my heart trying to beat but my lungs were starving for breath.

With much effort I opened my eyes and there was a blur sight of Her carrying a girl by the neck still floating in air, She would kill her, but would She eat her, or would She suck her blood. As She passed from above, something dropped on my hand, I tried to look at it, it was so red and I knew what it was, but I don’t want to be knowing it. “Get up” I can hear his voice but it wasn’t processed to my limps, I tried to and then there was him helping me through my struggle of getting up and I was finally standing, no, drooping over him. “Disha” I heard my name being called, I tried to look at the direction from where the sound was coming but my eyes gave up and finally my brain gave up and I could feel myself falling. There were people holding me but I don’t know who, voices were there but so unclear and finally I slept I think forever.