The Curse of 1977 (Book 2)

Chapter 22

Topaz Central High

Clarence Higgs, school principal, John Hopewell, gym teacher, Joan Roach, tenth grade algebra teacher and Catherine Lewis, the twelfth grade health teacher were all gathered inside the teachers' lounge on the third floor of the empty school building.Seated on one side of the long table were Higgs and Roach, while on the other end sat Hopewell and Lewis.

With the exception of Higgs, the other three were a collection of lethargic, blank masses of white flesh that sat sullenly in their wooden seats much like many of their various students during class.Mr. Higgs, who was black and older, sat while steadily scribbling away on his notepad, seemingly oblivious to the stuffy heat that inhabited the room despite two of the windows being wide open.Hopewell sipped away at his thermos while Lewis, who was the youngest of the group, wiped sweat from off her brow and fanned herself with a piece of notebook paper. All the while, Roach, the eldest, who was patiently waiting for Higgs to finish, conspicuously tapped her fingernails on the table.

"Okay," Higgs sighed before stopping his writing, "I promised that this wouldn't take long."

"I'm awfully glad to hear that, because I promised my kids that we would go to Kings Island once I got home." Hopewell sat up and irascibly protested.

Straightening his glasses, Higgs stared at the man for a second before looking all around the table.

"I apologize for wasting your time, Mr. Hopewell." Higgs kept his piercing eyes on the man. "Perhaps you would like to re-convene this meeting once your family outing is complete?" He stated in a dry, commanding tone.

Hopewell just sat back and pressed his lips as to say that the matter was closed, while the ladies glanced at each other in an unflattering, hopeless manner.

"Now, this shouldn't take any more than fifteen minutes to complete." Higgs said. "We just need to go over the new student roster before next month so we can get a clue as to who these new students from Eastern High are."

"Well, we do know that we got some good, strong fellas from that school coming over here." Hopewell sat up and mentioned. "Have you seen this Jackson kid? The guy is built like a tank. He could be our best offensive lineman we've had in a long time."

"Before we move any further, I'd like to take our minutes on the recorder." Higgs said as he pulled out a mini tape recorder from his pocket and sat it on the table in front of him.

"Besides great football players, I happen to know that Eastern has some very learned geometry students." Mrs. Roach spoke up. "That's something this school could definitely use when it comes to the 'In The Know' meets."

"Okay, okay, just because Eastern is shutting down does not mean we use this to our advantage." Higgs stepped in. "These are students, not prospects. Now, we've all heard of the disciplinary issues that Eastern has been known for these past few years. And considering why that school is shutting down to begin with, it should come as no surprise to any of us that we may end up with some issues of our own."

"How do you propose we weed out the troublemakers in this vast group?" Mrs. Lewis asked. "I mean, let's face it, it's not as if we as a faculty get to choose who we do and do not want here." Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

"With all due respect, Mr. Higgs, Mrs. Lewis is right." Hopewell interjected. "We're kind of picking apples blindfolded here."

Higgs took off his glasses and sat them down on the table beside the tape recorder before folding his hands and saying, "I admit that we do have a few major issues here; one of those issues being a lack

of discipline at Eastern. The other being that we are going to have an overflow of students in this already crowded school."

"That's what I myself am curious about." Mrs. Roach said. "How is this exactly supposed to work? Topaz itself isn't a very big school to begin with."

"I understand your concern, Mrs. Roach, but the school board assured us that this transfer would only be for a year, no more."

"That's what they said three years ago to Southern, and look at the problems they have." Hopewell tossed up his hands. "For God's sake, just this past year alone they had eight kids arrested for smoking grass in the bathrooms. If they're doing that, who knows what else they could be conjuring up for the following year?"

"With all due respect, Mr. Higgs, I honestly don't think I can handle this." Mrs. Lewis suddenly stood up from her seat. "My husband and I are planning on having a baby before this year is up, and I don't think I can handle the stress of more students, especially if those students are doing the things that Mr. Hopewell is talking about."

"Mrs. Lewis, I absolutely understand your concerns. And like I said before, the school board is—

Right then, a distant explosion of glass stopped Higgs' speech in mid-sentence. Everyone inside the lounge, with the exception of Hopewell, remained perfectly still.

With lips twisted, Hopewell rolled his eyes, "You see, those hooligans are already starting up their shenanigans for the year, and it's still only July."

"Maybe Mr. Holt broke something while he was cleaning." Mrs. Lewis sat back down in her chair.

"We can go and check it out later; right now we need an official count of—

Yet again, Higgs' words were interrupted, not by shattering glass, but by a loud roar that sounded like a cross between a locomotive an enraged lion. There were only four floors in the entire building, and yet, the roar managed to echo its way through just about every corridor.

All four individuals sat absolutely still and quiet in their seats as if they were told to do so. The only thing that moved was the drooling sweat that poured viciously down their foreheads.

With trembling hands, Mrs. Roach's voice stammered, "Would someone like to tell me just what in the world that was?"

"It was probably just a dog." Hopewell slowly began to get up from his seat.

"I've never heard a dog sound like that before." Mr. Higgs stated as he too got up and walked over to the window to look out and down at the parking lot, only to see five vehicles parked.

"Maybe it's some kids playing a prank." Mrs. Lewis' voice cracked.

"Maybe," Higgs irritably sighed as he made his way over to the door. "I'm gonna go and see if Mr. Holt heard anything."

Once more, the roar that was heard before rang out through the halls. Higgs only stood at the closed door with his hand reaching for the knob.

"Holy Jesus, what is that?" Hopewell yelled before picking up a stool from a nearby corner.

"Maybe we should call the police." Lewis began to shake.

Everyone stood still for a few moments before Higgs turned back and said, "I think we should just gather our things and head home. It's probably some kids, but let's just play it safe."

At once, the ladies gathered their purses while Hopewell sat his stool down and Higgs opened the door. Just as soon as all four were out of the room, the roar sounded off again.

"Oh, dear God, what is that?" Roach shivered behind Higgs.

"Mr. Holt, are you around?" Higgs shouted as loud as he could.

"I hate it we have to go all the way downstairs to the front office just to use the phone." Lewis gawked and gazed all around the empty hallway.

"Okay, listen, Mr. Hopewell, you and Mrs. Roach go down that end of the hallway, and Mrs. Lewis and I will take the other end." Mr. Higgs suggested in between deep breaths. "We'll all meet out in the parking lot."

"Yeah, good idea, and then I get to my truck and get my gun." Hopewell snarled before taking off down the opposite end with Mrs. Roach in behind him.

But before anyone could get any further, another roar ripped through the hallways, expect by then, the noise sounded as if it were nearby. All four stood still before Hopewell glanced back at Higgs in the most startled manner.

"Take the other steps." Higgs desperately whispered to Hopewell.

At once, both Hopewell and Roach charged straight ahead and towards another set of stairs. Once they were out of sight Higgs and Lewis slowly began to back away until they were clear down at the other end of the hallway.

"Do...do you think there's two of them in here?" Mrs. Lewis stuttered.

Trying not to allow his voice to falter, Mr. Higgs slowly replied, "We can find that out later. Right now, we need—

First, there was a sound, a sound that came thumping around the stairwell corner. That very sound was soon followed by a figure.

Both Higgs and Lewis were beyond stunned; their individual hearts skipped beatings as they watched an enormous, hairy creature stalk its way up the stairs and towards them on all fours.

Though it was a sunny afternoon, the clouds outside would at times cover the sun, which in turn caused the hallways to become engulfed in a momentary shade. That same shade gave both principal and teacher the unwanted opportunity to see not only the beast's size, but also its glowing eyes that stared right back at them.

"What...is that?" Mrs. Lewis grabbed Mr. Higgs' hand.

"Don't worry about that now." Higgs gripped her hand tightly. "Just run and don't look back."

At the snap of a finger both of them turned and ripped down the stairs with the beast growling behind them. Mrs. Lewis' crying eyes could hardly see anything in front of her. Both her purse and shoes were dropped along the way while Mr. Higgs kept on holding her hand until they reached the second floor.

"C'mon on this way," Higgs shouted as they took off down another hallway. "We can lose it down these steps!"

As they raced along, the sound of the beast's roar belted out seemingly in front of them. Higgs and Lewis immediately stopped short of the stairwell directly in front of them. Both of their faces were sweating so much that they could barely keep the perspiration out of their eyes.

"Dear God, there's another one!" Higgs' throat nearly closed up.

Spinning around at hearing the other creature, Mrs. Lewis released herself from Higgs' hand and ran towards the very first classroom to her immediate right, only to discover that the door was locked.

"What are we gonna do?" She screamed at Higgs.

No sooner had Mrs. Lewis stopped screaming, the beast that was chasing them down the stairs came scampering off the steps and towards them. With her petrified eyes opened wide, Mrs. Lewis twirled around and around until she finally went for the stairs behind her, only to trip over the second step and tumble down in such an ugly fashion that she landed awkwardly on her neck, instantly breaking it.

Higgs looked down at the dead woman below before he turned back to see the beast galloping on all fours towards him, snarling and gnashing its fangs.

Without even thinking, Higgs ran over to a nearby balcony and jumped over the steel barrier, only to crash face first, sixty-two feet down onto the next floor.

***

"Why are all the doors locked?" Mrs. Roach hollered as she and Mr. Hopewell pushed against door after door on the first floor of the building.

Hopewell went from one door to the next in the hopes that escape was imminent, but when even his own logic had seemingly eluded him, he stopped fighting and stood still in the middle of the floor next to the school's trophy case.

"I know I heard Cathy screaming a moment ago!" Mrs. Roach urgently insisted with tears coming down her face. "I know I heard her!"

"Just calm down," Hopewell waved her off.

"Calm down?" Roach fired back. "There's a wild animal in this building!"

"Don't you think I know that?" He yelled. "I honestly think there are two of these things in here!" Hopewell kept on gawking all around until his eyes caught sight of the gymnasium. "C'mon!" He screamed before darting off towards the door.

Mrs. Roach followed Hopewell to the door only to find the door, much like all the others, was locked. But Hopewell would be just as defiant as he pushed and pushed against the long latch.

Another roar from behind made itself known. It was that same roar that caused Hopewell's already racing heart to beat even faster. The man ran over to the other side of the hallway where a fire extinguisher was hanging. He grabbed the thing before running back over and using the butt of the extinguisher to break the door's slim glass window.

Once the glass was broken, he reached his hand inside and lifted the latch from the other end. "Get in there!" Hopewell hollered at Roach.

Both clamored inside the gymnasium before Hopewell slammed the door shut behind them. "We can just hide in here until the damn thing moves on." He breathed in and out.

"But how do we know it'll move on?" Roach panted.

"Keep your damn voice down." He urged. "It can't stay cooped up inside this school all day. It's an animal, therefore it has to eat. When it realizes that there's no food inside this place, then it'll go away."

He studied the gymnasium that he had been accustomed to for seven years. Two basketball hoops on opposite ends of the gym; bleachers that were still stretched out, and grey gym mats that were hanging on the sides of the walls. There was his long desk that sat directly next to the door.

"Oh my God," Mrs. Roach squealed all of the sudden.

Hopewell spun around to see what the woman was alarmed by. But it didn't take too long for the man to realize her shock as his eyes connected with a body lying next to the girls' locker room.

"Stay here!" Hopewell ordered Roach as he carefully tip-toed over to the body.

Once the man approached the body, he right away knew who it was. From the blue overalls, all the way down to his worn out tennis shoes, it was Mr. Holt, the school's janitor. From the old, white man's neck, all the way down to his midsection was nothing but torn out intestines and blood. Mr. Hopewell did all he could not to vomit all over the floor beneath him.

"What...do you think that thing did this?" Mrs. Roach approached Hopewell from behind.

"Of course it did this!" He barked at her.

"I can't be here!" She screamed wildly. "How do you think it got in here to begin with?"

Completely spent and bewildered, Hopewell began wandering around the gymnasium before he heard something from within the girls' locker room snarl and stomp about.

Hopewell and Roach stood perfectly still on the hardwood floor. Neither of them said a word, they just remained motionless as the stomps neared closer and closer before a large, brown-haired animal came lurking out of the locker room's entrance.

The thing just slowly stalked both man and woman like it knew full well that there was no escape for them. Its eyes and slobbering fangs gleaming at Roach and Hopewell as if the feast it enjoyed with Mr. Holt hadn't sufficed it.

"Dear God...give me strength, please." Mrs. Roach whispered in a drifting stammer right before the beast lunged at her.

All Mr. Hopewell's body could do was stand and watch as the beast devoured his co-worker like she was a mere supper. Bones were crunched on and body parts were taken apart, and yet, the man could do nothing but watch in suspended animation. No thoughts whatsoever crossed his mind at that jarring moment.

Soon, his legs and feet began to ever so slowly creep backwards. Hopewell wasn't so much trying to sneak away, but rather, his body had taken on a life all its own. John was entirely too absorbed in the image of seeing something that shouldn't have been real in the first place lurk before him.

Soon enough, however, as it appeared as if the beast was nearing the end of its feast, Hopewell felt the urge to turn around and run away towards the door only to have his desk that was placed by the door move all by itself in front of him blocking his escape route altogether.

The supernatural occurrence should have set the man off even more than he already was, but instead of taking the time to be shocked by it, he attempted to move the desk only to see the eyes of the other beast from the other side of the broken glass in the door.

The creature only growled back at him. Hopewell jumped back before collapsing to the floor in a painful heap. Wallowing about on the floor the man happened to turn around to see the other beast creep at him on all of its fours.

Lying flat on his back, John Hopewell could only see his two sons and two daughters waiting for their father to come home. The jolting sight of blood-stained fangs staring straight at him bore little effect...all that was left was his children.