Writing Prompt – Day 63
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Write a thriller scene taking place at an elementary school.
My example :
Dave’s holding my hand as we enter the front doors to the school. There’s a line of parents signing in and when it’s our turn, I scribble our signatures on the visitor’s sign-in sheet laid out in front of us. It doesn’t escape my mind that just anyone could come in and scribble their name, with no connection to any of the students in this building, but the possibility is slim.
“Let’s follow the crowd,” Dave points in the direction of the other parents.
I laugh. “Obviously. I’m so glad you were able to take work off for this. Jalen is going to be so happy to see you.”
“Well,” he says, “I know how important this is to him. Also, who doesn’t want to see a group of children singing Christmas songs. Perfect way to get into the holiday spirit.”
I shove him gently. “Stop it. You know that’s actually true,” I grin. “Besides, you only have four more years of this and then you won’t ever have to go to one again.”
“Four more?” he says. “I guess I can handle that.”
We make our way through the gymnasium doors and we look around for empty seats. Unlike our older son’s sing-a-longs when he was younger, there is no stage for Jalen’s class. Chairs are lined up along the walls with a big open space in the middle of the gym. Opposite the door we came through, a projector is facing the wall with YouTube lit up on the wall. Times are so different now.
We find two empty seats and make our way to them. I slide my coat off and tighten my shoulders so I’m not touching the person we are squeezing next to.
“Ten more minutes to go,” Dave announces.
The ten minutes goes by slowly as parents pour into the room. The volume that started at practically zero is now at roughly fifty percent with everyone talking to one another.
The principal can be heard faintly on the overhead speaker announcing for all the fifth graders to make their way to the gym. The volume goes up another ten percent as they are filed into the room and sat in a designated section for them on the floor. Fourth graders are announced to the gym, then the third, second, and first graders.
Our seven-year-old son walks in and notices us almost immediately. We purposely picked the open seats that were in direct eyesight of everyone walking into the room. I didn’t want him to think even for a moment that we missed this.
“Momma! Dada!” Jalen shouts. The smile on his face is magnetic and I feel my smile growing to the size of his.
I wave excitedly back at him, taking a mental picture of this moment. I know he won’t be little forever and I don’t want to forget the look of him in his onesie pajamas, and the noise-cancelling headphones he’s wearing. His ears have always been sensitive, so his teacher bought him the headphones to help with his over-stimulation.
Before it’s too late, I decide to snap an actual picture. My memory isn’t like what it used to be so maybe I shouldn’t rely so heavily on it anymore. I take the picture just in time before he sits down with the rest of his class, on the floor like all the other children in his school.
Finally, the kindergarteners get called down and by the time they are seated, the volume is now at a hundred. I look over at Dave and we exchange looks. We didn’t expect the entire school to have the Christmas sing-a-long on the same day, not to mention seated on the floor to where we can’t admire our children the way we used to.
Dave shrugs at me and we just smile at each other, reading each other’s thoughts. This is starting off chaotic and we can only imagine what it will be like when the singing begins. But it doesn’t matter, we are just here to support our sweet little Jalen.
The principal is standing in the back of the room, technically the front of the room with the way we are all sitting, and then he announces some ground rules – remain seated, volume should be at a 2 when they are singing, and to have fun. Once he’s seated on the floor in front of the projector, a YouTube ad starts playing. He hits ‘skip’ when it’s available and the first Christmas song is played.
I expected all the kids to sing along but they are just talking. I’m confused as I thought they were practicing all these songs for a couple weeks now. I guess times really are different.
It goes on like this for a few more Christmas songs and then the principal plays Jingle Bells.
Immediately, all the kids on the floor start singing along. Maybe the principal just wasn’t picking the right songs to play for their liking?
Dave nudges me with his elbow. I look up at him and smile. This is what we were waiting for. The sound of all the kids happily singing along instantly warms our hearts and I realize that it really does put us in the holiday spirit.
The song is almost over when suddenly, a loud set of bells can be heard outside the gymnasium doors. I wasn’t expecting Santa and Mrs. Claus to join in on the fun, and yet here they are. The children cheer so loudly that the volume is now way over a hundred, if that’s even possible.
Santa takes the microphone as Mrs. Claus holds out her hand for low-fives to the children extending their hands out.
“Ho Ho Ho!” he beams loudly into the mic.
I look over at Jalen, from what I can see of him anyway, and I swear there are sparkles in his eyes.
Dave grabs my hands and squeezes it. Despite his sarcasm earlier, I know he enjoys these moments as much as I do.
“How are all you wonderful children doing tonight?” Santa asks.
The children cheer again.
“In just a few nights from now, I’ll be getting my reindeer ready to take me to all of your houses!”
There’s more cheering.
It looks like Santa was going to say something else but instead, he stands there frozen. I move my eyes in the direction he’s staring and my body immediately goes numb.
“Hello Santa,” a strange man shouts. The room has suddenly gone quiet.
My heart seems to have skipped a beat as I watch the man approach Santa. There’s something in his hand that I can’t quite make out from where I’m sitting.
“Fancy seeing you here.” The man’s words echo through the room.
Just then, teacher’s begin huddling toward their students and gasps can be heard. What the hell is going on? And what is the object in his…
That’s when I see it. Santa’s microphone drops on the floor, and I want to cover my ears at the sound it makes. Parents try make their way to their children but stop abruptly.
“Everyone shut the hell up and stay where you are or I swear I’ll shoot him!”
The gun he’s holding is now placed against Santa’s head and all I want to do is to make a run for it. I want to grab Jalen out of here and tell him everything is going to be okay. But I know I can’t do that. I feel helpless.
Whatever is going to happen tonight, it’s going to scar the people in this room for the rest of their lives.
Dave pulls me close to him and I shut my eyes. A tear streaks my face as I wait for what happens next.
How’d you do pals?!
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