Tales of a teenager — Abena

It’s all in your head

Clearly, nobody else cared that Abena had been out of AP biology class for more than twenty minutes that afternoon. Even her partner for the rabbit dissection practical, Kwame, had completely forgotten that she sat beside him three minutes into the lesson before asking to visit the restroom.

A loud echoing scream from across the hallway caught everyone’s attention as they paused in reaction. For about five seconds, there was total silence accompanied with stares of “did you hear that?” on the faces of the teacher and students.

“So, be careful with your partner when handling the organism . . .”,

continued the teacher looking unbothered about what they just heard. That was when it happened.

Everyone registered the sound of hyperventilation and running shoes that got increasingly louder and heavier from a distance. The buildup in cadence and the weight of the runner’s desperation shook the students to the bone, forcing eight of them out of their seats, pacing away from the doors with intense shudders, frozen arms, and eyes wide open as if they had seen a ghost.

Something dangerous was coming; they could feel it.

.

.

.

With a resounding blast, the doors to the classroom flew open, and there stood a six-foot tall, dark figure, head bowed.

No one could tell who it was because the impact of the breaking doors sent a shockwave that ruptured the light bulbs in the classroom, leaving the room much darker now.

“Look!”,

whimpered one student as the figure slowly lifted their head. The facial reveal sent chills down everyone’s spine. Fear and confusion gripped the teacher.

The figure was Jonathan, a senior who died in a fatal car crash on the school park a year ago, and he didn’t look happy. He immediately bolted with great force and speed toward three cornered students when. . .

.

.

“Were you up all night again?”

Kwame asked as he thrusted his elbow at Abena’s side to wake her up. Recognizing the mild pain in her side and the crescendo of Kwame’s voice, Abena realized it was all in her head.