Acid Eyes: Part 2

Check here for Part 1!

As promised, I bring you the conclusion of last week's teaser. What do you think?

My heart leaped at these words, but I refused to let her see my excitement. I put my head down, hiding my smile in the collar of my starched shirt.

“But Miss…” Another upraised hand cut short Professor James’s words.

“It is clear that Karl had nothing to do with whatever Wilhelm has been up to, so let’s not waste his time. Perhaps, you could escort him to his next class.” Her voice pushed him toward the door.

Professor James nodded his head and reached out to place his hand on Karl’s shoulder. “It looks like your lucky day, my boy. Time for you to get to class.”

“It is not, however, your lucky day, Wilhelm,” Headmistress Valentine held the door open for me.

I disagreed with her but only in my head. Any stolen moment with her felt like a reward. Only a boyish crush could fill my otherwise sane mind with such foolish thoughts. Too caught up in my fancies to care, I stepped lightly into her office.

As I sat down in the solidly uncomfortable wooden chair reserved for visitors, she followed me into the room. The clicking of her heels stopped just behind me. I started to twist around to face her, but she placed one hand gently on my head to keep my eyes pointed forward.

“I’ll keep this short, Wilhelm. I don’t want you to be brought to my office again. If you get in any more trouble, the professor who catches you will choose your punishment.”

“I…” I started to speak but her grip on my head tightened.

“Don’t argue. I know you’re a good boy. You just enjoy coming to my office too much.” As she spoke, she released her grip and circled around to sink into the high-backed wooden chair behind her desk.

She focused large, dark eyes on me. I winced under her harsh gaze, finally lowering my eyes to the floor. We sat in silence a few seconds longer before she cleared her throat.

“You do understand?”

I raised my eyes to look into hers as I sullenly agreed. “Yes, ma’am.”

“You may go.” She gestured toward the door before turning her attention to a thin pile of papers on her desk.

I waited a moment, watching her in silence. She didn’t acknowledge my presence. Finally, I turned away from her and stepped out the door. The bell rang as I reached the courtyard. Plodding steps carried me to my next class. The rest of the day slipped past as a numbing haze fell over my heart and mind. I couldn’t recall anything that happened after I looked into Headmistress Valentine’s eyes and saw only disappointment and annoyance. Her expression continued to haunt me as I crawled under my blankets and hoped for the swift arrival of dreams.

~

I woke with a start. As my eyes furtively scanned the room, I listened for any indication of what had awakened me. At first, I only heard my own shallow breathing. Then I realized someone else exhaled out of sync with me. Assured that my roommate, Hubert, slept on the twin bed against the opposite wall, I looked toward him. Unmade blankets revealed empty sheets.

“We need to talk.” A surprisingly familiar voice echoed in the darkness.

I peered toward the foot of my bed, finally discerning a feminine form. “Headmistress?”

At my words, a soft light glowed around her, illuminating her face in a blue glow. “Of course. You still want to talk to me, don’t you?”

“But, you said…”

“I have reconsidered. I need you to keep playing your pranks, so we can see each other.” Her voice cracked and changed as she spoke, becoming more masculine.

“I don’t know.” I bit my lip as my skin began to crawl.

Resuming soft, feminine tones, she tried again. “You’re not really hurting anyone.”

“I almost got Karl in trouble today.”

“But you didn’t.” She offered a reassuring smile.

“But I could have…” She opened her mouth to speak but I interrupted. “And some of my pranks are a little dangerous.”

“Now is no time to grow up and take responsibility.” Her voice changed again as she mocked me, sounding more like a growl than a caress.

“You’d never say that.” At my declaration, something twitched behind her back.

“I wouldn’t.” The admission caused the façade to fade.

Those rich, brown eyes disintegrated first, as if acid ate them away from the inside. High, softly rounded cheeks dissolved next, losing their hint of pink in a wash of orange red. The color spread to the rest of her face and the soft curve of her neck. Her teeth morphed into long fangs. Her forehead widened and lengthened to make room for twisted horns of blackened bone. Now a man with burnt red skin stood gazing at me. A forked tail undulated slowly back and forth, the only outward sign of his frustration.

“Why wouldn’t you let me keep leading you with honey? I need more rascals like you. I can’t lose even one.” The hoarse whisper echoed through the room.

“Are you…?” I couldn’t allow the name to cross my lips.

“Just do what I want. It’ll be fun…” Surveying my face, he added, “And I won’t have to hurt you.”

“I can’t.” Despite the fear, I forced out my denial.

“You will.” He hissed and steam poured from his mouth.

He took a step toward me. I pulled the blankets tighter around me. He took another step, exposing his fangs in a horrid grin. I closed my eyes. He touched my arm, encircling my wrist with his long fingers. My flesh began to burn, searing pain coursed up my arm. Acrid smoke filled my nose, causing my closed eyes to water. I whimpered as he coiled the fingers of his other hands around my other wrist.

“Go ahead. Make me keep hurting you.” He laughed.

I screamed.

~

“Wilhelm, wake up.” Hubert’s round face peered down at me in the soft glow of the desk lamp.

“Hubert?” I stared at him, looking for some sign of deception. Reassured by the innocence of his sleep-fuddled face, I relaxed.

“You okay?” He released my shoulders unconsciously wiping at thin crusts of powdered sugar that always found a home in the corners of his mouth.

“Yeah. I’m fine. Just a nightmare.”

After a few more moments of scrutiny, Hubert nodded understanding and padded back to his bed.

“It’ll be okay, Wilhelm.” He offered before pulling his own covers over his head.

“Thanks.” I offered more for the comfort of the light than his words.

As I gazed at the burning bulb, I decided to change the course of my life. I decided to no longer find reasons to be called into the headmistress’s office. I’d have step down as the leader of our pack of ragtag boys. I sighed. In fact, I may no longer hold claims to popularity, but hopefully the nightmares won’t return.

Acid Eyes: Part 1

Here is the beginning of a piece I am working on. The second part needs a few more revisions, so you'll have to wait a whole week to find out the end. Do you think it will be worth it???

The woman possessed acid eyes. They could burn right through you and leave your insides exposed and bubbling. At least, I felt that way every time she found cause to question me. One would think that after a while I would stop giving her reasons to call me into her office, but despite a penetrating gaze and enthusiasm for doling out punishment, she added excitement to my childhood fancies that I couldn’t get anywhere else.

Bored with the curriculum of our small private school, I took it upon myself to get into some mischief. I didn’t become the most popular boy for following the rules after all. And it didn’t hurt that I could somehow manage to get all the blame placed on my not insubstantial shoulders regardless of my level of participation. No one else ever accompanied me on my trips to the headmistress’s dark office. Until today.

Today, Karl somehow lucked into stepping around the corner right as I released the mechanism to splash Professor Snod’s window with a truly horrendous mixture of shaving cream and green food coloring. That also happened to be the moment that Professor Crum rounded the corner and saw us. Seeing us didn’t startle him as much as my dispenser letting out a whoosh and a pop as it exploded unexpectedly. Even that surprise did not keep him from rushing forward to grab both my collar and Karl’s.

“You boys have played your last trick on Professor Snod, I believe.” He announced proudly in his feigned British accent.

The man was no more British than I, having been born in the heart of Pennsylvania, but he believed pretending to be a foreign national washed on our shores might protect him from the cruelty of the boys he taught. He wasn’t a very good teacher, and clearly the same could be said of his thinking. His façade just made us all target him more often than we would otherwise. Unlike the other teachers, he wasn’t very remarkable. He wasn’t prone to a weak stomach like Professor Snod who had probably disgorged his lunch and rushed off to the nurse’s office by now. He wasn’t afraid of just about everything like Professor Anton who was also so tiny that we could have easily stuffed her into a locker. He wasn’t even prone to losing his train of thought and huffing and puffing into his mustache like Professor James. As I said, he wasn’t very remarkable and to a group of boys who are far from home, that made him not very fun to tease which probably accounts for why he was usually the one dragging me off to the headmistress’s office. He probably wouldn’t have bothered if he knew that I wanted to go. Though the chosen punishment might be more effective this time since an innocent scuffed along at my side. I preferred to take my lumps alone and I certainly didn’t wish to share them with someone who had nothing to do with my tricks.

“I didn’t do anything, Professor.” Karl protested his innocence.

“You think I’ve never heard the guilty claim innocence before, boy?” Professor James added a harrumph to his question as he continued to drag us along.

“Tell him, Franklin.” Karl turned his imploring gaze to me.

“It won’t do any good.” I muttered under my breath.

“He’s right. I can’t trust you boys not to take up for each other when you are playing pranks. We’ll just let Headmistress Valentine sort it out.” His hands tightened on our collars.

He doesn’t need to worry about me, but I would never tell him that. Headmistress Violet Winsome Valentine was just as beautiful as her name though most of the boys couldn’t see it. Even before we reached the hallway leading to her office, her face filled my mind. I already pictured her large dark eyes boring holes through me, as her pouty lips turn downward in a frown. I almost heard her voice admonishing me.

Reflexively, I reached up to undo my tie as we approached the heavy wooden door with “Principal” in gold letters on the opaque window. The tie hung sufficiently askew by the time we came to a halt. As Professor James rapped on the door, I glanced over at Karl who tried to sink into his uniform. His neck completely disappeared into the neat folds of his starched white collar. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his green blazer so that not even a hint of his skin remained. As the door opened, he skittered to the side, hoping to disappear into the doorframe.

Headmistress Valentine doesn’t ask any questions. She doesn’t need to. After all, my visits should be expected by now. Professor James opened his mouth to speak, but one slender arm with hand extended palm out is enough to silence him. He looked down at his toes, suddenly as nervous as Karl. She lowered her hand, reaching for my tie almost involuntarily.

“Well, Wilhelm, I almost thought you’d be late for your punishment this week.” Her voice dripped honey and jet fuel.

My head spun from the heavy aroma of her perfume, but I kept my mouth shut. I looked up at her and wait. She glanced from me to Karl and back again. Her faded blue eyes noted every detail. They finally rested on the cuff of my white shirt. My own eyes followed the trajectory of hers. Green food coloring speckled the cuff. I turned my face up toward hers and gave my best devilish grin.

“I think I see what is going on here. Professor James and Karl, you may go.”

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Moving On? Moving In Tandem

The story from the previous entry continues here. I believe the next post will bring it to a close for those wanting to know where this is going. Keep commenting.

As the elevators began to open, Crystal reached into the pocket of her loose cardigan. She pulled out a pair of thin cotton gloves and shoved them into my hand.

“You’re going to want those so you don’t leave any fingerprints.” She winked as I slipped the gloves into my pocket.

A soft ding announced our arrival. Crystal stepped out onto the floor before the doors opened completely, mumbling impatiently as she squeezed between the doors. I followed more cautiously. No one noticed me. Their eyes all sought the floor, the wall, the exit sign, anything that was not Crystal’s gaze. I casually slipped to the far side of my destination cubicle. I sucked in my breath and held it as I waited for her to lure out our victim.

“Carolyn, I have a package for you.” Crystal’s voice echoed over the cube wall.

“Where is it?” Carolyn’s weary voice would have been indiscernible if I weren’t crouched against the padded wall.

“Downstairs, of course.” Her harsh voice quelled any questions about her logic.

Chairs rolled closer to desks. Typing became more frantic. A few voices raised noticeably as everyone aspired not to hear what was happening in Carolyn’s cubicle.

“You couldn’t just bring it up?” Carolyn’s voice remained flat.

“Apparently not. You should come get it.” Crystal’s voice became sharper.

Wheels squealed as she pushed back her chair with a sigh. “Alright, Crystal, let’s go.”

I waited until I heard the elevator door open before venturing around to the opening in the cubicle. In the wake of Crystal’s visit, everyone continued to mind their own business. No one even glanced in my direction as I snuck into Carolyn’s cubicle. I pulled the cotton gloves out of my pocket and slipped them onto my hands. I shook my head as the humor of the situation struck me, but I had come too far to back down now.

Not wanting to risk discovery, I slid the bottom drawer out of her desk as quietly as possible. Air whistled through the small gap in front teeth as the drawer clicked free of its casings. Setting it gently on the floor, I reached into my pocket and pulled out the packet of tuna. Pulling back the tab, I allowed fragrant juice to dribble down the back of the drawer. I rubbed the package along the drips of oil to keep them from dribbling on the floor.

As I slipped the drawer back into place, my eyes turned to the top drawer on the other side of the desk. Shrugging slightly, I pulled it out as cautiously as the first. I poured out more oil, swiping it once with the foil packet. I lifted the drawer gently, preparing to slide it home.

“Sorry about that, I didn’t realize the new girl in accounting was also named Carolyn.” My head whipped up as Crystal’s voice boomed out of the elevator.

The squeaky reply didn’t travel to where I stood. I inhaled deeply and forced myself to slide the drawer into place with pained precision. As it clicked closed, I stepped toward the opening in the cube walls. Peering around the wall, I could see that Crystal had grabbed Carolyn’s arm. The other woman whipped around like a rag doll as Crystal’s voice boomed into the frightened stillness of the office.

“I said I was sorry. It’s an easy mistake to make.” Seeing me, Crystal tilted her head.

I stepped gingerly into the aisle, glancing in each direction once before scurrying around to the far side of this row of cubicles. Skirting around until I reached the end closest to the elevator, I reached the corner as Crystal dismissed Carolyn.

“I’ll be more careful in the future.” Her words held a promise that Carolyn would never receive her packages again.

I stifled a laugh as Carolyn turned away. Crystal turned back to the elevator, hitting the button repeatedly with the palm of her hand. I stepped up to stand beside her, waiting in silence. We didn’t speak until the elevator doors closed behind us.

“Done?”

“Yes. I did two drawers.”

“Good thinking. Now all we have to do is wait.”