The year was 1995.
I was 10 years old.
I was sitting in Mrs. Jensen's 5th grade language arts class.
The time was 12:34 and we were learning about adjectives.
I remember it like it was yesterday.
5th graders, being the gossip spreading monsters they are, had already started a rumor before I even left the classroom. Why had I left the classroom? You'll find out in a little while.
"M-Mrs. Emerson? Why am I being taken down to your office? I'm not in any trouble am I?" I began racking my brain for reasons why I was being taken down to the principals office. I had talked to much in class yesterday, but I didn't see that as "being sent down to the office material". And I dont think they would bring me down for the time I punched that kid in 3rd grade, would they? I mean... that was 2 years ago, and I didn't even go to this school!
Mrs. Emerson didn't say anything, just stared at the patterned carpet floors as we weaved in and out hallways until we reached her office.
"Sit."
Those were the last words I would hear Mrs. Emerson say before they took me away.
I sat down in the standard school chair and waited what seemed like ages. Mrs. Emerson typed a few emails, signed some documents, called a couple bad kids down like Tommy Moller. I awkwardly sat in the hard plastic chair, wondering what I was doing here and what was taking so long. I found letters in the carpet, and tried to see how many words I could make out of "Mrs. Emerson". I thought of how excited I was to get home and tell my parents about what happened. I would call it the "Adventure at the Principals Office". Mom would laugh and make some dinner, I would scarf it down and run outside to play with Zoe and Alicia. Dad would get home and we would watch Wheel Of Fortune right at 7 o'clock and see how many puzzles we could get right. I would get ready for bed and then by 8:30 I would be fast asleep.
That never happened either.
The school bell rang and the school was completely deserted except for me and Mrs. Emerson.
"Mrs. Emerson I really need to get home to my mom... she'll be worrying about me."
Mrs. Emerson didn't say anything, all she did was cry. Why was she crying?
At 3:25 (I looked at Mrs. Emerson's green digital clock before they came) two police officers walked nonchalantly into Mrs. Emerson's office.
"Emily Greenhall?" They asked.
"Yes," I responded uneasily. Now I was SURE I hadn't broken the law.
"Come with us please..." The younger police officer grasped my shoulder gently, and urged me out of the office.
"Mrs. Emerson!!" I called.
She didnt say anything. I didn't say anything else after that.
The police ushered me into a squad car, in the backseat. A thin sheet of metal bars seperated me from the two police officers. The balding one driving the car, the younger one riding shot gun. I felt like a prisoner, and I hadn't done anything wrong.
We drove in silence for a while, all I could hear was the whistling of the wind through a crack in the window. We pulled up to a stoplight, and I saw this as the opportune time to speak up.
"Excuse me, can one of you please explain to me what's going on?" My thin bony fingers grapsed the metal bars. "Please?"
The young police officer turned around, a look of pure sadness glazed his eyes.
"Darlin," He began, his voice shaking, "Today something bad happened. Real bad."
I tried to keep my posture strong, my tone unshaky, but I had the worst gut feeling I knew what he was going to say, "And that is?"
He looked at the balding man.
"Your parents... died."
A waterfall of tears ran down my face, I was filled with uncontrolable sadness. It felt like someone ripped my heart from my chest and threw it on the ground like a piece of rubble. I guess my body couldnt handle this shock, because thats when, my previously unscortched, happy, little girl body passed out.
I look back on this today, 7 years later, and realize little girls arent supposed to go through this.
Which is probably why I'm the screwed up mess I am today.
