Hell Mary

Chapter Eighteen

Classes were slow and dull and many of them were suspended.

News about Mary's disappearance had spread so quickly like fire on black leather, which engulfed the black material into a crumpled fold until it melted it and finally ripped it off existence. Everyone was mourning, but for different reasons entirely- some people like Ashley, were mortified by the possibility of suicide and could see Mary's cold lifeless soul in whisks of darkness while some of the others were convinced Mary wouldn't have died such an ignoble death. Few people like Stella.

When Mr. John had gone halfway through his trigonometry class, he pulled off his thin framed glasses and wiped tiny sweat beads around his cheek. It was either that or tears from the sad tale following the previous night. He ended the class halfway and soon everyone clustered in circles for a discuss.

"OK let's agree it was suicide, where then is her body?" Stella asked, crippling the spirit of fear that welled up within.

"That's a good question. I mean, there are only a number of places one can hide in this school," Ashley said. Her legs were crossed as her calves were pressed unto her other leg which made it appear full of flesh.

"I think she was kidnapped or worse, killed," Stella opined and immediately, Thelma coughed. She placed her fingers towards her long neck and coughed vehemently. Ashley caressed her back and turned it into slight pats when she wouldn't stop, while saying Sorry continually.

"Let me go and ease myself, I'm coming," Thelma said and rose up while adjusting a portion of her skirt that had been eaten up by her thighs. The back of her skirt was crumpled with numerous folds and her steps were slightly slanted to the right like she was being pushed by the dry harmattan wind.

The white ceramic tiles of the toilet shone as though polished dutifully. The sinks still felt slippery from the thorough clean the cleaners gave it. She looked into the cloudy mirror that had been drilled above the sink and noticed her once boisterous and puffy cheeks had flattened to reveal cheekbones that had only a layer of skin covering it. She stared up blankly into the foggy air, still being able to sight dust particles floating about in a random frenzy.

Her throat itched, she could scoop the water that poured in a thick trail from the running tap in the toilet into her mouth but she didn't. When she couldn't contain the tears anymore by looking up, she let it pour. Her sniffle grew into a loud sob and soon her frail self was bent over by the sink ready to wrench herself off more tears. A giggle was heard from the near distant and Thelma hurriedly dabbed the tears on her cheek with her fingers and then subsequently her skirt. The girls watched her stagger out and then shrugged when her faint steps could no longer be heard.

Thelma returned to an empty class and immediately learned everyone had convened at the front of the school's building for the emergency assembly. She reached her desk and after a delayed pause, removed the soiled paper that bore Mary's handwriting to tear into shreds and toss into the plastic basket by the door. Just as the paper fell like a confetti into the basket, small littering about, Stella walked in. Her hand was glued to her skirt's zip as she struggled to pull the skirt to a close. A bit befuddled, she looked into Thelma's shrunken eyes and then to the paper strips on the floor.

"Are you ok?" Stella asked.

"Yeah, why?" Thelma asked back. Stella ran her eyes over the swollen puffy eye bags and then into the torn shreds in the basket once more.

"What is wrong? You know you can tell me anything," Stella said, moving closer to rest her cold hands on Thelma's white shirt. Thelma felt congealed by her tender touch, a sour mist lingered on her tongue that still tasted of tea served with scone and a chunk of butter.