Moving to Hell

The teacher

My alarm wakes me up. For some reason it sounds narrower than normal. Maybe it's because of the house. I turn it off and step out of bed. It's surprisingly nice to sleep in. Last night, while I was sleeping, my mother unpacked the rest my suitcase, so all of my clothes are already in the closet. I walk to it and open it. Why do all the familiar things suddenly look so different? I think while I grab my outfit for today. When I'm fully dressed and did my hair, I go downstairs. The stairs still give me the shivers. I walk to the big, round kitchen table. Of course it's already covered. In my family it's a tradition to have breakfast together. I yawn, while I take a seat. My father's making his famous pancakes in the kitchen, while my mother is toasting bread and making orange juice. Johnny's still in his room- probably sleeping. He always stays up late. It doesn't bother me anymore. My mother irritates herself on it and, my father doesn't like it either, but Johnny doesn't care about that. So when we're already done with eating breakfast, Johnny finally comes downstairs. I hear the famous cracking of the stairs before I see my brother coming. 'Already done?' He says when he walks in. He has a big smile on his face. I bet he slept well. I roll my eyes. He does this all the time. He makes a sandwich and rugs my hair. 'Stop it!' I say irritated, and I push away his hand. He just grins. 'John- stop teasing your sister,' my mother says. Johnny sighs deep. I stand up. 'Well- I think it's about time I go to school,' I say. I have this weird feeling in my stomach. The feeling you mostly get when you're nervous or even a little scared. 'Have fun sweetie,' my father gives me a kiss on my forehead. I force a smile. Then I go to the front door. I put on my jacket, grab my backpack from the ground and I leave the house to go to school. I'm not really looking forward to it, but I'm trying to make the best of it since I don't have a choice. And maybe I'll be positively surprised.

The school isn't far away from my house, but you have to go past the cemetery to get there. I automatically look at it when I walk by. It has a magnetic effect on me. I don't want to look at it, but it just happens. I see the white gravestones stand out against the grass. They shine in the light of the sun. The gravestones seem too cheerful for a cemetery, especially the way they're shining there. I walk farther, hands in my pockets. Then I see him. My eyes grind into cracks to see him well. My whole body suddenly feels cold, and I start to walk slower in order to absorb the man properly. I swallow. The man- and the whole atmosphere- makes me feel uncomfortable. The man's standing with his back to me and smokes a big, thick cigar that's squeezes between his teeth. Smoke curls around him. He has a large black cap on his head that covers his face and he stands in the shade of a thick tree. I don't know how old he is or what he is doing there, but something feels off about him. I can't tell what. It's just the feeling he gives me, on the inside. I've read stories about child lockers who lock you up in their basement, without food and drink or about murderers who dump your corpse in the garbage. Or maybe this was just a drug dealer or a psycho who escaped an institution or something. He gave me the feeling I wanted to run away very fast and very far, without looking back. Fortunately, I managed to control myself and continued walking as if I hadn't seen him at all. When I finally arrived at the schoolyard, I could breathe relieved. I walk into the school and immediately get the feeling that I don't belong here, like I don't fit in. It's not really something I care about, but still.

Quietly I walk to the reception. A woman is sitting there at a desk. She hasn't seen me coming, so I cough to get her attention. 'Can I help you?' The woman says way to happy. 'Where do I need to go?' I ask. 'What's your name?' The woman asks with a big smile on her face. It looks a little disturbing, the smile. She has small goggles with thick glasses that she sat on the tip of her nose. Probably to look disciplined. She has tried bleaching her gray hair, but that only makes her look older now. 'Jackie Jones,' I say. It has been a long time since I had to introduce myself for the last time. In my old village everyone knew each other - a bit like everyone here at school knows each other. But for some reason it's different here. The whole atmosphere changed as soon as we drove into the town. The woman types something on her computer very loudly. 'Ah- I see it standing here, dear. You have to go to the first floor and then go into the first classroom you see,' the woman says after something that felt like a minute. 'Thank you,' I mumble, before I do what the woman said.

From the moment I step into the classroom, I feel that the atmosphere has changed dramatically, in a negative way. I swallow and look around. The room isn't small, but it isn't big either. Everyone's talking and laughing. My eyes are seeking the teacher. It takes me a moment before I find her. She doesn't look like a teacher at all. I also don't get why she's wearing sunglasses while we're inside. Slowly I walk over to her. 'Eh- Hi. I'm new here. My name is-' 'I don't do names. I don't care about names and I also don't care about any of you. The only thing you should know is that my name is Mrs. Benson and that I give you a nickname that I think suits you- so I'm calling you Greenie, because you're new and smell like grass,' the weird looking woman tells me with a deep voice. For some reason it gives me the shivers. I'm startled. 'Now, are you going to keep standing here and becoming a statue or are you gonna sit down?' she has a threatening undertone in her voice. Fast I walk over to the only left place in the classroom. It's nearby Mrs. Benson's desk and next to the desk of a boy. 'The new girl,' the boy says with a smile. 'I'm Valentino Black.' We shake hands. He seems like a decent person to me. 'Ehm- Jackie Jones,' I say. 'Is everyone like her?' I ask. Valentino laughs and sighs. 'I wish I could say no, but then I would give you false hope,' he says, 'I don't get why you chose to move here. Of all places!' He adds. 'Well, I don't get that either, to be honest,' we both laugh. 'My parents wanted to move here so my brother and I had no choice than coming with them,' I explain. 'At least you have your brother, right?' Valentino says. I don't answer. I sigh deeply. 'We don't really get along... but, you know, it doesn't matter.' I fake a smile. 'I'm happy I met someone normal- I mean, someone nice and not strange,' I say. Valentino laughs. 'Me too,' he says. Suddenly Mrs. Benson starts clapping her hands, real slow. It sounds very hollow and unnatural, but also much louder than just clapping. You can clearly see the veins in her hands, and her fingers are long and thin. 'I believe my face is up here, Greenie,' Mrs. Benson says irritated when she catches me looking at her hands. Immediately I look at her face. I don't want any trouble, especially not on my first day. 'I hope for all of you that you did your homework, 'cause if you didn't...' Mrs. Benson laughs spitefully. I swallow and feel very uncomfortable. 'Greenie. What was the homework?' Mrs. Benson asks. She's got to be kidding, I'm just here! 'Eh... I don't know. This is my first day,' I say. 'First you tell me you have no clue what homework you had and second you don't call me MRS. BENSON, which is a terrible insult and I don't tolerate it!' Mrs. Benson says mad. 'I'm sorry, Mrs. Benson,' I apologize. 'You better be. For now I let you go with a warning, but don't think I will ever do that again! That's not how I work,' Mrs. Benson says. I nod heavily. 'And stop doing that before your head falls of. It happened to someone last year, and the whole class was covered in blood. I don't want to toss any more dead bodies.' She sounded serious, so I'm not sure if she said it to make me scared. It worked at least. I look at Valentino for help, but he shrugs his shoulders. 'Now we continue our lesson,' Mrs. Benson says.