Post by Scott on Jul 4, 2008 10:07:37 GMT -5
“Time to wake up, small one” said a tall, stout man leaning over a small box bed. The man had spiked brown hair and deep green eyes. He was about 6’4” and looked about 36 years old. He’s standing in my room, a small, cozy place with posters of famous people crowding the walls.
My sea-blue eyes flickered open. “Ohh… What time is it?” I said, yawning.
“It’s a nice and early 6:30. Hurry and get up or you’ll be late for your first day at school,” said Hector flatly.
“I don’t wanna go to school. I want more summer break,” I mumbled. The truth was I really did want to go to school, but I also wanted more sleep.
“Well too bad. Get up,” he responded.
I hopped out of bed and threw on some clothes. Some jeans and a polo shirt would do. I wanted to make a good impression for my first day of high school. When I ran into the normal “pizza-box filled” kitchen there was already a bowl of cereal and some milk on the table waiting for me. The electric calendar over on the refrigerator read “JULY 31st, 2025. 6:35AM.”
I finished up my bowl of sugar flavored sugar cereal with sweetened vitamins and threw a large school bag over my shoulder. Making a last minute check to make sure I had everything, I brushed my gelled hair back with my fingers. “OK dad I’m off” I yelled
“OK have a great day at school!” Hector responded
So I left the brick, one-story house and started walking. It was such a feel-good day. Clear and sunny. Even the sidewalks were clean. I couldn’t wait until I got there. My heart was pounding with excitement. How will they teach this year? I wonder who I’ll see.
The school was in the shape of a rectangle from an aerial view and had a small courtyard in the middle. On the wall above the reception/hangout area it had a large sign saying “Welcome Back Hawks” I could see the place was swarming with kids. Finally an opening appeared.
“Hey Erik! Erik over here!” someone called out my name.
“Hey Kyle brother!” I said, walking up to my friend, a squatty kid with short brown hair and brown eyes. We couldn’t stop relaying stories about our summer adventures. The conversation could have lasted forever but the bell cut it short. Kyle made plans.
“Ok, I’ll meet up with you after school, alright?”
“Yeah at the Bus Street” I answered. Saying that we walked off in our different directions. My first stop was to my homeroom teacher, Mrs. Walker. On the way I saw some unbelievable things. First all the classroom doors were made of metal. Next, there was a policeman standing right outside each door. “Drug checks,” I guessed to myself.
“Room 128… Here it is” I mumbled. The white, box-like room had 28 desks, four rows of seven, in it. Apparently I was the last one to enter because only one desk was left. I sat down quietly and put down my bag. Suddenly the door clanged shut and we heard a large click.
Maybe the person beside me knew something but he was just confused as I was. “What’s going on?” There was no teacher, no board, no nothing, just 28 students and an intercom speaker. Then a voice came on.
“Hello, students. Welcome to Hedgested High School. Today is going to be a very different day. Today is going to be the only day you will need. Today is the day you will all become geniuses. We will be teaching you by what people refer to as The Gases,” the voice said mechanically.
Everyone’s gasp as dearly audible. No one expected this, not on us. Some kids jumped up and down and started banging on the doors trying to escape. Others were picking up desks and breaking them against the ground. Everyone knew the horrors of The Gases.
The Gases are a subject people often avoid. That small group who did talk referred to it as “Forceful Learning.” Locking children in a room, making them breathe the pure essence of knowledge. Making them become geniuses in only a matter of seconds. But becoming a genius this way takes a very heavy toll. In order to become this smart without exercising your brain to make more room for knowledge, you have to get rid of some things. Mainly, The Gases take away your personality. Without your personality your soul starts to deteriorate. True you become a genius, but you also become a lifeless body with no purpose but to work. There’s only one chance, only one chance to save yourself.
“Don’t think about trying to escape, we have a security guard right outside each door and have checked all the bathrooms and the courtyard. Not to mention we’re starting school 30 minutes later in case of late people. So, first we will start with Math, then go to Science, then Social Studies, and then English. Don’t try holding your breath, this will take 30 minutes. Have fun!” The voice said as it chuckled.
My ears burned with fear and anger. I didn’t want this to happen. My perfect first day at high school was ruined. I looked around. All the girls were crying and started to hug each other while the boys still tried to ram down the heavy metal door. Some were praying. Then it happened. The room started spreading with a mysterious red gas. In the last moments of glory someone yelled out “This is it everyone, this is it…”
I didn’t try to hold my breath the result would be the same. I started to breathe it in. Deeper and deeper and deeper. Everything around me went dark. It seemed as if I was knocked out. The funny thing was, I wasn’t. I couldn’t open my eyes, mouth, or move my hands, I felt as if I was still me, as if I was in a dream. But this wasn’t a dream. I was trapped within my own body. I was my soul. I then saw myself. I was holding onto something long and silver while I was floating in what appeared to be my heart. I wouldn’t let go. I don’t know why, I wouldn’t fall, I just didn’t want to. I stared at the strange silver substance.
“Whoa!” I yelled after I was hit by a blinding red light that flickered from the silver substance. I started staring at the substance again. Slowly, a memory appeared. I watched myself get angry, I was yelling at a kid who was about the same age as me, 11 years old.
“I remember that…That kid was drawing on my arm. He needed to be taught a lesson,” I said to myself.
Slowly the vivid memory faded and a blinding blue light flickered from the silver substance. As I gazed into the substance, I saw another memory appear. This time my arms were on my knees with my head down. Then I raised it and I realized I was crying. Again I remember what happened. It was when I was 7 and someone stole my brand new bike.
Just like the first time the memory died down and this time a blinding yellow light flickered. In this memory I was smiling. I was on a very big roller coaster with my dad right next to me having a great time. How much fun we had that day, it was truly magical.
The process repeated but this time a dark gray light flickered. In this memory I was in the corner of a room, screaming and crying. My dad was standing over me with a bottle of rum in his hands yelling at me calling me a failure and attempting to hit me but kept on missing because he was so drunk. That was the worse day of not only my life but his life also. It was the day he was fired and he walked in on mom cheating on him. Later in the day he found out that mom took all the money in the bank and froze the account.
Then darkness once again surrounded me. What would happen this time if I were engulfed by darkness? I then started thinking what was my body doing? Was it saving the world with science? I just wanted to be me again!
“I WILL NOT GIVE IN! I WILL NOT GIVE IN! I WILL NOT GIVE IN!” I screamed silently. Suddenly, it clicked.
In a split second I “woke up” back to myself again. I was lying on my desk. I figured all the gases were over because everyone else was on their desks and the room was free of colors. Soon others started to “wake up” but they weren’t the same. When they got up they didn’t look at anyone or talk to anyone. They were captured, I was sure of it. Their souls were gone. After awhile everyone arose. All they did was look forward and wait.
“How am I going to get out of here?” I thought to myself. “Maybe if I just play along, I can escape.” So I too, looked straight ahead.
“OK students, you are finally finished. What you do is go home and start finding the solutions to, let’s say, global warming. You will receive instructions on what to do when you get home. Have fun, you lifeless little zombies,” The voice cruelly said.
Everyone got up at the same time, walked at the same pace, and left out the door leaving all their stuff. And if I wanted to safely get pass the security guard right outside the door, then I too walked like them.
After I got past the school gates, I ran for it. Running home as fast as I could. I wondered if Kyle was OK. But I couldn’t look, I had to keep on going. I finally got to my house and ran inside and locked the door. I was safe, I was a survivor. And although I might not be a genius, I will find an antidote to the problem. I won’t rest until everyone has a soul again.
My sea-blue eyes flickered open. “Ohh… What time is it?” I said, yawning.
“It’s a nice and early 6:30. Hurry and get up or you’ll be late for your first day at school,” said Hector flatly.
“I don’t wanna go to school. I want more summer break,” I mumbled. The truth was I really did want to go to school, but I also wanted more sleep.
“Well too bad. Get up,” he responded.
I hopped out of bed and threw on some clothes. Some jeans and a polo shirt would do. I wanted to make a good impression for my first day of high school. When I ran into the normal “pizza-box filled” kitchen there was already a bowl of cereal and some milk on the table waiting for me. The electric calendar over on the refrigerator read “JULY 31st, 2025. 6:35AM.”
I finished up my bowl of sugar flavored sugar cereal with sweetened vitamins and threw a large school bag over my shoulder. Making a last minute check to make sure I had everything, I brushed my gelled hair back with my fingers. “OK dad I’m off” I yelled
“OK have a great day at school!” Hector responded
So I left the brick, one-story house and started walking. It was such a feel-good day. Clear and sunny. Even the sidewalks were clean. I couldn’t wait until I got there. My heart was pounding with excitement. How will they teach this year? I wonder who I’ll see.
The school was in the shape of a rectangle from an aerial view and had a small courtyard in the middle. On the wall above the reception/hangout area it had a large sign saying “Welcome Back Hawks” I could see the place was swarming with kids. Finally an opening appeared.
“Hey Erik! Erik over here!” someone called out my name.
“Hey Kyle brother!” I said, walking up to my friend, a squatty kid with short brown hair and brown eyes. We couldn’t stop relaying stories about our summer adventures. The conversation could have lasted forever but the bell cut it short. Kyle made plans.
“Ok, I’ll meet up with you after school, alright?”
“Yeah at the Bus Street” I answered. Saying that we walked off in our different directions. My first stop was to my homeroom teacher, Mrs. Walker. On the way I saw some unbelievable things. First all the classroom doors were made of metal. Next, there was a policeman standing right outside each door. “Drug checks,” I guessed to myself.
“Room 128… Here it is” I mumbled. The white, box-like room had 28 desks, four rows of seven, in it. Apparently I was the last one to enter because only one desk was left. I sat down quietly and put down my bag. Suddenly the door clanged shut and we heard a large click.
Maybe the person beside me knew something but he was just confused as I was. “What’s going on?” There was no teacher, no board, no nothing, just 28 students and an intercom speaker. Then a voice came on.
“Hello, students. Welcome to Hedgested High School. Today is going to be a very different day. Today is going to be the only day you will need. Today is the day you will all become geniuses. We will be teaching you by what people refer to as The Gases,” the voice said mechanically.
Everyone’s gasp as dearly audible. No one expected this, not on us. Some kids jumped up and down and started banging on the doors trying to escape. Others were picking up desks and breaking them against the ground. Everyone knew the horrors of The Gases.
The Gases are a subject people often avoid. That small group who did talk referred to it as “Forceful Learning.” Locking children in a room, making them breathe the pure essence of knowledge. Making them become geniuses in only a matter of seconds. But becoming a genius this way takes a very heavy toll. In order to become this smart without exercising your brain to make more room for knowledge, you have to get rid of some things. Mainly, The Gases take away your personality. Without your personality your soul starts to deteriorate. True you become a genius, but you also become a lifeless body with no purpose but to work. There’s only one chance, only one chance to save yourself.
“Don’t think about trying to escape, we have a security guard right outside each door and have checked all the bathrooms and the courtyard. Not to mention we’re starting school 30 minutes later in case of late people. So, first we will start with Math, then go to Science, then Social Studies, and then English. Don’t try holding your breath, this will take 30 minutes. Have fun!” The voice said as it chuckled.
My ears burned with fear and anger. I didn’t want this to happen. My perfect first day at high school was ruined. I looked around. All the girls were crying and started to hug each other while the boys still tried to ram down the heavy metal door. Some were praying. Then it happened. The room started spreading with a mysterious red gas. In the last moments of glory someone yelled out “This is it everyone, this is it…”
I didn’t try to hold my breath the result would be the same. I started to breathe it in. Deeper and deeper and deeper. Everything around me went dark. It seemed as if I was knocked out. The funny thing was, I wasn’t. I couldn’t open my eyes, mouth, or move my hands, I felt as if I was still me, as if I was in a dream. But this wasn’t a dream. I was trapped within my own body. I was my soul. I then saw myself. I was holding onto something long and silver while I was floating in what appeared to be my heart. I wouldn’t let go. I don’t know why, I wouldn’t fall, I just didn’t want to. I stared at the strange silver substance.
“Whoa!” I yelled after I was hit by a blinding red light that flickered from the silver substance. I started staring at the substance again. Slowly, a memory appeared. I watched myself get angry, I was yelling at a kid who was about the same age as me, 11 years old.
“I remember that…That kid was drawing on my arm. He needed to be taught a lesson,” I said to myself.
Slowly the vivid memory faded and a blinding blue light flickered from the silver substance. As I gazed into the substance, I saw another memory appear. This time my arms were on my knees with my head down. Then I raised it and I realized I was crying. Again I remember what happened. It was when I was 7 and someone stole my brand new bike.
Just like the first time the memory died down and this time a blinding yellow light flickered. In this memory I was smiling. I was on a very big roller coaster with my dad right next to me having a great time. How much fun we had that day, it was truly magical.
The process repeated but this time a dark gray light flickered. In this memory I was in the corner of a room, screaming and crying. My dad was standing over me with a bottle of rum in his hands yelling at me calling me a failure and attempting to hit me but kept on missing because he was so drunk. That was the worse day of not only my life but his life also. It was the day he was fired and he walked in on mom cheating on him. Later in the day he found out that mom took all the money in the bank and froze the account.
Then darkness once again surrounded me. What would happen this time if I were engulfed by darkness? I then started thinking what was my body doing? Was it saving the world with science? I just wanted to be me again!
“I WILL NOT GIVE IN! I WILL NOT GIVE IN! I WILL NOT GIVE IN!” I screamed silently. Suddenly, it clicked.
In a split second I “woke up” back to myself again. I was lying on my desk. I figured all the gases were over because everyone else was on their desks and the room was free of colors. Soon others started to “wake up” but they weren’t the same. When they got up they didn’t look at anyone or talk to anyone. They were captured, I was sure of it. Their souls were gone. After awhile everyone arose. All they did was look forward and wait.
“How am I going to get out of here?” I thought to myself. “Maybe if I just play along, I can escape.” So I too, looked straight ahead.
“OK students, you are finally finished. What you do is go home and start finding the solutions to, let’s say, global warming. You will receive instructions on what to do when you get home. Have fun, you lifeless little zombies,” The voice cruelly said.
Everyone got up at the same time, walked at the same pace, and left out the door leaving all their stuff. And if I wanted to safely get pass the security guard right outside the door, then I too walked like them.
After I got past the school gates, I ran for it. Running home as fast as I could. I wondered if Kyle was OK. But I couldn’t look, I had to keep on going. I finally got to my house and ran inside and locked the door. I was safe, I was a survivor. And although I might not be a genius, I will find an antidote to the problem. I won’t rest until everyone has a soul again.
