Her smile shines like the bright sun

Teacher's plush pink lips 

Move fluently as she speaks to us

"How about we play a game, class?"

My face lights up

I love teacher's games!

"Alright, boys and girls, how about we -..."

*BOOM! BOOM! BANG!*

Teacher pauses momentarily

We listen quietly

 

*BOOM! BOOM!*

What's going on?

Is there a monster in the school?

Teacher smiles at us

Her reassuring tree bark brown eyes

Tell us not to worry. 

"As I was saying, how about a game of Hide and Seek Quiet Mouse?"

*Thud! Thud! Bang! Bang!*

 

The strange monster noise 

Sounds echo from down the empty halls

"Alright, everyone hide

I'll count to 10.

If one person makes a sound, 

Everyone loses, okay?"

Each tiny head of my class

bobs in agreement to the rules

Alas,

A puzzled look crosses my face.

We've been used to playing Hide and Seek.

Why are we playing Quiet Mouse, too?

 

"Go hide children, hurry!" 

Teacher whispers the starting command.

Like tiny soldiers, we hurry off

To our chosen hiding places, already preplanned. 

 

I managed to cram myself

into one of the tight wooden cabinets

Three other girls chose the same.

We sat there in the darkness

Waiting for the end of the game.

Little did we know, after this day,

Our lives wouldn't be the same. 

 

 1...*Thud!* ...2...*Thud!* ...3...*Thud!*...4...5..*CRASH!*...6...7...8...-

We heard one of the wooden desks

Slam on the tile floor

"Where are they?!"

A deep, angry voice growled

Is that the monster

Who made the strange noises? 

Teacher remained quiet

We hear the squeak of her mouse-like voice

"I sent them home early."

*Sniff, Sniff*

I place my hand 

Over one girl's mouth, plugging her nose

Trying to stop the oncoming sneeze

Removing the hand, a finger on my lips

She nods, silence falls.

 

The darkness of the cabinet consumes us

I count the seconds that pass

1...2...3...4...5... *BANG!*...6...7...8...*CRASH!*...

10...11...12...*Thud!* *Thump, Thud, Thump*

Shoes scrape the once clean floors

*CRASH!* *BANG! BANG! BANG!*

Then, silence.

Is the monster gone? Can we come out?

Teacher remains quiet

There's not a single sound.

 

Then,

*Crrreeeaaakkk*

A brave soul opens the cabinet door

The place is a mess

Things were thrown all over the floor

Where is our teacher?

We look around high and low

Everyone scared to make a sound.

What is the monster is still around?

 

When we hear a siren outside the school

The police are here

Did they catch the monster who was so loud and cruel?

They come into our classroom

They take us outside

We are given to our parents

Tears fill everyone's eyes.

 

An ambulance comes.

We were the lucky ones,

20 of our schoolmates

6 of the staff

Found dead in all parts of the building, even the cafe.

The killer dead too and one other soul

makes 28 people the new death toll

Our teacher was one of them

Rest in Peace! God Bless her Soul!

 

To those who believe revenge is okay

Think of the lives taken 

By a guy wanting revenge

On a school 

That fateful day