Scary Stories - Twist in the Tale Series

School's Out

It was bitterlycold; an icy wind whistled along the road and rattled the talliron gates. The congregation of mothers waiting outside werehuddled together in tight groups, as much for warmth and comfortas for companionship. The hum of various conversations mergedinto a gentle babble as each group chatted together.

"Shouldn't betoo long before they let them out," said one woman,separating herself from her friends to peer through the gates atthe blackened stone of the old school buildings, through thewindows of which she could just make out the bent heads ofchildren working at their desks. She shivered as the wind chaseda flurry of dead leaves around the empty playground.

"I can't copewith this cold weather, the sooner I get back in the warm thebetter. I just hope my Hugo hasn't been kept in detention again;I had to wait an extra hour for him yesterday, and it wasfreezing. He's turning into a proper little devil, bless him."

"What's hebeen doing this time, Mrs Knight?" asked one of hercompanions.

"Oh, the usual:tormenting the other kids and tempting them into mischief. Still,it's all good practice for when he grows up, I suppose. All thesame, he's a real handful, and no mistake."

"Yes, they'resuch a worry at that age, aren't they?" sympathised theother woman in a melodic voice, " My Lilith is just as bad.She's just starting to notice boys; she can charm them already.I'm going to have to keep my eye on her, I don't want a horde ofmesmerised males hanging round my door - well, no more thanusual, anyway," she added, sweeping back her long blondehair from her bewitchingly beautiful face, her deep blues eyestwinkling suggestively.

This exchange setup a chorus of concurrence from others in the gathering; as ifcompeting to claim the most mischievous offspring, more mothersinterjected with accounts of their own child's misdoings.

"My Boris hastaken to playing truant," said one fragile-looking womanwith an alarming skin condition, "He's developed a tendencyfor digging things up. They caught him in the graveyard of allplaces last week - you wouldn't believe some of the things hebrings home with him." She shrugged carefully, as if afraidshe might fall apart, "But, what can you do? Kids willexperiment."

"Yes, I knowwhat you mean," agreed another. "Mine certainly likesto experiment; I almost wish we hadn't bought him that chemistryset. I couldn't begin to describe the thing he made the other day.Mind you, he's top of his class in science and biology," sheamended proudly.

A wizened littlewoman with a long nose, standing nearby seemed to take umbrage atthis, "Oh, I don't know about that. My Gertrude is prettynifty when it comes to brewing up mixtures and concoctions. Areal chip off the old block, she is. I do wish she'd remember touse the right ingredients, though; they had to evacuate theclass, last time. Her teacher tells me they still haven't got ridof the smell and the affects of it are still showing on a coupleof her classmates. Still, she has to learn."

"I have towatch my Karl very closely," lamented a rather hirsutewoman, "especially around this time. I feed him well, but hejust can't resist a little something between meals. They'reforever telling him off for eating in class, and he's such amessy eater." She looked a little furtive, "I'm sure Idon't know where he gets his little snacks from ... but I don'tthink he takes anything from the other children." When noneof her companions reacted to this, she appeared slightly relievedand carried on, "And, you wouldn't believe it, but he'salready started shaving - and he's only eight. My husband isalways complaining about him using his razor."

"They'realways picking on my Nick because he's so small," commenteda diminutive woman with a squeaky voice, " He always givesas good as he gets, though. The little imp."

"It's theother way round with Gustaf," said her neighbour, whotowered above her," If he wasn't so big, he'd have a lot ofproblems. As it is, he gets so upset when they laugh at himbehind his back. It's not his fault he looks ... well ...different."

"The problemwith my Ursula is that she has started to change," said avoice whose owner it was difficult to determine, "I swear Idon't know who she is, these days - and neither do her teachers.One minute she's this, the next she's that, then, before you knowwhere you are, she's the other. It's so confusing."

"Kids, eh?"remarked a very slim woman with a scaly skin, in a sibilantvoice, her narrow, yellowish eyes glittering," You bringthem into the world and they repay you with grief. What annoys meis this having to meet them. In my day, you could go to school onyour own with no worries. Now, though, it's not safe to let themout alone."

"Yes,"agreed a striking woman dressed in a long black cape, "There'sall sorts of dangers on the streets nowadays." Shecontinued, her unusually long incisors making her speechdifficult to follow, "I don't know what the world's comingto."

She was interruptedby the loud ringing of a bell, followed closely by the banging ofdesks and doors. All the mothers turned to the gates, as theyswung slowly open with a grating creak. The air filled withchattering voices and laughter as crowds of children piled out ofthe school, their footsteps echoing around the playground as theyraced to the gates.

"Ah, here theyare at last," said the large-toothed woman, "andthere's my Victor, looking like he's ready for his supper,"as an equally toothy, sallow-faced boy ran towards her and intoher arms.

"Hello, son,and what have you been learning about today?" she asked,affectionately.

"Oh, boringold stuff about garlic and crucifixes. Why can't they teach usabout interesting things, like blood types and bats?" hemoaned.

" Yes, I knowyour lessons might seem a bit tedious, my boy, but you'll find asyou get older they'll stand you in good stead, so you listenclosely to your teachers." Smoothing back his slick, blackhair and tucking him warmly into his cloak, she went on, "Now,hurry along; it will soon be dawn, and we must get home beforethe sun comes up. I've got a nice juicy steak for you, very rare,just the way you like it"

Behind them, theschool gates clanged hollowly shut. Above them, a notice boardhanging on rusty iron chains, swung in the wind:

DarkHouse School Centuriesof experience in the education of Devils, Demons, Sirens,Witches, Werewolves, Shape Shifters, Ghouls, Vampires,Imps, Trolls and all other form of Monstrosity,Abomination and Creature of the Night. Proprietor:Prof. I. M. D'Eath OpeningHours: 11pm to 4pm.