AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Well, it is actually Jennifer, Jenny for short,” said Jenny.
“I see,” said the man. He took the speller from Jenny’s desk. Jenny’s name was written across the top. He put the speller in his attaché case.
“What are you doing here, Jennifer?” he asked.
“This is my classroom,” said Jenny.
“Are you sure?” the man asked.
“Yes, I think so. I mean – ”
“Where is the rest of your class?” the man asked.
“I don’t know,” said Jenny, “maybe they went on a field trip.”
“No,” said the man. “They didn’t go on a field trip.”
“Well, I don’t know where they are!” Jenny cried. “I was half an hour late today, and when I got here everybody was gone. Really! Did something happen to them?”
The man didn’t answer her. He wrote something on a piece of paper. “Tell me something, Jennifer. When you came to school today and saw that nobody was here, weren’t you somewhat puzzled?”
“Yes. Yes,” said Jenny. “What happened to them?”
“If you are really so concerned and so puzzled,” said the man, “why did you work on spelling?”
“I don’t know,” said Jenny.
“It would seem to me,” the man said, “that if a child came to school and nobody was there, she might play games, or walk around, or go home, but certainly not work on spelling.”
Jenny started to cry. “I didn’t know what to do. I was late and had to ride on a motorcycle and nobody was here and now you are asking me all kinds of questions and I’m afraid of what has happened to Dana and Mrs. Jewls and Rondi and Allison.”
The man didn’t understand a word she said.
Jenny heard more footsteps. The man got up and opened the door. Two more men came in. One had a black mustache like the first man. The other man was bald.
Jenny was frightened by them.
“Does she know?” asked the newcomer with the mustache.
“She claims she knows nothing,” the first man answered. “She says she was late today, and when she got here everybody was gone.”
“Do you believe her?” asked the man with the bald head.
“I’m not sure. She was working on her speller when I walked in.” He reached into his attaché case and took out Jenny’s speller. He handed it to the man with the bald head.
The bald man read Jenny’s name across the top of it. “Tell me, Jenny,” he said, “why are you the only one here?”
“I don’t know,” said Jenny.
“Has this ever happened before?” he asked.
“No, never,” said Jenny.
He gave Jenny her speller. “Put this inside your desk.”
Jenny put it away.
“I’m satisfied,” said the man with the bald head.
