x
I was called to the principal's office at third period. When I went inside, the secretary waved me over and handed me a tiny box.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf7YpHZD4mK
"For you," said the secretary. "From the lost and found."
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡefgksyYdSj
"Uh, thanks...?" I said, taking the box from her. "I didn't lose anything..."
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzhWzoz5kj9
But the secretary was already busy typing away at her keyboard. I guess she didn't hear me.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡazLb9KFUta
I opened the box as I walked down the hall to my next class.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmosKo7r4t6
I gasped. inside there was a beautiful ring. I couldn't quite identify the stone in its centre; it looked like a diamond, but all its surfaces reflected light. It almost appeared to be glowing...
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgMAlmTJLxH
I slid it on the ring finger of my right hand and proceeded down the hall.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOpKmcBZdVd
#
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHhS5UR8ur6
Most of the students were already getting situated in their seats. I sat at the desk in front of my best friend, Abby.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjwSt8BNngR
"Ohhh...I'm so not looking forward to English class today..." groaned Abby. "Shakespeare is SO BORING...."
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTrkEGdnp72
"Come on," I said. "It's the last class of the day. You'll survive."
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTIZ0TRRqys
"You're way too much of an optimist," Abby said.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOo6M0WT53H
I smiled inwardly. If only she knew...
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqq3k9IBueX
The door opened to our classroom and a man entered. He had dark hair and a five o'clock shadow, glasses, and a smart tweed blazer with patches on the elbows.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxLri63jIJm
Mr. Helm was not our normal English teacher. We had this crotchety older woman at the start of the semester that had us do a lot of grammar and structure work.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNc7d4GjHLE
But recently, Mr. Helm started coming to class in her place. He couldn't (or perhaps wouldn't) divulge the purpose behind our old teacher's absence, but I truly didn't care.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsmIOa4jRHj
Mr. Helm was HOT. I could watch him write on the chalkboard all day. Christmas would come early whenever the class was overly warm and he'd have to remove his blazer, and I would be mesmerized by the way his muscles pressed against his ¾ sleeves as he made the chalk dance across the dark surface.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJixNec5WR3
He turned around to face us. "Okay, class...I hope you're ready. Pencils out."
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrPjigKmXXr
The room was instantly silent save for the sound of our pencils scratching against our papers.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGU95gFkkSp
I had gotten stuck on a particularly difficult question and started to sweat. I looked up at the clock. Only 10 minutes left.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMAxD9Xl1Ud
I glanced at the ring on my finger. What was once glowing was now radiating blood-red. Whoa.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEVS2ObzwJf
"Hey..." I whispered. "Hey, Abby...check this out..."
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTMAt6NGz9t
I nudged my best friend.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNkOLkPTNku
When she turned her head, her eyes were solid white and lifeless. A green, slimy drool was dripping from her mouth.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOF6BcGBRqr
"What the hell?" I gasped.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡztp90YBFL0
Abby swatted at me and I had to stand up from my desk.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡya5m5jt1Qp
I looked to Mr. Helm for assistance. But he wasn't at his desk. He was nowhere to be found.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡebbKzbFzgW
That's when I realized that all the other students had also become zombies. And they were all looking at me.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnzyMk8QkLq
I tried to make my way to the door but was cut off by the mindless horde. I was left to cower in the corner of the room as the zombies descended upon me, preparing to tear me apart with their soulless hands...
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqLv9BRKfkQ
The door flew open.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZOq6JMyyV
My crush, Mr. Helm, burst through the door. He was now wearing a sleeveless black tank, exposing all of his muscly goodness, and brandishing a huge sword (where he got a sword in a private school with a strict 'No Weapons' policy is beyond me).
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrERzuOyjBm
He began to hack his way toward me, indiscriminately chopping down the monsters that just a second ago were my peers.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡloSTbTYb8R
Instead of blood, a green ooze – the same ooze that dripped from not-Abby's mouth – sprayed from the decimated corpses, practically showering Mr. Helm and myself.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCcMwC3s3KB
Mr. Helm held his hand out to me. I grabbed it and in one fluid motion, he lifted me up and carried me over his shoulder, hacking and slashing his way out of the classroom.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ52Z7xJpjrc
He made his way up the stairs with me, to the second floor of the school. Like using a machete on tall grass, he hacked and slashed his way through the mass of undead. He went down the hall into a lesser-used girl's washroom where he finally set me back down.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡieZQMK0OhG
Before I could ask any questions, Mr. Helm got on his knees and held my hands between his, kissing them.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6idJca71zO
Stunned, I recoiled my hands as though I was avoiding a cobra bite.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1VRSxsCAfn
Mr. Helm bowed his head, and pounded a fist to his chest.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNQeQ9fTdpq
"Forgive me, my Queen," he said. "That was too forward of me."
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVESdGfuF7V
My Queen?!
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ot5kDXhjj
I leaned against the cold tile of the bathroom wall to keep my balance. "What is going on?!" I blurted out. "And why are you dressed like Conan the Barbarian?!"
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8q6Hj2hGKz
Mr. Helm looked up at me, a hurt expression colouring his face.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOUfsl1w8f7
"The-the ring," he said. "It was supposed to break the spell."
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBXvSSxhPUy
I looked at my hand. The ring was still glowing red; I went I pulled on it to remove it from my finger.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW40JP6wGMU
"No!" said Mr. Helm. "You mustn't do that! Oh dear....you really don't remember anything, do you?"
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwgRUqEEBIG
"Remember what?" I asked.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJQWfOjP8VC
"I think you should sit down," he said.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡni6sij5aYD
Since we were conveniently in the washroom, I walked to the nearest stall sat on the toilet. Mr. Helm stood up and cleared his throat.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnAfkgxva9Z
"Your Majesty..." he said. "You were chosen as a sacrifice to the elder dragon Drishamel. But together, you and I vanquished the foul beast.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqmxONRUAGw
The Northern Tribes were displeased with you killing their gods and a vendetta was placed on your head. Fortunately, your celebrity grew and you attracted the eye of the ruler to the Kingdom of the Southern Realm, who promised to protect you.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmLDczX5Nd6
Yes, protect you, much to my chagrin. For you told me that you did not love him. Even as you married him and bore his two twin sons, in your heart you craved a life free from royal protocol.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBc3C2U0lRR
The king found out about your secret romance and banished you to this strange land, this illusory world where you would live another life, and forget everything that you had experienced.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUwa4LZM5EJ
But I would not allow it. I enchanted your wedding ring to negate the magic of the spell and to destroy the illusion when you placed it on your hand again.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUNFuSj7ZxM
Though the meaning of the symbol pains me, I am so elated to be in your presence again. It's taken me years to find my way back to you. And now that we are reunited, we can leave this horrible dream world together...my love."
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaNzMLVioMI
Mr. Helm leaned close...and I promptly kicked him away. "Dude, I'm SEVENTEEN!"
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsG6ypP4BPb
"We must hurry," he said. The illusion is collapsing. If we do not leave for our world, we'll be trapped in this false one forever."
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqRXaMK1IU1
He pulled a small vial of purple liquid out of his pocket and slammed it against the mirror. Instead of shattering, the mirror transformed into a swirling purple vortex, which grew to a size large enough for an adult male.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdb8WewfH5z
Or a totally bewildered teenager in a slime-encrusted school uniform.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHDIcsDrtyS
"The king is dead. We can start a brand new life with new identities. Let us go - soon we'll be home."
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWWLtZtNH2y
He outstretched his hand to me again.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIidmGNN7La
This time I hesitated to take Mr. Helm's hand.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRQHQ5KuA6w
All this was A LOT to take in. I had spent my entire life thinking I was just an average teenage girl. Now I come to find out I not only slayed a dragon, but got hitched, popped out a few kids, and had a secret affair with my hot substitute teacher in some bizarro fantasy world!
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxhhguANx0o
"Can I have a few minutes to think about this?" I asked.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCKaM2Nrn2q
But I could hear the pounding of bodies against the bathroom door, groaning to get in. Bodies who I thought were real people. My family and friends.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi3Ta9vaS2m
The world was fake. My life as I knew it was dead, as dead as the soulless zombie facsimiles that were trying to tear us limb from limb.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡorCVL6OSRz
It was time to take the plunge. And who better to do it with than a buffy baddy who I fantasized about every day since his arrival in my English class? I guess dreams really do come true.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc2Uhowfecs
I grabbed Mr. Helm's hand and his entire face lit up with excitement.
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ20EEXiX4Fb
"Okay, babe," I said, standing up from the toilet. "Let's go and make a new life."
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLJPAGM0yUs
335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMqArMkagFN
