Final Lesson

Final Lesson

Thomas hid his yawn behind the pretext of reaching into his book bag. The last day of school should be cancelled, he thought. We just sit around killing time waiting for the stupid bell.

The professor, whose name he barely remembered, droned on.

Thomas closed his eyes. A beautiful beach appeared and he could see the ocean, hear the whispering waves, and feel the sun warm on his skin.

He cracked his eyes and peered out. The professor was still speaking. With a small sigh, he went back to his reverie.

Thomas's eyes opened wide as his head jerked up and he felt a surge of adrenaline course through his body.

The classroom was dim in the fading light. "What the devil!" he murmured realizing he must have fallen asleep and been left behind.

"Very funny," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm in the deserted room.

Reaching for his bag, he discovered it was gone. "Oh great, someone's ripped me off!"

Standing and stretching, he stumbled to the exit and banged his head. "Damn," he said as the door failed to open. He rattled it several times but the door remained immoveable.

A touch of panic hit him as he began banging on the door. "Anyone out there?" he shouted.

"It won't do you any good," came a voice from behind him.

Turning, squinting into the growing darkness, Thomas barked, "God. You scared the hell out me!"

A dark form stood at the lectern. "Not God and I think you'll find hell is just beginning," the sibilant words snaked through the thickening air.

In the rising heat, Thomas heard, "This is your first day of a whole new school!"

"No!" screamed Thomas and jerked upright to find the whole class staring at him. He realized, as his face flushed, where the heat was coming from.

Notes

Word Count: 300 exactly.

An entry for May 22 "Daily Flash Fiction Challenge"  [13+]
Prompt: Write a story about the last day of school.

Thank you for taking time to read my words. I would appreciate it if you took a moment and left a comment. Your reaction, impressions, criticisms, - yes, even praise are all equally welcome. Please, however, keep the groans to yourself .

Ken