The Great Gatsby: A Short Story

Words: 2127
Pages: 9

“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past,” my English teacher, Mr. Skala, recited. We had just finished reading The Great Gatsby, which had intrigued our class for the most part, aside from the small population who rarely read whatsoever. The school bell sounded, signaling the end of what seemed like the longest day in a long time. Mr. Skala frantically shouted something along the lines of: “On Monday we’ll be discussing the end of the unit project and-” he sighed as everyone left the classroom and he realized no one was listening anymore. I was always the last one out of the classroom, probably because my seat was in the furthest corner of the room, and because I didn’t feel an uncontrollable urge to be the first person out of the building. As I walked down the hallway, I heard the usual gossip for the …show more content…
I'm just gonna sit here, okay Eddie? You figure this out. I thought, knowing now that he could hear me think. I turned away from the board and saw something I don't think will ever leave my mind, dream or not. In each desk rested a student. A student with a slashed throat and gouged out eyes. I screamed. I admit, it was a very high pitched scream, but I was terrified. Was I next? Inna, a friendly girl with long brown hair, twitched in her seat. I am going to die, I thought in a panic. Each body was carved in different ways, reminding me of gruesome jack-o-lanterns. I side-shuffled over to the door, making sure not to lose sight of all the bodies, and twisted the knob. As I did, there was someone on the other side. I jumped. The figure disappeared. I glanced back over my shoulder at the desks, and none of them were still sitting, instead, they stood in a pack behind me, exactly like they do everyday before dismissal. This time, they shouldn't have been moving, though. I frantically opened the door and sprinted as fast as I could down the hall, hoping that if I ran fast enough or far enough I could lose sight of