Slow Dance in Purgatory

So now here he was, key in hand, opening the doors for ten of the most popular kids in school, hanging out with them, and scared to death. As soon as the door swung open, Derek was there, shoving past him, leading the way through the dim hallways and into the dark belly of the school. They didn’t turn on any lights; Shad was pretty sure it was to keep the girls a little scared, because the ladies were clutching the arms of the boys who had invited them, and the boys seemed to be enjoying every minute of it. Just wait until Johnny Kinross started messing with them. These guys wouldn’t last ten seconds. Shad longed for the lights. He was at the back of the pack, and he kept sending furtive glances over his shoulder.

He reminded himself again that he was making progress with the football team – and maybe, just maybe, tonight they would actually work some hocus pocus that rid the school and Shad of Johnny Kinross forever. Maggie would thank him later. Plus, since he’d told the guys the story of the ghost, nobody had said a thing about Maggie being strange. He didn’t want anybody giving her any trouble, even if he was so disgusted with her right now he almost wished he hadn’t saved her neck. It would serve her right if she was labeled a witch. Because she was definitely consorting with ghosts.

“So where are we gonna do this, Derek?” Trevor’s girlfriend giggled nervously, clutching Trevor’s hand as he stopped walking and turned to the ring-leader of the group, waiting for a response.

“We should do it in the rotunda. That’s where it happened right? I mean, what better place to summon the spirits of the dead than in the place they died?” Derek grabbed Dara and cackled maniacally, and a couple of the girls and even a few of the guys twittered nervously.

“Knock it off, Derek!” Dara wasn’t amused. She hadn’t forgotten how it felt to be locked in the dance room in the dark, unable to get out with eerie messages echoing around the room. She couldn’t believe she had agreed to come. Derek was way too devious and sneaky. She wouldn’t put it past him to stage something just to freak everyone out.

The rotunda was almost completely floor to ceiling in glass along the curved front side, and Shad spoke up from the back of the pack.

“You don’t want to do it in the rotunda, man. If anyone drives by the school they’ll see your candles flickering, and we’ll be busted that quick.”

“Hmmm, not a bad point, Shadrach.” Derek stroked his chin thoughtfully, the green of the exit sign leading to the third floor stairs flickering ghoulishly over his face.

“By the way, Shad….what are you still doin’ here? This is an adults only event. It’ll be way too scary for the kiddies, don’t you think? Come on guys. Let’s put the baby in his room.”

Before Shad knew what was happening, three of the guys had surrounded him, pinning his arms and legs and lifting him like they were going to use him as a battering ram.

“Whoa….? Hey, hey, guys!...Stop!... What the heck?...I got you in here! You can’t do this!” Shad sputtered, kicking and arching, trying to get free of three pairs of powerful arms. They moved quickly up the stairs and down the hall, Shad held securely between them.

“Where is the baby’s room?” Derek shouted gleefully. “Oh look, there it is!”

The senior lockers lined two of the third floor halls, and one of the boys who wasn’t carrying Shad smacked a locker dead center with his big fist. It swung open immediately.

“Works every time!” the kid crowed happily. Shad screeched and began begging in earnest.

“You can’t put me in there! It’s dark up here! I’ll suffocate! I’ll go crazy! What if I have to pee?” He thrashed desperately. His pleas went unheeded.

“Here you go, baby Shad! Nighty night!” Trevor shoved Shad’s upper body into the locker roughly as someone else bent his legs into the long narrow opening. For a moment, Shad thought he would be able to prevent them from shutting the door, and he scrambled desperately, trying to push his way back out. He almost wiggled free, but at the last second, Derek punched him hard in the stomach, and Shad collapsed, cradling his belly with his arms, gasping for air. Trevor wrenched Gus’s ring of keys from his front pocket, and with another heavy shove, Shad was forced back in to the locker. The door was slammed shut, closing over his horrified face.

“That’ll keep the little shit for a while. We’ll come back and get him when we’re done,” Derek chortled, slapping a few of the guys across the back. “What’d he think we were gonna do - let him hang with us indefinitely?”