COVID-19: Re-Open the Schools
Julie had a bubbly personality. A kindhearted soul who was always ready to care for those in need and do so with a big smile on her face. A recent college graduate, she was looking forward to starting her career as an elementary school teacher but the global pandemic closed the schools at the beginning of the year. None were more happy than Julie when her local government decided that they would finally…
RE-OPEN THE SCHOOLS
“Take your time Julie,” Officer Winston said as he pushed a Styrofoam cup of black coffee across the small wooden table in the interrogation room of the small town police precinct, “tell us what happened from the beginning.”
Julie was a sobbing mess, her normally perfectly styled hair was a tangled mess, her clothes were ripped and covered in blood and burn marks. Makeup ran down her beautiful face as she began to relay the traumatic events of the day.
“It was my first day on the job, I was supposed to be a teacher’s aide for Mr. Anderson….Oh, Roger! Roger!” she stopped her story short and began sobbing hard, her face buried in her hands.
“Roger is Mr. Anderson?” Officer Johnson, Winston’s partner said from the corner of the room where he was taking notes on a small notepad. Julie nodded her head, took a sip of the black coffee and continued her story.
“I was supposed to be a teacher’s aide for Mr. Anderson. Second and third grade, science and mathematics. I had been waiting for this moment my whole life, ever since I can remember all I wanted to be was a teacher, I love children...oh the children…” the tears continued to stream down her face as she continued, Winston staring intently, Johnson still scribbling notes in the corner.
“I got to the school early, so early that the secretary hadn’t yet showed up and the janitorial staff had to let me in the building. I was thrilled! I took all of my things to Mr. Anderson’s class room, 107 on the first floor across from the gymnasium, and started disinfecting the students desks as per the new protocols and when I was done…”
“About what time was this?” Officer Johnson interrupted from the corner, not looking up from his notes.
“About...uhm...7:30? I guess?”
“Go on…” Officer Winston said giving a cold glare back to Officer Johnson who still hadn’t taken his eyes off his notes.
“When I was done I went to the principal's office to talk to Mrs. Doreen to inform her I was there and you know, I knew there was something off about Doreen from the moment I met her…”
“Off?” Again, Office Johnson asked a clarifying question from the back of the room.
“Yeah, she had this creepy look in her eye...but I could never imagine…” the story collapsed again as Julie couldn’t hold back from crying “THEY’RE JUST KIDS DAMNIT!” she yelled as she pounded her still handcuffed hands on the table.
“Please continue…”
“Okay...uhm...well...I was disinfecting the desks and….no….hmmm...where was I?”
“You had just met Doreen.”
“Ah yes. I met with Doreen and she gave me my badge and the access code to the door so I wouldn’t have to bother the janitor anymore. She also gave me a pamphlet about the COVID-19 safety measures, you know? Wear a mask, socially distance in the hallways, disinfect, disinfect, disinfect and when the teachers take lunch, since we're older and more vulnerable, we were to do so off premises. I went back to Mr. Anderson’s class room and I met him, he is...was….I’m sorry.” She paused again, taking a deep breath, her eyes watering. “He was a kind man, and we went to the front doors to welcome the kids back to school. They were so happy and ready to learn. You should have seen their faces! They were so happy! And they hugged their parents and said goodbye….and god dammit, the parents don’t know do they? Did you tell the parents what they were doing?”
“Please calm down miss,” Officer Winston reached his hand across the table placing his hand on hers and encouraged her to continue, “tell us about how the fire started.”
Julie took a moment to compose herself. She hiccuped through her sobs then took another deep breath to center herself.
“We were supposed to take our lunch off premises the pamphlet said, but I figured ‘Hey, I’m 22, I’m young and healthy, COVID shouldn’t impact me like the older teachers’ so I decided to take a stroll around the school grounds and soak in my new environment and that’s when…” she shuddered and the tears began to stream down her face “...And that’s when I saw what they were doing to the kindergartners.”
“You mean, what you think you saw?” Officer Johnson interjected again earning another glare from Officer Winston.
“I know what I saw goddamnit!” Julie screamed and bashed her hands on the table. Officer Winston reached across the table but the comment had set her off, speaking quickly and angrily she continued.
“They had them sedated, on the cots in the play area and they...they...they were taking blood or something from them, I don’t know, they had all these tubes and wires hooked up to the kids, and...they’re just kids and...and...and...and I was going to run to the office to tell Doreen what was going on but I saw her, I fucking saw her in the room with a needle taking whatever they took from the kids and injecting it into herself! So I did the only thing I could think of to save those kids...I started a fire in the hallway and pulled the alarms.”
“You started a fire? To save the kids? From their teachers who were…” Officer Johnson looked down at his notes, “taking their blood or something and injecting it into themselves?”
“Yes...Yes!” She shrieked and reached across the table grabbing Officer Winston’s hands and staring into his eyes looking for understanding. “I didn’t think the fire would get out of control like it did and I didn’t know the kindergartners wouldn’t wake up, I swear. Please! You gotta believe me!”
Officer Winston pulled his hands from hers as she collapsed on the table in a heap, sobbing and moaning. He raised two fingers motioning for his partner to come closer. He turned his head and whispered under his breath but just loud enough for Julie to overhear.
“She knows too much, make sure she doesn’t make it in the morning, she can’t speak publicly.” As Officer Johnson nodded in approval, he closed his notepad and made his way towards the now howling young woman and dragged her from the table. “And hey, make it look like an accident this time.”
Julie’s screams faded as she was dragged down the hallway, deeper into the precinct. Office Winston remained at the table, slowly finishing the rest of Julie’s coffee.
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