Freddie and A Walk Down Memory Lane

Prompt: Set your story in an empty hospital, school, or office building.

Freddie and a Walk Down Memory Lane

Time entry: 06, 06.66.6,666,666 F (in an abyss where flies collect). A sinister hissing voice can be heard.

“That Freddie boy will not be the end of me. Nope! No way! Well, it can’t be my end, at least not yet. I have some time before the world is caput and my time ends.

Hmmm, he is venturing out to a place where he could be most vulnerable. Maybe his jaunt down memory lane will be his demise after a little bit of hiss hiss-tory! I’ll just make him feel right at home drowning in his old memories. Then it’s lunch period, heh, heh.”

Journal date: June 23, 1971, 1:00pm

Freddie speaking into his ‘walk-about cassette recorder”

“I had heard the news about this old elementary school soon to be demolished by the wrecking ball behind the school gym. The school district was hurting for funds. It decided to sell the land to a developer for yet another strip mall and parking lot. I had nothing going on today so I would go and wish it ‘sayonara’. I hoped I could see the wrecking ball in action after I have my visit inside. I had mixed emotions about strolling the halls of a school I had never attended. But it would give me a chance to think kind words when reminiscing about some of the teachers I knew at St. Jude, a Catholic school. My former school had been converted into a retirement home for aging Lutheran pastors.

It had been three years now since the last time I had left my elementary school. I remember I was the last of my graduating class before it had closed its doors. Any remaining lower grades were transferred to another parish school outside the district of my school, St. Jude School of Lost Causes. Well, St. Jude was the patron saint of them. Some of my teachers would have thought that to be true about the students being lost causes. But not me, I had my act together! I managed to hold onto a B minus average at graduation. The teachers seemed loving but just didn’t quite understand me to give me an A plus. I worked so hard at math, science and my religious studies. I read my bible daily and that didn’t sit too well with a few of the secular staff. They said I had my head up in the clouds about my obsession with the Old Testament heroes along with my modern-day super hero friends. For them I had too many crazy adventures. Nonetheless, the Principal sarcastically thought I was very creative and would do well as a vagabond stand-up comedian on a street corner or as a jester on a Shakespearian stage in the Bronx. 

Now I am fifteen and strong into my teenage years. I put aside my superhero wristwatches for more interesting gadgets like my precious cassette recorder. I wouldn’t go anywhere without it. I still read my bible every day and journal my daily events on the recorder while listening to my music. But today was different. I felt any music on the tape would be distracting so I grabbed an empty one before leaving the house.”

Freddie pauses at the main entrance of the school carefully looking over the scene. He hears hissing noises in the marsh adjacent to the school. He continues his voice journaling.

“Hmmm. Sounds like the insects are really agitated. Maybe a few marsh snakes are looking for lunch. I hate areas full of stinky marsh gas, pesky flies, and slimy snakes. The last couple of years I’ve had bad dreams about those loathsome creatures. Anyway, I am fifteen now and more mature. No need to worry about them.”

He pulls open the door and walks inside. Unbeknownst to Freddie, a somewhat large creature slithers into the building.

Errr…creak.

“Geez, good thing this building is coming down because the doors could use a good squirt of oil on the hinges. Boy, this foyer smells musty and rotten. The floors are covered with all sorts of small and large footprints. Seems like a few small critters have made their way into the building. Lots of scat everywhere!  The walls are smudged and the paint is peeling away. I need to be on guard. Hey, look at that!  I think this old umbrella would be a good defensive weapon.”

Freddie enters in to the main office holding the umbrella.

“Ok, I am in charge now, Principal Broadside! These are my rules! School starts at 11:00am and runs to 2:00pm.  Students will have half hour breaks between thirty minutes of class time. We must have a one-hour lunch time with hot meals. So only two classes per day.   No matter what a kid does, there will be no visits to the principal’s office. Capiche?

Plus, there will never be parent- teacher conferences. And unless I can think of anything else, no homework. None! Never ever!”

Bang. The office chair behind the principal’s desk falls backward. A hazy image appears on a blank wall in the office. Freddie rants about what he is witnessing.

“Yikes! I must be seeing things. I see a fuzzy picture of very large man with a protruding belly. It looks like Principal Broadside is on the wall. His mouth is moving! What are you trying to say to me?You don’t scare me!  You can’t make me do detention. Besides, you died two years ago and this really isn’t your school! Are you a ghost? If you are, I don’t believe in them. I must be hearing voices as well. This can’t be happening. Maybe I hit my head somewhere outside.”

A voice from behind the desk talks to Freddie.

“Freddie, my boy, You look a little older from the last time I saw you. It is good you are here. I hope you turned your life around? You used to be quite the troublemaker. But let bygones be bygones. I need your help. I am hungry and I haven’t had a nibble for quite some time. How about sharing a lunch with me? Better yet, if you come a bit closer you can share with me whatever you might already have in your pockets and backpack. Maybe some chocolate pretzels.”

“Ah, no Principal Broadside.  I only came to say a goodbye to this school which reminded me of old St. Jude. I have no intention on having a picnic lunch with you. I stopped eating chocolate pretzels a long time ago. Besides, you’re stuck on a wall. Thanks for making my life memorable. I was not a trouble maker despite what you said. Why you are on the wall anyway? I think I’ll have a look in one of the classrooms.”

“Freddie, you never listened to your superiors anyway. You are a screw-up. You’ll be back in my office for more detentions. I’ll make sure this time you’ll suffer during our lunch period.”

A somewhat unnerved Freddie makes his way down the hall to a classroom.

“Boy, that was so weird. And the guy still hasn’t lost any weight even after being dead for two years. I hope I left him on the wall in the office because it feels like someone or something is following me. I’ll just pop into this classroom. Good. I don’t see anyone following me.”

Freddie enters a classroom. The creature covertly passes by his feet with a tiny hiss.

“Hey it’s a seventh-grade classroom. I have so many memories of Sister Perpetuity, my seventh-grade teacher. Everything she seemed to do took forever and a day. I think I was one of her favorite students, however. She always had a bowl of apples on her desk that she would share with us.”

An image very slowly manifests itself on the front chalkboard.

“Oh, another image? On the chalkboard? Geez, it looks like Sister Perpetuity. Now what! What does she have to say to me? I thought I was one of her top students, especially in religious studies. Your mouth is moving but I don’t hear you, Sister.”

“….OOOO, OOOOOh, Oh goodness it’s Freddie. Sorry my boy, I am getting older and my lips seem to take longer to make words.”

“Huh?”

“Freddie, it is good to see you. You look so plump and delicious’ ss. You’ve grown into a good-looking specimen. Are you being a good boy these days? I remember how you argued with the other students when you read your bible.  And why did you read in it the first place anyway?  I was your main source of your wisdom on all matters of faith. Unfortunately, you never listened to me, especially in religious students when I corrected you on silly questions. I liked you nonetheless ,despite you were a bit slow of wit. I always had hope you would do the right thing. Now, do the right thing and have a snack with me. We are in between class periods and I haven’t had my snack today. I have some delicious figs. Come and join me in the back of the classroom.”

“What? But you are here on the chalkboard. How can you be in the back of the room? You got it wrong, Sister. I loved religious studies. Why wouldn’t I read the bible chock full of the Creator’s eternal promises? It was my best subject. You gave me an A, remember? You would be the last to admit you are the main authority on faith. You are lying to me. And why would I want to eat figs with you in the back of the room especially when apples were your favorite?”

Feeling ill at ease, Freddie hastily exits to another room across the hall as does the slithery creature.

“That was just so bizarre! Hey, this looks like an eighth-grade classroom. Whoa! Is that Father Stern on the bulletin board in the back of the room? You were such a cool dude.”

“Freddie, so good to see you. You are quite a massive morsel, dude! Oh, sorry I didn’t mean to be quite so rude. Did you ever become a football player like you wanted to be? Or did you become one of those bible-toting goodie-two shoes teenagers who quote verses all the time?  Regardless, your eighth-grade class was a delight for me. One thing that really bothered me was you would tamper with my bulletin board. You’d post nonsensical things from that so called bible book of yours. On top of that you would always keep your infernal hand raised in the air when I would ask a question. It was so annoying to the me and other students. Unfortunately, there were times when I had to reprimand you for your behavior and I had to put you in the cloakroom for an hour or two. But look at you! You came out all right, I think. Now, as scripture says, “Go forth and break bread with men wearing honorable clothes,” namely me, Freddie.”

“Wait a second Father Stern. It wasn’t me you stuck into the closet.  I was obedient in your class.  I was usually the first person to have the answers to your questions in class. But now you are saying you never called on me because I had the right answers? You are shaming me now because I daily would leave a bible verse on your bulletin board?  Oh, and by the way, I want to be a famous star pitcher on the Seattle Mariners Baseball Team!”

The image on the wall burped.

“Oops! I stand corrected, if I could stand. Freddie my boy, hiss-hisstory teaching is so exhausting, and I am ready for a break. How about you meet me down in the teacher’s lounge and we can do a coffee and a snack together? We can discuss your time with the football Mariners and how I saved you embarrassment from all your wrong answers to my questions in class, heh, heh.”

“Father Stern, I think I’ll pass on your offer. Next time get your facts right. You taught math and science. Plus, start reading your bible because I think the collar around your neck is too tight. Your quotes are all messed up. It’s making you say stupid things. Do you know the correct answer to this question? Are you lying? Yup.”

Freddie’s frustrations compelled him to race toward the gym with the serpentine beast following quickly behind.

“This isn’t what I thought would happen. My thoughts seem so real. I think I’ll just have a seat on the gym floor for a moment.”

“Freddie? Is that you Freddie? Drop and give me 20! Ha, ha just kidding. This is Coach Hardline. Remember me? You and I had some great moments together.”

Freddie looked over to the girl’s locker room door seeing a flickering, hazy picture of an image.

“Well, well. It’s my old buddy Freddie. Get dressed here in the girl’s locker room because you throw like a girl. You thought you were good in football, but I knew better. You were a tub of lard. Weak and whiny like a prissy girl. Now drop down and give me twenty you goodie-two shoes.”

Freddie frowns and scratches his head.

“Where have I heard that comment about goodie-two shoes? Coach, you of all people know I made the team for the Little League Baseball Championship series. I remind you I was a sleek 165 pounds in eighth grade.”

“Hmmm, I don’t remember that. What I do remember is how you were not a team player. You only cared about how good you looked in front of the girls. It was so funny because you ran as slow as a snail. You ran the 666 in 6 minutes, 66 seconds. Now drop and give me twenty. Then we can go over to the equipment corner and partake of some energy bars and drinks as a kickstart for your workout. I’ll make you into something tasty my boy. You won’t be a reject, a pathetic loser. I’ll make you into something fabulously gastronomic.”

In the far corner of the gym were deflated basketballs, broken wooden bats, and tangled sports netting. Ants and flies swarmed around rotting candy bars and empty soda cans.

“Coach, coach, you drop and give me twenty! You are so full of garbage. You’re a filthy rag dripping with scat! Go join your friends in the corner. The flies will love your lies. You distorted my past. I am one of the good guys who helped the disabled guys in the gym classes. I ran the 440 in less than 40 seconds.”

The image of the coach flickers. Freddie moves toward the outside exit door.

“No, no, no! This can’t be happening again! This has to be a nightmare. The St. Jude school I knew had teachers, all though some were odd, that taught me deep love and joy from God. They never made fun of me, except for a tease or two. One thing that was made abundantly clear at our school was ‘Our Creator God Will be our Father… And we shall be His sons and daughters.’  We are children of God. Not rejects!  ‘And if children, then heirs-heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together’. (1)  O Lord help me get out of this mess. So, listen Coach Hardline or to whoever or whatever you are, I need to beeline the heck out of here.”

Freddie exits the back door toward the idle wrecking ball. He climbs into the driver’s seat.

“Oh, this place has to be haunted! I guess that is what you get going to a public school. Lots of hard knocks, cold shoulders, and teachers wanting your snack and more to eat!  Yes! The keys were left in this crane. I think I can maneuver this lever and swing that wrecking ball.  Okay to you, imposters of the St. Jude faculty; it’s time to pummel you to smithereens! Here you go you fakers of the truth! Take this!”

Ker plunk. Whir. Caput, Ker plink. The drive shaft of the crane becomes stuck and the wrecking ball cab cockpit swirls repeatedly around and around in circles. Freddie feels himself being thrown from the cab toward the marsh.

Freddie feels a shake. A construction worker is shaking his shoulder.  Bam, bam, bam smash. Bricks, tile, mortar are all flying about. Dust and debris everywhere.

“Hey kid you should not be here. We are about to start demolition on this old school site. You need to move along to a safe viewing area.”

“Hey mister, when did you start demolishing the school?”

“About three minutes ago. Before I had Coach fire up the wrecking ball, I made sure that all was clear, but then I saw you.”

“Coach?”

“Yea, the retired Coach Hardliner from St. Jude. He’s waving to us now.”

Freddie got up looking over his shoulder. As the walls came tumbling down, he heard the shrieks of hissing and crying of critters inside. A horde of flies launch into the sky. He sees a tiny little snake slither its way out of the cab into the swamp next to the school.”

“Mister, this place is freaky. You could say unholy. Maybe even evil.”

“Yup, you get what you pay for from a public-school education.”

Next time when Freddie wants to walk down memory lane he’ll do it in the safety of his church with his bible and pastor right by his side.

And Freddie smiles as he remembers one of his memory verses, “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.” (2)

(1) Romans 8:17, NKJV

(2) Psalm 34: 17, NKJV

-END-

PS. Freddie holds true to his faith against the lies of this world.

Author: Pete Gautchier

Acknowledgement:Reedsyprompts.com