Bloodsport:MarissaPIntro2

From Create Your Own Story

After everyone notices that the room is now teacher-less, a brief but preternatural silence takes over. You don't recall hearing the door open or close, so you figure that he's just hiding under the front lab table or his desk. While everyone else is taking this time to chat amongst themselves about god-knows-what, you push your chair backwards and stand up. Devin looks up at you and raises an eyebrow.

"What're you plannin', Marissa?"

"Gonna tell Mr. Stewart to get out from under his desk."

Maybe in elementary school a teacher would have been able to pull off a trick disappearance like this, but there's no way he could pull off a stunt like that for a group of sophomores and juniors and expect it to work. You guys are way too old for that shit.

And that's what makes finding the space under the lab table empty a shock to you. You pop your head back up and tell Devin that there's nobody underneath, but just as he begins to reply, the PA system above plays its standard chime and comes on, carrying a feminine voice.

"...this damned thing on? Oh, there we go. Greetings, everyone. I trust you're all having a fine day, but I'll need you all to come down into your... hmm..."

Everyone looks at one another confused, having never heard the voice on the PA before. Sure, the office staff changed from time to time, but there's just something about this voice that makes it very unique. It's very commanding, yet it contains an air of frailty. Reassuring yet uncertain. Like an insecure queen. The woman continues to rustle papers, returning after a moment.

"Ah, your gymnasium. Yes, please proceed there immediately. The festivities must begin."

With that, the voice leaves everyone to their own devices just as quickly as it interrupted them. Devin stares at you for a moment before standing up and turning to the class.

"Welp, the woman said 'to the gym', so... to the gym!"

Most of your classmates all nod and/or shrug in agreement, gather their things and stand up. Two people, however, seem to disagree with your friend's reasoning. A stocky boy in the back reasons that because he has no idea where the teacher went and that some "unknown broad" on the PA system is telling him what to do, he's playing it safe and remaining where he is. The wiry brunette under his arm nods her head in agreement and adds, in her nasal voice, that she sees no reason to be following a new voice blindly.

Karen Acer. God, you hate that bitch. Hated her ever since the fourth grade, when she started acting all holier-than-thou to everybody when her father got a huge promotion. When he died in the seventh grade, you actually felt bad for her and found yourself comforting her for a bit before she told you that even though you helped her, you were still "of a lesser class", and thus were inferior to her. Another four grades later and she's kept that same attitude, filling the "rich-girl" archetype when she started "dating" a few members on the football team, with her current stop being Eric Richardson. Using the average amount of time you and Devin found between Karen's boyfriends, he's got about another week before she gets bored of him. But, yeah, she's a bitch and all.

Devin simply shrugs and tells them that it's their loss. A knock on the door sends you over, and you open it, coming face-to-face with a rather large boy from a neighboring classroom. No, really. He seemed to have his face pressed into the door or something, so by the time you got the door open, you had already lost all sense of personal space.

"Did Mr. Stewart disappear too?" He asks, his breath heavy with the scent of... assorted meats? "Oh! And, and, did you guys look outside?"

As you do your best to turn away and not offend him, Devin scratches his head and turns to the window.

"Uh, no... we didn't, Randy. Why? Somethin' out there?"

"Worse. There ain't nothin' out there."

Devin turns to the window to move the in-window blinds and you answer Randy's other question.

"He did too? Oh man, Mrs. O was in the middle of explainin' something when there was that crashin' noise and everything went dark! Lights came on and she weren't there no more!"

"Wasn't there any more, Randy." You add, trying to correct his grammar while staying on his good side.

Randy Werks never really was a bright boy, but he wasn't impaired either. He was, as his grades indicated, a bit below average. What he lacked in smarts, though, he made up for in size. Sadly, little of that size was muscle. Then again, nobody risks getting him mad after he slammed a kid's face into a locker in 7th grade over a remark made in passing. The kid ended up okay, coming away from the matter with only an intense fear of Randy. The locker couldn't have the same said for it, though. The blood was cleaned up immediately; the dented door stayed for months before they fixed it.

Devin turns back and calls you over. Everyone else is already at the windows, mouths agape. Worming your way in, you don't quite know what to make of what you see outside. The school grounds are still there like they're supposed to be, but the roads at the edges are gone, as are all the residential developments further away. Anything that isn't school grounds seem to shrouded in a black cloak, hidden away or gone.

"Christ..." You mutter under your breath, turning and breaking from the crowd as the worried chatter begins. Climbing atop your desk, you send Randy back to his class and get the attention of your classmates. "All right, guys. We're all a bit wigged out here, so I recommend we all do the only thing we're certain we can and should do. We need to head down into the gym and see what that lady wants."

"You'd love that, wouldn't you? That's all you ever want, Marissa! Control!" Karen mocks. What. A. Bitch.

"Look, Karen. It's not really-"

You're interrupted by the PA coming back on. "You know, I told you all to report to the gymnasium a few minutes ago, and not a single person has made an effort to do so. I'd recommend you all get a move on before I drag you all down there on my own."

Devin laughs and raises a hand to the PA. "Ladies and gentlemen, there's the motivation. Let's go."

Most of the class still has their belongings with them, so Devin leads them out of the room and into the hall, merging with other classes on their way to the gym. You, however, are stuck with the stragglers. Even that group clears out after a few exchanged words between themselves, leaving you with Eric and Karen.

"Look, Karen. You hate me, I hate you. Eric too. But do you really want that lady to have to come down here and crack the whip to get us moving?" You ask, waiting for the two in the doorway.

"No, no they do not. You two get yourselves down there now. I'd best not see you arriving last, or I shall be rather displeased. Do I make myself clear?" The voice quips, having supposedly kept the system on for monitoring the various classes and their discussions.

And, strangely enough, it works on them. They seem to leave without a second thought - or their things - the vague threat having done its job. You follow them and try to sneak a peek into the office along the way. Nothing but darkness in there. Damn.

When you finally do step into the gym, it's about half-full. When everyone behind you gets in, it'll still only be about three-quarters-full. A quick scan of the crowd leads you to the other side of the gym, where Devin has been keeping a seat open for you. As you're sitting down, the door closes behind the last student and the lights dim.

"Ah, thank goodness you're all here today. Not a single one of you missing. Now, I'll have to ask for complete silence while I explain how the rest of your day will play out. I do not wish to repeat myself, so I'd recommend you pay attention now."

Good god, the page is finally over. Wait, that lady's about to make another speech. Greaaaaat.

Bloodsport.
I Am:	Marissa P.	I'm In: The Gym.
I Feel:	Fine.
Kills:	N/A.