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She entered my office hesitantly: “Hello. My son Johnny here is dropping out. I
need to enroll him in night school."
“Night school is serious business,” I told her, “Have a seat while I give
Johnny a tour.”
She plopped into a chair as Johnny sulked along behind me. I unlocked the door to a classroom layered with filth.
Johnny snorted: “I’m leaving.” He tried, but the door was locked.
“Check out your classmates, Johnny. They’re in the book closet.”
I pointed to a door, which he opened. Bones clattered out. A lone eyeball rolled across the floor to his feet.
“My favorite pupil!” I sighed.
“Who are you?” Johnny gasped.
“The point, Johnny, is not who--but where--is your life going?”
“Don’t know, man.”
“That’s why you need night school, Johnny. I’m here to help you.”
“By killing me?” He stepped backwards into a shelf. Books exploded into dust. “I don’t want to be another bone in your collection.”
* * * * *
I gently shook his mother’s sleeping form. She blinked.
“Our tour is finished,” I said, “Johnny’s decided not to drop out.”
Johnny nodded. His mother’s smile was radiant as she hugged her son. They left my office hand in hand.
* * * * *
In my classroom, you can learn or you can die. Life is simple, and death is easy, so it’s a tough choice. But you need to decide before you enroll, because it gets to be a long night..
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