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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..
