Baby Of The Dead

Chapter 5 - Evelyn

       Detroit. Michigan. A Highschool.

~History Class~

"What happens when you come to the realization of a disturbing fact you've never thought possible. Things you only see in the movies."

The substitute history teacher started. The tempo of his voice at the average, his eyes picking one student to drop on another. His beards scanty, full moustache, child's face but stern stare. 

"Like our substitute teacher walking on his head?"

One of the male students made a joke and the rest of the class laughed. He seemed popular enough to weigh the interest of all. 

The substitute teacher smiled too and added,

"Or a two faced man like Edward Mordrake."

"Gross!"

A blonde ughed. She looked 16 like several other 11th grade students in the classroom. 

"But not for Evelyn."

The troublemaker called again, looking in the direction of a shy nerdy girl seated at the extreme end of the classroom to the right. 

"Evelyn the monster tamer."

The blonde added. And the class was wrapped in another wave of laugh. 

"Who's Evelyn?"

The teacher did well to house as much as the distraction he got. He knew he was only going to get message across to them if he was reasonable. And he'd been waiting all these while to do it and he had his slot already. 

"Almost everyone pointed in her direction."

The shy red-haired girl, with a pair of glasses, round cute face tucked her face in,

"I was reasonable to had let her top the class for the past few years. But now, Imma snatch back my position."

The blond had shot. The teacher looked away from her dismissing,

"No one asked you, dear."

The troublemaker stood up suddenly. Putting his hand to his chest as though he was shot,

"Ouch. That hurt."

The class was wrapped up in distraction at that mockery. Disturbing joke. 

"I'll have Derrick pluck your teeth, Devin!"

The blonde yelled from the front seat. Devin, the troublemaker was at the back seat to the left. The last aisle. 

"Could we come to our senses and respect a teacher in our midst? We have just five minutes before closing period."

Evelyn, the shy lady shot all of a sudden, her cute face wielding a sudden glare. 

Devin put up both his hands, pushing down a force in the hair,

"My crush has spoken, y'all fuckers. Let's respect Mr Substitute."

Devin sat down. A still laugh paced the whole class. As soon as the noise died down, the blonde packed her books, picked up her bag and stomped off. Out of the class. Mr Substitute watched her go. 

The teacher continued as though nothing happened,

"Though we love to escape the reality by confiding in logic rather than ration. Because we probably believe that what we can't reach or lay our hands on, doesn't really exist. Like the scientist had said."

"Are you saying you do not believe that? You don't trust the scientist?"

A lone jet black hair guy called from the middle of the second aisle. The classroom was divided into three aisles. 

"The world won't be a worthy place if we all  agree on a stance."

"But if you don't --"

Devin couldn't continue as he looked in Evelyn's direction. He feigned a JOKER-wild smile at her, eyes bulging at the socket. He looked back at the front. 

The teacher didn't push the odds, he continued instead,

"What if somewhere in the history of Detroit, where our school is built was but a coven of witches who fed on unborn children, by stealing the foetus with magic from the stomachs of the women?"

Devin pointed suddenly, 

"I agree with you. There must have been witches here. If there weren't, Evelyn would had said yes to my proposal since seventh grade. Their evil spells still loiter somewhere around here."

He bent suddenly, looking under his locker. Since he had searched in vain, he spared Evelyn a gaze and wielded a faint smile, winking. Evelyn shook her head, mouthing,

"Dumb."

Mr Substitute nodded and continued,

"What if where the  popular Woodside Bible Church is built was the harbor of a sorcerer who fed on the guts of imbeciles to renew his power?"

"Or what if in the past, a troll haunted your beloved Maldives, taking several forms to bind people to her wills?"

"Or what if the so called names you cherish is but a representation of dark spirits of the past who get involved in your present day life momentarily even without your consent? Wouldn't you make a research about the past of your land?"

A deafening silence traversed the breadth of the class, many of the students terrified, probably savoring the heat of the supposed facts supplanted by Mr Substitute. 

And suddenly, Devin put up his hand. Everyone turned in his direction as the teacher signalled him to speak.

He stood,

"What if your time is up and we are about to go home now but the alarm is broken?"

Everyone gasped. But he defended his point,

"Check your time y'all. It's five minutes past."

Point in the time, the alarm rang and churning chatters took a turn. 

But then, Mr Substitute shot,

"Detention for you all. For another thirty minutes. Don't give me a reason to add more time."

The students groaned as Devin walked off his locker. 

"Evelyn, you may go home and you..."

The teacher had made an exception, pointing also at the Jet-black haired teenage. He continued,

"The rest of you could come at me. Let's see who can knock me out, trying to go home."

Devin made to leave but Evelyn ogled him. He shrugged then returned to his seat. Like he could take out Mr Substitute. 

"Thank you, sir."

Evelyn bowed slightly and walked out of the class. She headed for her bike parked outside and rode home. 

-------------------------------

"I'm home"

She called, getting the door which led into the hallway that led to the sitting room.

"Welcome home, honey. Thank Goodness you arrived the right time."

She headed towards the large couch and leaned forward to hug her mom seated. She did the same to her dad. 

"You father and I just came to an agreement."

"Can't I go freshen up, eat and come back?"

She argued, her mom stood up and walked towards her. She held her and helped her seat,

"It won't take long honey. Your sister hasn't been in a good state ever since the horrifying death of her husband."

Her father took his turn,

"You should go to her, please. Go stay with her for the weekend. We'll come join later. I'm sure she needs someone around even though she pretends to be strong."

She stood up suddenly,

"That's why I hate her. She's so dumb. Shouldn't she be happy that the fucking Jacob prick died? Why's she sad? How does she even think? I bet she wish to conjure him up and marry him all over."

She made to leave but her mom, held her hand,

"Please, do this for us. Who knows, your hatred for her is only a fog shielding the great love you have for her?"

"I have a right to think about it right?"

Her mother nodded and let go her hand. She strode towards the hallway that led to her room. She heard her father promise,

"Come here honey, we could take days off work and go to her."

She halted suddenly, taking a deep breath. She turned and edged back,

"I will, but on a condition."

Her mother's gloomy face lit up,

"You'll pay the remaining balance on the laptop."

"You got it."

Her father promised, though the mother had a little bit of an exception. 

"One more thing."

Her mother sighed. She rolled her eyes,

"I hate you all."

She turned and walked off,

"No, you don't."

Her mother called. 

"Bluff."

She yelled back. But as soon as she got to the door of her room, she pushed out a loop of air,

"No, I don't. I love you all."

She got the door, stepped in and closed it behind her.