Like Chocolate For Fake Blood

Christiane’s parents drove her to the train station when the big day finally arrived. Christiane felt both important and out of place sitting in the front seat with her dad. Her mom sat in the back seat with the luggage.

Her mom wanted to show her all the respect she could for the honor she was bestowing on the family. After their morning meal, Mrs. Weber served Christiane a chilled slice of her freshly baked “Aunt Brosia’s” Chocolate Cake. It was no coincidence that the name sounded like "ambrosia".

Both her parents climbed on board to see her room, and to bid her a final fare well. As she closed the compartment door behind her Christiane quickly took a liking to her new quarters. A whistle resounded, the scream of the steam engine grew louder, and Christiane’s voyage began.

Watching the world go by through the compartment’s picture window was a cross between seeing an incredible work of art and watching a motion picture. Streams, trees and their changing leaves, the outskirts of towns- all in the blink of an eye. It was all going so fast and before she knew it, it was dinner, time to head to the dining car.

“Could everyone hear this”, she wondered. “Was there a little mechanical flaw in this train? Could it be wear in this rail car’s shoe?” she asked, “but then again, did all the rail cars have brakes or just the locomotive?” she smiled at the thought of railcars disassembling and her boxcar coasting in reverse all the way back to her house.

"How funny it would"- the rapping sound was getting louder. Soon Christiane realized that the tapping was originating from within the same corridor she was walking in. It was coming closer. She turned around.

The man in the dark sunglasses approached Christiane at a cautious rate and bellowed, “I’m coming though, if you’re in front of me you might want to move out the Way-", before either of them knew it, his walking stick caught Christiane on the hip. “Excuse me” he said, and then he quickly stopped and apologized.

Christiane put her right arm under the man’s left and escorted him to the diner. Christiane brought the man a bowl of the beef stew and for herself a plate of the cheese casserole.

At the conclusion of their dining, Christiane walked him back to his roomette. He seized the opportunity to kiss her on the lips. He guided her as they took a waltz step backwards, and the door closed behind them.

As the train arrived in Redonton, Christiane was cordially greeted by Dean Sheldon, his wife Agnes, Peter Thorpe of the Herald Gazette and Councilman Thomas Walker. They arranged for a taxi to come to take her to her apartment.

A week before school started, Dr. Sheldon announced to Christiane that plans had changed and she would now be teaching second graders. Christiane’s jaw dropped as she explained that she had been under the impression since Day 1 that she would be teaching junior high students, not elementary.

Dr. Langley’s bowed his head and thoughtfully told Christiane their academic strategy was tried and proven. She understood the Town’s position and accepted the role.

Tragedy struck two weeks into the semester when the music teacher, Sissy Merriweather got entangled in her father’s harvester. Her body was shredded and cast on the family’s farmland.

The police concluded that Ms. Merriweather was investigating what might lie in front of the tiller, when she either slipped or was pulled back into the machine.

At the funeral, Christiane told the congregation about how she and Sissy were like sisters. They dressed alike and had many similar interests. Christiane confided that once she even took Sissy’s purse by mistake, as it was identical to hers. And what made matters worse that even the contents were inside were similar to hers so it took her several minutes to realize the mistake had been made.

As the congregation gently chuckled Christiane tried to regain her composure and continue speaking. She couldn’t. She stormed down from the podium in her pointed high heels and abruptly returned to pew seat sobbing. As the minister continued the service, half the church joined in her wailing.

Joseph Baker was the student Christiane was most mindful of. For a child of eight he had a mouthful of adult sized teeth. They would flash like ivory spear heads whenever he talked, laughed, sang or came back growling from his attention lapses.

While his young classmates were used to Joseph’s appearance, and Mary Dodder even called him cute, there was still a side of Christiane that feared the guise of her little Lon Chaney Jr.. Mr. Baker, Joseph’s dad served on the school board and his mom worked at the pharmacy.

Darby Slanders was one of the quietest kids you’d know but when it came time to spell, he’d stand up and never miss a beat. He reminded Christiane of the prized spelling student she had when she taught in the city.

Shondra Jennings also reminded Christiane of her prized spelling prodigy and she was African American like he was. Shondra wasn’t the best of spellers however she had the makings of a natural orator.

Ellie Deberrell started out as a shy girl who Christiane was considering keeping in third grade for an extra year. One day as she was taking her turn reading "Who Stole Mrs. Piggy’s Marshmallow Necklace", Ellie stumbled on the word marshmallow a dozen times. The entire class fell under Ellie’s spell as she chanted “Mash mal, mash mal, marsh mayloz, mr, mush mallows, mar-“ and then a pause.

“Marshmallow!” she shouted.

Christiane’s eyes widened to the size of quarters and burst out laughing. The class followed suit as Christiane rushed up to Ellie and gave her a big hug.

Darren Rooney was a farmer’s kid who utilized his energy sparingly in school, knowing that there’d always be exhaustive chores for him to do when he got home.

Petrula Clark was a chubby little girl who some of the parents said looked like Christiane. But Petrula didn’t particularly like Christiane and much less wanted to look like her. While the parents called it baby fat, Petrula was actually eating excessively out of anxiety towards her teacher.

The music class started off on the wrong foot. The second graders seemed to be spiteful at their teacher for favoring the older students to them. If this is how the small town of Redontin wanted to play, Christiane was prepared to fight back.

The students drudgingly pushed there screeching desks towards the wall to free up the floor for their music lesson. As Petrula wearily pushed, a kick from behind her that sent her desk crashing into the wall.

“Come on everybody, let’s get this show on the road” yelled Christiane. She started up the record player and commanded the students begin dancing the her fox trot record.

The students were shocked at Christiane’s show of aggression but quickly grabbed a partner and started dancing.

Christiane went to back of the room and pulled the cruet out of her purse. She tapped poured the powder into the little spoon and inhaled the rehabilitating ecstasy. As she put the little vial on the side of the sink it tipped over, contents and container shattering into the sink.

“What have I done!” she screamed. She quickly got a piece of the big lined tan school paper and started scooping.

Some of the powder was in the water and would be lost, forever. Microscopic glass fragments got mixed with the remaining powder accelerating the drug’s intoxicating effect.

As Christiane tried to wipe the blood from her nose it smeared across her face. With the spell bound look in her eyes she looked like evil incarnate.

Christiane marched up to Petrula and asked her who the hell taught her to dance like that. She slammed her disobedient head into a steel door. With a whimper the first victim went down.

Christiane went straight to Darren and threw a hard right fist straight into his temple. "Were these arrogant farm animals trying to start a fight with her? Did they know who they were messing with?".

As Darren descended to the hard wood floor Shondra approached Christiane and demanded her stop or there would be trouble. Christiane grabbed her neck and squeezed and shook until she too fell like a sack of potatoes besides her classmate.

Christiane grabbed a shivering Darby by his thin arms and shook them yelling “Look, Darby wants to dance- Darby finally wants to do something!” She turned him around and let loose a lethal spine destroying kick.

Joseph came after her with those big teeth shining in her face. Christiane turned him around and gave him a kick that displaced the base of his spine and sent him reeling to the ground.

Ellie was in a completely disoriented state of shock. She put her young fate in the hands of mercy and outstretched her arms in hopes that her teacher might still have a streak of compassion.

“Look my teeth are as sharp as Joseph’s” screamed Christiane. She bit a deep wound into the side of Ellie’s neck.

“Not even close”, retorted Joseph as he lay on the ground. He then opened his mouth as wide as he could and bit down hard on Christiane’s right Achilles’ heal. Christiane turned her neck so fast that she lost her balance. Christiane’s head hit the corner of one of the student’s desks and the weight of her body was just enough to cause her twisted neck to snap.

Dr. Langley heard the ruckus and swung open the door leading to the second grade classroom. As he did, the force broke Petrula's neck, who now lay lifeless at the door. “Oh my God!” cried Dr. Langley.

When the police arrived and handcuffed Joseph. He incoherently tried to proclaim his innocence.

The paramedic saw Joseph’s wrist band. He took the medical kit out of his pocket and injected him. He did not know that Joseph had replaced the serum with perfume from his mother’s cabinet because he liked the smell.

A Christiane Weber Center for the Study of Child Emotional Disorders was established. The ground breaking for the facility occurred 2 years after the tragedy. Peter Thorpe took pictures of the elected officials. Everyone was asked to never forget the teacher who rescued a school system that was on the brink of failure.