Bad Memories

Emma looks out the window during the last ten minutes of school.  She does not care for school, her heart is not there, she feels as empty as a shell, and so she thinks of how she would like to take a walk to lead her far away.  Emma stays lost in her thoughts as the teacher asks her a question.  Finally the bell rings, and she is asked to stay behind.

"What for?"  asks Emma as she places a hand on her hip.

"A short detention - you were miles away from the class today;"  tells Mr Grigg.

Emma sits and she sulks.  She turns to the window with a frown, and she looks at the kids leaving school.  She wishes she were with them flooding out of the school gates rather then stuck inside smelling the sour scent of stale school-room.

Mr Grigg stares at Emma and he notices her melancholy.

"Do you have something you wish to talk about?" he asks.

Emma shrugs and then she turns her head away.

"Nothing comes to mind;"  she declares refusing to meet eye contact.

"Then I've let you sit for the next hour;"  tells Mr Grigg as he fiddles with some papers.

Emma feels an ice-cold chill.  She does not want to wait an hour, an hour later is sun-set and she has to walk home.  Emma shivers and she pulls on a cardigan to keep warm. The material does it's work it keeps her warm as the sun sinks, but the teacher does not.  His sterile company makes her mood drop as he stares at her like she is a question mark to figure out.  Emma rolls her eyes and then she looks to the floor, and after an hour she stands to leave.

"I'm done?" she asks as she approaches the desk.

Mr Grigg stares and he smiles.  Outside a crash of thunder warns of rain and then seconds later the rain buckets down.

"Oh no!'  gasps Emma as she sucks in a breath.  "I have to walk in this?"

Emma sulks, and then she offers a resigned sigh.  She wishes she could call for a bus to take her home, but all she has is her feet.

"I'll be staying for half an hour more if you want to wait to see if the rain moves on;"  tells Mr Grigg.

"No!"  gasps Emma but a flash of lighting changes her mind.  "Maybe I should;"  she then states before she sits once more.


Half an hour passes and the rain is so heavy Emma can't see any shape or form, just white blur.  Emma sulks once more -  she is going to be thrashed if she walks out there in the rain.  Emma looks to Mr Grigg who turns off the light.  He smiles to her.

"I'm sorry I can't wait;"  he tells her as he stands for her to walk past.

Emma picks up her bag and she moves.  She walks past Mr Grigg and into the corridor, however she turns around spooked.

"Can you give me a ride?"  she asks as he emerges with suitcase in hand.

"You're T for Trouble aren't you?"  asks Mr Grigg with a smile.

Emma laughs and nods, and then she clasps her hands together.

"Please;"  she mutters.

Mr Grigg shrugs.

"You can follow me to my car, if you wish;"  he adds.

Emma nods and she follows Mr Grigg to the car.  There she slips inside, and she smiles to the teacher who bothers to dust his glasses after he slips into the drivers seat.  Emma smiles as he looks at her, and then she tells him her address as he turns the engine on.

"If it's too wet I might have to drive home and wait for the rain to stop before I drive you home;"  he announces before he backs up the car.  "For safety's sake;"  he adds as he emerges from the shelter to have his hood barraged with rain.

Emma immediately knows he is going to drive home to his house, and she rolls her eyes - it is going to be a second detention kind of afternoon.


Emma rubs her thighs together as she sips on some tea.  She looks at the photos nearby, and she smiles.  Some of the photographs are of war, and she looks to Mr Grigg.

"Who's that in the photos?"  she asks.

"Those are my army days;"  he tells as he shifts in his seat.

"Oh;"  mutters Emma as she looks again.  "Did you hurt your leg?"  she asks.

"It was shot at;"  he tells as he takes a sip of tea.  "I'd rather not talk about those times, I'm a little distressed about the subject;"  he mutters.

"Oh;"  adds Emma before she shrugs.

A snort from Mr Grigg tells her he is not fine, and he sobs as he leans over his tea-cup rather heavuly.

"Are you okay?"  asks Emma as she stares from her seat.

"I'm sorry, it was just more cruel then any problem you have ever faced!"  he tells before he forces himself to push his tea-cup onto a table.  "We were tortured!"  he adds before he stands and moves out of the room.

Emma sucks on a finger.  She wishes that she could erase her curiosity but she can't.  So she stays seated and when it gets dark she bothers to give in to her guilt and she searches for Mr Grigg.


The rooms are cold and dark.  On the way through her traipsing Emma bothers to turn on some lamps, and they pave the direction she has come from as she wanders from room to room trying to find Mr Grigg.


Emma finds him in a study looking at an old film on a small television.  He weeps over a finger as a scream is heard, and then bang another explosion before all the people standing around get blown into portions.  Emms gulps.

"Are you okay?"  she asks.

Mr Grigg looks to Emma.

"I'm sorry - it's hard when you remember;"  he mutters as he bends his head.

Emma nods.

"Can you take me home?"  she asks.

Mr Grigg shrugs.

"It's still raining - best to wait;"  he says.

Emma feels a shiver and she steps back.

"Then I guess I will watch television.


Emma falls asleep before the rain stops, and she dozes through the afternoon which turns to evening.  At one am Emma wakes to find herself alone.  She feels cold, and so she gets up to turn on the heater but it does not work.

Emma wanders to the kitchen the fetch a glass of water.  She then eats some cherries before she moves on to find Mr Grigg.  The teacher is still in his study watching movies, but this time the door is locked and Emma cannot get in.  So she wanders through the house until she finds a warm place to sleep, and within another instant she is snuggled in bed.


Morning breaks and Emma wakes with sunlight in her eyes.  She gasps.

"The sun is out!"  she declares.

Emma moves to find Mr Grigg but he is still locked inside of his room.  Emma knocks but he still does not answer, and so she takes her shoes and goes to school.

"I hope he's okay;"  she mutters as she closes the front door.  "I'd hate to think he's become upset;;"  she mutters.  ":I am sure he is fine!"  she reasons.  "Some times ignorance is the best when you are being told to leave!"