The teacher

Education system has changed. Nothing was the same. Now students had so much power that they could do almost anything and say anything. Moreover, they would get away with that. That wasn’t fair at all. Teachers didn’t feel like they were able to cope with all the pressure that they faced.

Stuart was a high school teacher. He thought that it was his calling. He loved his job. Every now and then his former students would visit him tell him how grateful they were that he had been their teacher. He had completely changed their lives. Nothing would have changed in their lives if he hadn’t been their teacher. He was a teacher, a mentor, a friend and a shoulder to cry on. Some of them had already families. They would show him the pictures of their kids and would tell him that they would be so happy if their kids had such a wonderful and inspiring teacher like he was. They would tell stories about their lives and kids. He was over the moon and so thankful when they came to see him.

Now the situation was different. Students didn’t want to study. Nothing, actually, bothered them. On top of that they bullied him. Stuart never got married as he dedicated all of his life to his work and his students. He felt that all of those students were his kids. He was always so supportive and was ready to help in any situation. During summer holidays he would take them camping. They had some interesting debates. He couldn’t get enough of that. He wanted to do more, much more as he felt how interested his students were. He was lucky to have found the job that brought him to much joy.

Now students talked only about videogames, blogging, sex and things like that. They didn’t need education. Why would they, when they could become influencers and earn a lot more than he did?

Well, he could understand, to some extent, all of that. But how could they be so ignorant? Illiteracy didn’t bring anybody freedom or happiness.

He didn’t like his job that much. He had been a teacher for 30 years. He didn’t try anything else in his life. He didn’t have many friends. In fact, he had almost no friends. As he spent too much time working, even the friends that he had left him. When they met, all he was talking about were his students and his job. His friends got tired of listening to his stories about work and students. When he was younger, they would try to introduce him to women, hoping that he would settle down and find something to do that was not connecting with his work. Unfortunately, nothing lasted long enough to become something serious. He pushed them all away. It felt as if he could communicate freely only with his students.

No one was waiting for him at home. He didn’t even have any pets. He was in his fifties. Alone. No pets. Already feeling that he didn’t belong anywhere.

Students were really mean. They would prank him. He couldn’t take that. One day he decided that he would prank them back. He had a plan. He would frighten them, so that they would stop all that crap. The day came. He told one of the boys to stay after the lessons as he needed to talk to him. The boy said mockingly that he wouldn’t and that Stuart could do nothing about that. Stuart was mad. He saw red. He needed something radical. After the lessons he followed the boy. He was all alone, Stuart approached him from behind with a handkerchief soaked in chloroform. When the boy fainted, he put him into his trunk. He brought the boy into his house and tied him up in his basement. At first, he wanted to show his face, to show that bully that he wasn’t afraid of him. But then he realized that he wanted the boy to be really scared. If he knew that it was his teacher, he wouldn’t be frightened at all. On the contrary, he would say some mean things and make Stuart angrier.

The boy, Adam, regained consciousness. He saw that he was tied up in some basement. The lights were out. He saw almost nothing. He was terrified. He couldn’t understand what happened and where he was. He started screaming. Stuart put on his mask and went downstairs. He commanded the boy to shut up. Adam started crying. He wanted to go home. Stuart told him that he needed to confess his sins first. Only then, if he was satisfied, Adam could go home. Adam couldn’t understand what the man needed from him. So Stuart told him that he had been a very bad boy at school. He wanted to know why he did all of those things, why he bullied people and was aggressive towards others. Adam confessed that he needed attention. At home nobody cared if he existed and didn’t pay attention to him. Stuart felt bad. How could he know? He decided to let Adam go. He went after scissors. When he came back, only when he saw Adam’s face he realized that he had forgotten to put on his mask. Adam started laughing. He told Stuart that he understood from the very beginning that it was him. So he told him everything that Stuart wanted to hear. Now that he was sure that it was Stuart, he would be arrested and would rot in jail. Nobody would visit him as he had nobody and was pathetic. Stuart was too close so he managed to spit on his face. Stuart got angry. Adam wouldn’t stop laughing. Stuart took the scissors and slit Adam’s throat. Now he was standing and watching how Adam was choking. Stuart was enjoying the moment. For the first time in a long time he felt powerful. He was alive. Now he knew how to gain his power back. They all should die.

There was a forest not far away from his home. He dug a grave and buried Adam’s body. The next day he went to school and acted as usual. He was thinking about who would be his next prey. The plan was to organize a camping trip so that the students would learn some survival skills. There he would be able to fulfill his goal.

One Saturday morning the class went camping. The day was really great. While on the bus, they sang songs. They were not glued to their phones. Stuart saw something that he wasn’t sure that he would ever see. These kids were not that bad. They needed attention. They needed to be understood.
 
There were several walking trails organized for them. Stuart wasn’t the only teacher. There were two more teachers. Kids learned a lot of useful skills that day. All were happy. Stuart even forgot what he wanted to do. He went for a walk. He saw a boy who was forcing a girl to kiss him. She was one of those shy girls who are usually outcasts or are unseen. She was becoming a really beautiful young lady. Boys started noticing her. She didn’t need the attention. She went to pee and the boy followed her. She was shaking when Stuart approached them. He ordered the boy to go back to the camp. When Susan saw Stuart, she started crying. She was so embarrassed. Stuart helped her to stand up and told her that everything would be all right.

Stuart was upset. He thought that he could see some positive changes in his students. He needed to punish the boy. He approached him when no one was watching. He told him that he needed to talk to him. They went into the woods. Tommy was a real bully. Stuart told him that it was an inappropriate behaviour. Tommy shouldn’t have forced anyone to do what they didn’t want to do. Tommy laughed and told Stuart that he always got what he wanted and Susan was not an exception. He took everything what he wanted. No one could stop him. He was about to leave when Stuart hit him with a stick. Tommy fell on the ground. He was unconscious. Stuart had to figure out what to do and quickly. He couldn’t kill him. There would be an investigation. He knew that there was a river nearby. He took Tommy there. Luckily, he was still unconscious. There were some really big rocks near the bank of the river. He put Tommy near the rocks and hit his head really hard. If people found him, they would think that it was an accident. It was dark. He was walking alone. He slept, fell and got a fatal injury. Stuart threw Tommy’s body into the river. Stuart felt powerful again. Now Tommy wouldn’t be able to harm Susan or anyone else. He stopped one more bully.

Stuart woke up like nothing happened in the evening. They were packing their things when one of the boys said that Tommy didn’t sleep in his tent. He was missing. Stuart’s heart started beating faster and faster. He tried to control himself. He told everyone to calm down. They could go and search for him. Maybe he went into the woods and couldn’t find his way back. They have been looking for him for several hours and no luck. Kids started panicking. Stuart called the police. When the police arrived, they questioned everybody. Now it was their job to find Tommy. Everybody could leave.

Several days passed. Tommy’s body was found. All were taken aback by the news. Police thought that it was an accident. They found the rocks and his blood. But nothing else. So the case was closed.

Stuart was happy. Nobody found out the truth. He felt even more powerful than before. Stuart thought that he was Batman. He was saving the city from jerks. Now a lot more people could feel safe, especially teenagers. He was a hero. No. a superhero. He was to continue his mission and kill all the unworthy and free the world from people like Tommy or Adam. But he should have been careful. If students from his class only disappeared, that would be strange. Eventually, police could understand that it was him. He should have been smarter. He started listening to the stories that teachers told in the teachers’ room. He would sit there, pretending that he was checking homework. Actually, he was choosing his next prey. After some time, he found one. The boy sold drugs. He didn’t study at all. All he ever did at school was distract everyone. When one of the students overdosed, Stuart knew that the time has come.

Nick was a perfect prey. He knew that no one would suffer or be unhappy if he died. Even his parents couldn’t control him. How would he approach him? What would he say? Next morning Stuart heard that Nick was punished and had to stay after the lessons at school. Stuart was excited. He volunteered to sit with those in detention. Stuart offered Nick to take him home. As he lived not far from Stuart’s place, he agreed. On the way to Nick’s home Stuart remembered that he had to swing by his neighbour’s house and feed his cat. He was away and asked Stuart to help him. Nick could stay in the car or go with him. He mentioned that there were always tasty biscuits and he could make a sandwich for him. Nick followed Stuart. Stuart said that in several minutes all would be ready. He could wait in the dining room. Soon Stuart called Nick. When Nick entered the kitchen, he saw sandwiches, biscuits and tea on the table. He was really hungry. Nick sat at the table and started eating. Suddenly Nick started feeling strange. Then he started choking. There was a rat poisoning in his food. Soon he was dead.

Stuart was happy but he knew that soon it would be strange that students disappeared. Even that kind of students. He needed a break.
A month passed. Stuart was upset that he had to lay low. It was a torture. He needed a new prey, otherwise he would go mad. Now killing those kids was the purpose of his life. He liked it and felt that he could do it forever. It was like a hobby. He craved for more. Still he should have been careful. He knew that he couldn’t do it eternally but he needed it like air. He needed to feel alive again.

Dilan was a rapist. He raped several girls and got away with that. Dilan couldn’t stay alive and continue doing his evil things. Dilan was a swimmer. He had some extra-curricular classes. He approached him after the pool. But what next? It was getting more and more difficult to find ways to get rid of those kids. Stuart told Dilan that his daughter needed swimming lessons. He wanted Dilan to help him with that. He would pay. Dilan agreed. When they got to Stuart’s home, Stuart offered Dilan lemonade. It was a hot day, so Dilan was thirsty. Little did Dilan know that he was spiked. Soon he was in the swimming pool and drowned. At night Stuart took Dilan’s body to the woods and buried it not far from the others.

He knew that he had to stop. He didn’t know how. He needed this in his life. Sooner or later he would be caught. He never thought that killing people would bring so much joy into his life. The rest of the time he felt numb.
 
A couple of weeks passed. He had a knock on his door. It was a police officer. He wanted to talk to him about one of the boys that went missing. Stuart was nervous. He thought that maybe they suspected him but wanted to see his reaction to be sure. He started to sweat a lot. He had to calm down. The police office could have noticed that he was nervous and he couldn’t let it happen. They talked for some time. Then the police officer left. He thanked Stuart for cooperation and said if Stuart remembered anything else, he could call him. Stuart closed the door set on the floor. This was a sign. He needed to stop.
 
Stuart stopped killing students. He needed something else to fill the void. What? Only killing gave him pleasure. He was slowly going crazy. Students were still mean to him. No one seemed to care to put an end to all of those things that happened. He needed to do something. He wrote notes to some of his students. They found them really annoying. So, they were the ones. He told them to come to the gym after the lessons. When they were all there, he closed the doors of the gym and pointed a gun on them.  They were really scared and didn’t know what to do. Stuart told them to pray, pray that they would be saved. If anyone screamed or said something loudly, he would shoot them. They were all on their knees. He told them to close their eyes. Stuart was shaking. He knew that the end was near. He wouldn’t be able to get away with that. Why not take as many lives as possible with him? He started shooting them. As it was after lessons, there was hardly anyone at school. One of the cleaners heard the shots and called the police. When the police arrived, it was already late. All the boys were dead. He was standing in the middle of the gym. He was laughing. He felt so good and yet so sad. A police officer ordered Stuart to drop the gun. Instead Stuart put the gun into his mouth and killed himself. He didn’t leave a note; he didn’t say anything to anyone. Nobody could understand why all of that happened.

Stuart was lying in his own blood. He was dead. Now he was free. Free from everything and everyone.