History of the Trap: May Shadows Part 1

SYNOPSIS:  After being visited in prison by Morgan LaDona Tigh, Lance Martin has agreed to Dr. Duncan's request to detail what happened in the time that Lance is calling "the Trap."  Lance begins his journal by describing the morning before the trap fell, where we learn his father was the Principal of Loren High, that Lance is a Junior, and has a sister named Diane who is a sophomore.  After a couple hours at school that morning, where we see how different is relationship with Morgan is, we also meet Lance's best friend, Artie Pentler, and their gang. Just as Lance is ready to ask Ginny Estill out, the Trap falls, and they witness the horrible death of two P. E. students as they are caught in some kind of electrical storm.  After a very rocky, scary day, the students were called to gather in the gym, where some students broke out.  After the rally, Lance and his sister meet with their father and find that he doesn't know much more than they do.  Lance spends his first night in the trap, listening to late night screams and sounds of electric zapping. As April passes, it begins to sink in that the trap might not end.  When this scene opens, it is now May 1st.  

Chapter 4

May Shadows

1

There were not only teachers and students caught with us there at Loren High School.  There were also staff people.  Several cooks, a couple of janitors, some Para-professional assistants, a school nurse, a yard maintenance man; all were in with us.  One of these was Alberto Foreman, an Hispanic janitor.  In his sixties, he was one of the oldest persons in the trap.

Often shuffling due to gout flare ups, he was unfailingly fastidious about his work.  He engaged students rarely, but was friendly if they spoke to him.  Heavy set and short, closely cropped black hair, thinning mustache, he did his work slowly but carefully, as if it were the most important thing in the world.  This cleanliness that most of us took for granted without a single thought.

Alberto did get help a week or two after the storm held us in place.  A team of students was at his disposal to help keep the school clean.  And with so many students in so close a quarter, things could get very bad very fast.

The students working with him had grown to respect him, and followed his direction fairly well.  At first they were frustrated because they wanted to do the job more rapidly than he did, but they gradually learned the importance of doing a job thoroughly.

Freddy Darick was helping Alberto that first morning of May.  It was early when Freddy went to the supply closet to get some more cleanser for his cleaning bucket.  Freddy was surprised to find out that the supply closet was already unlocked. He had gotten the key from Alberto, and wasn't sure why he would do that if the closet was already open.  He turned to Alberto who was cleaning just up the hall.  "Hey, Alberto!  The door is already unlocked!  Did you know that?"

Alberto came over, looking slightly puzzled.  "No, I did not.  I have not been in there this morning.  And I know it was locked last night.  I am very careful about these things."

Alberto turned the knob, and found that it would indeed open.  "Maybe Mr. Tate or another administrator has come by to check supplies, I don't know."

Freddy looked down.  "Oh, my god, Alberto!  What is that?"  He pointed to a red pool of liquid edging out the door. 

Alberto cautiously swung the door open and they both saw the body, sprawled next to the shelf of bleach and buckets.  Mr.  Franks stared at them emptily; his throat slashed from ear to ear, blood everywhere.

It was our first murder.  It would not be our last.

Far from it.

TO BE CONTINUED!!!