History of the Trap: May Shadows Part 2

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.  The students soon realize, as April marches on, that the so-called storm is something more, and that they may be trapped at the school and it's grounds for a very long time.  As May starts up, a grizzly murder is discovered.  Mr. Franks, the substitute math teacher is found dead in a janitorial closet. Lance and his friends gather for breakfast in the school cafetorium, within sight of the crime scene.  

2

It wasn't long before pretty much everybody knew about the murder.  I discovered it at breakfast, coming in to see the crime scene, an area around the janitorial closet nearest the kitchen serving entrance.  We had to detour around it just to get our scrambled eggs (made from powder) and our oatmeal.  Mr. Tate was there, along with several other teachers.  Mr. Tate was whispering something to Mr. Bruchow, the biology teacher.  Maybe they were discussing the evidence.  I'm not sure.  There seemed to be not much mystery as to whose blood it was, and that Mr. Franks was killed.  But we didn't really have any cops.  Mr. Tate, our vice-principal in charge of discipline, was as close as we had to a policeman, and Mr. Bruchow was probably best equipped as a crime scene investigator.

I sat down with Artie, Ginny and the whole gang.  Robert Bond asked me as I started to attack my powdered eggs, "So, Lance, what happened?  Your Dad got any ideas?"

Again with everyone thinking I was an insider because of my Dad being the school principal.  This time from my own friends.  "I haven't seen my Dad this morning, Robert.  I have no idea what they're thinking about this."

"I saw him this morning when I first came in," Jim Kurrash said.  He was our early riser.  He had already finished breakfast and was just hanging out with us.  "He was talking with Mr. Tate.  He looked like he was getting a little green around the gills."  Like most of us, the last couple of weeks had been the most violence my Dad had ever seen.  The only difference for him was, he felt responsible for every incident, and was trying to figure out a way to keep a lid on things, to keep us as positive as we could be given the horrible circumstances.  I felt for him, how heavy everything must be hanging on him.

"I feel sorry for the guy," added Tom Bodell.  "I mean, he was just a substitute teacher, for crying out loud.  It was just misfortune that he was even here that day."

Ginny, sitting next, looked sad and worried.  She was also still beautiful, in blue jeans and a red peasant blouse.  The girls were starting to run out of makeup, but it didn't affect Ginny that much.  She never did wear much makeup, and the natural beauty of her clear, creamy skin came shining through.  "It's hard to believe that someone would do something like that," she said.

Artie put his arm around her.  "I know.  It's surprise you what some people are capable of."  Was Ginny leaning into him?  No, I must be just seeing things.  "Hey, the Jeopardy contest last night...does anybody remember a disagreement so nasty that Mr. Franks was almost overwhelmed.  Where Mr. Bowtin had to step in?"

"Yeah, sure.  Why?" I asked.

"Well, I just wondered who they were he was arguing with." Artie said.

"You think they coulda done it?" asked Robert.

"I don't know.  But I think they're worth checking into," said Artie.

I thought for a minute.  "They were freshman, I think.  I...one of them was Kevin Geller, I'm pretty sure.  The other was....I don't know.  I can picture him but I can't remember his name.  Big red-headed kid, lots of freckles.  Anybody got any ideas?"

"Jess Marlin."  That was quietly spoken by Jerry Mack, whom we had kind of forgotten had been sitting with us.  Small and sickly, very shy, we were still happy to have him for a friend.  I hadn't thought he would be the one to know the boy's name, but maybe Jerry was more observant than we thought.  Sometimes the quiet ones see more than you think.

At that time Phil Irman, my friend from the TV studio came by with his tray of food.  "Yeah, I just heard.  They found Kevin and are talking to him, but nobody can find the other guy, what did you say his name was?"

What did Jerry just say?  "Hush," I tried to think.  "It was...what did you say, Jerry?"

"Jess Marlin," Jerry repeated.

"Yeah," Phil exclaimed.  "That's the one!  Well, if y'all see him, let a teacher know, okay?"

We all agreed that's what we'll do.  "And Lance," Phil continued, "got about ten minutes to finish up.  We're going on air in thirty!"

"OK, Phil.  Can do!"  I answered.  Rather just sit and stare at Ginny, but can't have everything you want, I guess.

Then came Mr. Mood Killer himself, Wilbur Jones, my illustrious fellow Student council member.  He leaned down to my ear and whispered, "Special called meeting today at 2.  Try to be there.  If you're Dad lets you know what's going on, be sure to tell me so I don't go into the meeting in the dark,"

Yeah, Wilbur.  If my Dad tells me something, you're the first on my list to blab to.  What a great start to the month of May.