The Magicanada Project

Michael Kras

Hey guys! This is a work in progress, still flawed, but I'd love to hear what you think of the story, what improvements you think could be made, etc. Thank you for your help! And WARNING: Some strong language is used as well as a (rather vague) scene of graphic violence. Be forewarned.

THE ORCHARD
By Michael Kras

“Oh, I’ll get my apple.”

Alice smiled gently to herself as she drove up to the school building. She had been called on to substitute for a Grade 3 teacher. She was in an oddly cheerful mood… after all, she had a shiny red apple awaiting her. Teachers always get apples.

“SHIT”… Alice didn’t even see it coming. She and her damn fantasies made her bump the front of her car sharply on the block at the head of her parking space. Oh, but don’t worry, Alice would be punished for this… she’d see to it herself. Alice grimaced, in pain and anger, as she gave herself one single, loud, unaffectionate slap across her bare left cheek. This was certainly unusual… she has never stopped at one before. She would normally keep going, harder and faster until her cheek could no longer even feel the palm of her flat, tense hand. Easy does it, Alice.

The classroom had a certain quality to it that was simply terrifying. Alice felt vulnerable as she sheepishly stood at the front of the class. For a moment, she quietly observed these children, children she found strangely unsettling… almost repulsive. One girl was wearing pigtails in her hair, something Alice considered inappropriate. Sluts wear pigtails… filthy whores. What has the world come to when little girls, not even the age of ten, are wearing pigtails? Just awful. Alice shifted her gaze… she couldn’t look at this anymore.

A boy, standing in an almost… lanky fashion, caught her eye next. Alice couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but he had an almost… dainty quality. What has the world come to when little boys, not even the age of ten, are such flamboyant fags? He’ll probably end up baking desserts for the rest of his life. Alice stopped looking at these… things, and walked shakily to her desk.

Alice sat down… but she wasn’t comfortable.
Something else wasn’t right… where was it? Where was the apple? Alice knows there has to be an apple on the teacher’s desk for her to enjoy when she enters the classroom… but no apple. Papers, pens, a stapler and three-hole punch, yes, but no apple. What does she need to do to get a Goddamn apple? Alice forced herself to glance back at her class, gradually moving her eyes from left to right and at the ready to look for something round and red. Is that… damn, no, it’s a kid’s elbow. He’s obviously been through something with elbows like that.

Alice was getting annoyed… she would even settle for a fucking Granny Smith at this point. Her class looked slightly concerned as she shakily looked around her class. She had an almost… desperate look about her. Nobody could focus on their math assignment anymore, all eyes were on Alice… but she barely took notice.

“Who has my apple?” Alice asked, weakly. Nobody responded. She began to raise her voice and repeated the question, carefully enunciating each word she spoke. “WHO… HAS… MY… APPLE?”

Every student in the room was startled by the impossibly loud crash. Alice had shoved her desk over, yet showed no apparent rage… her face was eerily calm. “I’m only going to ask this once more… who the fuck has my apple?” Every child in the room was terrified, they barely even blinked. Suddenly, all eyes were on one little girl.

Pigtails. She should have known… a whore with a red apple makes perfect sense. Alice chuckled to herself. Pigtails couldn’t move. She could feel her substitute teacher’s piercing stare. Alice slowly walked towards her… the tension was unbearable. Pigtails started to tear up, and not one person was remorseless… except Alice. She only had one goal.

Pigtails was gripping her schoolbag tightly in front of her, like Linus from the Peanuts and his blanket. It gave her a certain security. But this security was whipped away with the bag as Alice tore it from her hands, sore from squeezing so tightly. Not once did Alice take her eyes off the little whore as she tore open her bag and dumped all of its contents onto her lap. A binder, a textbook, a pencil case… a sacked lunch. Alice carelessly ripped the brown paper bag open, and out fell a sandwich (Egg Salad), a juice box (Fruit Punch), and a plastic baggy holding two cookies (Chocolate Chip, Pigtails’ favourite)… but no apple. Now there was rage.

Alice ran back to her desk and yanked her purse off the floor, madly rummaging through its main compartment. There’s the ticket… her little Swiss Army pocket knife… red, like the apple she would soon get. She opened it swiftly, swinging its fine blade out. “Ouch!!!” she had pricked her finger. A small droplet of blood emerged… red, like the apple she would soon get.

Alice ran over to Pigtails, relentlessly digging the blade of her knife deep into her chest… almost all the way in. Pigtails screamed… the class screamed… Alice screamed. She quickly pulled the knife straight downward, carving a long but fine slit right above her heart. A few more quick, deep carvings, and Alice reached deep into her chest, rummaged her fingers past the rib bones, and grasped the round, red beauty that lay there. It felt soft in her hands, she cradled it very gently… after all, she didn’t want to bruise it. Damn, this is tight… a quick, sharp pull got that apple out of there. Alice was soaked, but it was worth it… she finally got her apple. And it was the juiciest, softest, most delicious apple she had ever tasted.

_________________
Michael Kras
Forum Administrator

Ben Train · Joined: 03 Jul 2008 Posts: 268

Hey man,

finally got around to reading it. Good job! Next weekend we'll talk more about it.

Ben

Michael Kras · Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2009 6:47 pm Post subject:

Thank you man! To be honest, I don't think all that much of this piece any more... I feel my other work is much better. Please check out either Counting Tiles (my favourite of my own work thus far, but it isn't really horror), or Knock On Wood (another horror story, in my opinion much better than The Orchard).

See you on the 9th!
_________________
Michael Kras
Forum Administrator

teddy · Joined: 31 Aug 2007 Posts: 166

Ha, I really enjoyed this. You've got a sick mind, and I like it.

_________________