AN: If you like my writing (and I really hope you do!) then please try reading my other stories—I've now published seventeen on this site—including stuff for Witchblade, Star Trek: Voyager, Walker: Texas Ranger, and a couple of crossovers, one of which I'm coauthoring with my best friend, RoughIslandSunrise, under the penname BelovedSunrise (our two personal pennames combined). Thanks!
Also, PLEASE REVIEW! I like to know how I'm doing, so help me out here!
CREDITS: The BIG credit is to Eli, who first came up with this idea. Sorry for stealing! I just couldn't get the idea out of my head, so I wrote it down, and…
The other credit goes to my best friend, RoughIslandSunrise, without whom *this* version would never have taken shape! Thanks to both of you!
THE DEMON CHRONICLES: CHILDREN AT PLAYChapter 1
Krista Cordero entered the teacher's lounge, grabbed a mug of coffee, and dropped into a free chair beside Laura Nelson. The first grade teacher grinned at her.
"From the looks of the comments on my roster, I've got a pretty good class this year," she said.
"What can I say, I do my job well," Krista joked. Laura rolled her eyes.
Leaning forward, the brunette asked her, "So, Krista, who do you have this year?"
Tucking a strand of blonde hair behind one ear, she handed her the roster she'd received.
Laura scanned the page quickly, her mouth dropping open. "Oh, my Lord."
"What?" Krista craned her neck to peer at the paper. Laura's brown eyes were fastened on the name "Michelle Nottingham". "Hey, isn't that…"
"The name of the guy who owns the school? Yes."
"Why did you say 'Oh my Lord' when you saw her name?"
"Are you nuts? You're gonna have to work to impress this guy! I've met him before, and I almost had a heart attack! The guy is scary! And his wife! The woman is psycho!"
"What do you mean?"
"She's a Homicide Detective. She carries a gun. Just don't piss her off. I saw her with the kid a couple of months ago. She was taking her to the park, and some guy tried to snatch her off the playground."
"And?"
"He didn't succeed. Now, he lives in a mental institution. She scared him so bad, he literally wet his pants. He doesn't say a word, so they don't know what exactly happened, but I know she's not one to mess with. Too bad he didn't know that."
Krista's blue eyes were round as saucers by the time her friend finished her story.
"Are you serious?"
"Hell, yeah. You be careful."
"Yeah." She swallowed hard. "Dare I ask about the girl?"
Laura shrugged. "She seemed pretty sweet to me, but with parents like that, you never know."
********
Krista waited for the last kindergartener to take his seat. Bringing up her class roster on her computer screen, she began to call out names. When she reached the middle, she paused.
"Michelle Nottingham?" In the front row, she saw a cute-looking little girl with chestnut hair and striking green eyes raise her hand. She was wearing a black jumper with a black long-sleeved shirt, black tights, and black Mary Janes. She didn't look like there was anything to be scared of. Keeping one eye on the girl, Krista continued down the list.
"Ella Po-Bowman?"
"Here!" came the cheerful reply from a pig-tailed girl in the seat beside the Nottingham girl. She was dressed in an outfit that matched Michelle's exactly, except that it was completely white. The two exchanged grins, and Krista swallowed. Two of them? Oh, no.
She finished calling role, and sent the document to the electronic attendance program. Ever since Mr. Ian Nottingham had bought the school, they had had the latest in technology. These computers had a program called the EAM—the Electronic Attendance Monitor—where a teacher sent her day's attendance roster to a main computer core that was connected to a phone line. It automatically called up parents of absent students, thereby eliminating any chance of what public schools called "skippers". She liked the program—it offered a quicker, easier way to do role call, giving a teacher much-needed time to do other work. Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly. This was going to be a long year.
********
The next morning, Krista had just parked her car, and was getting out of the vehicle when she heard the soft rumbling of an engine. She turned just in time to see a sleek silver bus pull up to the curb. Written across the side were the words "Nottingham Express". It was obviously a private bus, judging by the number of children who got off. The first, she recognized as a sweet ten-year-old girl named Una Woo, whom she'd had five years before. The second was her brother, seven-year-old Joshua, whom she'd had in her class two years before. Then, side by side, Michelle Nottingham and Ella Po-Bowman stepped out onto the sidewalk. Krista swallowed. So far, the two hadn't made any trouble, but Krista was sure that it wasn't far in coming. Today, Michelle was once again wearing an ensemble of black clothing, but Ella wore a lavender t-shirt with jean shorts and a long white coat. If she didn't know better, Krista would have thought that it was a lab coat, like doctors wore. She'd have to keep a close eye on those two.
********
The final bell rang, and Krista gathered the class to walk them to the buses. She loaded everyone onto their assigned buses, then looked down at the two brunette girls conversing in hushed whispers at her side. Sensing her gaze, they quieted, looking up at her innocently.
"Do you know how you're getting home?"
Both nodded. Una and Joshua Woo came up to the trio then.
"Come on, the bus is gonna be here any minute," Una said, her deep brown eyes soft as she looked down at two of her favorite little "cousins". Again, both nodded. Moments later, the small bus pulled up, and the four children climbed on. The doors closed and they left.
********
When the sound of the bus's engine didn't come the next morning, Krista peered out of the window and saw a sleek black car parked beside the curb. Curious, the teacher watched as a tall, lanky man stepped out of the back, opening the door to allow four children to stumble out. Together, the quintet walked inside. Krista quickly moved back to her desk as the black-clad man entered the room, holding the two little girls' hands in his own. His expensive suit matched in color to his daughter's black overalls, t-shirt, socks, and sneakers. He knelt down and spoke to them, and they both hugged him tight before scampering to their desks. He turned to Krista.
"I'm Ian Nottingham. Would I be correct in assuming you are Krista Cordero?" She nodded mutely. "Good. How has she fared thus far?"
Something about his eyes, about the way he looked at her, made her desperately want to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help her God.
"She's doing fine," she squeaked. She'd barely finished when he seemed to vanish, leaving her to stare at the spot where he'd been standing just moments ago. She turned to look over at Michelle, who smiled sweetly at her.
"Don't worry. He 'ppears and dis'ppears like that all the time. Mommy said it scares the shit out of her."
Krista stared at the five-year-old, horrified. What kind of child used language like that?
********