Phantom of the band hall Chapter 2
Dissonance and Resonance
(Time Jump July 29th 1999)
The red sun slowly creeps over the rustic rooftops of Hoover Valley High School and illuminates the once shady practice field. Yet, one shadow still remains treading back and forth on the fifty yard line. The inconsistent pacing of the figure shows the anxiety rising in the once calm soul. It is none other than the new Drum Major Karlie. She waits near her car impatiently for the directors to arrive for the first day of band camp. She glances into her car at the glowing green numerals on the digital clock on the dashboard of her little red SUV, and sighs. 6:20 she says to herself only ten more minutes until one of the directors shows up. She continues to mark the eight-to-five interval between the 50 and 45 yard lines. When finally a gold car slowly coming over the hill in the schools driveway catches her attention. It whips recklessly into the parking spot near the door of the band hall, and Karlie by that time is already in her car and pulling into the parking space right next to him.
"Good Morning Karlie!" Says the director exuberantly.
"Good Morning Mr. Carlton! Are you ready for the first day of band camp?" She replys
"More than you would ever know." Mr. Carlton says sarcastically while chuckling slightly. The two walk together next to each other as Mr. Carlton fidgets through the many pockets in his khaki shorts searching for the keys.
"So how was your summer Mr. Carlton?" Karlie asks to break the awkward silence.
"Well, lets just say I had my hands full... I stayed at home most of the time with the boys, and we all know how rambunctious a seven year old can be when trapped at home." He answers in a joking way. They thought they were ready for anything to happen today... but little did they know they were in for it.
They spent a majority of the morning planning for the day with only a few interruptions. One being the entrances of the other two directors Mr. Anderson, and Special K (The percussion instructor, nobody at HVHS called Special K by his real name so it remains unknown), and Mr. Anderson's yearly story for the senior drum major. This year, being the 20th anniversary of that fateful day in October. He felt it best to tell the tale of The Phantom of the Band hall.
"So it all began in Mr. Carlton's senior year..." He begins quietly. "A boy by the name of Erik was killed on our old football field, as he was marching he stopped for his solo in the fourth movement, and the tuba player behind him was claimed to have mis-stepped causing him to trip. During his fall the burning hot Tuba split in half, and landed right on Erik's head burning his face and crushing a few bones in his cheek." Karlie's face begins to twist in disgust, but Mr. Anderson kept going. " He was sent to the hospital... But after a few days he disappeared, and was never seen again. Though, some people have claimed to see him running around the corridors of the band department, and a few people have gone missing late at night in the band hall and never seen again. Then there are some people who claim to hear the muffled tones of his mangled Stradivarius. " Karlie's jaw then drops and her eyes remain wide open not knowing whether to scream or cry.
"Oh gosh Mr. Anderson." begins Mr. Carlton. "You know nothing has ever happened to people around here gosh I've worked here for almost 10 years, and nothings ever happened to me!" Karlie gives them all a dumbfounded look as she ties Mr. Carlton's last statement into the story.
"Wait..." Karlie says softly. "So y-you are the t-tuba player that hurt him?" She stares deeply into Mr. Carlton's brown eyes waiting for the answer. Mr. Carlton looks down at the floor as a sign of defeat.
"Yes. I Johnny Carlton caused my best friend Erik to run off. I DID IT!!" He screams while slamming his fists on the desk, and crying his eyes out. Special K stops bludgeoning his desk with his snare sticks and slowly moves toward the sobbing director, but little did they know there was another set of eyes watching through the air conditioning duct. Plotting... waiting... for his moment to shine.
(A/N yeah, probably a little rough... I haven't written extensively in a while so go easy on me. More to come hopefully for th better."