MINA [#Wattys2014]

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Another day, another penny.

She waved to her students as she walked out the double doors at the end of another long day. It was exhausting just having to teach, so one can just imagine what the added responsibility of overseeing all the other literature teachers did to her even though school was scheduled to end in just two short weeks. You'd think that all that was left was some simple wrapping up and ties with bows, but no. She had to over-see the input of grades into the system and the writing of the end of year reports.

She'd deceived herself into thinking that it wouldn't be a tough job to handle but now she was paying for that assumption. There was a lot more to it than she'd initially thought. Even now she found that she had to be thinking about the new school year. She had to ensure that the other teachers' lesson plans for the days were up to scratch and flowed with the syllabus; approve and re-approve each one and each change that had to be made. And it was not an easy task to accomplish when she was so much younger than most of them, and when it was blatantly clear that they obviously hated that fact.

There was an obvious tension between her and the older teachers as they despised having to be subservient to one so young, and all who had thought they'd be prime candidates for the post should it become vacant, now resented her. Then there was the case of the male teachers who made it their point of duty to try to wine and dine her, though like always she would politely refuse their offers. Why did they not just give up, and get it into their thick skulls that she just was not interested? Especially now that the rules had changed dramatically. Even though it would have been unethical for her to date one of her employees, she could have considered it. But now, she had to think about the consequences of what they would expect to get out of the relationship. She could see it now, him milking the resources he'd think he'd have access to and playing up on the favoritism he would surely expect to receive during the course of it. But she would be damned if she would ever allow that to happen. So she continued to rebuff their advances in order to avoid becoming a part of a situation like that which there would be no coming back from.

She waited outside the gate as she anticipated Tanya's arrival. They had made some dinner plans just for the heck of it. She had brought home a lot of papers to grade this past week so looking forward to the dinner was an immensely appreciated distraction. She had needed something to take her mind off all the stress before she ended up bursting something essential, like a blood vessel. That was how she felt most days since she had gotten that promotion nearly a month ago; like a vessel was just waiting to pop.

She was constantly under some pressure that threatened to push her over the edge. Last night she had actually believed that she was going to be catapulted in to a massive meltdown when she'd finally acknowledged having to mark so many exam papers and the enormous amount of things she was still yet to get done. But she'd been saved by Tanya popping her head into the room to check on her. It felt like Tanya could now read her like an open book and had come up with this solution, for which she was grateful.

"Hey beautiful, need a ride?"

Tank pulled his sports car to a stop at her feet.

"No thanks I'm waiting for Tanya."

"I'm sure she wouldn't mind me dropping you home."

Mina shook her head at him. It was bad enough that she had allowed him to drop her home that one time, now he was attempting to pick her up right at the school's gate, in full view of anyone who desired to look. His vehicle was hard to miss too, considering he was the only one in the area with that make of Lamborghini in that shade of fiery red. She had to shake her head at his determination, and grudgingly commend him for it too.

"It wouldn't look good Tank...besides I'm not going home. I'm heading out to dinner."

"Miss Santra has a date?!" Tank's eyes widened in disbelief. "Who's the lucky guy?"

Mina was saved from answering by Tanya's white Toyota Yaris pulling up to the curb right behind Tanks red Lamborghini. The difference was impossible to ignore and the irony of who was driving which was not lost on her.

"There you are. Hop in." Tanya leaned out the window and called to her.

"You sure something isn't going on between you two?" Tank laughed as he pulled out onto the road and drove away.

Mina shook her head as she sat down and closed the car door.

"What was that about?"

"That was the Principal's son, who is very convinced that you and I are seeing each other on an intimate and romantic level."

"Now why would he think that?"

"Because it's much easier to believe than to believe the phenomenon it has become that I don't date by choice."

Tanya laughed hard at this as she drove them to the restaurant. She was still laughing as she parked and they walked in.

"What a phenomenon that is!"

Later, Mina walked across the road as she ventured home. Tanya had to head back to work after the dinner was cut short due to an emergency call from her office. So instead of having her drive out of her way to drop her home; Mina had suggested that she would walk it. The restaurant was not that far away anyway. So it should not have been that hard a walk to endure.

Finally Tanya had relented and allowed her to, but not before hugging her and departing the advice to stay safe as she drove away. What she would give if Tank would turn up at that moment out of nowhere. She would not have to worry about him being recognized as her student here. And why was it that when she might actually need him, he was not sticking his nose in her business

?

She pulled her coat tightly around herself and trudged on, trying to put a little pep into her step so she could get home faster...but something did not feel right...

...the feeling had come back...

...she could feel the hairs standing on the back of her neck, it was electric. A shock wave of anxiety quickly ran the length of her spine.

She spun around in time to sniff the faint trace of sickly sweetness as a hand reached out and covered her nose. Holding her breath she kicked out at the figure and screamed. She turned and ran though she could hear him coming at her again. She felt the grip on her legs the same moment that she hit the ground, instantaneously...

She lashed out again, and scuttled away on her back. He got up and she caught a glimpse of a flash of his teeth in the light of the street lamp, as he smiled and slowly advanced.

He cracked his knuckles. The towel hung limply at his side.

"Please... what do you want from me?"

"You Mina, I want you."

"NO!"

He grabbed her legs once more and pulled her thrashing and screaming towards him.

She lashed out at his face and while she could feel that she'd nicked his skin, she was also rewarded with a strangling hold as his fingers curled around her throat.

"...uk...ag...ach...pl...please..." she wheezed, grabbing and trying to no avail to pry his fingers apart and loosen the hold of the hand on her neck.

She heard it before she felt the impact of the back of her head connecting with the hard, unforgiving ground...and then that was accompanied by nothing...

Grasping her limp body by the arms he hauled her up and over his shoulder as if she weighed nothing. Then with an arm held securely behind her knees he began his trek out of the alley into which she had ran, thanks to his aggressive guidance.

He had waited forever for the right opportunity, and finally it had arrived. His strength defied his size, which was why they had always underestimated him but it was the way they looked at him that drove the nail into their coffins.

Like they pitied him, but they always paid the price.

Always.