by Rita Riebel Mitchell

Bloodcurdling screams echoed through the halls. By the time Principal Maynard reached the new humanoid teacher’s classroom, they had stopped.

“Class, say hello to Mr Maynard,” chanted Miss Hildroid.

Terror reflected in the students’ tear-stained faces in a room that reeked of vomit and urine.

“I heard screams. Everything okay?” asked Principal Maynard.

Miss Hildroid grinned. “Absolutely.”

A young girl’s trembling hand pointed to the teacher’s lab table.

“We’re studying the digestive system,” Miss Hildroid explained, stepping aside to reveal a partially dissected body that the principal recognised as fourth grader, Johnny Barrow.

“Using a human subject is more authentic.”

Rita Riebel Mitchell

Rita Riebel Mitchell writes in the Pinelands of New Jersey, where she lives amongst the trees with her husband. Her short fiction appears in various publications such as Flash Fiction Magazine, Versification, and 101 Words. A former teacher, she holds an MA in Educational Technology. Meet her at https://ritariebelmitchell.com