The Headmaster- By Harry Alexiou- Bits n Pieces winners challenge- MAY 2013

Jamie sat biting his nails, the hard wooden chair hurting his backside. Fifteen minutes had passed since he’d arrived. He listened to the boom of the headmaster’s voice as he berated another student. Then it was silent. From the quiet angst came a sharp whip and snap. Jamie jumped. Through the door followed a low, pained yelp, too afraid to reach higher.  The whipping sound came five times more until low sobs emanated from within. Jamie stared at the deep brown mahogany door and observed the polished brass handle slope down as a tearful student emerged, rubbing his behind. The young lad avoided eye contact as he hurried past his classmate.

The panelled door was held ajar by the greying, bespectacled headmaster, his bushy eyebrows covering the top part of his glasses frame.

“Come in young man, I haven’t got all day.”

“Yes sir, sorry sir.”

Jamie entered and shrunk back a little at the gloom. The heavy, green velour curtains held with gold braided tiebacks framed the only portal of light in the room. More dark mahogany lined the walls, home to numerous large portraits of well respected predecessors. He wanted to run, to leave this evil boarding school his parents had dumped him in.

“Sit boy...Jamie is it?”

“Yes,” he whispered as he sat.

“Speak up boy! I can barely hear you.”

“Yes sir!”

“From what I see Jamie, you've had numerous...shall we say run-ins... with your teachers and been sent to the deputy three times for disciplinary measures.

“Yes sir.” Jamie glanced out through the open French windows as a starling landed on the railing of the balcony. The sound of the headmasters voice droned on somewhere in his mind. The bird fluttered off, farther and farther until it settled in the trees at the edge of the playing field. He wished he could fly, far away.

“Are you listening to me boy!”

The jolt from his daydream set his heart thumping as he stared wide eyed at the monster in front of him. He knew what was coming and could do nothing to prevent it.

“We have a reputation to uphold here at Willoughby Heights and the likes of you cannot be allowed to run amuck and tarnish our good name. Do you know why you are here?”

Jamie hesitated as he glanced down at his shoes, “Yes, yes sir. I said a rude word.”

The Head leaned forward and slapped an open hand on the desk, “Not only did you say a rude word but you made a mockery of the Queen’s English!” he stood, walked to the French window and sucked in a deep lungful.

“Defenestration Jamie, the word you so casually defiled, do you know what it means?”

“No Sir,” he said, and threw an anxious look at the cane, propped up against the desk. The Head still stood at the window looking out, his gown tails flapping like Superman’s cape.

“It means- to throw something or someone out of a window.”

Something inside of Jamie’s mind snapped like the cane striking bare flesh. Could the headmaster fly like Superman? In a blink he was possessed by a deep uncontrollable urge. He ran forward and threw himself at the monster. The cry for help was brief as the headmaster plunged from the first floor to the gravelled courtyard below.

“Defenestration sir...I like that word.”