*tip ………tip* two drops of red were glistening on the shiny dark bald patch of the professor’s head as he continued to read, oblivious to his audience’s apathy. He considered himself to be quite a head turner, with his soap opera like voice modulations while reading his lectures, he believed that he was doing well. The mental chatter was loud enough for him not to notice the thuds on his bare skin.

*tip* the red soaked the paper he just turned. The dark curling ferns emerged from the pristine white ceiling, once abode only to the spiders.

Unnoticed by the apathetic humans, there was a flurry of activity in their humble abode today, a quick dissipation to the west, towards the closed windows.

The black ominous gurgling clouds brought much joy to the students as well as respite for the unknown.

The dark mooned bald head mmoved as he felt something moist beneath his shirt collar, as the students sneakily tried to enjoy the view outside.

The professor had taken this job fter many had refused, it was quick easy money too, he just had to teach for a few hours and they were paying for his accomodation, meals etc.

Looking back at t, it was just a small compromise that the school was located in the middle of nowhere with big coniferous trees making a bow over this slightly dilapidated  enchanting castle. Curiously, no professor worked here for more than six months, he had been here for an year now, true he took many leaves but still his chest puffed out with pride that he still got it in him, he outdid the others.

“ There are many differences between a plant and animal cehhhhhhhh……”, his words go stuck in his throat as the lights went out , leaving the castle in enchanted darkness.

“Kya hua?” shouted the man to nobody, his voice boming across the halls and penetrating the peon’s ears.

A quick check on the circuit board and the peon found out that nothing as wrong “it must be that time of the year again’, he thought quietly to himself and  grabbed two candlesticks and made a quick dash towards the occupied classroom.

Huffing and puffing he made a grand entry, banging the door to the wall as there was a collective “aaaah” of surprise from the students, their necks following to witness the hero like entry to the set stage, just to notice him staring dumbstruck towards the direction of the blackboard.

Their necks swivelled to follow the act that pulled such a funny face on the old peon’s face.

The wall seemed to be fighting with itself, until it tore apart accompanied with a roar of the feral lion.

Blood showered from the ceiling as an arthritic professor tried hs best to rise as fast as he could from his cushiony seat, his clothes soaked red and sticking to his frail figure.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrggghhhhhhhh” his gurgling voice was directed towards the now attentive, statued audience as a feral man, head like a lion, hands like man, swung upside down from the ceiling,  grabbed him and swallowed him whole, headfirst.

It looked much like a scene from a discovery documentary, the snake swallowing his prey whole, it’s legs swinging, like the man’s, to the now flickering tubelights.

All the while, the young audience sat in rapt attention with a feeling of déjà vu but sadistic as the doomed bell rung in the distance, chiming away the end of another era.