31 days theme exchange: "The social status of the vegetable"

[tarigwaemir]

The social status of the vegetable

She was sitting happily in the darkened science room, surrounded by the comforting smell of formaldehyde and bodies of dissected cats, when her quiet lunchtime was suddenly and cruelly interrupted.

"Why's it so dark in here?" A flip of the switch, and she was thrust into harsh, blinding light.

"Ahhhhh!" she screamed and covered her face with her arms, cowering against Josephine for reassurance.

"Oh, I'm sorry," exclaimed the puzzled intruder, fumbling for the switch again, and the blessed darkness returned.

Another voice called out, "What's the matter? Why aren't you going in?"

"There's someone inside. A girl, I think. She screamed when I turned the lights on."

"Oh, that must be Nakahara. We'll have to go to the third-floor room then."

"That's the infamous Nakahara? The resident school freak? Light bulbs explode around her, ghosts will possess you if you hang around her...that Nakahara?"

"Yes, that Nakahara."

"Oh."

"Let's get moving."

"Yes." The door slid shut with a click.

Sunako let her chopsticks drop and sighed. "I'm just not hungry," she told Josephine, who replied with skeptical silence.

The room felt oddly empty.

END

Comments

[sub-divided.livejournal.com]

Wow. This is great. *_* The title fits perfectly. There are all these hilarious lines like the comforting smell of formaldehyde...suddenly and cruelly interrupted, and blessed darkness returned, but then the ending comes along and just kind of...quietly ruins the fun. XD; It's a tricky mood to nail down but you really got it. I love the "Oh."

[troisroyaumes]

Whew, I'm relieved to hear it worked. I was wondering if it was too quick a change in mood at the end, but "quietly ruining the fun" was exactly the effect I was going for. ^_^