Short Story: April's Fool

April’s Fool

Kyle picked up his ball and barged into the queue next to Jade. He secretly had a crush on Jade, and only him and his best friend Reggie Trevill knew. Kane Walker cruised out of the door.

“Yo dude, how’cha doin?”

He thought himself a big hit; a real riot.

“What’s it gotta do with you?”

“Only being friendly” he said, backing away, hands raised either side of his head.

“Well we don’t call that being friendly. We call it being nosy.”

Kane turned and shuffled away, chuntering to himself.

“Not the friendly Kyle Turner we’re used to. What’s bugging you?” said Tommy Gilson.

“You, you turnip.”

“Oooh, scary Kyle keeno Turnip’s gonna punch me in. Ooooh, I’m shaking in me shoes, and me knees are knocking, the nails are piling in enormous heaps as the tension grows.”

“You’ll be laughing on the other side of your face, Tommy Turnip Gilson!”

“Scary!”

Then all of a sudden, Kyle pounced on his unsuspecting foe, pinning him to the ground by his throat, then beating him to the pulp.

“Git off Ky’!”

“Or else?”

“Or else I’ll fill you in!”

“In this position? Or in your dreams?”

“In this position.”

A fist struck Kyle in the jawbone, but it wasn’t Tommy’s. It was Kane’s.

“This isn’t your fight, so go hike it!”

“Where? Killer Cliffs?”

“No, Death Valley!”

A fist made contact with Kyle’s nose, and this time it was Tommy’s.

Blood trickled down his lips onto his navy blue sweater.

“You’ll pay for that.”

“How much?”

“Your life!” cried Kyle punching out wildly.

***

Kyle stood in “The Headmasters” room shaking his head at Dr. Juel.

“Wasn’t me sir, I was in the gym with Bunter” protested Kyle.

“It was you, I saw you with my own eye” argued Dr. Juel. “I sentence you to The Remove” said the headmaster, pointing at Kyle.

“But… but… but…” stuttered Kyle.

“No buts, and that’s final.”

***

Blood dripped from Tommy’s nose.

“You dobbed on me din’t ya’!?” asked Kyle.

“You punched me in the nose!” he exclaimed.

“So! You set Kane on us!”

“Big deal, you always say he’s weak!”

“I’m only joking!” Kyle wailed.

“So!?”

Tommy grabbed out at Kyle and throttled him.

“Git off me!” cried Kyle sparking Tommy in the face.

Tommy fell to the floor clutching the right hand side of his face. “Stupid gimp!” he cried, sitting upright.

“Get back down” sniggered Kyle kicking him in the face.

Tommy fell onto his back.

Then Kane bustled in with Tinks and Corky. Immediately as if programmed they stooped down and picked Kyle up. The slid into a cubicle and proceeded to force Kyle’s head down the toilet and flush the chain. Giggles erupted, and soon Gilson was having a spasm in hysterics on the tiled stone floor, blood still running down his face.

“I’ll get…” he paused as his head was plunged down into the lav. “…you, Gilson!”

Then a riot broke out and Kyle became aware of Reggie’s presence. Kyle felt the fingers being prised from his feet. Kyle kicked out striking Kane in the face.

Next day was April’s Fool Day. And this one was guaranteed to be one to remember…

As Kyle entered through the school gates he saw a bloody mess resting against the wall of the annex. He rushed over to the lump, and a surprised laugh tore through the air. He immediately recognised the body as Reggie.

“Good April’s Fool” he said. “Where’d you get the fake blood Reg?”

He stopped.

“Reg? Reg?? Reg!” he shouted.

“REGGIE! NO!” he wailed dropping to his knees clutching thin air tightly in his balled hands. “Noooooo!” His shout had turned to a scream, and he grabbed handfuls of his hair, tearing out clumps. Huge tears welled in his eyes.

But then the sorrow turned to anger and hate burning up inside him.

“I will catch the killers, and I will punish them like they did you in.” Kyle bent and scooped up the note.

In thick spidery letters read:

Reggie was lucky, his death was quick but if you interfere, when your turn comes it will be slow and painful. Deliberate and on purpose this death is. Reggie deserved to die. He was an ignorant pig, always sticking his two penny worth in where it isn’t wanted.

If you want to be a hero, try to find and save Simon Westerman before his soul is claimed. His hobby is being a total sleaze. Always blackmailing girls and boys into his world. A true windbag. Think of his hobby, it might give you a clue to his whereabouts.

But to make it more of a challenge, I’ll also go to kill David Carter for being a thief. I have eyes everywhere. I see all. Don’t try to escape your fate. I’m on my way to kill one of them now. Pick one or the other.

Simon or David?

It’s your choice. If you pick the wrong one, you’ll have the others death on your conscience forever.

THE REAPER

The race was on. It was obvious the murderer was Kane. Simon was the next one to die he’d decided. He turned and ran towards the science block. He looked up Simon Westerman on the registration form. Lab 04.

As he ran into the lab he saw the body sprawled across the floor and another note on the desk.

This one read:

Too slow Kyle. Right place though, I’m impressed. But to stall you, I’ll blather on about a load of junk. Aren’t you running late for history? Oh yeah, you’re all bunged up aren’t you? Ha, ha, ha! You think my jokes are blunt don’t you? Too dull for you. You don’t look fit for the job. Webber’s next you know. Or maybe I’ll just blow out Juel’s brains? Carter is still on the hitlist you know. I’ll have to leave off now, because I wouldn’t want to get caught just after I’ve only killed two! Bad luck freak! Take your pick; Carter, Webber or Juel.

THE REAPER

Carter’s next I reckon, thought Kyle.

He rushed for the English room. He burst in midway through Dr. Juel’s speech.

He became the centre of attention.

“We have a volunteer to go into my machine!” she exclaimed.

She took Kyle and led him to a suspicious looking contraption up the corner. She opened the rusty door leading into the machine. “In you go” she smirked.

Inside the machine was damp and suffocating. A mysterious vapour poured through a concealed vent. The gas was warm for it’s cold colour. Greyish and bluish, it swirled at his feet. A wave of nausea swept over him. He thudded on the door. “Let me out!”

“In yer’ dream!” she replied.

“I’ll sue you!”

“If you live!”

He pounded repeatedly on the iron door. At first small dents appeared, then bigger ones, then bigger ones, then even bigger ones. Eventually the door fell off it’s hinges onto the floor, and out clambered Kyle.

The room was empty, and on the floor lay Dr. Juel. Decapitated.

Her head lay on the sideboard, her mouth twisted in fear. The note next to it read:

She’d lose her head if it wasn’t attached. And now it isn’t! BLOOD. BLOOD. BLOOD. YUMMY. THREE DOWN, A FEW TO GO. BUT YOU’RE LAST. YOUR FATE’S THE WORST. DON’T INTERFERE WITH THE PROFESSIONALS, CAUSE YOU’LL LOSE. OF COURSE, IF YOU CAN FIGURE OUT WHO I AM YOU CAN PREPARE MY FUNERAL. BUT THE CHANCES OF THAT ARE NINETY NINE TO ONE. ANOTHER PERSON TO ADD TO YOUR LIST. TOMMY GILSON. NO REASON APART FROM HE THINKS HE’S THE BIG HIT. KANE WALKER ISN’T TO FAR UP THE LIST EITHER. BUT I KNOW YOU WON’T TRY TO SAVE THEM SO I’LL KILL SOMEONE ELSE. I’LL DESCRIBE THEM.

BLACK HAIR. BROWN EYES. TANNED SKIN. AND THIN. MY GRUDGE IS THAT THEY’RE NICE. WHO IS IT? ANY CLUE? HOPE SO CAUSE THEIR HEART IS MINE IN LESS THAN FIVE MINUTES. DECIDE WHO IT IS NOW IF I WERE YOU, AND YOU SHOULD KNOW THEM, WELL. WELL? WHO IS IT, EH? I’LL GIVE YOU A CLUE. THEIR NAME STARTS WITH A J, HAS FOUR LETTERS AND ENDS IN E. WITH A + IN THE MIDDLE. WHO IS IT? COME ON NOW. YOU HAVEN’T GOT ALL DAY. GO AND SAVE YOUR GIRLS HEART. J+E = JADE. She’s gonna be mine forever. No need to be jealous. I just want her heart. Not her body. Sweet dreams, forever.

THE REAPER

Jade Wallace! The sexiest girl in school! Kyle’s girlfriend! No!

Kyle turned and ran up the corridor to the auditorium but before he’d even reached the room he knew what he was going to see. There lay Jade’s body sprawled across the concrete floor surrounded by a lake of blood. In the middle of her chest was a gigantic hole with pieces of thin scabby skin dangling into the pit of oblivion. Her rib cage smashed with blood in a varnish coat. And that was what he did see. His first emotion was sorrow as before. But once again this turned to a fuel burning inside, getting ready, preparing to burst through the top of his face and scream.

But there was a difference, this body was not accompanied by a note instead by a stuffed velvet heart saying:

JADE
IS
MINE
FOREVER

Kyle’s anger had had enough time to rev itself up and now powered through his head.

“KANE! YOUR SOUL IS MINE YOU MURDERER!”

He turned and charged up the corridor to the lounge. Inside was bare so he set off to the math’s block. Why? Because he’ll be behind the building having a fag with Tinks and Corky. Maybe Woody, Beechy and Titch as well.

But he didn’t expect to see what he saw.

There they were, yes. But instead of alive, they were dead. Their heads were caved in and their eyeballs huge and swollen. They were accompanied by a bouquet of dead black roses with a note.

ROSES ARE RED.
VIOLETS ARE BLUE.
THESE 6 PEOPLE ARE DEAD.
AND YOU WILL BE TOO.

A bullet tore through the wall and powered into Kyle’s arm. Blood oozed through the gaping wound and he was approached by…

THE ATTACKER.

A black balaclava covered the attackers identity, but as she spoke Kyle recognised her voice.

“I couldn’t let Jade interfere with our life Kyle Turner. Now there’s just me and you, and we going to go together forever Kyle. You know that verse: TIL DEATH DO US PART. Well now is the time for that verse’s end to end. Casey has victory over Kyle Turner.”

“Why Casey? Why don’t you leave me alone. You’re nuts!”

“You won’t be when I’ve finished, well, when my pets have finished with you, you won’t be. I wish you’d known my hobby before.”

Casey’s carnelian red Vauxhall Cavalier pulled up the gravel drive of a deserted hut way up in the forest. Casey led him up the steps to a shack and passed through several rooms. Eventually they emerged into a room with an enormous hole in the floor.

“So what’s your hobby, Casey? Black magic?”

“Take a look down the hole.”

“Breeding piranhas?”

“Yes, and I seldom remember to feed them so they’re very hungry. But because I like you, I’ll give you a chance to escape their teeth. I’ll leave your hands untied.”

“Why don’t you let me live anyway?”

“You know nothing. Obviously. I escaped the mental institute. I was considered a looney tune. A nutter. A crack pot.”

“I never knew.”

“You know how that felt? To be rejected for my mental state. Everyone hated me and now I’m getting my revenge. Stop trying to stall time. No one will come and save you. They’re all dead. I personally killed them, and boy it felt good. Well, are you going to jump or do you need a push?”

Silence.

“I’ll take it you need a push, Kyle” she said, heaving her weight at him. But things took a turn. Kyle dropped to his knees, and Casey plummeted to her death in the murky depths of the pit.

A lot of thrashing arose from in the pit, and Kyle looked down into clear water.

“Glad that’s over!” he said to himself.

A hand, bony and thin wrapped around his ankle. “Come to hell Kyle!” Casey droned from her grave.

Kyle found himself falling to his death into the jaws of a hungry piranha! But that never happened, because before he could make an impact a strong hand leapt out and grabbed onto his. He was heaved onto a ledge next to Gilson!

“Why did you save me Gilson!?”

“Well if I didn’t, your death would be on my conscience forever!”

Kyle looked down into the blood red water. The piranhas had sure taken care of her.

Now all Gilson and Kyle could do would be to wait for the ambulance to take them to the hospital to treat the gunshot wound in his arm.