The blackness that enveloped the auditorium was absolute. After having been seated in the illumination of the room’s generous overhead lighting, the sudden darkness was a huge contrast.
The students’ eyes could not adjust to such a drastic change, and as far as they were concerned, they were in total, uninterrupted blackness. It was like being suddenly blinded, or thrown into the void of a starless outer space. There was a collective gasp of alarm, and then more murmurs rippled through the auditorium.
“Everybody, please remain calm!” Principal Funkmeyer shouted. Apparently, the microphone that was mounted to the podium had also lost power, for the principal’s voice was no longer amplified. He tried his best to be heard, raising his voice to compete with the murmurs and giggles of the assembled students. “Please, just stay patient and remain calm, everybody!”
Maria reached for the hand of her sister. “Sara, are you there?”
“Of course! Where else would I be?” Sara chuckled, squeezing Maria’s hand.
“What do you think caused this?”
“Maybe the school forgot to pay the electric bill,” Sara speculated. “Principal Funkmeyer seems pretty distracted as of late, so maybe it slipped his mind.”
“He’s always frazzled, but he’s never forgotten to pay the bills before,” Maria giggled.
Principal Funkmeyer continued shouting from the front of the auditorium. “Just a moment, everybody, and we’ll have the doors to the auditorium open, and we’ll have enough light to see by. Then if you would all please calmly file into the hallway and return to your classrooms.”
As the principal finished speaking, another voice answered him. It was a voice that was amplified, and it filled the auditorium with its deep, powerful tone. “I think not.”
The murmurs and chatter among the students increased, with many gasps to be heard. At this point, there was a very small amount of light in the auditorium, for some of the teachers had withdrawn their cell phones from their pockets. Illumination from the phones’ screens could be seen near the stage as the teachers moved about. They were gathering near the podium, getting together and trying to figure out what was going on.
“Uh… I beg your pardon?” Principal Funkmeyer asked. “Who was that? Who’s speaking?”
“Be still, Funkmeyer, and hold your tongue,” came the strange voice. “I have the floor now, and you would do well to mind your manners.”
The students gasped at the audacity of the mysterious interloper. They were thrilled by his pluckiness, but also a bit spooked.
“Now, see here, whoever you are. I will not be bullied by some surly malcontent. I’ll have you know that you are on school property, and you will have to conform to our rules, no matter who you might be,” the principal bravely retorted.
Deep laughter was the response. It was a weird, warbling sound, reverberating around the auditorium.
“Uh… students, please listen up! Our teachers will be using the lights from their phones to begin escorting you to the exits. Please remain calm and follow their instructions!” shouted the principal.
“Disregard that. Remain in your seats, children,” the mysterious voice said.
“Please begin heading for the exits, students,” Principal Funkmeyer repeated.
A loud clanking sound was heard, as if it were the action of several heavy-duty deadbolts. It came from the vicinity of the auditorium’s doors.
“Remain in your seats. The doors have been remotely locked. I do so love technology… don’t you?”
The chattering among the students increased, with some of them shouting in alarm at this unexpected development.
“How dare you? What’s the meaning of this?” demanded the principal.
“Still your tongue, Funkmeyer. Do as you are told, and you will all be released momentarily. But you will not be exiting the premises until I have granted you your leave.”
“Who are you?” Principal Funkmeyer demanded.
“Who am I?” the voice asked, breaking into dark, rolling laughter. “Why, I am the shadow that stalks this school. I am the chill you feel crawl across your skin, when you sense that you are being watched, but see no one there. I am the cool breeze you feel at the back of your neck, when you walk school halls that appear empty but feel as though they are not… I am the Phantom of the Auditorium.”
Chapter Five
A Strange Salary
The Green Beans, Volume 5: The Phantom of the Auditorium Page 4
