He said it before it mattered. They heard it when it was too late.
🌫️🔍🧩
Brian was the quiet one. He liked it that way; he was perfectly comfortable with his own company. His classmates always went in cliques; his recesses were often spent in the library or alone in class.
They saw the teacher’s dull dresses; he noticed the little tear at the heel of her shoe.
Then, there was the crack in the ceiling. Just needed fresh paint, they said.
Brian tugged at the teacher’s sleeve. “The ceiling’s about to…”
His classmates filed out of the class for lunch.
The teacher smiled gently and gathered her books. “It’s just paint. See you later, Brian.”
🪟🧠📏
Again, Brian tried to voice his concern about the ceiling crack.
“The ceiling is about to..”
“There, there. It’s just a paint crack.”
“But the ceiling is about to…”
The sympathetic teacher patted his shoulder. “It’s just paint. You’re overthinking.”
His classmates giggled, then filed out the classroom for recess.
🔁📉⏳
Alone in class, Brian gazed at the crack. It seemed deeper than before.
The ceiling sank a little. So did he.
He tugged at the teacher’s sleeve. She was in the middle of an explanation of plant life cycles.
“Miss, the ceiling’s about to…”
“Again.” She nodded. The others filed out to the science lab, giggling.
🧱⚠️👁️
Brian gazed at the crack, now growing deeper than before. Again, he tugged at the teacher’s sleeve.
She completely ignored him – saplings were part of the next day’s test.
She didn’t need cracks.
The rest of the class filed off to the science lab, giggling.
They didn’t notice the plasterboard on the floor.
🚨🕳️🤫
Science class again the next day. That was when they saw it.
By then, it was too late.
Plasterboard and cement.
Exactly where they should not have been.
Brian tugged at the teacher’s sleeve. She gathered the apparatus for her science lesson.
Brian’s classmates filed off to the science lab in silence.
🌫️🔚🧩
If you like this story, do join me on Patreon! Buy this blog a coffee — it keeps the words flowing and the lights Your kind donation via Paypal would be greatly appreciated!
