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CLASSROOM 622

It happened in the industrial town of Beakman Falls. A town that time seemed to hae

for!otten with its mom and pop stores on Main Street" taerns and the lar!e paper fa#tor$ that

oer looked eer$thin!.

In the shadow of the fa#tor$ on the north side of Be#kman Main Street were its two

s#hools% Beakman &lementar$ and Forrester 'i!h S#hool. It was at the elementar$ s#hool where

the dark in#idents took pla#e inolin! &llen (heodore and her third !rade #lass.

Miss &llen (heodore was an old and #urmud!eonl$ tea#her at Be#kman &lementar$

s#hool that eer$ student hated. She wasn)t old" *ut the $ears of tea#hin! and *ein! mean toward

#hildren !ae her premature wrinkles. +ith *la#k horn,rimmed !lasses on her fa#e" and a sli!ht

limp" she walked around with a frown all the time. She wore dated si-ties dresses and a fra!ran#e

that smelled like shoe polish. She neer had a kind word to an$one" in#ludin! her #ollea!ues.

She snapped at eer$one for eer$ little thin! and if it weren)t for the fa#t that she was a *rilliant

tea#her" she would hae *een transferred a lon! time a!o.

Miss (heodore took pleasure in torturin! the #hildren of her #lass. She was a task master.

ishin! out hours of homework" neer !raded on a #ure and stressed the third !raders out so

mu#h" man$ of them trem*led /ust *ein! in her presen#e. She loed to s#ream and *erate them

without a worr$ of what the parents would sa$.

Students did speak up a!ainst her" *ut the$ were often met with dis*elief *$ their parents

that she was so mean. (hat was *e#ause when parents #ame to see her" she was a #ompletel$

different person. 0ind" smilin! and" sometimes" she #hu#kled. She didn)t !o too far with her a#t"

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howeer. She did tell parents how *ad the students were doin!" how the$ were failin! and who

wasn)t listenin!. But she did it in a wa$ that" should the student protest" the parents would side

with her. (his #hildren hated her for *ein! two fa#ed and #onstantl$ wished she would !et what

was #omin! to her.

(hen one Frida$ after dismissin! her #lass" Miss (heodore went *a#k to the #lassroom to

!et her thin!s.

(hen she went missin!.

'er #ar was dis#oered still in the tea#her)s parkin! lot on Monda$ mornin! and her

*elon!in!s were on her desk. (he$ #he#ked the #lassroom and the #ellar of the *uildin!. But

Miss (heodore was nowhere to *e found.

(he students of her third !rade #lass were not surprised to hear that she was !one without

a tra#e. (he$ had wished for it to happen and 1it finall$ #ame for her.

(he 1it was the thin! that o##upied their #lassroom. &er$one in the s#hool was familiar

with the rumor of Miss (heodore)s #lassroom *ein! haunted. Somewhere in the darkness of the

*a#k #loset lurked a *oo!e$ man rumored to wait for its i#tims to rea#h in. +here it took its

i#tims was unknown. +h$ it waited this lon! to !et Miss (heodore was a m$ster$.

All the students in the s#hool knew a*out Room 622" *ut the$ kept it amon! themseles.

(he$ neer told the adults *e#ause the$ knew the$ wouldn)t *eliee them. But the adults had

heard the !host stor$ and the$ were 3uite aware that the tale was real for the students. So the

adults neer mentioned their knowled!e of it for it would /ust fuel the #hildren)s fear.

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(he prin#ipal knew he needed to do somethin! to keep the students of Miss (heodore)s

#lass #alm. 'e was !oin! to take oer the #lass for the mornin! as *est he #ould when a

su*stitute tea#her walked in read$ to take oer the #lass.

'is name was Mister Funkman and he looked like he *elon!ed in the roarin! twenties

with his sli#k *a#k hair and handle*ar mousta#he. 'e dressed in lon! pants with suspenders"

*utton down shirt and a *ow tie. 'e was in a !reat mood" er$ happ$ and e-#ited to *e at the

s#hool.

1'ae $ou su**ed here *efore4 the prin#ipal asked.

1Oh" $es. But some $ears *a#k. A*out" oh" nine or ten $ears a!o" he said in a er$ /oial

oi#e. 1I !uess $ou !u$s hae had a !reat attendan#e re#ord *e#ause I neer had to #ome *a#k

here.

15es" the prin#ipal said. 1+ell it /ust so happens

15es I know. (ea#her is a*sent" or missin!" or somethin! of the sort. (ell $a what" $ou

/ust point me in the dire#tion of those $oun!sters and I)ll !et ri!ht down to work with them. 5es

indeed I will. Mister Funkman shook the prin#ipal)s hand and the$ headed out.

+hen the students saw Mister Funkman" a $oun!er and #onsidera*l$ mu#h #ooler

su*stitute tea#her" was fillin! in for Miss (heodore" their spirits lifted. 'e was so happ$ !o lu#k$

that the students felt rela-ed immediatel$.

1I)ll take it from here" !u$" he said. 'e then ushered the prin#ipal out of the room.

1Oka$" let)s !et down to it7

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Mister Funkman *e!an with the math assi!nments. All the kids loed the un#onentional

wa$ he ran a #lassroom. It was like hain! a a#ation from the stern tea#hin!s of their reiled

Miss (heodore. And he was e-#ited to *e with them.

For mu#h of the mornin!" he ran #lass loosel$. 'e lifted their spirits when he read with

one of the sh$ kids. 'e didn)t !ie them a hard time a*out !oin! to the *athroom and ri!ht

*efore lun#h" he wheeled in a (8 so the$ #ould all wat#h a 8 of the stud$ of *irds. +hen it

was done he had them all line up for lun#h.

1Oka$" we)re !oin! downstairs to the #afeteria" Funkman said.

1Are $ou eatin! with us4 Brenda" a #hu**$ raen haired !irl asked while raisin! her

hand.

19o" I)m eatin! up here. I)ll #ome *a#k and !et $ou after lun#h" he said.

(he kids !asped and !rew 3uiet. &er$ fa#e looked #on#erned. Mister Funkman saw the

#han!e in their fa#es immediatel$.

15ou)re sta$in! here4 Brenda" the #lass president" asked.

1I alwa$s eat lun#h in the #lassroom" he said with a *i! smile" his mouth disappearin!

under the thi#k mousta#he.

15ou #an)t sta$ up here" Brenda said.

1+h$ not4 Funkman asked. 'e looked at the student)s worried fa#es. 1+h$ do $ou all

look worried4

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(he students looked at the #loset" then *a#k at him.

1It will !et $ou" she said.

1Brenda7 0ath$" a thin !irl with pi!tails" said *ehind her. 1'ush7

1It)s oka$" we #an tell him.

1'e)s not !oin! to *eliee $ou" 0ath$ said.

19o" no 0ath$. Let her speak" Mister Funkman said. 1+hat are $ou talkin! a*out4

1+e)re not supposed to talk a*out it" Bo**$" a red haired *o$ with a #rew #ut" said as he

s#owled at Brenda.

1Oka$" eer$one take $our seats" he said and the students ran *a#k to their desks. 'e

#losed the door and walked to the #enter of the room. 1+hat)s this all a*out4

1If $ou sta$ in here" itwill !et $ou. +e don)t want it to !et $ou" Brenda said.

1It4 he asked and he looked at the #loset. 1Oh $ou mean the thin! that !ot Miss

(heodore4 'e !ae them a reassurin! smile. 15ou don)t hae to worr$ a*out that. It won)t !et

me.

Bo**$ raised his hand. 15ou know a*outit

4

1Sure do" Mister Funkman said and he sat on the #orner of his desk. 1It has a name%

Christopher.

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1Christopher4 Bo**$ asked.

1(hat)s ri!ht" Christopher.

1+hat kind of name is Christopher for a monster4 Brenda asked.

1Christopher isn)t a monster% well he wasn)t a monster I should sa$. Christopher was a

student who went to s#hool here man$ $ears a!o. And he had this reall$ mean tea#her named

Miss Co**ler. She was alwa$s pi#kin! on him for one thin! or the other. Some would sa$ Miss

Co**ler didn)t like him. But whateer the reason was" she was alwa$s on his *a#k. 9ow one da$"

Miss Co**ler !ot mad at Christopher and she lo#ked him in the #loset. 'e pointed to the *a#k

#loset. 1(hat *a#k #loset to *e e-a#t.

1+hat was it he did4 Bo**$ asked.

1'e simpl$ asked his nei!h*or if he #ould *orrow a pen#il" *ut Miss Co**ler thou!ht he

was talkin! out of turn or whisperin! for fun" whi#h was not the #ase. 9eertheless it made the

tea#her reall$ mad so she lo#ked him in there. She refused to let him out until he apolo!i:ed.

1id he apolo!i:e4 0ath$ asked.

1'e did.

1So she let him out" Brenda said.

1Ah" well that)s where it !ets #urious. 5ou see" Christopher apolo!i:ed to the tea#her" *ut

she refused to let him out. It)s said that she was so mad at him that she refused to for!ie him

and she made him sta$ there oer the whole weekend.

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(he students !asped.

1(he whole" entire weekend4 0ath$ asked.

1(he whole" entire weekend. And when the$ #ame *a#k on Monda$ and opened the door"

poof7 Christopher had anished. (here was no tra#e of him" Mister Funkman said.

1+here did he !o4 Bo**$ asked.

1+ell" some sa$ he du! his wa$ out. Some sa$ he pi#ked the lo#k from the inside and !ot

free. But none of that is true. 'e leaned in like he was a*out to tell them a se#ret. (he students

leaned in too. 1Christopher simpl$ anished. +here he went reall$ isn)t important. +hat is

important is what he promised.

1+hat he promised4 Brenda asked.

15es. 5ou see" when the$ opened the #loset" the$ found a note on the floor. Christopher

promised that an$ tea#her that eer mistreated a student in thisroom a!ain would *e taken to that

pla#e and neer *e heard from a!ain" he said.

19eer" eer4 0ath$ asked.

19eer" eer. 'e looked dire#tl$ into her e$es. 1So $ou see" onl$ *ad tea#hers hae

an$thin! to worr$ a*out.

1'ow #ome no one has eer told us that stor$4 Brenda asked.

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Mister Funkman looked at her and smiled. 'is handle*ar mousta#he #urled up and he

wi!!led his nose to make the students lau!h.

1+h$ tell a sad stor$ when $ou should *e happ$. Are $ou happ$4 he asked.

15es7 the$ all said in unison.

19o more worries4 he asked.

19o7 the$ shouted out.

1;ood7 9ow let)s line up for lun#h.

(he students rushed and lined up in two lines. Mister Funkman led them out the room to

the #afeteria.

As the students ate" Mister Funkman returned to the room and #losed the door. 'e pulled

the shade down and si!hed. 'e #aressed his mousta#he then walked to the last #loset and opened

it. (here" *ound and !a!!ed on the floor was &llen (heodore. 'er fa#e wet with tears" she shook

in fear when she saw him. 'e knelt down. 'is mousta#he #urled as he smiled.

1I !uess $ou heard me tell that stor$" huh4 5ou hae a reall$ ni#e #lass of students" he

said. 1But I don)t want $ou to worr$" the$)re in !ood hands. 5ou know wh$4 Be#ause I)ll make

sure the kids neer hae to put up with the likes of $ou a!ain.

She mum*led somethin! and he took the !a! off so she #ould speak.

1

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1I know $ou are and I intend to let $ou !o. 'e looked at his wat#h. 1+e need to make

this fast. Lun#h will *e oer in twent$ minutes.

Mister Funkman stepped into the #loset and #losed the door. (he temperature !rew #old

in the darkness then there was a weird li!ht *elow their feet. &llen pani#ked.

1+ho the hell are $ou4 she asked.

1(he kids #all me Mister Funkman. 5ou #an #all me Christopher" he said.

&llen)s e$es !rew wide as she re#o!ni:ed his name. But he !a!!ed her *efore she #ould

s#ream.

A se#ond later" the$ disappeared.

=Cop$ri!ht Mar# L A**ott 2>?@