Master of Plagues, D. B. Reynolds [best books to read fiction .txt] 📗

School on Kinnickinnic River Parkway in Milwaukee, Prudence stood before a classroom of orderly fourth graders. Wearing her two-piece blue wool suit projected the air of a scholarly woman. Today would be the day Prudence had her students learning math curriculums like exercises, worksheets, and assessements. She passed out a worksheet with circles and boxes. A long white sheet was pulled down which matched her student’s worksheets.
“Okay class,” Prudence rasped, holding a long wooden yardstick. “Today, we are going to learn more about fractions. Are you guys ready to dive further into solving fractions?”
“Yes, Miss Cundy,” the children responded in unison.
“In fractions, what is the number five known as?”
“The numerator,” answered at least two-thirds of the classroom.
“And the number eight?”
“The denominator,” answered almost the entire classroom.
Prudence used her yardstick to point to a fraction. “Class, how much is this fraction?”
Seconds passed before the kids answered. “Five-eights, Miss Cundy.”
She pointed to a total of eight circles. “Now, I want you to use your blue pencils to color in the number of circles and squares to show a fraction of five-eights.”
The students were given a solid minute to figure out the answer.
Prudence went around to every student’s desk. Proudly, she noticed how every one of her students got the answer right.
“Okay students, how many boxes out of the eight should be colored in?”
“Five, Miss Cundy.”
“Great!” she cheered on her students. “Now, what is two-fourths equivalent to?”
“One-half, Miss Cundy.”
“Four-sixths?”
“Two-thirds, Miss Cundy.”
“Six-tenths?”
“Three-fifths, Miss Cundy.”
“Wow!” Prudence applauded her fourth graders, patting her chest while nodding her head. “You guys are so smart. I know that I’m in the midst of a bunch of geniuses.”
She pulled down another long white sheet and pointed to a set of more fractions. “What does one-half plus one-half equal?”
“One, Miss Cundy.”
“What does one-eights plus one-eights equal to?”
“One-fourth, Miss Cundy.”
“Two-thirds plus one-third?”
“One, Miss Cundy.”
“Superb!” Prudence said flabbergastingly. “My, you whiz kids have really been studying. Just know that Miss Cundy is so very proud of you guys.”
Stopping at her door and parking his chubby body to the side was the principal of Fairview Charter School. Dudley Blount wasn’t the most desirable man walking the planet.
Add up the fact he had a big pork belly, a bald head straight down the middle, wore thick tri-focals, splashed on the cheapest cologne in the morning, and dressed in the most outdated clothes, maybe it was no wonder he never got married or went out on dates.
Prudence put her lesson on hold to step out in the hallway. “Mr. Blount, how are you today?”
“Fine, Prudence,” Principal Blount said. “How are your lessons going today?”
“Well, it’s fractions today. My kids are so smart.”
“Learning is what it’s all about. Say, I wanted to ask you something rather serious.”
“And what might that be?”
“Are you dating anyone?”
Prudence snuffed out the fact he wanted to ask her out on a date. “No, but I’m-----.”
“Prudence Cundy,” Principal Blount rudely interrupted. “I’m asking you out on a date.”
“Principal Blount, I don’t think it would be appropriate for us to date one another.”
“Where does the factor of it not being appropriate come in?”
“For starters, we’re colleagues. Plus, I’ve made it a rule to not date anyone I work with.”
“There’re no rules saying we can’t date.”
The principal might’ve been coming on way too strong. Women simply didn’t find him attractive. He read Prudence wrong and needed to back off.
“Principal Blount, I’m just not in to dating right now. My career and home are my number one priorities.”
“Alright, have it your way. But, I’m not the kinda guy who gives up so easy.”
Prudence raised her arm to stare down at her watch. “Well, it’s a couple’a minutes away from three o’clock. I have to get back to my students.”
She hurried back into the classroom and shut the door with offense.
Principal Blount was the most bothersome man in the world. Besides, he also had breath bad enough to drive forth a herd of disorderly cattle. The three o’clock bell rung and school was out at Fairview Charter School.
Prudence escorted all of her students out the classroom one-by-one. “Class, remember that tomorrow it will be multiplication and division.”
The fourth graders were cleared out of the classroom. Everything broke into a dead silence. Prudence tore down the used white sheets and balled them up to go into the trash. With no forewarning, the door slammed. This shook her up to the point of backing up against the chalkboard. Strong winds mixed with gloomy lighting dominated the classroom. She slid her back further along the chalkboard.
Little dark brown creatures squeezed between the cracks of the ceiling and the chalkboard. Some bogarted their way through the cracks of the door. Within seconds, hundreds of the little flying creatures claimed ownership her classroom. Before her very eyes, Prudence watched the tiny creatures quickly grow into colossal-sized, big brown bats. Witnessing the supernatural transformation nearly took her breath away.
Throwing and kicking desks out of his way was Captain Zamir. A shield of fluorescent brown radiated from around his bat wings. Intimidating colors of reddish-brown flared from his eyes. The captain opened his mouth and displayed a pair of blustery fangs. Other human-sized bats flew around the head of Prudence.
“Prudence Cundy!” shouted Captain Zamir, hissing at her with his razor-sharp fangs.
Prudence cuddled over in the corner. She was scared out of her senses. “Who are you and what do you want with me?”
“I have been sent by my master.”
“Who is your master?”
“You know my master very well,” Captain Zamir spoke, his voice that of intrigue.
“But, I thought you bats only lived in the Neda Mines in Dodge County.”
“Not us bats, Prudence. We’re big, we’re bad, and we’re bold. And most of all, we’re the best. Our master has sent us to plague you.”
“Plague me for what!” Prudence cried out, trying hard to shield herself from any attacks.
“For your acts of evil and disobedience.”
“Never have I done anything evil or disobedient.”
“Yes you have!” Captain Zamir yelled in rage, intensity growing in his eyes. “Until you bring forth an esteemed offer of apology to my master, then will you continue to suffer the unspeakable horrors of being plagued by me and the colony.”
“Apology for what?”
“For making my master suffer.”
“But still, you haven’t told me who your master is,” Prudence yearned, shivering over in the corner like a frightened child.
Captain Zamir jerked his head from side-to-side. Foam sifted around the classroom. “The secrets of the Universe will not permit me to reveal who my master is.”
“This has gotta be one bad dream.”
“No, Prudence, you are very much awake.”
“But, bats don’t talk.”
“But, this bat does.”
“You made my master suffer, now you have to suffer, too.”
“Suffer for what?”
“I can show you better than I can tell you.”
Captain Zamir darted towards Prudence with the use of his glowing flapping wings. The Captain used the strong claws on his feet to lift her up and fly with her around the room.
Prudence screamed and kicked while being flown from one corner to the next. “Put me down! Put me down!”
“Are you sure you want me to put you down?” Captain Zamir jokingly asked.
“Please, put me down!”
“Alright, have it your way.”
Captain Zamir flew closer to the ceiling. He dropped Prudence on top of a desk. The landing was hard and painful. She laid stretched out across the desk with her backside heisted in the air. The captain used his moist tongue to lick his dagger-like fangs. Like aiming straight for a bullseye, he charged down at Prudence. Both of his fangs sliced right into her fleshy backside. Only a small amount of blood soaked into the wool fabric of her skirt.
“Shhhhhhhhhhhh!” Prudence hollered, grabbing both sides of her rear.
“Ain’t we having fun now, Prudence,” Captain Zamir laughed, he and his colony flying in circles around Prudence.
“Is this how you get your kicks?”
“Your evil ways and disobedience has come back to bite you in the backside.”
Captain Zamir had two of his colony members stand her up straight. He swung his wings at her and slapped her on both sides of her face.
“Remember this, Prudence,” the Captain said. “Until you offer an esteemed apology to my master, you will continue to be plagued by myself and my colony. Whether it be here, at work, or at home, the plagues will never stop.”
“You can go to hell!” Prudence crackled, holding her backside to try and ease the pain.
The Captain licked his fangs again and hissed in the face of Prudence. “Before we’re all done, I promise you, that you’ll come crawling on your hands and knees to beg for my master’s forgiveness.”
“Hell will freeze over.”
“Have it your way, Prudence.”
Captain Zamir and his colony flew out of the school’s windows. They disappeared into the mild Milwaukee skies. Prudence was left bent over one of the desks. She