The Nursery. (Days 1 to 3)

Day 1: Snow White and the seven Dwarves.

"Welcome my new little Prince, sooo happy to see you again...Oh he'll be just fine Mrs Silver, we always take good care of our newcomers, especially if they are as sweet as this one. Don't you worry about a thing...come alone sunshine, let me show you around..." said the beady-eyed woman bending down towards the little boy; me; James Silver aged 4 and a half.

"Bye Mum...don't worry about me, this school looks swell..." I lie to my poor mother who is already late for her new morning job and looks so worried; her forehead is wrinkled all the way up to the roots of her hair.

"Yes..."my mother says sniffing around. " You have fun now and I'll see you in a few hours...take care." She says and her voice falls to a whisper: "If you don't like it here, we'll find a new school, don't worry love.." I know she means it, she always does. I have a good Mum.

I smile back and nod while she opens the heavy wooden door of the nursery school and walks out back first into the street. A rush of fresh air hits my face and I realise why Mum was sniffing; this school smells funny.

The door closes with a thud and I look up at the fat lady who reminds me of the evil Gormiti.
"OK, James, it is time to meet your teacher Miss White and your six classmates, come along now.."

I bow my head obediently and the both of us move into the bowels of the school. We open doors and move through dark corridors, I can see shadows moving in the darkness, they are short like me but completely silent, unlike me.

The first faint light appears from underneath a door.

"This is your classroom dear. Try not to make much noise now; listen- Miss White is reading a story...."

"In the candlelight?" I ask, "Why don't they turn on the lights?"

"Oh, It is better like this dear, candles create such a soothing atmosphere..Go sit inside the chalk circle with the other kids.. go! Miss White we have a new pupil, Mr James Silver."

The black haired, willowy woman comes towards me and bends down to my eye level....My mouth is dry and suddenly, I need to pee..

Day 2: Alice in Wonderland

"I DON'T WANT YOU TO GO BACK THERE JAMES... THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THAT PLACE..."

"Please don't shout Mum.. I like it I want to go back...please, we are going to be late.."

"And how come you are so eager? From what you told me all your teacher did yesterday was read you stories...that's it.."

"I like stories, you know I do...and she...reads them well.."

"I am trying to locate another school, you go today, perhaps tomorrow and that is it. Moving away was not a good idea after all...."

"C'mon...we are going to be late."

"Today and perhaps tomorrow and THAT'S IT!"

"Fine..can we go now?"

"That school smells funny..."

"Let's go!!"

.............................................................................................

"Good morning Mrs Silver...Hello James..." the Gormiti woman says.

"Are we late? Have they started yet?" I can't wait for her answer. I am late I can feel it.  I hurry inside and don't bother saying good bye...I push at the heavy door with all my weight and speed inside the school. The smell is stronger today, the deeper I go the more it makes my eyes water..I hope I am not late.

I run down the corridor but I am not afraid of getting lost, I follow the moving shadows, as quiet as they are,...they show me the way...my throat burns..I need to find the classroom...I mustn't disobey.

"TAKE ME TO THE RIGHT DOOR!" I shout and start running again.

Finally I stand before the heavy door.... I can see the dim light coming from the crack underneath it. I push it open and walk into the candle light. Six pairs of eyes slash at my face and my eyes drop to the floor.

I AM late. Crap!

I silently walk inside the chalk circle and sit without bothering with my coat. 

"I am sorry for being late Miss White." I don't even dare look up at her. 

"Oh my ears and whiskers, how late it's getting! the rabbit said and ran off again" resumes Miss White in a buttery voice. "But Alice catches the rabbit in the end, oh yes..she did...didn't you Alice?" she asks piercing a little girl with her eyes.

"Yes, I did Miss." says the girl sitting on the other side of the circle. I pull myself a little forward to see her better. 

"Come Alice!" Miss White says and bends down to a large box next to her. Alice stands up and walks to the centre of the circle facing Miss White. She has shoulder-length brown hair and is wearing a blue dress with a small white apron on top of it. Something is gleaming in her hand. It is reflecting all the candle light around it.

 A large kitchen knife, that is what it is, the one my Mum calls a cleaver. Alice is holding it tight. It looks so big in her hand. 

Miss White opens up the box and pulls a large, white rabbit from inside. She holds it by the ears as it squeals and squeaks. 

"Alice, show us what it is you did to the rabbit." she says and hands the rabbit to the little girl who grabs it tightly. The rabbit is so big it scratches her knees. Alice lifts the hand with the knife.....

......I need to pee.

Day 3: Hansel and Gretel.

"Peeing your pants one day I can understand, accidents happen...but two days in the row...James...what IS going on in that school? Are you ever going to tell me sweetheart?"

"...................."

"It doesn't matter. I have enrolled you to a fine school outside our enrolment area, a fine school full of light and open spaces...they are waiting for you tomorrow, Mrs Williams, your teacher, has a boy your age, you are going to be best friends, you'll see... You can stay with me today, we'll go to work together, help me do things...we'll have a great time!"

"Why can't I go back this one, last time...I'm never going back there anyway. Just one last time..."

"No, you are never going back there, James...I'm sorry."

"If you let me go, I'll tell you everything that's happened so far...what do you say?"

".............. 

.......................................   Speak!"

.............................................................................

"Some of you will be leaving us soon, so it will be such  a shame not to tell you the lovely story of young Hansel and his little sister Gretel." Miss White begins. 

"Once upon a time...." the story starts and we all sit inside the chalk circle.

"......but the woman had only pretended to be so friendly. In reality, she was a wicked witch who lay in wait for children. After she had captured them, she took them to a special room at the basement of her bread and sugar house and kept them in rusted cages made for animals....Let us all go and see...shall we?" she says and opens a small door at the other side of the classroom revealing a narrow staircase which implied that there were even more rooms below. 

"Hurry!" she says and we all begin to descend the dark staircase, lit only by the light of a few candles on the walls here and there.

The smell is unbearable the further down I go. I have never felt so disgusted in my life. I hold my nose as tight as I can and so do the others. Miss White leads us to an enormous room the size of a football field. There are fires of the walls and muck on the floor. All around us cages are hanging from the ceilings. Some of them are empty some of them are full.

(by Nootoon @toonpool )

"...The witch seized chubby Hansel with her evil hands and shut him in a little cage with a grating in the lid and locked it. Scream as he would, it didn't help him any..." Miss White went on and Hansel's eyes opened wide as Miss White grabbed him from the collar of his shirt and pushed him inside one of the rusty cages hanging from the ceiling. Hansel was startled but didn't scream nor shout; he just looked at his classmates mutely and confused.

"...He has to stay in the cage and get fat, fat, fat...As soon as he's fat...then, we can eat him." Miss White says and moves further inside the room towards another cage. We all follow her like puppies, full of interest and curiosity.
"You!" she shouts, "Put out your finger so I can feel whether you are getting fat!" she said to a shadow of one of the other cages that were hanging mutely from the darkness above.
A small, bony finger appears between the rusty bars, he puts his little finger between the bars and she presses it in her long fingers.

"YOU LIE! YOU LIE! YOU LIE" she bellows and the echo hurts our ears. I try to keep it outside my head. I squeeze my ears shut but still I can hear her words...YOU LIE!

Miss White pulls the cage open and drags a little boy....it was a boy in there....out. He falls in her arms, he is covered in gore and muck...

"LOOK HOW FAT YOU ARE YOU LIAR!" she shouts. "GRETEL...LIGHT THE OVEN....WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A ROASTED BOY TODAY!!!"

A little, skinny girl obeys and walks behind a gigantic metallic box in the centre of the room. There's a loud CLANK and then a sudden soaring fire lights the room so forcefully I shield my eyes with my hand. In a few moment the fire subsides and burning coal is all I can see at the bottom of the oven.

"Crawl in Gretel...see if it's hot enough for our boy to roast.." Miss White calls.

The girl opens the heavy bolt and sizzling heat rushes out burning the girl's curls.

"I don't know how to...How do I get inside?" The girls asks.

Miss White lets out a loud giggle..."Well said Gretel....Well said..." She moves towards the oven dragging the filthy boy behind her..

"We'll peel the clothes off after he's done.." Miss White mumbles.

The oven door opens again and the little boy is tossed inside..the door slams shut. His chubby hands are glued on the burning glass and I feel the heat inside my pants and all the way down to my feet.

"Mum" ...I whisper and try to move but can't. "Mum" I say again and I hear loud voices behind me, doors break open.

"JAMES!"

(painting by Loba Chan)