Companion

My name is Martin Walker. I am an English teacher at a disciplinary high school. Disciplinary, because, the students don't have the guts to walk into the school premises with rifles and pistols. I love my job, because of the good pay and joyful life-changing moments with the amazing kids.

Ok, that wasn't it, but that's part of it. I love kids, you know. The truth is, I have always loved marking scripts and grading scores. It's fun knowing people's grades and better when I'm the one giving the grades.

It's the last of school before the winter holiday. Students are writing their final exams before the closure. They are all cheerful and hasty because of the new stuffs and presents they will be getting this Christmas. Some of them are quite generous; giving holiday presents to their teachers, including me. I received chocolates, pen sets and a really cool PlayStation 5 from this rich kid. Rich kids are awesome but that's no free mark from me.

Snow came early this year. Another reason the kids are happy about the holiday but we teachers or is it just me? I have to mark all the papers piled up on my table. Other teachers are going home early because they are already done with marking. I can't tell if it was my stupidity or obsession that allowed me to make a deal with grumpy old Allister, the Phonics teacher and my darned archenemy, Richard. I am marking for Allister for some free tickets and passage at the movies. His nephew works there and I'm planning to make an early entrance into the movies, bypassing the huge crowd that will be there tomorrow evening. The Batman Movie would be showing at the movies tomorrow and tickets have already been sold out. Richard, on the other hand, has successfully tricked me again. My stupid ego drove me into proving that I'm better than him at Mathematics so here I am marking Mathematics exam scripts and I'm wondering how this proves anything.

Several hours into the evening, after more than  three hundred marked scripts, it appeals to me that it's really late. Putting on my phone, the time says 7:22pm. I try to turn on the radio but no channels are working. There's no one for me to report to about my whereabouts and why I'll be home late because I live alone, in a very busy street. No girlfriends, but on the bright side, I finally have a PlayStation 5 to keep me busy.

Looking outside from my desk, it had already started snowing. It is cool until the snow begins falling faster. Immediately, I receive a call from my mom. I can't imagine that for a moment I thought it could be someone else. Poor me. Well, I should have expected it. She loves to call me due to my unfortunate and irritating loneliness. She advises me to come back home and get a wife since I already have a well-paying job. I'll do that but she'll just have to wait.

" Hello, mom. Good evening", I answer in excitement.

" Good evening", she replies cautiously. "There's no time. There's a blizzard coming in a few minutes. I hope you are at home, safe and warm".

" Yes, with a nice cup of black coffee and milk". I had to lie to keep her from worrying about me but I'll really love to have that coffee.

" Ok, then. I'll call you when the blizzard is over", she says calmly and ends the call.

The blizzard begins horrifyingly, blocking all the exits of the school and seizing the network bars from my phone. I sluggishly mark the remaining papers on the table but that is not enough is waste time, and the blizzard doesn't seem to be ending anytime soon.

I stand up and stretch my back. It feels really good. I exit the classroom and begin strolling around the rooms in the school. It occurs to me that I never had the chance to visit everywhere in this school, especially the principal's office. I walk to the end of the corridor and make a left turn. The principal's office is at the end of the hallway. I reach the door and turn the knob. 

Surprisingly, the door is unlocked. I peek into the room to check if he's around but there's no sign proving his availability and I don't remember seeing him in school throughout the day. I happily rush to his comfy large-sized chair he relaxes on, to give stressful tasks and make pointless conversations. I look through his drawers in search of something interesting. The drawers are filled with documents and complaint letters.

I lean on the chair, facing the ceiling. Tired, I unconsciously slumber. Everywhere is silent. I can hear the snow wash down from the office window, after melting. Everyone must be at home by now, drinking hot tea and telling stories of Jesus or Santa. My thoughts are interrupted by a strident shriek, which seems to be coming from a black wardrobe beside me, that I totally ignored. Weird. I stand up and open the wardrobe. It is pitch black. I put my hand in the darkness but I feel nothing. The only visible thing is a part of a stair that seems to continue inward.

I switch on my phone's flashlight. Walking into the darkness, there's light on the inside. I put off my flashlight and pocket my phone. Ironically, the inside is quite vast. Loitered with treasure chests, armors, weaponry and strange artifacts. I quickly descend the stairs to reach this beautiful collection.

Reaching for a gold chest, graced with green gems all over it, I am halted.

" I wouldn't do that if I were you", an anonymous voice cautions.

Shivering in my boots, "Who's there?". Setting out my phone from my trouser pocket, " Come out or I'll call the authorities for trespassing".

" Firstly, there's no cell phone reception in here. Secondly, why would you report yourself?, the voice retorts.

I put on my flashlight, searching for the owner of the voice in this untidy dern, "Why don't you just show yourself and no harm will be done".

An echoing cacchination fills the room, " Harm? You're the one in the light. You should be the one afraid of harm."

"Aha!", Martin exclaims, spotting a bird in a birdcage above the room. Remembering the shriek that led him here, he wails, "It can't be you. You're just a raven, -but how did you get up there?".

The raven kicks open the birdcage and flies down. I shield my face with my hands, in fear. It lands on the shoulder of a knight's armor standing beside me and stares into my face and speaks, " Goodday sir".

Baffled and confused, I ask, "What th-, how are you talking?"

"The same way you are, human", he answers sarcastically.

"Ha! Ha! Not funny", I reply mockingly. " Who owns all this stuff?"

"Donovan the Adventurer".

Astonished, "Donovan, the Principal?"

"-the Adventurer. Has grey hair, green eyes".

"I know him. He's the Principal. I always had the feeling he was hiding something, being so secretive".

"Yeah. So, do you know where he is?, asking politely." I haven't eaten today".

"Well, I haven't seen him today. But, I'm willing to get you something for some information".

"Fine. Let's go".

The raven tries to leap onto my shoulder but I instinctively dodge, " Do you wish to kill me with those claws?", asking hyperbolically.

"What? No! You're too big for one raven".

We walk out the wardrobe into the Principal's office. The blizzard's ended. I can hear some vehicles moving. They must be clearing all the snow from the road. I lead the raven into the teachers lounge and buy a few crackers from the vending machine. He happily devours the crackers.

" Is it just you or do all animals speak?"

As he swallows the last cracker, he quickly answers, " We all do , at Happily Ever After, but the animals here don't, in front of humans. I hear it's because they don't trust you treacherous, backstabbing humans who'll only use them for experiments."

"True. But, who told you that?. And what's Happily Ever After?".

"The rat and cockroaches that walk into the wardrobe. And Happily Ever After is a fairytale land, where I come from".

"Don't you eat rats and cockroaches?"

"Yes, but I love to be entertained before dinner".

"Anyway, how did you get into the wardrobe?"

"It's quite a long story. Not everything is as it seems in fairytales. As a hatchling, I never found my parents. The one they call the Evil Witch picked me up and took care of me. You'd think she was all so cruel and gruesome but she was very nice. The King of Happily Ever After, ordered her arrest as they do to all they think are witches. She only does magic like the rest of the magicians but just because she's old and lives in the forest, they assume she's a witch. He also ordered for the killing of every animal in her house, calling us bewitched. We all fled. Luckily, the Adventurer was in Happily Ever After. He too, is wanted by the Palace as he steals treasures as a hobby. I pleaded with him to take me away and that's how I found myself in that wardrobe."

"How does he travel to such fairytale lands?"

"Being the son of a magician, he possesses a gem that allows to transport himself to any place and time."

"Do y-".

"I'm not showing it to you, the raven quickly interrupts".

"Do you have a name? , that's what I wanted to ask".

"Oh! The old lady called me Companion. I guess, that's my name."

Responding happily, " Mine's Martin".

"Nice to meet you, Martin and thank you for coming to see me but this may be the last time you'll see me. I have to go and save my companion".

The raven heads back to the Principal's office.

I sit for some minutes. And then, I suddenly remember that mom was supposed to call after the blizzard. I pull out my phone, it's 11: 34pm. There are no missed calls. It must be the bad cell reception in the wardrobe. I am about to dial her number when a voice calls for me.

" Martin!".

It's Marilyn, my only friend since our high school days. Mom must've called her to check up on me. I guess she wasn't able to reach me while I was in the wardrobe.

"Marilyn", I respond audibly, exiting the teachers lounge. I run to get my suitcase and the presents I received and hurriedly join her at the front door. She hugs me tightly.

" I have been calling you and it wasn't going, so I had to call Richard and that's when he told me you were still marking scripts in the school when he left, so I had to check for you here".

Stupid Richard. " Yes. The blizzard caught me here. I hope my mom isn't worrying".

"I covered up for you, told her you were in my apartment and forgot your phone in yours so you went to get it."

We exit the school building and lock the front door. We pave through the accumulated snow to get to the road. Marilyn lives a few blocks away so we decide to go to her apartment first.

"Didn't you bring your car to school?", she kindly asks as I hand her some of the load I'm carrying.

"I did, but it's all covered in snow now. I'll have to wait till tomorrow so all the snow on and around it will melt. Also, it's nice walking with you".

"Awwn! Don't make me blush".

Holding my suitcase with my left hand, I clutch the fingers of my right hand with those of her left hand. She looks at me, immediately.

"I'm a bit cold", I say. She is all covered in her cardigan and sweater, knitted gloves, long socks and boots while I'm wearing a suit. My hands are bare and very cold.

We are silently walking on the wet road when for the first time, I stare at her beautiful face and red lips. She has always been more than a friend to me but I've never seen her as more even when she'd leave whatever she was doing to attend to me when I'm sick or when she'd playfully act as my valentine on Valentines day.

I hold her hands tightly until we get into her apartment.

She utters, after dropping the load she's carrying on a small couch, "I would let you go but it's already midnight. You'll have to sleep on the long couch. Obviously. I have already prepared warm cocoa and milk. It's on the center table. There are heated blankets on the couch. Goodnight".

She turns to go to her room when I grab her arm and ask, " Would you like to go to movies with me, tomorrow?".

She smiles.