Rude Awakening

Flash fiction under 300 words. Prompt: Thanks for the warning.

The boys stood at attention. The recruiter had been very clear. “When that first bell sounds on your first day, you’d better be ready and at attention within four minutes or there will be hell to pay.”

So here they were, the first bell had rung and only three minutes had passed.

Exactly five minutes after the first bell, the door to the dormitory burst open.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?”

The voice boomed and commanded attention.

“I said, what do we have here!”

“New recruits sir.” Said one of the boys. His voice was timid and hesitant.

“Was that a mouse fart I heard?” Yelled the man as he stepped around the line of recruits.

“New recruits sir!” This time the boy’s voice was loud and forceful.

“You are a sorry bunch of misfits. New recruits, I think not.”

He paced some more, stopping at each recruit and staring straight into their eyes. Once he was done, he said: “I only have a month to get you ready before you are released into the world where you will represent me and this school. The reputations of both will not be tarnished by the likes of you. Do you understand?”

All recruits yelled in unison “Yes sir.”

“Good, and one last thing before I leave you. Never look into a mirror.”

With that he turned and left.

“What do you think he meant by that?” said mouse fart, an unfortunate nickname that would follow him for years.

The recruits rushed into the attached bathroom and stared into the mirrors.

The screams that followed were audible for miles.

Within seconds the door burst open again.

“Okay, so now you know. You’re all dead and this is a ghost school.”

“Thanks for the warning, I guess,” said mouse fart.