FEATURED STORY
Cygnus Loop
by Michael Thal
The morning rain pounded the small school along Riverside Drive. Children and teachers ran frantically from parked cars. Horns
blasted, and headlights winked through waves of water.
Allison Peters hated arriving late. But she had recently moved from her old bachelor pad in anticipation of her boyfriend’s arrival. This
new place lengthened her commute.
Allison waited by the door of her third grade classroom with her hand over her heart, blond hair plastered against her face, and makeup
running down her cheeks. A puddle of water formed around her feet, as her students saluted the flag under the leadership of Vice Principal,
Brett Castille.
Physically, she found Brett attractive. If only he wasn’t so obnoxious. There he goes again, looking me over like a barfly scanning a potential
night’s catch.
As the children sat in their seats, she whispered in his ear over the scraping noises. “Mind if I change?”
“No problem. Just make it fast.”
As she walked passed the principal’s office, she got nailed. “Miss Peters, I want to speak to you now. In my office.”
She walked slowly by the secretary’s desk, forced a smile at the
middle-aged woman, and entered Dr. Judd’s office. The door’s tight spring closed firmly behind her with a thud!
Nanette Judd was an older woman, thin like a scarecrow with brittle gray hair, and skin as transparent as wax paper. On her huge desk sat
a crystal paperweight, and a picture of a super nova. Allison smiled in sweet recognition at the photo. She relaxed and plopped in a leatherpadded chair across from her boss. The desk dwarfed the frail woman, but her demeanor was anything but feeble. Her blue eyes reached
inside Miss Peter’s brown ones like a telepath reading her victim’s mind.
“Allison, you were late today. Didn’t I tell you not to move out of town?”
“Yes, Nat... ah, Dr. Judd.”
Dr. Judd looked at her crossly and said, “So, why did you?”
“I want to make a nice home for Cami when he arrives. ”
“I’m looking forward to his arrival too. We could use his help around here. But you’re both better off living in Sherman Oaks. We’re a
community.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“You better not be late again. Not unless you’d rather go home and turn over your cubicle to someone else.” She surveyed the woman from
head to toe.
Dr. Judd pointed a bony finger at her and continued, “There’s a waiting list, you know.”
“Yes.”
With a crooked smile, Dr. Judd pushed her long gray hair behind her ear and said, “Now go ahead and freshen up. We don’t want to ruin
that pretty face.”
“No, we wouldn’t.”
As Allison pulled open the door,