Gemotions

“You’re telling me *Miss Periwinkle* is still teaching?” Robert’s voice was a low growl, echoing in the sterile hallway of the elementary school. His wife, Emily, squeezed his arm gently.

“Yes, dear. She’s been here for ages. Everyone says she’s lovely now.” Emily’s words were meant to be soothing, but they only served to fuel his simmering irritation. Lovely? He’d known her as a tyrant of the times tables, a purveyor of punishments, a master of the detention slip.

He remembered the endless hours spent in her classroom, the fear, the humiliation. It was a trauma he’d tried to bury. He'd done everything right, researched the school, asked around, and yet, somehow, destiny had conspired against him. He felt as if he was experiencing a horrible déjà vu. He tugged at his collar, wishing he could somehow change the course of history.