The Math Teacher

The words his math teacher said went in and right out through his head. Sure, Mark heard that they were getting new workbooks (though they still haven't finished covering the material in the textbook) which was kind of odd, as no other math class got or were going to get one, but then again, his math teacher has been acting up lately. However, that wasn't really registering. The only thing on his mind was

Katie.

He didn't know why. He loved her so much and he suspected that Katie knew that, but either a) he was wrong, or b) she knew but didn't know how to respond, or c) she just liked to play around with his mind. Following her around (secretly, of course - she'd never notice him while she was deep in discussion with her friends), trying to keep a conversation up with her on MSN daily, writing her name in his math textbook while he was bored...

The harsh, floppy slap of the new workbook that landed on his desk woke him from his reverie. At the front of the class, his math teacher was talking about trignometry. But... Mark didn't really know what was off. There was just some odd...aura, floating around the teacher, as if something dark was hanging around.

He shook himself. What kind of stupidity was this! First he goes heads over heels for a girl, and now he's thinking that his math teacher has been possessed!

"Open to page twenty of your new workbooks, kids," his math teacher droned. Books flopped open on the desk, the smell of new books wafting through the classroom.

Numbers and graphs swam in front of Mark's eyes, not ever staying in one place, always jumbling around just when he thought he could focus. He rubbed his eyes. Nothing changed. Stress, he thought. Must be the stress getting to me.

Apparently, though, it wasn't just him who was feeling a bit off when he looked up. His classmates were rubbing at their temples, closing their eyes, slumping over their desks. He shoved at his friend sitting at the table beside him. "Psst, Dan, what's going on? What's happening with everyone?"

"Jeez, I don't know. But I just feel...so...tired..." Dan collapsed on his desk and fell into a deep sleep.

"SIR!! What's going on?!"

"Why do I feel so dizzy?"

"These numbers are floating around!"

"They're doing that to you too?!"

Everyone talked at once in a shocked buzz. But it soon died down, as one by one, they fell asleep at their desks. His math teacher sat there at his desk, silent, reading a Stephen King novel like he always does nowadays. By the time there were only about five students who weren't asleep yet - Mark included, though he was on the verge of collapse - his teacher stood up and walked to the front. He seemed to be trying hard to keep a smirk off his face.

"Class," he cackled, his face becoming darker, more shadowed, and evil by the second, "welcome."

The chalkboard behind him dissolved

...Mark fainted in the wrath of evil laughter from his teacher and the terrified screams of his peers...

into a swirling black vortex, sucking the projector, the textbooks, the pencils, the desks, and the students in...