I LIKE YOU

The new school year was about to begin. For Ms. Wisby this was going to be a special one. She had just graduated from college and this was her first time teaching her own class. She wanted her first-graders to feel special, so the Saturday before school started she went to her class to decorate the room. Suddenly, a little red-headed girl walked in. She gave Ms. Wisby a smile and said, “You’re new. I like you.”

“I like you too!” replied Ms. Wisby. As soon as she said that, the girl ran outside. For some reason Ms. Wisby took a fond liking to the little girl. She could never forget her sweet far-away smile, shabby old-fashioned dress and her bright red hair.

As school started off for Ms. Wisby, she noticed the little red-headed girl was not on campus. She looked as hard as she could to find the girl, but she was no place to be found.

A month later, while Ms. Wisby was getting ready to go home, the little red-headed girl came back for a visit. “You’re new. I like you,” said the girl.

“I like you too!” replied Ms. Wisby, but as soon as Ms. Wisby was about to ask the girl a question, out she ran. Ms. Wisby tried to run after her, but when she got outside the little girl had vanished.

During the year, budget cuts were made from the district, which resulted in the layoff of first-year teachers. Ms. Wisby knew she was going to get let go, but she didn’t want to think about it. The only person who could prevent her misfortune was Dr. Stein, the principal. He had to write the names of the unlucky teachers and mail it to the superintendent. The list was due in two days. On the day before the list was due, Ms. Wisby broke it to her class that she wouldn’t be able to teach there anymore. The entire first grade went home in tears.

The next morning, Ms. Wisby heard on the radio that Dr. Stein, the principal, was found dead at his home. He was said to have had tiny bites--like a small animal makes--all over his body, but the weirdest thing about his death was that he barely had a drop of blood left in his body.

This horrid news shocked Ms. Wisby, and at school she was able to stay calm for the kids. Before school started she had decided to write a special message to them on the board. As she opened the door to the room and looked up at the board, she almost fainted, and a scream rose from her pale lips. On the newly installed white-board a message waited for her. Written in a childish scrawl, in dripping red blood. It read, “You’re new. I like you.”