Influenced by the TV program The Saint – do-do-do-do-dah-do, I wrote a short story in grade school that the teacher, much to my horror, chose to read aloud to our class.
As she read, I shrivelled till near under my desk, mortified. The class fell into a death like silence until you could hear a pin drop.
It was a story about someone knocking on my bedroom window at night, which turned out to be a branch blowing in the wind. I know, I know, but hey, I was in grade school when I wrote this – a pre teen.
She was nearing the end of the story when the school bell rang and everyone, including the teacher (except me) jumped out of their skin! The teacher put her hand to her chest and gasped Oh my!
Fellow classmates zoomed out of that room, and the teacher apologized to me that she hadn’t finished the story.
That day is forever etched in memory.