Prefectship

The hall was filled with 850 children all uncomfortably slouched on aged rusty chairs filled with foam covered with dusted, deep-maroon leather. The blaring whispers reverberated off the walls of the drowsy hall, as friends revisited the same topics.

I myself was entranced in this boredom, as the faint voice of the headmaster tried to penetrate our attention, like a fox tries to lure its escaped prey back. However through through his endless trial and fail, as well as calling for silence, no one paid attention to him.

It didn't last though; the ignorance faded like the mist does when the sun finally rises, after he mentioned one word. Those that were slouched were now straight-backed that you could use them as an ironing board. The noise perished within a second, you could hear the plop of a water droplet hitting the floor.

Fear crept I and made heart beat like war drums, flooding my ears until it became unbearable. My neighbour said some silent prayer to ease off the mounting anticipation, while I hoped the name that would be called would be mine. The second ticked away and the silence tormented me.

I think I blacked out completely, for when my name was said, I sat up with a big fat smile and time stood still, shock making me rigid to the spot. As it wore off, I got up slowly trying to act placid and laid back, but inside I felt ecstatic with joy.

The dull hall bloomed up and the blood red walls became a shiny scarlet. Applauses rained down on me following my every footstep as I rapidly walked up onto the wooden dust-brown stage.

A line of students shaking the headmasters hand blocked the view of the one thing I wanted most. Finally it was me; I hurriedly shook the headmasters hand and grabbed the thin cobra like object that gave you extra-power, but a vicious stranglehold on your neck and even deadlier when you went down the wrong path. That extra-power is what I needed. What I wanted. It made me one of the chosen special ones.

The smooth, soft, silk made my hand ring with excitement of putting it on. I just restrained myself from shouting off the top of my lungs to show my rejoice of finally getting the one special thing that everyone else wanted to be a part of, the crimson red tie that highly respected prefects wore.