Recalling how he could not sleep last night, Jeff intently looked at Vera, as her story revived his memories, and he wanted to share them with her.
«I awoke,» Vera said. «And first could not understand where I was. I felt awfully uncomfortable. My back and legs hurt. Posters were piled up on top of me. I struggled out of those papers and tried to get out. The door was locked.»
Vera glanced at Jeff, and he laughed, realizing the situation.
«It was not funny,» Vera demonstratively frowned, then continued smiling. «I looked outside through the gap, you know, between the door and the edge of the locker. I understood at once that the school day was over, and everybody had gone home except me. I got scared and knocked on the door. Nobody answered. I started to panic and scream. I pounded the door. I heard somebody enter the classroom, and I looked through the gap. It was the school janitor. „Who’s there?“ he asked.»
Trying to speak with a bass voice, Vera uttered it in such a funny way that Jeff could not help his guffaw. He pictured a small little girl, with thick braid and perplexed look on her pale face.
However, Jeff imagined her trembling helplessly inside the locker, similar to being buried alive and pity for her scratched his heart, while he was listening to her story.
«„It’s me,“ I answered plaintively. `I’m locked in, let me out, please!»
««How did you get in here?» the janitor wondered. Taking out his keys, he came closer, and tried to open the locker, but he could not.
««Strange,» he said, surprised. «I’ll call your teacher. She has a key.»
««Don’t leave me!» I cried.
««I’ll be right back, don’t worry!» He quickly went away and I stiffened with fear.
«`It’s just a bad dream,» I was thinking. «It’s a nightmare. I have to wake up right now.»
«„In the locker?“ I heard someone say, and looked through the gap. I saw the janitor enter the classroom, but the terror struck me dumb, as some police officer was next to him.»
Reaching this part of her story, Vera flirtatiously glanced at Jeff, touching his hand, and the excited man barely maintained control of the car and himself.
«The policeman knocked on the door. I was so scared I couldn’t reply,» continued Vera.
««Nobody’s here!» The officer shrugged his shoulders.
«I thought they were going to leave and cried out, «I’m here!»
««Why are you there?» wondered the policeman. I did not know what to say. I only wished to disappear, dreaming of how they would open the door, and would not find me there. They would ask me later, was I in the locker? «No, it wasn’t me’ I would answer