He glances approvingly over the neatly typed list of names in strict alphabetical order, pinned down on paper, just the way he prefers them. Here they’re manageable, silent and well-behaved, unlike their owners, prowling the school corridors, rowdy and loud.

So many names...his finger runs down the list, lips tightening or relaxing into a rare smile as he reads.
 
A new school year. Everything bright with possibilities. Then the phone rings and he listens to the bored voice tell him what happened the night before. He picks up a pen and slowly scores through two names.

The first to fall.



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