In elementary school I had the meanest of all teachers.

                Mrs. Poole was supposedly a magician so everyone was excited the first day. But she walked in looking mean and angry. She was as cruel as she was ugly so we knew right away what we were getting–it wasn’t magical. The huge wart on her crooked nose shined with grease, the rest of her body looked boiled and nearly purple, her fingers were knotted, and her  spine twisted like an old tree. Hunching over her students, she’d yell at any kid who asked to use the restroom. Those who didn’t know an answer to a math problem didn’t get to go to recess. When she caught one girl talking to another, she gave the whole class detention.

                It was in detention after school that she first smiled her hideous smile.  I swear I saw a spider run across her teeth and slip into the gap where she was missing a tooth.

                When Mrs. Poole suggested we let her do a magic show, we all excitedly agreed. She started with pulling a string of handkerchiefs from her pocket. They were seemingly endless, but she abruptly stopped when they all started coming out red. Stuffing the sting of cloths back in her pockets, she used the last few to wipe up some red liquid that had dripped to the floor, then pocketed those too.

                Next she called for a volunteer. The class bully raised his hand along with most of the class. I think he wanted to ruin her next trick, though, to make her mad. Mrs. Poole choose him and had him climb into a large trunk, which she then locked him inside.

                ‘I’m going to make him disappear,’ Mrs. Poole said. She chanted some hocus pocus, tapped a wand on the top of the chest. Then to prove that he had disappeared, she took a jar of black widow spiders and tossed them into the chest. A few of us saw the chest jerk and fewer still heard a muffled shriek.

                One of the girls who talked earlier and got us all detention raised her hand.

                ‘Yes, dear?’ Mrs. Poole said.

                ‘Are you going to bring him back?’ the girl asked.

              ‘He’s very good at this disappearing trick. He’ll return when he’s ready, but he’s very good at this. We might never find him,’ the teacher said with a smirk.  ‘I need another volunteer.’

                We were all more hesitant now. Only half of us raised our hands. She chose a very shy girl. Pinching the girl’s ear, Mrs. Poole said she was going to take it. And she did. She showed the whole class and we were amazed at how real the ear looked. Then blood leaked through Mrs. Poole’s fingers. Looking to the shy girl, we saw her crying and holding the side of her head. She ran out of the room.

                ‘Go see the nurse. Maybe she’ll lend you an ear,’ Mrs. Poole called after her and laughed as she wheeled a long narrow box out on wheels. She said,  ‘I need another volunteer!’

                This time none of us raised our hands. So she called on the girl who asked about the bully. Dragging her feet, the girl went up. Mrs. Pool had her climb in the narrow box. Only the girl’s head and feet stuck out.

                ‘I will cut this girl in two!’ Mrs. Poole exclaimed. She pulled out a rusty saw and began sawing away at the box. Midway through the girl started screaming and shaking violently.

                It was then that the classroom door burst open. At the door stood the shy girl with one ear, the school nurse, and the principal. The principal said, ‘You’re not Mrs. Poole!’

                ‘No.’ The Mrs. Poole impostor said, faking a guilty look. She dropped the saw, ran to the spider filled trunk, and climbed inside.

                Everyone rushed to the chest and the principal opened it.

                It was empty! She had disappeared.

                In the end, the shy girl lost her ear, the talkative girl got a scar on her belly, and the bully was never seen again. Nor was Mrs. Poole or her impostor…

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Now, who wants to see a magic trick? I need a volunteer….