Chapter 67: Duck, Duck, Goose

The sun shone brightly overhead, casting a golden hue across the school field where the children were gathered. It was time for Freya’s outdoor class. Miss Cooper had momentarily stepped away to rest in the teachers’ room, leaving Mr. Ves Larkinson in charge of supervising the students during this playful session.

Mr. Larkinson stood nearby with a warm smile, his hands loosely folded behind his back as he watched the children sit in a wide circle on the grass. Today’s game was Duck, Duck, Goose, and the excitement among the little ones was palpable.

"Alright, everyone, let’s begin!" Mr. Larkinson announced cheerfully. "Damien Quinn will be the first ’farmer’. Let’s show him how it’s done."

Damien, a lively boy with sandy blonde hair, stood up with a grin and began walking around the circle. As instructed, he gently tapped each child’s head and said, "Duck... duck... duck..." He made it around the entire circle but forgot to pick a "goose."

The children looked confused, and Mr. Larkinson chuckled. "Damien, don’t forget! You have to pick someone as the ’goose’, and then you run!"

Realizing his mistake, Damien nodded earnestly and tried again. This time, after tapping a few heads, he suddenly shouted, "Goose!", choosing Zachary Han.

Zachary blinked in surprise, momentarily frozen in place. Damien had already darted around the circle at full speed. With a little encouragement from Mr. Larkinson, Zachary jumped to his feet and chased Damien with all his might. But Damien was too quick and managed to sit down in Zachary’s spot just in time.

Now it was Zachary’s turn to be the farmer. Giggling, he began his circle. "Duck... duck... duck..." Then, with a playful shout, he chose Jane Austen as the goose. Jane’s reflexes were sharp. She sprang up instantly and chased after Zachary. Before he could reach her seat, she tagged him on the back.

Zachary sighed dramatically and remained the farmer. The next round, he chose Jason Reed as the goose. He picked up speed, racing with determination. This time, he made it to Jason’s seat first, making Jason the new farmer.

By now, everyone had gotten the hang of the game. Laughter and squeals of joy filled the field.

Jason circled the group and suddenly tapped Klein Moretti, calling "Goose!" Klein jumped up and chased Jason, but Jason managed to plop down in Klein’s place just in time.

Klein was next. He started walking, tapping heads and calling "duck" until he stopped in front of Freya and shouted, "Goose!"

Freya, momentarily surprised, reacted a bit late. But she was fast... much faster than Klein expected. As she gained on him, Klein panicked and stumbled. With a yelp, he tripped over his own feet and fell to the ground.

Freya gasped and quickly leaned over him. "I’m so sorry! I didn’t touch you! Did it hurt?"

Mr. Larkinson immediately rushed over and gently helped Klein to his feet. "Let’s take a look," he said, his tone calm and kind. He checked Klein for any injuries and, finding none, asked, "Does anything hurt?"

"It hurt a little when I fell, but now it’s okay," Klein sniffled.

crying?"

wiped his face and mumbled, "Because I lost

losing. It’s

up at him with

So, don’t cry. Just

"I

fast. We don’t want anyone else falling. Freya, please return to your place. Now, who wants to take

Irene Winters called out, raising

smiled. "Klein,

as the goose. Laughter erupted as Tamara chased Irene around the circle. The game went on until the lunch bell rang, and the children were led inside for their

were brought into a cozy dining room with a large table surrounded by 25 chairs. Each student found their seat and sat down

Cooper returned to

"according to the information your parents provided, none of you have any food allergies. However, if you need nut-free, dairy-free, or

No hands went up.

continued. "Today’s lunch includes macaroni and cheese with broccoli and sweetcorn, a mixed salad with lettuce, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and grated carrot, a cup

no hands were

your plate. You’ll have thirty minutes for lunch. If you finish early, you may go back to

macaroni cheese was creamy, and the salad was crisp and colorful. The children munched happily, chatting quietly among themselves. One by one, they finished their meals and made

the classroom, the students took their seats as Miss

curtains and dim the lights. You must stay in your seat. If you need to use the toilet, do so quietly. You may

place, darkening the room. Only a soft light remained on over

copied them. She crossed her arms on her desk and rested her head. Her thoughts wandered to home. She missed her room, her toys, and the warmth of her mother. But despite that longing, she felt proud of herself... she had made it through

a new teacher entered the room.

Odessa Devereux, your language teacher. You can call me Ms. Dev," she introduced herself with a warm smile. "Today, we’ll work on Phonics Reinforcement. That means we’ll learn how letters and sounds

gently. "Let’s begin with a little

on a trip. He got in a ship. The ship

the story, emphasizing each sound, then

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