My name's Sarah Johansen. I'm 27 and until a few minutes ago, I was a teacher at Seven Sky Private School, an escalator school that cater to students from kindergarten to college. This year for the first time, I'd become a middle school homeroom teacher. I was happy. The only trouble I had was that problematic student that I couldn't get expelled.

I said “problematic” but that word was quite the understatement. He was a nightmare of a student. He never came to school, he was violent, he had history as a sexual abuser and he was creepy. 

To my horror, he became my student. I tried to get him assigned to another teacher but it was refused. I had to grind my teeth and bear with it. But I couldn't. I had to protect the other students from him. This year every student was required to play a VR game under the supervision of their homeroom teacher.  It was unacceptable that my students and I had to play with that monster. I pleaded with Stephan, the headmaster.

“It's a game what could happen?”, he scoffed at me.

“He could harm the students. He did it in the past. ”, I tried to explain patiently.

“First of all, there are safety measures in the StaViCon and secondly, it's a game! If there's any harm done, it won't be 

permanent.”

“YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!”, I shouted frustrated. He didn't understand how dangerous that student was. 

“I understand perfectly, Mrs Johansen. People change. Akira Kirihara WILL participate with every one else  and then if things go right, he'll come back to school next year. This is the goal I made for you and your class. YOU will make sure everything goes right, ARE WE CLEAR?”, he shut me down with an icy glare.

I was shocked at his behavior. Shouldn't he want to get rid of him? Why did he want to integrate that student back in school? I didn't dare to ask him about it. He looked dead-set on this plan of his. Despite what he said I was sure that Akira Kirihara hadn't changed. No one that evil could change.

Claire Barlow was one of my students last year. When she was in primary school, he violated her and forced sex on her. He had been a child himself but that didn't change the fact that he did all of it. In a surprising move, the school didn't expel him. They even kept him with the general population for the rest of primary school. I didn't understand.

Claire Barlow was a good girl. I admired her. She didn't let what happened brought her down. She was courageous and bright. Every time I saw  her she had a nice smile on her face. Why did they kept her aggressor next to her for so long and finally, when she got free from him, they wanted to brought him back? Why?  It was like they wanted to punish her. 

Didn't they know how she must feel? She was a victim. What I found more puzzling than the school stance was her parents. Even though their daughter's aggressor was still here, they never made a move nor said anything against him.

I had no choice, I had to take things in my own hand. I carefully checked the students who were in my class. I knew who could keep him in line and prevent him from doing whatever he wanted. I contacted then by mail and had them meet me in an empty classroom.

Michael, Steven and Mark came at the meeting place right on the dot.

“Is there anything we can do for you, Mrs Johansen?.”, Mark asked me.

“I need you to take care of Akira Kirihara while we play Forgotten Soul. Keep an eye on him and if he touch one of the students report to me immediately.”

“Why should we do it. The guy is dangerous , you know?”, Steven asked.

“I know but you're the only ones who could do it. I trust you.”

“But we can't do that. What are we going to do about our homework? If we watch him all the time we won't have time do to anything else.” Steven raised a valid point. I should have thought of it myself.

“Don't worry. I'll take care of things. You just keep an eye on him.”, saying that I went out of the room. The smile I saw on them startled me. They looked like hungry wolves who had been promised a steak. I didn't understand it but I didn't think more about it than in passing. 

Relieved that I had reached a satisfying solution for the time being, I decided to log in the game. The school had decided that my class would play Forgotten Soul. No one was happy with this decision as it was an old and not very popular game. 

I appeared in front of the statue in Soren Town. With nothing to do, I decided to look for a party to hunt with. I looked around the plaza, but no one caught my eyes. I waited a few minutes and then, deciding that I'd be better hunting alone, I went to the convenience store to get some supplies. 

As soon as I entered, I saw him. He was a man in his twenties. He had spiky red hair and green eyes. He was built like a swimmer. He was totally my type. I hid behind a shelf and changed equipment. I put on clothes I usually wear when I played Aphrodite's Den -a short skirt transparent on the sides, a bra that emphasized my chest and a transparent tight shirt. It was perfect.

I approached him and asked him to party with me. I just put enough suggestion into my words so that he'd know that I was single and ready to mingle in more ways than one. I was sure I got him. That is until the shopkeeper showed up. I didn't know what was his problem. 

He accused me of being a hooker. I wasn't one. Was it so bad to recruit party members and at the time, to try to find a boyfriend? I didn't think so. And why didn't the guy defend me? Men couldn't be counted to be gentleman anymore. I shook my head in disgust.

The shopkeeper causing that ruckus went so far as to call the guards. When they arrived, I tried to explain what happened to them. They seemed to believe me at first but then, everyone turned against me. They were all accusing me. I tried to get the guy to tell the truth but he didn't say anything. He kept stammering like an idiot.

“What the hell is that?!” I heard the shopkeeper shouting behind me. I turned to look at him. He was pointing his finger at me. I got even more pissed. He told everyone that I was a hooker and then, he called me “that” like  I wasn't a human worth naming. I'd had enough. I told him a few home truths about him. He didn't say anything for a moment, and then he said, “You have poop on your ass.”

That brought my rant to a screeching halt, I was shocked. What the hell was he saying? I passed my hand on my backside and a sticky mess got stuck on it. I brought it to my face to see what it was. It smelled like smashed potatoes. I was perplexed. I tasted it and it really was smashed potatoes. How did it get on my skirt?

Suddenly, two guards grabbed me and dragged me to jail. I screamed, outraged at their behavior. How could they? I didn't do anything. I found myself in cuffs, alone in a cell. One of the guards was sitting at a desk near the door to the room.

“Hey! Get me out! Do you hear me? Get me out!”, I screamed. He didn't even look at me.

I went and sat in a corner. I needed to calm down. I waited for twelves hours for them to release me. They didn't. However, they brought in a different room where a man was sitting behind a desk. The guards that brought me in from the shop were there. They explained all that they were told by the shopkeeper. 

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“Do you have anything to add?”, the man behind the desk asked.

“Free me immediately or you'll regret it.”. I didn't know who this man was I couldn't care less. I had reached  the limits of my 

patience

“Are you threatening me?”

“Release me now!”, I struggled valiantly against the two men that were holding my arms but their grip was firm. I screamed at the top of my lungs.  

“Brought her back to her cell!”

When I arrived there, I received a notification.

Your trial has just finished!

You have been sentenced to 30 days of imprisonment for the following offenses:

sexual harassment

Indecent behavior

Solicitation

I finally understood that the man they brought me to see was a judge and that he sentenced to jail. How could that happened? I couldn't be imprisoned, I had to meet my students in three hours real time in front of the goddess' statue. I tried to think of anything to get me out of this problem. The only solution I could think of was to tell everyone that I had something to do in real life.

My decision made, I logged out. I went and informed the assistant principal that my mother was sick and that I needed to look after her this afternoon. He excused me of my obligations quite easily. I was ecstatic. He encouraged me to leave immediately but I told him that I wanted to at least attend my only class of the day. If I had known what would happened I would have left.

Relieved that my problem was resolved, I headed to class. As it started, I noticed that something was weird. The students were more agitated than ever. They kept looking at me and snickered behind their textbook. Not knowing the reason, I tried to ignore it as it didn't impede the lesson.

However, I drew the line when one of them took out his phone and showed it to his friend. I went and stood next to his desk.

“Sydney, would you mind sharing with the class what you find so interesting on your phone?”

“It's a video on the school website. You're in it.” He looked at me with a smirk and showed me his phone.

I blanched when I looked at the video. It was a video of what happened earlier in Forgotten Soul. I saw myself being dragged by guards after being accused of being a hooker.

“Delete that immediately!”

“But Mrs Johansen, it's on the school website I can't do it.” I heard laughter around me. I looked around and everyone was avoided my gaze. I felt panicked and embarrassed. I ran out of the room before I let my emotions take the better of me. The assistant principal was waiting for me.

“The headmaster wants to see you, now.”, he informed me in a chilly voice.

“Why?”, I asked refusing to  even think about the video.

“The headmaster will tell you.”

He led me to Stephan's office. On the way, I could see students and other teachers stretching their neck to see me pass in front of their class. Everyone knew. It was in their eyes and in their  smile. 

The few pitying looks I could see were the ones that finally brought me to tears. I sobbed uncontrollably until we reached the headmaster's office. The assistant principal didn't try to console me. He just stood, his back straight and a pinched look on his face. Stephan was sitting behind his desk, his hands clasped in front of him.

“It looks like you know why I called you.”

“Stephan, it's not what it looks like? I'm innocent. I didn't do anything and it was their fault-”

“Mrs Johansen, did they force you to be dressed like that? Did they force you to proposition that man in public?” The questions were rhetorical as he didn't wait for any answers. “Your behavior went against school policy. Even out of school, you have to maintain a certain decorum befitting your position. I'm sorry but we have to let you go.”

I was fired. I had a feeling that it was going to happen. I crumbled on the floor.

“You can't do this to me!  I didn't do anything. Why do you hate me so much?” I cried hysterically.

For a few minutes, they didn't say anything. Through my tears, I could see that he was looking at me with disgust. My cries intensified.

“Tom, would you mind escorting Mrs Johansen to her desk in the teacher's room and make sure she take all her belongings?”

I felt someone grabbed one of my arms. He dragged me to my feet. Uncomprehending, I looked at Tom Carter, one of the security guards who worked in the school. He led me out of the office. 

Hours later, I sat, prostrate with grief on my bed. I felt numb. I still couldn't believe how my life went down the drain. I kept thinking over and over about what happened. The only conclusion I reached was that I was set up.

How did this video end up on the school website? It was evident someone from the school had done it. But who? Who hated me so much that they would ruin my life? This morning I would have said no one but after the events at school I wasn't sure.

I had always believed that I was a good teacher, that my students loved me as much as I loved them. I was wrong. Their behavior proved it to me. I had enemies everywhere. Who could the culprit be?

I remembered how Stephan treated me. Could it be him? He didn't let me explain myself. The first time I met him, I thought he was perfect. He was gorgeous with black hair, blue eyes, the body of a god and a well-furnished bank account. I tried to get close to him, to become his friend and maybe in the future to become his lover. 

However, he rejected me, telling me bluntly that I wasn't his type. It was not like I actively tried to seduce him. I just told him to call me by my first name. Since then, he made a point in putting space between us by calling me “Mrs Johansen”.

The more I thought about it the more I convinced myself that Stephan was the one who posted that video or else he would have removed it as soon as he saw it. I felt betrayed and unbelievably angry. I knew why he did it. It was because of that monster he wanted to bring back to school. He knew that I was opposed to it and he wanted to make me pay. He would regret it, I'd  make sure of it. But before that, I needed to plan. He wasn't the only who needed to be taught a lesson.

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