Jerry Watch: The Will to Press On!!!

The grim images haunted me all last night. I would wake up in a cold sweat and flashes of green stripes were all I could see. 고운 would wake up too and try to calm me, but it was no use.

Every time I think I'm gonna wake up back in that classroom. When I was home after my first battle, I didn't think it would be worse, but I'd wake up and there'd be nothing. I hardly said a word to my afternoon students, until I said "yes" to recess. When I was here, I wanted to be there; when I was there, all I could think of was getting back into the classroom. I'm here writing now, getting softer; every minute I stay in this room, I get weaker, and every minute Green Stripes doesn't wash his shirts, he gets stronger. Each time I looked around, the walls moved in a little tighter.

It was a long night to say the least.

I knew that there was a good chance that I would see Jerry today. I was doing push-ups this morning before the sun came up. I was preparing for the battle. Meditation took my mind off it, but how can I forget what I saw yesterday. It was pure evil. Look away if you must.



I had to trash my blood-soaked clothes from yesterday and clean our entire apartment with ammonia. If Green Stripes catches even a whiff, then he'd be all over me again and I'm not sure I can take another encounter.

On the way to school I bumped into some elementary school students who were wearing Tae Kwon Do gi's. I asked them to show me some moves. They showed me this.



After I regained consciousness, I decided not to use that move since I only knew how to get kicked in the face. The familiar taste of blood was in my mouth, but I was already too close to school to turn back and the bell was about to ring. I pressed on.

The school was cold. I could see my breathe coming from my nose and mouth. This worried me. Could Green Stripes have gotten to the heater and turned it off? No. He couldn't have. I decided to take the elevator instead of the steps. The steps leaves me too open for ambush and I had a feeling that an early morning surprise attack might be what he was planning.

I pushed the button for the elevator. The light did not illuminate. I pushed it again and again and harder and faster each time. Nothing. Finally, it lit up and after surveying the empty elevator, I got on.

The one-floor ride couldn't have gone any slower. I thought about 고 and how this morning might have been the last time I saw her. I reached down to my pocket and felt for my phone. I only felt the cold steel on a gun barrel. I pulled it out, cocked it and put it in my belt and then retrieved the phone from the now empty pocket. I pushed the button for 고.

It rang.

"Hello." she said in a normal voice.

"고, it's me. I... I just..." my voice cracked. I took a deep breath and continued.

"I just wanted to let you know how much I love you and if I don't make it out of this alive, make sure our kids know I died for a just cause."

"Honey, we don't have kids yet AND I'll talk to you on MSN in a few minutes." she replied in a surprising calm and normal voice.

She just didn't seem to understand that I'm doing this for mankind. She thought it was all a joke or just something to write on a mediocre blog.

I had no time to sulk. The doors opened. No one was there. I edged forwards slowly and when I was out and in the open I heard the call of the great beast! The sound was awful. It was a blood-curdling shriek that I would not wish upon anybody.

I was not sure why he screamed, but just as I thought that, a sun beam pierced through the clouds and laid on the floor in front of me. It was feeding time. Usually, Green Stripes feeds alone and in the depths of a classroom, but something was different this time.

I peeked my head around the corner and looked down the long empty hallway. It was clear. I tightened my new bright white slip-on Keds, tight rolled my jeans and started the perilous journey.

I felt confident today. Maybe it was the Keds and jeans, but something was going to be different. I made it to the first classroom. I looked in and it was empty. So was the next one and the next one! They were all empty, so I decided that my time and energy would be better spent moving forwards rather than making useless stops. I let my guard down as I picked up the pace. I wanted to end this today, but Green Stripes knew I was coming. He knew it and planned for it.

All of a sudden the door in front of me swung open and I was again facing a charging enemy, but this time holding what looked like pitchfork only twenty-times the size! Look at it!




I felt a sharp poke on my arm and then piercing pain shot all around my body. I was paralyzed with fear. In the panic, I couldn't find my gun and just tried swinging. I couldn't see well, but the creature kept advancing and getting closer.



I fell to the ground and put my hand up to protect me from the blows, but he kept coming.



I could see him now. The beast before me was not the Green Stripes, but an evil spawn. I was losing ground. The advance was too fast and strong. I closed my eyes and waited for the end. Then, I heard that shriek again and the spawn retreated into a distant classroom.

I survived another attack, but could I live and function with all that had happened in the last two days? Could I forge on and fight again?

These are the questions that keep me up at night. These are the questions that haunt my dreams.

As Churchill said, "So long as there are Green Stripes there will be wars."

He was right and I will continue to rid the world of Green Stripes one day at a time.