Richard Bennett, a science teacher at Cannon Falls High School (CFHS), has officially been accused of releasing a plague throughout the school that allegedly originated in his lab. A common theory is that Mr. Bennett laced his students’ water with the plague. However, this disease is unlike any other medical researchers have come in contact with. The symptoms are outstandingly rare and bizarre. The community is desperate for a cure, answers, and justice.
Students have struggled with strange symptoms throughout the past week at CFHS. As stated by senior Avery Rustad, “The symptoms I have experienced are growing extra fingers and toes.” While it sounds silly, this has serious implications in Rustad’s daily life. She is no longer able to wear shoes because she has too many toes, and she is unable to write in school due to the nine fingers on her right hand. Furthermore, sophomore Aviah Wells articulates “I’ve recently been able to move things with my mind and my tongue is shrinking.”
While Aviah Wells no longer has to stand up to dump her tray at lunch because she just uses her telepathy instead, she has had some struggles due to her symptoms. She has been terrorized by her peers for her microscopic tongue. The worst of them even referred to her as “Tiny Tongue” and constantly begged her to stick her tongue out. The school environment has clearly increased in hostility since the plague was spread. “People are acting crazy and fights are breaking out everywhere,” Avery Rustad states in agreement. A divide has grown between the infected and healthy students. People who used to be best friends refuse to interact with one another for fear that they will contract the disease. This begs the question of who is responsible for the current unrest.
Mr. Bennett has been the main suspect in the investigation surrounding the disease. Currently, the accusations against Mr. Bennett are just speculation, but the student population seems to agree that he is responsible. Rustad argues, “I think he did it intentionally because he thought it would be funny.” While he is known for his odd sense of humor, this alleged joke may have gone slightly too far. Some students, however, claim that Bennett himself proudly admitted to being responsible. When asked if she believed Mr. Bennett was the culprit, Aviah Wells responded, “Yes he did it, he told me.” Wells’s credibility is questionable, however. An admission of guilt would surely yield punishment and even possibly get Mr. Bennett fired.
The final question lingering in the minds of those who are already convinced of Bennett’s guilt is what punishment would serve justice. Bennett will give his testimony this Friday, April 4th, with the school board acting as the jury. While they are ultimately in control of the outcome of these allegations, students have weighed in on how they believe Bennett should be punished. “He should be punished by having to clean the school bathrooms for a month,” is Avery Rustad’s solution. A simple but disgusting punishment that would surely straighten him out. Others advocate for a more extreme retribution. Aviah Wells states with no further context, “Hodges should fight him.” The ‘Hodges’ she refers to is the principal of CFHS, Tim Hodges.
With no cure in sight and a CFHS teacher under fire, the past week has been nothing short of brutal for all members of the school. All they can do is hope for advances in the investigation and for medical researchers to be successful in better understanding this illness. For now, CFHS remains plagued with both confusion and Bennett’s alleged disease.
