A fear cannot be

The sound of chains crawling up the stairs
The floor of the hallway, made of pale blue tiles, is polished
White fluorescent lights bulge and reflect
The strong smell of wax fills the air
A freshly used mop
Is propped against the wall
A "No Entry" rope is stretched across the stairway entrance
Sunlight, sharpened by global warming, streams in at an acute angle
Dust is faintly dancing in the light
The sound of chains crawling up the stairs
Grows louder and louder
Our eyeballs swing from side to side like pendulums
A microphone switch clicks from the school intercom speaker
Click, click
We stare at the speaker
The sound of chains stops
Perhaps reading the "No Entry" sign
Someone has to leave the classroom soon
Before the school announcement starts
Before the chains catch us
The hallway is waxed, so
Be careful not to slip, someone whispers
Be careful not to slip, everyone repeats
The chains slip under the "No Entry" rope
Slithering like a snake down the hallway
We can hear it from the sound of iron scraping against tile
Thanks to the wax, it’s so smooth
The chains draw closer and closer