This vocabulary story got me into the counselor's office to talk about my "issues." My God-forsaken English teacher thought it was (and I quote) "Alarmingly graphic for current concern about school shootings." Please note the utter lack of anything bloody, gory, or otherwise gross in this story.


The sunny Tuesday morning that would change people’s lives forever seemed like any other sunny Tuesday morning at Sandpoint High School. Trent Vreyzer got out of bed at 6:50 AM like usual, and got himself ready for school. As he lethargically brushed his teeth, he thought about what was going to happen later that day. His misanthropy was afflicting his mind in such a way that he firmly believed that the only solution to his depression and problems at school would be to annihilate as many people there as possible. With mounting avidity, he continued to prepare himself for his "day" at school. He began rifling through the mess under his bed, hunting for the guns and ammunition he had so carefully placed there a few weeks before. His tenuous grip on reality had worsened as the weeks progressed, and it seemed so immutable that he thought this was his only way to cope.

When he was within close proximity of the school, he began to feel paramount compared to everyone else there. Trent suffered from myopia, which caused him to require glasses, welcoming in a whole slew of insults from classmates he barely knew. Trent beguiled those who had made fun of him for all those years into thinking he was a harmless person; someone who would take the kind of harassment they gave him. Boy, were they ever wrong. However, he endeavored to not let his ego get in the way of him doing a "good" job.

Surreptitiously, he entered the school, trying to keep a low profile. The commons that day was unusually tumultuous, and Trent, the incipient killer, found it repulsive. With complete cognizance of the amount of damage he was about to cause, he opened fire on the students. The first poignant, irrevocable shot rang out, followed by many, many more. Undaunted by the resonance, Trent maintained fire. Several people were entreating to God, asking him to please make it stop, to make the pain go away. Futile, Trent thought.

Even with the horrific screams emanating seemingly from everywhere, Trent kept a pensive, almost evilly happy, half-grin on his face. He seemed to know exactly what he was doing, and why. This was the epitome of the rage and hurt he felt for the kids who tormented him. Someday, he thought, they will become inured to the pain. But for now, I’ll let them suffer. As the last murderous shot rang through the commons, Trent raised the pistol to his head, remarked, "This was because of you," and pulled the trigger.





¤ v o c a b u l a r y ¤ w o r d s ¤ u s e d ¤

*lethargy..........unusual drowsiness or abnormal fatigue
*misanthropy.......hatred or mistrust of people
*annihilate........destroy or demolish
*avidity...........great eagerness
*rifling...........searching through roughly or thouroughly
*tenuous...........weak or slight
*immutable.........never changing
*proximity.........nearness
*paramount.........greatest, dominant
*myopia............nearsightedness
*beguile...........mislead or fool
*endeavor..........to try really hard
*surreptitiously...stealthily or sneakily
*tumultuous........noisy, chaotic
*incipient.........just beginning
*cognizance........awareness
*poignant..........piercing, painful (sort of an emotion)
*irrevocable.......unable to be changed
*undaunted.........not discouraged or dismayed
*entreating........begging or praying
*pensive...........dreamily thoughtful
*epitome...........highest point; climax
*inured............used to something painful