SEVENTEEN, Episode 5 – The Clenched Fist

Written by William E. Spear

Published by The Three Fifty-seven

9 March 2024

SEVENTEEN, Episode 5 – The Clenched Fist

He’s dying to forget.
She lives to remember.

(Tenny’s Theme fades up)

Hello . . . and welcome to the Three Fifty-seven.

My name is William Spear and this is the continuation of our series titled SEVENTEEN.

The central character is Severin Vincent Tennyson. Nicknamed “Tenny,” he is a sixty-four-year-old non-verbal, cane-using janitor at Gunderson High School in central New Jersey.

In a previous episode, the appearance of the newly hired Superintendent Millicent di Stefano, triggered Tenny to run from the auditorium thumping his chest shouting “Seventeen.”

By the way, no one in the school had seen him even walk without his cane, let alone run. Nor had anyone ever hear him speak.

Along the way, he left the super’s Chief of Staff sprawled on the floor like a jigsaw puzzle missing a few pieces.

Also, Jennifer Hargrove, Tenny’s job coach and a junior at the high school, quietly slipped out of the auditorium and followed him.

And now, Episode Five . . . THE CLENCHED FIST.

(Tenny’s Theme plays then fades out)

Jennifer descended into the lowest part of Gunderson’s basement. Dimly lit with pipes everywhere, finding Tenny in the dark would take forever.

Until . . . There! In the distance! A muffled Bang! and No! were heard. The sound and the scream echoed everywhere and might have come from anywhere.

A few more Bangs! and Noes! guided her through the dark.

At the end of a long corridor, beneath a bulb hanging from above, Tenny was ramming his head into a locker. Over and over and over. Screaming No. No! NO!

His shirt was covered with blood.

People, places, and memories came screaming back. He slammed one more vicious time and let loose an angry “NOOOO!”

From behind him a voice spoke: “Tenny.”

He did not want this to happen. He knew the voice was inside his head and did not look.

It spoke again: “Tenny.”

When the hand touched his shoulder, he screamed and spun around. Jennifer asked: “What’s happening?”

He clenched his fist and rapped against the side of his head. Why he was punching himself?

Tenny shook his head “No” and pointed upward.

“In the auditorium?” she guessed. He shook his head “Yes” then rapped his fist against the side of head.

She continued: “’They?’ hurt you.” Tenny held up a single finger. Only one person was hurting him.

Jennifer was puzzled. He knew everyone but never responded like this before. She shrugged her shoulders and he emphatically held up a single finger. “Alright, alright,” she said. “Don’t yell at me.”

Principal Baker? He shook his head, “No.”

Clarke Evans, the history teacher? Again, “No”, then touched his forefingers to his thumbs and put the circles over his eyes.

Glasses? Jennifer tried to remember. Tenny pulled a quarter from his pocket, put it in front of her face, put his forefinger-thumb circles over his eyes, and tapped his wrist.

Silver glasses! Superintendent di Stefano! She wore silver glasses and a metal wristwatch. But how did he know the super?

He put his hand over his heart, held up four fingers, then pointed upward.

Meanwhile, the bespectacled and wristwatch-wearing Superintendent di Stefano was engaged in verbal warfare with Principal Baker. Di Stefano roared: “I’m talking and ordering you to stop.”

Baker spun around and shot back: “You CAN’T order me. I’m fired.”

(Tenny’s Theme fades up)

You’ve listened to Episode Five titled THE CLENCHED FIST.

Theme music is through the courtesy of Lemon Music Studio.

William Spear wrote and narrated the series and it was produced by The Three Fifty-seven.

Thank you for listening.

(Tenny’s theme fades out)

WESJr