"I need to be more careful"

It was his trademark, inaudible whisper to himself that originally aroused the suspicions of the Education Board. Students began to spread rumors of the "crazy English professor who talks to himself all day." Now with this latest stunt, he knew a "random" drug test would soon follow, and he would fail it.  

But that was the least of his worries.

 The local police had been notified of Meridith's possible disappearance. He knew she was a very family-oriented person, so a worried mother contacting the police to check on her baby girl seemed like a very plausible spark of the investigation. 

Investigation.

That word played catalyst to the full gravity of the situation hitting him like a ton of bricks. How had this happened? How did he go from a respectable educator, to a drugged out...

Even in his head, he had a hard time bringing himself to say it.

Murderer.

"No. She was alive..."

The words came out of his mouth without filter, and he realized with a shock that he had made it to the classroom, and was sitting in his tattered leather desk chair. Judging by the dwindling trail of latecomers scurrying to their desks, it was time for class to start. His random outburst had caused all chatter and movement to cease. He stood up, slowly, clutching his faded brown satchel against his chest, and stared at the momentarily paralyzed young faces staring blankly back at him.

"No class today." he said to no one inparticular, and walked out of the room.