Short Stories

Burntwood Explosion

"Are we there yet?" Clueless little Jamey Catwood asked his old his driver. At 6:53 AM, Jamey and 22 other students at Burntwood Academy waited to arrive to their new school.

"Almost." The grumpy driver known as Joe Kaus replied. Unknowingly to everyone on the bus, it would take much longer and perhaps most wouldn't even make it there.

"Remember this here school of 'yers is far from town. Somewhere in the country side. Weird place for such a fancy school." Joe commented.

"Is that why we left so early?" First grader Angela Carmelo asked.

"Sure is. But this ain't the first time I've driven all the way out to this school. You shoulda seen the look on my face when they said how long it took to get 'ere!" Joe laughed.

The whole bus chatted away as they made their way down the long highway to Burntwood. As they neared the school, smoke started to fill the sky and a car filled with kids whizzed past them going the wrong direction. Joe wasn't able to get a good look at the place before he realized they needed to turn around, and quick.

A small explosion made the kids on the bus shriek and look around. An uproar and lots of speculation started as kids from all grades were looking around frantically. Joe halted the bus, and tried to turn on the narrow path they had taken. A second explosion sounded through the forest as they were hanging off the edge of the path, trying to turn back.

But a large light and the shattered glass of the windows told Joe there wouldn't be much time before he and the rest of his passengers would need to leave the bus and sprint.

"Everyone calm down! We need to get off the bus! Go to those trees!" Joe pointed to the far side of the path away from the school and opened the back doors. One by one each kid made it out, leaving his or her stuff behind on the bus. Once each kid was accounted for, Joe got them moving back to their small town. They heard a couple screams as they trekked beside the highway in the tall grass.

Along their way, stopped in the middle of the road was the black van they saw before with all the other kids. This time it was empty and nothing but red painted the insides of the van. The man knowing only the older kids would understand that people were injured or even died here, he grabbed them for a quick meeting before he let them near it.

The older kids which consisted of 2 girls, grade 9 and 8, gave the kids each a buddy and three groups of various ages to stay close to. None of them were allowed by the van while the old man investigated it. As he looked around inside, something grabbed him and bit him viciously on the arm. Turning he saw a German Shepard standing guard over a little girl. The dig bared his teeth and dried blood cracked in his muzzle as he snarled. The man stepped back, grabbing his arm in pain as the dog continued to eat the unconscious girl.

"Go! Go!" The man said to the girls. They understood and got the kids moving as the old man trailed behind. The girl in grade 8 told the other to wait as she asked the bus driver what happened.

"Joe, what happened to your arm!?" She asked.

"There was a dog in there, I thought it was empty. What's worse is that 'e was eating some lil' girl in there. She was unconscious already, but it was 'orrible. I don't know what 'appened to the rest of the people in 'ere, but I know they was running from whatever 'appened at 'yer school." Joe said shaking his head.

"What!? That's terrible! I'll tell Casey." She said. Running up to the girl in grade 9. Joe saw her gasp and turn to him.

"Is that true? What do we do?" She whispered to Joe.

"Calm down Casey. You and Alyssa need to stay really calm so the others don't freak. Wees just gonna head back to town and tell 'em what 'appenned to us and Burntwood." Joe said in his hillbilly accent.

Making their way to town, Jamey ran to his house which was the closest to them, and told his mother that Joe needed hep. Jamey's mother called the police and Joe was treated while the kids were returned and Casey and Alyssa explained what happened.

Two weeks late they summed up that terrorists were the reason for the school's explosions and the dog incident was due to the family who were driving to the school noticed the fire and turned back immediately. On their way back they had a flat tire so the dad went to change it. When he was about to enter his vehicle, a wild pack of dogs attacked him and eventually killed him. The mother and their youngest child a little boy, survived. But the little girl was dragged by one dog and because she didn't move so the mother suspected her dead. That wasn't the case and she was charged for leaving her child to die. The mother was found in the woods, laying unconscious, injured and starving.

They were in the newspaper the very next day. Unfortunately, Joe did not survive his attack because he obtained rabies. 8 days later his death was in the papers as well. Half the children were traumatized by the sound of the explosions and Burntwood Academy was never rebuilt.