ACADEMY FOR THE DAMNED

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

"We have taped off a section of yard nearest the wall," intoned Durand's voice around the building. "Do not go beyond the tape as we have established it was your proximity to the wall that provoked the monsters to climb over it."

Very few had the courage to go out on the perimeter after the previous day. Dillon persuaded his friends to leave the building as he wanted to see where the helicopter had landed. It was of course no longer there."

"You heard it last night?"

"I did," said Ike.

Ike glanced nervously at the wall. As Durand had said there was a red tape positioned at the edge of the bad smell and the tape went around the perimeter, supported by metal rods driven into the concrete. A few others were out having decided they needed fresh air and to feel the sun on their skins. Robots and armed men wearing body armour patrolled the perimeter.

"I actually saw it," said Emily. "A vision of the machine coming down and robots taking out crates and large packages, unloading it. The machine came down outside the main entrance so it would have been out of sight of the dormitories."

"So that's how they got us here," said Dillon. "They must have come to deliver supplies. Emily, what did you see?"

"It was very big. I could see the robots in relation to it. Massive. It was long and had a rotor at each end."

"Describes a Chinook," said Ike.

Dillon looked up at the cloudless blue sky. "And now it's gone back where it came from." He looked at the others. "It is our only way out."

Amina shook her head. "I'm not leaving this place. I'm not a coward but what lies outside terrifies me. We may not be told the whole truth but nothing bad seems to have happened to us yet, save that girl. If we leave who knows what might materialise."

"There's also the problem of getting outside," said Ike. "Our rooms are locked at night. I'm certain there would be robots going around making sure nobody or nothing is there that shouldn't be. Any way I'm with Amina. Better the devil you know."

"What about you Emily?"

"You've been outvoted. We stay put, until we know better."

Dillon looked at the watch towers. He wondered who manned those. The towers could see the world beyond the wall but he could think of no way of getting into those. There appeared no doors to the towers. Were they just for show, to intimidate the teenage prisoners? It occurred to Dillon that the towers held cameras and were probably not meant to be entered by anyone.

Dillon dropped his gaze to the yard.

"Well, well," he said.

They all looked to where he was pointing. Dee was standing by herself, positioned up against the tape and looking at the wall. She was smoking a cigarette. Dillon strode up to her leaving his friends behind.

"Hi, I'm Dillon," he said.

Dee did not look at him. "Your secret is safe with me." She blew smoke rings.

"You can smoke?"

"Helps the nerves in this place. I don't need help with my nerves. I just like to smoke." She glanced at him. "Nosy aren't you? Why don't you away and be with your friends." She looked away from him.

"But..."

"You are an open book to me. I know you want to escape from this place. Good luck. Oh don't worry I won't rat you out. It'd be entertaining to watch you try to escape. I get so little entertainment in my life. I want to stay here. This place is great. It's a big improvement on my cruddy foster home and my cruddy foster parents. I even like the ghouls. It's win, win."