ACADEMY FOR THE DAMNED

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

At ten the next morning most of the teenagers selected to enter the borderland assembled in the small garden next to the bulge in space time.

"One of those armed men grabbed me from breakfast and dragged me here," said a girl.

"Most of us are here because we been dragged," said a boy. "They got me here kicking and screaming. I don't want to die."

"I came on my own steam," said Weiss. "But hell will freeze over before I go through that door. I am making that clear."

"They can't make us go through," said Dillon. "Juliette said last time it was voluntary."

"Are you going?" said Weiss.

"I don't know."

"On what? Seriously? You tried to escape. Now you're up for it? What's wrong with you? You got your fellow escapees with you. What's wrong with them?"

Dillon had nothing to say. He saw Dee standing to one side smiling at them all.

"What are you grinning at?" said Dillon.

"You people." She shook her head. "Pathetic."

"I reckon it's different over there now. I reckon it's worse. Much worse. We got no chance."

"Think what those monsters will do to us!"

"I been to that place," said a girl. "We go there again we're toast. That other world haunts my nightmares. I hate this place but I'd sooner stay here than go through that!"

She indicated the lens like bulge.

One said. "I'm not waiting here for the slaughter. I'm going to find somewhere to hide. I shouldn't have come here in the first place."

At that moment Macleod and three of his men and two adult psychics appeared. The armed men were pushing the remainder of the reluctant teenagers before them. Macleod blocked the path of those teens who had decided to return to the building.

"Oh please don't go! You'll miss such a wonderful adventure. I mean it. Don't go." Then he looked around him. "Are we all here?"

"Not quite."

Juliette strode forward. She stepped among the throng of teenagers.

"Once more this is voluntary," she said.

"No it's not! Not this time," said Macleod. "You all go in there and we're here to make sure you do."

"What?" said Juliette. "I wasn't told."

"Now you know. It's an order straight from Miss Durand."

There were angry exchanges among the teenagers. Dillon looked directly at Juliette and his heart quickened. She was beautiful. He realised why he was here, not because he had been ordered to but because he loved Juliette and he wanted to protect her. That she was an alien who had brought about his current misery and the misery of the people around him did not enter his head. He would enter the borderland because he knew, somehow, in his guts Juliette stood a greater chance of survival with his company, than she would without.

"You can't force them," said Juliette.

Macleod patted his side holster. "Can't I?"

A teenage boy got in the man's face. "You wouldn't dare!"