A Rift Between Us

Chapter 17 - Out The Lab

Alfie tossed his pen, watching it roll some distance ahead before stopping at the top of the revision papers. He rubbed his face, sighing after a few seconds, then grabbed it firmly as he skimmed over the notes.

I can't believe I made all these dumb mistakes. Keiko's annoying as hell, but she's also kinda right, isn't she? This is why I failed the mock exams before.

Keiko's arm whooshed past his face, slicing through his thoughts like a scythe through summer grass. Her finger pointed to yet another wrong answer. Alfie's eyes dropped to the sheet, revealing even more mistakes that she hadn't noticed. Her voice, along with the surrounding sounds, blended into a whirlpool of nonsensical noise, fading into oblivion. The longer he stared at the sheet, the more distant the sounds became.

I need to step up my game. I gotta attend more after-school classes. No that's not enough...I gotta stay up late to revise when I arrive home as well. The information has to stick in my head. All that matters is passing these final exams. I have to pass them. I have to frigging pass them. Maths, Science, English, ICT...all of them. I can't fail this time.

"Hey!"

A sharp crack jolted Alfie back to reality. He glanced around frantically, spotting Mr Dodge in front of him.

What's wrong with this boy? He used to be one of the better ones before. Now he keeps stressing me out. I don't know how I'm still surviving this job...

Mr Dodge held a tightly rolled magazine in his hand. The loud snap it made echoed through the empty lab. Alfie's heart pounded as he looked to the right. Every stool was vacant. Everyone was gone. Water dripped from one of the taps, each drop falling with mocking precision, amplifying his confusion.

"It's lunchtime now. Didn't you hear the bell?" The magazine tapped against his left hand with a steady rhythm. "Pack your stuff and get out. Don't forget, I'll be calling your mum later today."

Alfie's spirit plummeted as the gravity of the situation sank in. His eyes fell, gathered the scattered papers, and shoved them into his bag. A heavy sense of defeat weighed on his shoulders. Mr Dodge swiped his phone from the teacher's desk and walked out, his leather jacket slung over his right shoulder. He didn't bother shutting the door, leaving it ajar. Alfie zipped up his backpack and swung it over one shoulder.

How did I just space out like that? I'm surprised Keiko didn't try anything stupid.

He walked down the deserted corridor, where the empty labs were dimly lit by the sun's rays streaming through the skylights above. The silence was almost eerie, broken only by the faint hum of the building's ventilation system. As he reached the end of the science department, a door to his right clicked. His heart skipped a beat. Without warning, something latched onto his collar, yanking him into the dark storage room. The door slammed shut behind him, plunging him into virtual darkness. He struggled to see, his eyes slowly adjusting to the dim light filtering through the glass slit in the door. The air was thick with the smell of old chemicals and dust. He could hear his own breathing, rapid and shallow, as he tried to make sense of what had just happened. An unseen pressure clamped down on his forearm, sending a jolt of fear through him.

What the??

He tried to pull away, but the grip tightened, leaving him in an unnerving predicament.