TAINTED ROSE

Chapter 15

As the sound of battle roared outside, Pearlyn and Sherry sat in the niche of the 2/4 classroom, attempting to calm their nerves by talking about their favourite star, Justine Baiebr. Suddenly, there was a loud knock at the door and they heard someone shout, “Let us in before we all die!” Sherry quickly unbolted the door and two figures fell into the classroom with a groan. Locking the door again, Sherry looked down to see Adolpha and Helen pulling themselves to their feet. Touching a small cut on her forehead, Helen grunted unhappily and sat in the corner of the classroom. Pearlyn looked curiously at Helen, and then whispered to Adolpha, “What is up with her?”

Shaking her head, Adolpha explained, “Well, you see…

“Almost there!” Helen and Adolpha ran through the garden encompassed by the circle of Secondary 4 classrooms, now empty and abandoned. Adolpha looked up at the circle of light created by the circular shape of the building. A dark figure formed on the top floor and dropped a rectangular object. “Hel…” Adolpha looked to warn Helen, but it was too late. Helen sat on the ground, rubbing a bump on her head caused by the falling metal “Almond Crunch” tin, and then began laughing sadistically…

Sherry and Pearlyn shook their heads in disbelief. Another knock at the door sounded and the stoner opened the door as the remaining 2/4 girls streamed into the classroom, Crystal at the rear, grasping a tissue to the face. Bolting the door, Crystal fell to the ground and whimpered, “It was insane!” Alicia, the ever ready paramedic, pulled the first aid kit out of the teacher’s table and went to help. Adolpha glanced at her with concern from the corner where she sat with Helen, still depressed and sadistic, then went back to tying her knots.

The remainder of the class, the rest had either perished in fight, still hiding, or still fighting, started to pull their school jacket hood up as they settled for the night. Adolpha, forever stoning, was at the first shift of watching, tying her knots carefully…

Sherry was awoken by the streams of light flooding in through the windows. All of them had slept the whole night. Looking around, she saw Helen sitting up in her corner, looking extremely confused.

“Hey, you’re up.” Sherry smiled at Helen experimentally, wondering how she would respond.

Helen grasped her head and moaned in pain. “My head hurts like crazy. How did I get here? I just remember being in the Secondary 4 garden…” She trailed off as another bout of pain hit her head.

Sherry shrugged, slightly amused. “Kind of a long story, you got hit on the head, went sadistic on us, Adolpha brought you back… Wait a minute,” Sherry looked around for the quiet girl, “Where is Adolpha?”

A resounding scream woke all the Secondary 2s up…