Amy's Last Chance

Chapter One

Amy left her room in the southern corner of the college and crossed the quadrangle. It was June, 1985 and the night air was cold. Her exhaled breath preceded her in a cloud as she hurried to get back inside to the warmth.  Her feet tripped along the footpath like autumn leaves scuttling in the breeze.  A sudden movement to her left caused Amy to trip sideways and draw her breath in sharply, her heart rate rising, the beat pounding in her ears.

“…..possums!” she muttered under her breath.  The small animals disappeared into the inky darkness shrieking loudly.  Amy drew her coat close around her, its length covering the thin leggings and shirt she wore when studying.  Squashing her tumbling red curls Amy wore a cream knitted beanie.  A matching scarf was knotted around her long slender neck.  It wasn’t far between the buildings, but she felt the cold. 

In the distance Amy could hear the sounds of revelry as people left the pub.  The college song sounded across the grounds in wisps before being sucked back by the brief cold breeze of the night.  She couldn’t see anyone else, making the sounds somewhat ghostly, and Amy shuddered as she entered the door to Newman building, her hand grasping the rounded end of the wooden banister.  She took the steps two at a time.  Clare’s room was on the top floor and Amy had traversed this route so many times she could do it in her sleep. Four flights, three landings.  Sometimes, startled by someone else on the stairs, she would be embarrassed by losing her rhythm and nearly falling in a heap, but tonight was pub night, and it was still 15 minutes ‘til closing time.  The building was deserted, apart from perhaps the odd person with an essay due in the next day.

The hall carpet was threadbare.  It dated back to the not so distant days when this was a boys only college.  The windows in the stairwell hung open, allowing in the cold night air.  Single light bulbs hung from the ceiling like icicles.  Amy reached Clare’s door, knocked briefly, entered.  And screamed.

Flames flickering wildly in the corner of the room explained the warmth of the doorknob as she turned it.  Putrid smoke was starting to curl toward the ceiling, its fingers tentacles against the candlelit background.  The pages of books open on the desk were already black and smouldering and as Amy glanced wide-eyed around the room a beanbag caught fire and exploded, showering the room with sparks.

Clare lay on the floor in the corner. Her limbs were a crumpled wreckage, her body twisted and lying on the floor like a rag doll thrown to the ground.  Her face was obscured from view by her hair.  Amy rushed inside, knelt beside Clare and instinctively started to pull her towards the safety of the cold corridor.  Her skin was smooth and unresponsive.  Amy rolled Clare over and gasped.   Her face was grey, her eyes staring and bulging.  An arm flopped into Amy’s lap and Amy, now sobbing, clutched her friend to her chest.

“NOOOOOO….” Her scream rent the night air.  The sound echoed down the vacant hallway.  Furiously blinking back tears, Amy looked further around her.  Clare’s coat and bag were strewn on her bed.  The room was cold, with curtains billowing at the open window.  A candle sat on the desk dripping wax, its flame unabated the only sign of life in the room.  A stubby of beer lay on its side next to Clare, its contents long since soaked into the carpet.  Amy’s throat was now thick with grief and disbelief. Still screaming but emitting no sound, she collapsed on the floor beside her friend as the smoke billowed around them.

In the background footsteps sounded on the stairs.  The room was fuzzy.  Amy became aware of rushing movements, the room seeming to whirl around and around her. There were flashing lights somewhere in the distance; eventually a feeling of cold metal at her wrists in contrast to the unfamiliar smell of something over her mouth and nose.  She noticed a new pungent odour as she was helped into the back of a police car, then a feeling of horror as consciousness returned.    Everything went grey.