The Thinning AU

16

Jasmine started walking back to her cart. She grabbed a pair of glasses that had a string around her neck so they wouldn't fall off. She looked around the top of her cart and she mumbled something about gloves. After a couple of seconds she bent down to grab something from the bottom of the cart. I took this opportunity to kick her as best as I could with my legs strapped. She fell easily on her back next to the cart. I didn't know what I was going to do now, I had made a split second decision, so I looked around. As I strained to find something to get me out of the situation I realized my foot had come loose from the kick. I kicked the cart while Jasmine was still struggling to move, and suddenly all of the needles and liquids fell on her along with the surprisingly heavy cart. My whole leg was free now and it ached. I pulled my whole body up as hard as I could and the straps stretched. They were very loose but I needed one more tug to break them so I could move. I could feel the burn from the straps against my arms and neck. I sat up with as much force as I could manage and I heard multiple snaps. My left foot was the only thing not free so I leaned forward and wiggled it out of its trap. I jumped up and sprinted to the door. There was and unlocked pad lock on it. I pulled open the door and took a look at Jasmine. She was still on the floor and it looked like she had been injected with multiple needles from the cart. She was curled up in a ball of pain groaning.

As I started to run out the door I hit something and fell to the floor with a thud. I had ran right into Mr. Sarden. Who was running towards the room I had just tried to escape. "I heard a crash what's going on? How did you...? Why is she...?" He couldn't finish his sentence. He just looked down at me on the floor. I tried to stand up and go past him but he blocked my way. He took a hold of my shirt and pulled me over to Jasmine who was still writhing in pain on the floor. He bent down still holding my shirts which forced me to bend down with him. "She's not going to die. She's gonna have to recover for a loooong time though." He was smiling. It was the most I had seen him smile. He let go of my shirt and said, "Let's get out of here kid." He started to walk towards the door. I stayed knelt on the floor next to Jasmine with my jaw dropped. I didn't k ow what to say. What had just happened?? Mr. Sarden stopped in the doorway and looked at me. "You coming Max?" He said and walked up the stairs that led to the next room in the school's basement. I followed still uncertain of what was happening.

I got up the stairs and I saw Mr. Sarden standing at the top with his hands made into fists placed on his hips. "Come on Max," he said, "Let's get out of this prison." Before he could go any farther I said, "Mr. Sarden, what on Earth are you doing? Wasn't it partially your plan to kill me??" He looked at me and his shoulders went down along with his smile. "I never wanted to hurt you, or Ellie for that matter. She was so controlling over me and she would've killed me in an instant if I hadn't gone along with her plan. This basement was build as a sort of, safety bunker in case of major storms, school intruders, and things like that. She came into school one day while I was in my office by myself, she has snuck in a couple of those needles, and she he'd put the entire school's blueprint in her handbag. She knew about the basement. She held the needle to my neck and forced me to let her in." He sighed but continued, "Days, then weeks, then months went by and she kept bringing more and more into the basement. More needles, more whatever the hell all that other junk is. I had seen her test it on things such as rats and mice and it was horrific." I stopped him because he was clearly beginning to be upset about the situation. "You don't have to say anything more, I was strapped to a table next to her for crying out loud! I know the feeling of just being in the same room as that witch." I chuckled a bit. I saw a slight smile form on Mr. Sarden's face and he said, "C'mon let's go before the witch has time to do anything. I have the button so she'll be down here for as long as I want when we get out." He said dangling the device with the button in the air. "Clever..." I thought to my self.

We ran up the stairs and surprisingly he beat me to the top. He want in better shape than me but I think he was just more eager to leave and lock Jasmine down in the basement. We opened the door in the floor and walked out into his office again. He quickly shut the door, I want sure if it was because he didn't want anyone to see or if he wanted to lock it as fast as possible. He said, "Now, you don't need to worry about any of this. I'll take care of it." He checked his watch, "Its 9th period. I'll give you a late pass, you can just say I kept you late. Okay Max, I'm sorry for all of that." He handed me a late pass. I said, "Thank you Mr. Sarden. But what about Ellie?" He nodded, "Yes, she will be just fine. I think all of the students will be..." He faltered off. "Okay thank you sir." I said and left the room to go back to class.