The Vulgus Chronicles

Vulgus Chronicles - Chapter 3

3

Manny had perfected the technique for dragging himself down the stairs. He no longer hit his privates by reaching down and twisting his torso, but the stumps of his thighs took the beating. The prospect of food kept his focus away from any discomfort.

Hannah was a step behind him and kept her LED shining ahead of him. It was only a keychain light, but compared to total blackness, it was good at letting Manny know where to place his hands. He could do it in the dark if he had to.

Eight steps, then a landing, a turn, then five more steps. He, too, had rummaged around in the basement during the day to find things of use. Mostly things were in piles, discarded and broken desks, chairs, bunks, and decorations. Everything was covered in thick dust. It was no wonder Dweasel was so filthy.

Cookie came down the steps, her oversized men's slippers, worn thin under her feet, slapping against her heels as she stepped. She brought a powerful LED camping lantern retrieved from the parlor. Dweasel was a few steps behind her.

Manny dragged himself across the dirty floor.

"Where's this room, Dweasel?"

"Way in the back past the furnace room."

Manny could see faint light ahead. A narrow hall between lockers used for storing the boys' personal affects and luggage led to the furnace room. All the lockers had been gone through. The camping lantern was one such find.

They passed the furnace room that still had a mechanical smell, despite being nearly a year since the students all left for good. Dweasel had been a special needs student at the academy, but his parents never came to retrieve him

The light grew stronger. Shadows flickered gently from the piles of junk.

"Dweasel! You left a candle burning? You're gonna burn the whole place down!"

"You called me," Dweasel said.

"Next time bring the candle with you when you come!"

"Sorry..."

"That's okay, Dweasel. Where's this room you're talking about?"

"Back there behind the junk. You gotta go in here and squeeze through the back."

Manny turned left and dragged himself through the narrow opening. It must have been hard for Dweasel to get back there on two legs. He had to drag himself sideways. The thought of all the dirt getting into his wounds bothered him, but it wasn't going to stop him from finding food.

The candle sat on top of a desk, but under a chair sitting on top. A plywood door hung open, the hasp with the broken lock dangled. Manny had to push it closed to get past it, then open it up again.

Hannah tried to shine her LED around the door, but couldn't get her head around the door to see. Manny dragged into the large locker. Hannah pushed the door closed enough to get past it, then followed Manny shining her light.

"What's in there?" Cookie asked from the other side of the piled junk.

"Boxes of some kind," Manny said. "But I don't think they're food. They're too small." He tapped a few. "They feel like plastic. They're about three inches high and ten inches by ten inches. There's a bunch of them. Maybe fifty or more."

Cookie held her bright lantern up casting moving shadows from the junk.

Manny tried to pull one out of the middle as high as he could reach. He didn't want them toppling onto him.

Hannah reached to one on the top and pulled it off.

"Here you go," she said.

Manny examined it under the light.