Death by Detention

3

When I walk back out the bathroom and feel Raine's hand in mine, a sense of joy falls over me like a veil, protecting me from the horror.

When I see Steph lying on the floor with her ruined skin, that veil is ripped off and I close my eyes to hold back tears.

I let go of Raine's hand and walk back over to the others. Barry isn't looking so green anymore but his gaze is trained on his battered shoes and his hands are in his curly mess of hair.

Nora's sobs have quietened but she is curled up in a chair with Arla awkwardly rubbing her back in an attempt to soothe her. Damon stands and folds his arms. "You two quite finished? Maybe we can try and get out of here now?"

I nod and wrap my arms around myself as chills run down my spine. "Is it just me or is it really cold right now?" I say.

Raine shakes his head "It's this room. You don't usually feel it because there's so many people but there's some kind of draft"

Arla's brows furrows "It's there's a draft then there must be an opening?" She says quietly "A vent or something"

A grin appears on Damon's face. "I know where it is" He says and runs off.

"Careful!" Barry shouts after him. But he doesn't pass through any doors. Instead he pushes away the folded up lunch tables and reveals a vent that's been put back into place using duct tape.

I walk over as he peels it back. "That fight I was in. I shoved the guy against it and the cover fell off" Damon explains before prying off the metal cover and tossing it to the ground. He looks to me "You're small enough to fit. Go in and see where it leads"

I shake my head "I can't. I don't like small spaces"

He groans "There is a killer in this school and you're scared of a vent?"

I throw my arms in the air. "Fine. But if you want me freaking out once I'm in..."

"God's sake I'll do it" Barry says pushing past both of us. He's even smaller than me and slides in easily. "I can't stay out there anyway" he calls back.

I watch as he gets smaller and then disappears around a corner. I step away and lean against the wall. "This is insane" I mutter.

The others come over to join us and Raine leans beside me. "You look like you're having a great time" He whispers to me.

I smile "I love stuff like this. It really gets my heart racing"

"Speaking of racing. I have tickets to Grey Lanes at the weekend" He grins. Grey Lanes was the racing track and every year, hundreds of cars came to race. Every year Raine and I will sit outside and watch through the fence as tickets are like gold dust.

"This is why we're friends" I laugh.

He frowns "Friends?" He asks.

I let out a low groan "Can we talk about this when we get out of here? Please?"

He smiles slightly and nods. It was strange. He has such a muscular physique and could easily squash me without even trying but yet he lets me see his vulnerable side. Maybe that's why.

There's a rattle and suddenly Barry's head pops out through the vent. "I think I've found something. There's a sound coming from below us but I need someone to come with me to find it"

I look at Nora but she is still sobbing and I know she'll be an absolute mess trying to get around the vents. I don't even get a chance to look at Arla before Damon grabs me. "Looks like you're going to have to face your fear" he says.

I curse under my breath and let Barry turn back around. I crouch down and place my palms on the cold metal. I take a deep breath. I never can understand my claustrophobia. One day I was fine and the next I couldn't stand even having my bedsheets tucked in too tight around me.

Slowly, I crawl inside and feel the top of the vent scrape my back and it touches my shoulders. I am quite a skinny girl but at this point, I really wished I hadn't eaten that extra pancake for breakfast this morning.

I have to stop after about a minute and just breathe. Barry stops too. "You okay back there?" He asks. I nod and start crawling again. "I got to about here last time when I turned back. Can you hear it?"

I tried to quiet my heavy breathing and listen to what he was talking about. There it was. A quiet hum just below us. "I thought we were on the ground floor?" I say.

"So did I" Barry mutters.

It's really dark now and I can barely see what in front of me. "Do you mind if I hold your foot?" I ask quietly.

He chuckles "Sure. Whatever"

"I just can't see you anymore" I say and he laughs again.

"It's getting louder" he thinks out loud and I realise that it is. We must be getting closer. "It's just below us no-" suddenly he lets out a scream and falls down. In a moment of panic I grip his ankle tighter and feel myself skid forward after him.

It takes me about half a second to realise that I'm now falling. Fast.

I let go of Barry's ankle and stick my limbs out against the walls. The rubber soles on my trainers grip to the walls and my arms are already burning. I'm upside down and blood is rushing to my head.

I force my eyes open and look down. "Barry?" I shout when I can't see him. "Barry!"

Then, as my eyes adjust to the dark. I see it. Spiky barbed wire climbing up the vent like ivy. There's a light at the bottom, maybe twelve feet below me and I see him lying there. His body is wrapped in the wire and he lies still. "Charlotte" he says just loud enough for me to hear. "I need you to scream for help"

My arms are killing me and I can feel myself sliding. Tears are running down my face and I'm sobbing. My hair is swinging against the barbed wire and I can feel it gently tugging. "Please" he begs quietly.

"Help!" I scream. "Please!" I've never been particularly holy but at this second. I'm saying every prayer I've ever learned. I slip again and let out a scream. "Barry!" I shout. He doesn't answer "Barry!"

"Lottie!" I can hear Raine's voice echoing. "What's happening?"

"Please! Raine! Help me!" I scream.

"What's going on! I can't fit!" He shouts.

I shake my head and slip again. I feel one of the barbs spike into my forehead and draws blood. "Don't come this way!" I shout. "I think Barry's dead!"

"Did you go down or up?" Arla shouts.

"Please. Hurry! I can't hold on much longer!" I scream. Well, I say scream. I was sobbing too hard by now for it to be counted as screaming. "Down!"

"The basement" Arla's voice echoes. "Just hold on for one more minute Charlotte!"

"I can't!" I shout.

"Yes, you can!" Raine shouts. "Come on Lottie. Just one more minute"

I squeeze my eyes closed and try to keep my head away from the barbs but every time I pull away, they get more tangled in my hair.

Raine. Hurry the hell up.