The Head

4

"Can I go to the toilet sir?"
"If you must, but be back quick."
The classroom door closed as Alysha produced a map of the school from her pocket and began trying to navigate her way to the girls' bathroom. She followed the map around three corridors and down two flights of stairs, before spotting a sign for the bathroom.
"God, this school is big." She exclaimed, folding up the map and putting it in her pocket.
"Isn't it just?" A familiar, deep voice spoke.
Alysha jumped a mile and spun around to face Mr Kane.
"Mr Kane!" She gasped. "I-I was just going to the toilet." She felt a strange need to justify her location.
"Okay." He said, then his voice took a rather serious tone. "Alysha I need to tell you some-"
DINNNNNNNG! DINNNNNNNG!
Students flooded the corridor as the fire alarm screamed above their head. Mr Kane grabbed her wrist and began pulling in the opposite direction of the surging crowd.
"Alysha!" Two voices shouted at the same time. Alysha glanced up to see her twin siblings racing down the stairs, fear in their eyes. She knew that more than anything, they were terrified of fire. She opened her mouth to shout back but found herself being dragged backwards through a door. It slammed shut after her and suddenly the noises outside became hushed. She turned to face him.
"Why are we here? We need to go!" Alysha said, panic filling her voice.
"I need to tell you something first." He said, his voice inciting fear inside of her. "Kate is in a science classroom on the top floor. I won't tell you which. She is drugged and tied up."
Alysha froze, horror gluing her to the ground.
"That's what I needed to tell you. Oh and also it is a real fire, small and controlled for now. This is a science experiment of mine, of a sort." Alysha turned to the door and was about to run when he grabbed her wrist again.
"Oh and, if you tell anybody, you and your siblings die."
She wrenched her arm away from him and bolted out of the room and up the stairs, screaming out Kate's name. She ran all the way to the top floor without stopping. Lungs burning. Legs screaming. She ran into the science corridor. Smoke instantly clouded her vision. It crawled down her throat, cascading into her lungs.
"KATE! KATE WHERE ARE YOU?!" She screamed, tears streaming down her face. She opened the first door. No Kate. She tried the second. Still no Kate. Third. Fourth. Fifth. No Kate. The heat was intensifying. The smoke too. It wrapped it's hands around her throat and choked her. Coughing violently, she threw herself through the final door.
"Kate." She whispered, the smoke stealing her voice. She ran unsteadily towards the body of her sister, lying in the corner. Tape bound her hands and feet together. She was unconscious. Unconscious, yet breathing. Alysha picked her up and ran. She stumbled back down the corridor. The smoke now blinding her. Crashing through the doors she began descending the stairs.

Kate stirred in her arms.
"Aly." She said, beginning to cry.
"Sh, sh, it's gonna be okay." Alysha reassured her, but she wasn't sure. She had no idea where she was going. She glanced up. An emergency exit sign glowed green above her. It pointed right. She swerved to the right. Kate screamed. The wooden doors ahead were crackling as fire tore at them, the gloss blistering. Alysha gasped, choking and set off as fast as she could in the opposite direction. The exit signs all pointed to behind them.
"Aly! Look!" Kate shouted, then began coughing.
Alysha followed her gaze to see a fire door. It was hidden behind a large potted plant.
"Well done Kate." She choked, staggering towards it. She put Kate down and moved the plant. The smoke and heat intensifying once more. Kate opened her mouth but began coughing. Alysha knelt down. Her eyes were filled with concern. Kate tried again to speak but only coughed more. She squeaked desperately, her eyes widening in fear. Alysha glanced over her shoulder. The flames were coming at them. They came steadily, destroying everything in their path.

Alysha jumped into action. She leapt up and shoulder rammed the door. It didn't budge. She cried out in fear. The flames kept coming. Kate began tearing at the tape, binding her hands, with her teeth.
"No! No! No!" Alysha screamed, throwing herself at the door. Kate grabbed her leg. Alysha jumped and looked down. Kate began pointing rapidly. Alysha looked where she was pointing. An open window.

The flames were dangerously close now. The floor was red hot under Kate as Alysha whipped her up and ripped the tape off from around her legs. She put Kate up on the windowsill and pulled herself up. Kate squeaked again as the flames licked at the floor below them. Alysha kicked in the window and grabbed Kate by the waist.
"Trust me." She said, holding Kate out of the window and dropping her the short distance to the ground. Somebody shouted and a group of teachers and firemen came running towards them. Alysha screamed as the flames grabbed her school blazer and tried to pull her backwards. She ripped it off and fed it to the fire. She threw herself out the window, landing hard on the ground. Then the world faded into darkness.