Soul Survivor

Chapter 1

Bombs shatter the glass of buildings all around me. All I can hear is thundering explosions that send shrapnel soaring through the air at deadly speed. I cower in the corner of the bathroom, clutching my shaking legs. Tears spill in a waterfall down my face, revealing streaks of clean skin underneath a blanket of dust and dirt. The ground shakes. I hear screaming. My face aches from being contorted into a frown for so long. A piece of wood shatters the window, showering me in glass. Blood starts to trickle down the side of my eye. Come on: Time to stop being a coward.

I hold my breath for a moment to stop another sob from racking my body and scramble to my feet. The pressure pushes against my ribs. Stumbling into a cubicle, I grab a piece of toilet paper and rip it from the wall. I hold the wad of paper to my brow and duck down again, leaning back against a row of taps.

I have to help. I can't stay here. I'll find Sammie and Jane, they should have been in the same class. Maybe Caroline will be with them as well. Then we can help whoever's been hurt and move on to Natalie's class. Yeah, that's a good plan. Okay... 3, 2, 1... Move.

Hopping past sections of collapsed walls and stray bricks I sprint down the corridor as fast as I can. Another round of explosives cause the whole building to rumble. This is an old school. It's tired. It's not made for this. I'm heading towards the Music department. Good thing Music is on the ground floor. As I pass a classroom, I sneak a glimpse through the window at a year 8 class. All the students hiding under desks. Most crying. Some injured. Friends huddle together to comfort each other. The teacher is nowhere to be seen - they've possibly gone to find help but, I think grimly, they are most likely dead. My foot catches on a brick in my distraction and I fall on my face. The floor grates scratches into my kneecaps and nose. Still, I ignore it and scramble back up; running again.

My pace changes from short, fast footsteps into long, leaping strides. I can barely hear my own shoes pounding the lino, which normally echoes through the halls. Panting heavily, I turn sharply to face the Music corridor. The ceiling has obviously collapsed. Walls block my way around so I have to climb over a huge mound of rubble. I set out right away, not even hesitating to think about it. At least the bombs have stopped - for now. I use bricks to pull myself up and try to find small gaps in the pile of wood and tile for my feet. When I'm almost at the top, I take a piece of wood panelling to hold as protection. I chuck a small chip of tile in the air high above my head. Nothing shot at it, so I cover my head and peek out over the top. The rest of the corridor is in tact. I have a clear line of sight to the classroom I am looking for.

The corridor is empty. Glancing sideways, there is nothing to my left. However, to my right I catch a sight of the world outside of school grounds. Total chaos. Flames follow dancing black smoke. Innocent civilians lay dead in the streets, their vacant bodies discarded like empty drink cans. Craters carve a new shape to the town. The shells have taken huge bites out of everything from houses to cars. Everywhere people wail for their loved ones.

A crack of bricks under my feet snaps my head back around. The supporting brick falls and so does my balance. I drop the wood to cling to shards of tile. My knuckles turn white. Damn! Strained breaths escape my lips as I struggle to pull myself up. Arms burning, I haul myself over the top of the mound and slip down the other side. The moment my shoes tap the floor I start jogging towards the classroom.

I throw the heavy door open to see Jane sitting on the floor with Sammie. "Where's Caroline?" I ask whilst rushing toward them. It is then that I realise Sammie's leg is spitting out a puddle of blood. Jane looks up at me, "I'm not sure. She said something about her dad and ran off." She tells me. I slide to my knees in front of the pair of girls. They look rugged and tired but panicked and alert at the same time - with wide watering eyes. Both of them shiver. It isn't cold so I assume it's from fear. "What happened to your leg?" My forehead creases. "A brick flew in from the window and cut it." Sammie states. I bite a hole in the shoulder of my black school jumper and tear it until the arm comes off. "Good thing it doesn't look too deep. I'm gonna tie this quite tight to stop the blood so it might hurt a bit. Alright?"

"Okay..."

I wrap the black fabric around her shin and make a knot. Gritting my teeth, I pull on the ends as hard as I can to make sure it is as tight as it can be and fold the remaining fabric into another knot to secure it in place. Sammie's jaw clenches. "Sorry - it should be okay now. We need to get somewhere safer so try standing up." I apologise. Jane rises and lifts Sammie's shoulders. She winces and slumps back down. "Nope. I can't: it hurts too much." She gasps and tears begin to well up behind her eyes. I hear the desperation in her voice. I think for a moment. Sammie is small, I could probably carry her. Or she could hop. Are there any wheelchairs in the office? Too risky - it's the other end of the school.

Just then another shell lands. It shakes the floor so much I loose my footing and land on my butt. The bomb detonates and I stare out the window as the entire science tower erupts. Heat and fire rages through the halls, funnelled by the school structure that connects every class with a corridor. I dive for the door and knock it shut just in time. A huge fireball crashes outside the wooden door. I crawl away from it to see various shades of orange and yellow lapping and stroking the glass. That's when I notice the gap at the bottom of it. Quickly, I take off my incomplete jumper - which is drenched in sweat - and stuff it into the gap.

When I turn around, panting, I am greeted by staring faces. "It's okay. I did it." I shout almost jokily and give everyone a hearty smile. Blank expressions. I lift my eyebrows. They obviously can't take a joke. "What now?" A voice with no face speaks up out of the crowd. There is a moment of silence - except for the sound of the crackling fire - before a boy with light, wavy hair and blood stains on his face stands up. "All the windows are broken so there's nothing more to break. We should split into three groups. The first will exit through the windows and take cover. When they're sure it's safe the second group will go. Group three will keep a look out for any threat or any advancement of the fire outside... Any questions?" He orders. "Yeah," The anonymous voice challenges, "Who put you in charge?"

"I don't see anyone else coming up with any better ideas. Do you have one?" The boy retorts. Shameful quiet follows. "No. I didn't think so. Anyone with an injury should be in the second group, so group one can help them. I'll be in group one and you," He points to me. "You will be group three. If anyone has trouble talk to me or her." My jaw drops. Why me? I am about to ask him when he gathers his group - the people sitting closest to the window - and hurdles over the windowsill.