Exceptional

The Note

        The trapdoor creaked open. I squeezed Safirah's hand tightly, and she did the same. These were the final farewells of those too afraid to speak. Someone peeked their head into the opening in the ceiling... someone I wasn't expecting at all.

        "There you guys are!" shouted Kira.

        "Please keep it down," whispered Marvin, who also leaned over the trapdoor. "I would rather not get caught."

        "Oh, right," Kira said softly. "We're sending someone down to get you!"

        I couldn't believe my eyes... or ears! We were saved! I looked at Safirah, grinning, and we both started laughing like maniacs. We're not going to die! We're gonna get out of here!

        Someone jumped into our cell through the trapdoor, landing catlike on the ground. Safirah and I turned, smiling, to our rescuer, who beamed just as brightly back at us. We lost our smiles instantly.

        "You." Safirah spat darkly. "What are you doing here?"

        "Getting you out, of course!" Truman replied, casually.

        I was stunned. I had no idea how to react to this. Was it some kind of sick joke? Or was he really on our side? I sat completely still, unable to move at all, but Safirah calmly stood up, dusting herself off. She then walked over to Truman, and shoved him hard into one of the walls. I winced. That sounded like it hurt. Remind me never to get on Safirah's bad side.

        She grabbed the front of his jacket and pulled him down to her level. "And how, might I ask, are we supposed to trust you now?" she hissed.

        "Okay, first off, ow," Truman said, prying Safirah from himself. "Second, I got you in, didn't I? See, I told you you could trust me. I never lie."

        "Bu- but how did you get away from Bones?" I asked, slowly standing back up.

        "Easy. According to him, I fulfilled my purpose. I got you in, now he couldn't care less what I do." he shrugged.

        "And that's another question," Safirah huffed. "Why us? He's got a whole school full of kids he can dissect or whatever. Why are we so special?"

        "Mock not the dissection," Truman said, suddenly looking more angered than I had ever seen him. "In answer to your question, have you not noticed that there are cameras in every classroom? They saw and heard everything you said to me. They had to stop you, in any way they knew how."

        "Then why didn't you stop it? Turn off the cameras! Tell everyone they can buzz off!" yelled Safirah.

        "Kid, don't you think they're watching me, too? Every hour, they see me. Even now, they're watching." He pointed toward a black orb in the corner of the room that Safirah and I hadn't noticed.

        There was a loud crash from above. Everyone looked up.

        Kira turned her panicked face towards us. "Guys," she said, her voice trembling. "I really think we should get out of here!!"

        Marvin jumped through the door, expanding his wings once he landed. "Grab on." He came back for each one of us, and soon we were in a long hallway, full of closed doors with keys hanging next to them. Then I noticed something- rather, someone- was missing.

        "Where's Arthur?" I asked.

        "We can't find him!" Kira whined.

        "But he's probably down that way," Truman said, pointing behind himself. "You'd better hurry," he added. "The guards are coming."