The Ivy Academy [COMPLETED]

Chapter 7

Tonight was the night I would get my phone back.

I peeked my head out of my bedroom door and looked around. There was a guard at the end of the hallway. He wasn't faced toward me, but I knew that if I were to make a big step or movement, he would probably see me out of the corner of his eye.

With all of the lights off, it was less impossible to sneak around, but wouldn't be easy. I crouched low to the ground and closed the door behind me. I couldn't risk being seen and taken Allegra's office again. She had said it herself; while she loved playing good cop, there came a time when she had to be hard. If I was taken to her again, I believed that would be the time.

Low to the ground, I walked toward the stairs. Just as I was about to go down, I saw a guard at the bottom, walking up. Shit. I turned back around to go the other way, but now the other guard at the end of the hallway was walking my way. Shit. Shit. They must be switching shifts or checking in with each other.

I looked over toward the grandfather clock next to the balcony. 12:35 AM. Rhiannon Fleming was caught at 12:35 AM and executed. She never found her sisters and nobody ever heard from her again. I couldn't let that happen. Before either guard reached me, I ducked and ran to the balcony. I was about to open the doors when I realized that would never work. They would hear the doors open and close, chase me outside, and shoot me.

Instead, I opened the door to the grandfather clock and squeezed myself into the tight compartment. I softly closed the glass door. I was safe.

For now.

In my tight, squeezed hiding space, I could see the guards through the glass. They appeared to be talking, looking over each other's weapons, reading notes from a clipboard. I wondered how long they would talk; I was already using up my air in here, my breath hot and quick. In other words, I was suffocating. Eventually, I would have to open the door and get out just to breathe, even if the guards were right there.

But they were still talking.

I pulled my sticky hair to the side. I didn't know I was sweating. I had already been in here three minutes and while the guards were showing no signs that they were going to stop talking, I was showing many signs of asphyxiation. I'd heard about these sorts of things. Burglars trying to break into stores through the vents, only to get stuck and choke to death. I couldn't take it any longer. They would hear me. But I had to breathe. I pushed open the door.

But before I opened It all the way, the guards began to make out. I stopped. They were gay, or bisexual at least. I didn't care; I wasn't that ignorant, after all. But I knew I could use this to my advantage.

I pushed myself completely out of the clock. Sure enough, they turned around. The two whipped their tranquillizers out and pointed them at me.

"Wait," I called out. "I saw you. Making out."

They were silent. I felt guilty. I felt bad that they felt embarrassed about what I saw.

"What if the other guards saw you?" I continued. "Or Allegra. If they knew that a student was able to sneak out because you two were distracted."

They lowered their guns, looked toward each other, and nodded. They were going to let me pass them. I nodded back to thank them and headed toward the stairs. I stopped when I got to them.

"Just saying, the balcony is a great place to hook up, if you don't want anyone to notice." I winked and kept going down the stairs.

***************

I reached Allegra Fox's office about 30 minutes later. I saw a couple guards in the hallways, but most of them were faced the other way, and if they weren't, I was able to sneak through the shadows. I was proud of myself for my furtiveness; I hadn't even had "Stealth" class yet.

On top of the guards, I didn't know where her office was in the building. The first time I was taken there, I had been shot with a tranquilizer dart, so I wasn't exactly alert and aware. I found it on the third floor. The crack at the bottom of the door illuminated a soft white light, letting me know someone was in there. My suspicions were confirmed by reading the door, which had a plaque that read, MS. FOX, HEAD OF SCHOOL.

It's not like I could just barge in there and demand she give me my phone, so instead I decided to wait until she left. Hiding partially behind a cabinet right next to her door, I was safe and aware of when she would leave.

Her phone rang from the office. I heard the click of her accepting the call.

"Hello?" I heard from under her door. My heart sprang a little, thinking she had heard me, but I reminded myself that I was quiet in this hiding spot and nobody could hear me if they tried.

"Yes. This is she........ I believe her name is Rhiannon. Rhiannon Fleming." So, she was talking about me. I leaned in a little closer.

"She's been doing well. Just as I expected her to be." She laughed. "You're very funny, Dale, but no." Who was this Dale? That sounded like an adult name. There was more than one wicked adult involved in my taking. I stuck the name Dale down into my memory, never to be forgotten.

"What are her sisters' names? Cassie and..... Stevie?" My ears perked up. "That's a dumb name. Not as dumb as Rhiannon, though." I balled my fists, beyond angry at how she was talking about my sister. Making her vulnerable and then laughing at her like that. Only I could call Stevie dumb.

"How are they doing down there? At Bronson Academy," She continued. "Well, I think it's just best if we keep them there and Rhiannon here, don't you agree?" I heard 'Dale's' muffled voice from her phone, saying something like, 'yes'.

"Alright. Bye." She hung up the phone. I smiled. I knew where my sisters were. Bronson Academy. I knew who was keeping there, or at least taking part in keeping them there. Dale. Although I didn't get my phone, I was satisfied for the night. Tomorrow would be when I would get it. I would look up on Google Bronson Academy and Ivy Academy, see if they were actual, legal institutions. I would then call the police. First, I would have them pick up my sisters, and then me.

I knew police had to be looking for us. As soon as a mailman reported a broken front window, the police would come and find my mother, dead on the floor and poor Mac, who was always a Mama's boy, crying on top of her. Then, they would ask everyone on the school bus what happened. Alice, who sat next to me, would tell the police about how I ran off the bus, right before it left. Maybe she would even give them the lollipop that I had in my mouth as DNA evidence.

My mind was racing, and I learned enough for one night. I slid out of my hiding place and head directly to the stairs.

That's when I ran straight into a guard.

*************

Rhiannon was caught sneaking out! How much trouble do you think she'll be in?

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