The Pole Shift

Helen

Helen looked on as the bulldogs closed around Jimmy. She had been so sure he'd make it, as if the scene was from a movie where the hero might struggle a bit but everyone knew he'd be alright in the end. She knew there was something  going on with him that marked him as different, as if he had guardian angels. She wanted to be part of that, she wanted to be around Jimmy anyway, she had  adored him for a long time.

                She looked at the others around her, she could see they had committed to Jimmy as well and as that old ogre Mr Knowles bent down with old gnarled tree limb arms she felt intense anger well up, anger laced with protectiveness, the most affective kind of outrage. She ran at the group with a high pitched, ear splitting squeal.  Daniel, the most physically imposing of the teenage survivors followed half a heart beat later, then all of the twenty three survivors closed in on the group, who stopped their movement and turned around like a pack of dogs.  War erupted.

                Helen was all finger nails and teeth. Her slight frame could not budge or knock bodies usefully, but she scored at flesh like a feral cat. From the other side of the court the remaining group of students ran straight passed the melee and to the safe side, one of them actually shouted "Safe!" Before pausing, muttering amongst themselves then joining the fray on the side of Jimmy. The game of 'British Bulldogs' ceased to exist.

                Helen had been knocked down by one of the teachers. An adult foot stood on her chest and then the full weight of a man bore down on her. Things cracked in her chest and she went dizzy, a black tunnel of blackness appeared and she fought hard not to enter it, with her bloodied finger nails she ran up the trouser of the offending leg and carved hard at calf muscle, the weight hopped off, and she rolled, was kicked in her side, but managed to end the sequence on her knees. She paused and took in the battle. The teachers were trying to maim, she saw Mt Leech jump on the leg of a student, and another twist an arm viciously backwards of another. Mr Knowles was backing away, to the pods. The battle moved that way, leaving the broken bodies of students in its wake. Daniel was thundering lefts and rights, he was like Lancelot at the final Arthurian battle, where was Jimmy? Tanya, the ginger girl was circling the fight like a whirling dervish,  snaking in and delivering wicked punches. She probably has grown up with brothers, thought Helen, and felt envy at her practiced moves.

                Tanya shot Helen a glance, they ahd never been friends in school, Helen was a year older, but now the two passed an unspoken communication that bound them, the pale girl raced to the Chinese girl and bent down to her, she said:

                "They are just going to get into the pods themselves, they'll take whoever makes it! We must get there first!" Helen nodded but said:

                 "Where's Jimmy?" They both looked into the mêlée, they caught no glimpse of him. Then, at the side of the tennis court they  spied him. He was leaning against the fat kid, George, they were both drenched in blood from separate wounds, George's face was awash with claret from the cut Jimmy had dealt, whilst Jimmy was seeping blood from a limp arm.  The two  girls both caught their breath, was George seeking revenge? Then George looked about him, became aware of Helen and Tanya. He held their eyes, then waved at them to help.