D E A D H E A D

Chapter 7

Violet ran her forearm across Mrs. Underwood's desk knocking everything off. She picked up the lamp and put it back on the desk and laid out a blueprint of the water system in the school.

"I always wanted to do that," Nelson said after Violet knocked off everything on the desk. Isabella chuckled.

"I found these in the basement near the boiler room," Violet said while placing the blueprint down. "Maybe there is something about the plumbing we can fix."

"I already checked for clogs and leaks everywhere," Nelson said.

"That must mean something else is going on," Isabella said.

"Can any of you two read this," Violet asked motioning to the blueprint.

"It looks easier than an engine schematic," Nelson said while walking towards the blueprint.

Meanwhile...

"Okay!" Peter announced. "Eleven people, if we're careful we'll have enough fluids to last us around a couple of days."

"What about the toilet?" Jason asked

"I'm not drinking out of a toilet," Zora said.

"We'll deplete our other sources first," Peter said.

"Vote Zora Wilson for class diva," Jason said.

"I'm a diva because I don't wanna drink toilet water?" Zora asked.

"Have you made a full recovery Taylor? You seem pretty quiet." Peter asked in hopes of stopping an argument between Jason and Zora.

"I'm fine. I've recovered enough to help the group out more." Taylor said.

"How long will the Insulin you have last?" Peter asked.

"Longer than the water," Taylor replied.

Meanwhile...

"The problem with the water is probably outside," Nelson informed.

"Are you sure?" Violet asked.

"Positive! There is probably a broken water line outside somewhere where the pumping station has been messed up."

"So we can't fix the water in here," Violet sighed.

"Hey!" Isabella spoke getting Nelson and Violet's attention. "We have another option," Isabella said while staring at a newspaper article that in framed and hung up on the wall. "When they built the fallout shelter they stocked it with gas masks." The trio went to have a group meeting to tell the others about what they discovered.

"And, that's good why?" Madelynn asked.

"It means that we can get the masks and the tanks and get out of here," Isabella informed.

"If they're still there," Peter added.

"Fifty years later, that's a big if," Willow said.

"How are we gonna get the masks and the tanks if the shelter is filled with Deadheads?" Madelynn asked.

"We just need to figure out a way to get past them," Nelson said.

"We know that they are afraid of fire so we can rig a flamethrower somehow and scare the Deadheads back," Peter suggested.

"Flamethrowers?" Madelynn asked.

"It could work," Zora said.

"Come on! We can't use a flamethrower, it's gonna set the whole school on fire," Taylor said.

"I know what we do! We gas them," Violet suggested.

"Brilliant!" Willow joked. "Just so you know, a gas that can kill a Deadhead will also kill anyone that goes into the shelter to get the masks."