ARIES
She stood in the hallway and wondered what to do next. Now that Daniel was gone, bravery leaked right out of her body and onto the cold tiled floor. The theater was only a few steps away, but her feet no longer wanted to move. They were stuck to the floor by all the panicky substances discharging from her pores.
He’d promised he wouldn’t leave her.
What else did he lie about?
How long had she continued talking once he sneaked off? She’d been babbling away for a while, trying to avoid a horrendous panic attack. It took all the self-control she had to keep from screaming or bursting into tears. But it was better than the alternative. There was something terrifying about all the silence, and filling it with sound was her way of keeping sane. Now that she had no one to talk with, she could hear the stillness creeping in at her from all directions. Taking a deep breath, she continued on toward the theater. If there were people there, she’d become calmer. Daniel had lectured on the dangers of groups, but he’d forgotten about the comfort level of friends. It cut down on the silence. Someone would know what to do.
Right?
But somehow, deep down inside she knew Daniel was correct. Bad things were happening. They were going to get worse.
There were six people in the theater. They were huddled together in the first two rows. All eyes turned to Aries as she descended the steps. At least the emergency lighting was still working. The theater was dim and heavily coated with shadows, but she could make out the faces of her classmates.
“Aries?” Jack King stood up from his chair to get a better view, his sandy brown hair illuminated by the emergency lighting above him. He had the role of the White Rabbit.
“Thank God you’re here.” That was Becka Philips. She was the Mad Hatter. Colin had pitched a fit when she was given the part. It was the role he wanted, and he couldn’t handle the idea that a girl was taking the other lead. He’d spent the whole week mumbling about sexism.
Speaking of Colin, he was sitting in the first row, being comforted by Amanda Steeves, the lighting technician. Aries’s first reaction was to do something dramatic: walk up to him and slap him for leaving her to find Sara. But she managed to retain her calm. It wouldn’t bring Sara back, and all she’d do was make a scene. She knew his character; it was exactly what she’d have expected of him. Sara may have overlooked his obvious flaws, but Aries wasn’t fooled. Colin was not someone she could trust.
“Are you hurt?” That was Ms. Darcy, the drama teacher.
“I’m fine,” she said.
“Were you in it?” Becka asked as she came over to give Aries a hug. “We were in here when it happened. The whole building shook. Ms. Darcy wouldn’t let us go outside to check. Did you see the cars in the parking lot? They’re all trashed. And no one’s phones are working.”
“I was on the bus. It’s a mess out there. Lots of people are hurt. There’s no power and the roads are wrecked. The ambulances can’t get through.”
“You were with Colin?” Becka looked back at Colin incredulously. “Why didn’t you tell us you were with Aries? Where’s Sara?”
Aries glared at Colin. He refused to look back at her. Instead he conveniently found something fascinating with the stage lights.
“Sara’s dead,” Aries said. “A lot of people died. I would have been here sooner, but I stayed behind to help. Well, sort of.”
“Oh.” Joy Woo, the Caterpillar, put her hands up to her mouth.
Colin stayed in his seat as he listened, an unreadable expression on his face.
No, there was pain in his eyes. He was trying to hide it, but she caught a glimpse. It was good to see he did care, even if he’d been all about saving his own skin at the time.
Ms. Darcy approached Aries, a pained expression on her face. Reaching out, she took Aries’s hand and squeezed it gently. “Are you all right?” she asked quietly. “You’re sure you’re not hurt?”
“I’m fine. I was lucky.”
Becka started to cry. She’d been as close to Sara as Aries was. They’d grown up next door to each other. Joy immediately put her arms around her. The others sat numbly, unable to respond. There was a long silence that followed, broken up by the occasional sniffle as Becka buried her face in her jacket.
“What do we do now?” Amanda muttered.
Colin stood up from his chair. “I’m going home.”
“We should stay here,” Aries said. “It’s not safe outside.”
“We’re sitting ducks,” Colin snapped. “What about aftershocks? This whole building could go down.”
“I don’t want to get crushed,” Joy said.
“No one’s going to get crushed,” Aries said. “On the way over here I met this guy. He told me the safest place to be is the school, and I agree. Our parents know we’re here. They’ll come for us when this is over. We just need to be patient and stay put.”
A lot of people are going to die, and it’s only the beginning.
Daniel’s words. She couldn’t tell them he said that. It sounded crazy. But she’d seen it; the mob of darkened shadows tearing people apart on the street. She knew she should warn everyone, but Becka looked like she might fall apart. She didn’t see the point in terrorizing her more. Besides, they were safe in the school. It was very unlikely that anyone would come searching for them as long as they kept hidden in the theater.
“I agree,” Ms. Darcy said. “I think we should wait for your parents to come pick you up. It shouldn’t take long once the roads are cleared.”
“If they’re okay,” Becka said. “How do we know they’re not dead?”
“I think right now we need to be more positive,” Ms. Darcy said. “Until we’re given a reason to believe otherwise.”
The decision was made. No one dared question the teacher. She was the only adult and technically in charge. She was supposed to know what to do in these situations. But there was an anxious expression on her face and something odd with the way she tilted her head when she spoke. She was trying hard to hide it, and none of the other students noticed, but Aries saw through her fake demeanor. There was no mistaking it. Ms. Darcy didn’t believe her own words. She knew.
“So where is this guy, then?” Colin said. “If he thought it was so safe here, then where is he?”
“There were others to save,” Aries said. “It was more important to him than running like a coward with his tail between his legs.”
Colin gave her a hard smile.
“Good for him,” Ms. Darcy said. “Now maybe we should go down to the prop room. I saw an old boom box there a few weeks ago. If we can get it working we might be able to get the news on the radio.”
“I have to leave.”
Aries and Ms. Darcy were downstairs in the prop room. They found the boom box in the corner, half hidden under some stage wigs. It was monstrously huge, a forgotten relic from the eighties. Aries was doubtful it would work, but they wouldn’t know until they managed to find some batteries.
“What do you mean?” Aries asked. “You agreed with me.”
Ms. Darcy stared at her, her chin quivering. “I have two small children at home with a babysitter. I can’t wait for a rescue party. I have to go and make sure they’re safe.”
“I understand.”
“The others will, too. I’ll make it simple. I’ll slip out when no one’s looking.”
“But I don’t know what to do.”
Ms. Darcy grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her close. “Just keep doing what you’re doing. I wouldn’t have put this on you if I didn’t think you could handle it. You’re one of my smartest students. The kids look up to you. They’ll listen. Keep them at the school. Whatever you do, don’t let them go outside.”
“But what if they don’t listen?”
“They will.”
“Not Colin.”
“Then let him go. You can’t save them all.”
“People are dying,” Aries said. “I’ve seen it. Sara’s dead. Maybe you can wait till mo
rning. We can organize something. We can help you get back home.”
“It might be too late by then.”
“You know what’s happening out there, don’t you,” Aries said.
“I do. That’s why it’s so important you keep them inside. Listen to me, Aries.” Ms. Darcy pulled her closer and spoke directly in her ear, although there was no one else around. “Something bad is about to happen. It’s already started. I know you’re feeling it too.” Ms. Darcy shuddered. “It’s like an electric charge. I can’t explain it. I’ve been sensing it for weeks. It’s bigger than any earthquake, and in the end it’ll be far worse than a few buildings collapsing.”
“I feel it.”
“The others don’t.”
“They’re lucky.”
“Be careful. But understand when I say I don’t want you coming with me. Stay here while you can. Wait out the worst of it. If we’re lucky it’ll end soon and your parents will come and find you.”
“It’s not going to end.” Once the words were out of her mouth, she realized they were true.
“I can’t believe that.”
Aries took a deep breath. “I hope your children are safe and that you make it home to them.”
“Thank you.” She took her keys out of her pocket and passed them over. “If no one comes by morning, try using the phone in the office. It might be working then.”
“Okay.”
The boom box didn’t work even though they tried both sets of batteries. Leaving it behind, they went back upstairs to wait with the others for morning to come. Aries took a seat next to Jack and wrapped her jacket over her body to use as a blanket. It was done more out of need than comfort. There was no way she’d be sleeping anytime soon.
Ms. Darcy slipped out the door somewhere close to two in the morning when most of the students were dozing in their chairs. She made it look like she was going to the bathroom; she didn’t even take her purse or jacket. Aries watched her go, swallowing the voice inside her begging silently for her to stay.
Ten minutes or so passed before Jack whispered in her ear. “She’s not coming back, is she?”
“No.”
Aries imagined her parents sitting in the living room, holding hands while watching the news. They were probably worried sick. Every ten minutes or so her father would get up and pace the room while her mother rushed off to make him coffee and check the phone lines. She tried to keep the image in her head, because the alternatives were worse. She didn’t want to picture them dead just yet. She would continue to believe she’d see them again.
Not like Sara.
“If they don’t come for us by morning, we’ll figure something out,” she said.
She woke to Joy gently shaking her. The last thing she remembered was checking her watch sometime after five a.m.
“What time is it?” Rubbing her eyes, she stretched in her seat, her jacket sliding to the floor. The coolness of the theater bit against her skin, forcing her to shiver violently.
“Just after seven,” Joy said. “Ms. Darcy’s gone. Colin’s pitching a fit in the lobby. You’d better come.”
She was instantly wide-awake. The lobby had windows facing the street. He was right out in the open where anyone could see. The group of killers she’d seen last night might still be out there. If the wrong person happened to walk past, they’d all be dead.
Brace yourself. It’s about to open.
Humanity has found a cure to a disease they never knew existed.
There was a connection between what the crazy man and Daniel had said. Something had been triggered with the earthquake. Something awful.
And more people were going to die.
They were all waiting in the lobby. The morning sunlight filtered through the glass, warming Aries instantly. She scanned the outside area, but it appeared empty. For now.
“Get away from the windows,” she said. “We need to go back in the theater. We’re too in the open here.”
“Isn’t that the point?” Becka said. “Don’t we want people to find us?”
“Not if it’s the wrong kind,” Aries said.
“And what exactly do you mean by that?” Amanda’s voice raised a few octaves.
She had to choose her words carefully. She knew how crazy it sounded. The others were still clueless about the dangers outside. For all they knew, last night was nothing but an earthquake. They hadn’t seen those people being beaten to death.
“There are rioters out there,” she finally said, completely aware of how lame the excuse was. “They might hurt us.”
“You’re joking, right?” Colin laughed loudly. “Rioters? That’s your big fear? Who cares? You’re such a girl, Aries. Go back inside and let the men talk.”
“I did go back inside,” she said. “I went back inside the bus and found Sara dead. What did you do? You ran like a coward. You left her.”
“You take that back.”
“No.”
Jack stepped between them, putting his hands out as if he was afraid they might start tearing at each other’s eyes. “Come on, guys,” he said. “We’re all tired here, and this isn’t helping. Let’s go sit down and talk about it. We’ll figure it all out.”
“I want to go home,” Becka said.
“Yeah, well, we all want to go home,” Colin said. His eyes never moved from Aries’s face. “But the bitch here keeps going on about how we have to wait things out.” He glared in her direction. “Why is that again? Really? Oh right, some stranger told you it’s not safe and you believed him. And where is this mystery guy? He split—the exact opposite of what he told you to do.”
“There’s no need for that, man,” Jack said.
“It’s not just Aries,” Joy said. “We took a vote and the rest of us agreed. We promised Ms. Darcy. We’re safe here. It’s something our parents would want.”
“Don’t you ever think for yourself?” Colin snapped back.
“Don’t talk to her like that,” Aries said. “You’re really something, Colin. Left your girlfriend to die and now you’re shouting at Joy?”
Colin pushed past Jack until he was inches away from Aries. “You’d better stop talking like that. I swear, I will hit you. I don’t give a damn if you’re a girl.”
Jack grabbed his arms from behind, pulling Colin away. Becka and a few of the other students got between them, making a wall of bodies. They all began yelling at one another, taking sides although none of them really knew what they were arguing about.
They were still in the lobby. Out in the open. Vulnerable. Loud. People would hear them through the glass.
She needed to get them back in the theater. Fortunately, Jack seemed to be thinking the same thing.
“Enough of this,” he said. “Let’s go back inside and sit down. We can discuss this like adults, right? Right?”
Jack’s words worked. Colin stared him down for a few seconds before he finally nodded and turned and went into the theater without saying a word. The others followed.
The cold chill running through her subsided a bit once everyone was back inside. Jack waited in the lobby with her as she glanced out one last time to make sure the street was empty.
“He’s being a real ass,” Jack said. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m not,” she said. “I expected it.”
They returned to the theater to find Colin putting on his shoes.
“Let’s just wait a little longer,” Aries said. “It’s still early. There’s no need to rush. People might be on their way as we speak. I’m sure it’s just a matter of time.”
“We don’t want to do anything foolish,” Jack agreed. “I saw some power lines on the street. They could still be active.”
“And what are we going to do for food?” Colin snapped. “We could be stuck here waiting for days. I don’t plan on going hungry.”
“There’s always the cafeteria,” Joy said. “The main keys are in the office. I was a teacher’s aid last semester. I know where they are. All we have to do is get th
em. I’m sure we can find plenty to eat there.”
“Maybe we should do that now,” Aries suggested. “I’ll go. Anyone want to come with?”
“I’ll come,” Jack said.
“Me too,” Colin said. He’d calmed down a bit. “I need to get out of here. I’m going crazy just sitting.” He looked directly at Aries when he spoke, obviously implying that it was all her fault. Give him a few more hours and he’d probably find a way to pin the entire earthquake on her too.
It didn’t help that he was trying to lead the group in a direction that Aries knew was dangerous.
“Try to find a radio or something,” Becka said. “Maybe we can get some news. And check to see if the phones are working.”
“I’d kill for some coffee,” Joy said with a grin. “And maybe some pancakes? Bacon and eggs? Sausage? Do you think they’ll have cake?”
“Stale crackers it is,” Jack said with a grin.
Jack found a duffel bag behind the stage and emptied it of someone’s gym clothes. Swinging it around his shoulders, he climbed the steps and headed back out into the lobby. They would all go except for Amanda and Becka, who stuck behind just in case someone happened to wander by and rescue them.
The cafeteria was on the other side of the school. It would take about five minutes to walk. The office was in the middle by the main doors. They would stop there first.
“I never realized how creepy the school is,” Joy said. “It’s so empty. I keep expecting something to jump out at us. Did it always echo like this?”
Everyone laughed except Aries.
“Would make a great horror movie idea,” Jack said. “Student by day, killer by night, and the halls will run red with blood.”
“Okay, enough already,” Aries snapped.
“Sorry, just a joke,” Jack said.
They walked the rest of the way in silence. The main office doors were locked, and Aries pulled the keys from her pocket.
“Where’d you get those?” Colin instantly wanted to know.
She ignored him and opened the door. They stepped inside. The office was dark, the blinds were closed, and Jack immediately went over to open them. Aries almost shouted out to him but stopped. What could she say? They needed the light to find the keys and she still wasn’t ready to announce to the group about how unsafe the outside world really was. Plus, how could she explain when she didn’t fully understand herself?