Zack and Anna grabbed their weapons, along with a few empty duffle bags that were located within the office. They were ready to leave this place. As soon as they were ready to cross through the door, that was when they finally noticed the crowd of children. It was a mix of boys and girls, all of them had tattered clothes and were rather dirty. None of them raised their weapons, and neither did Zack or Anna. One stepped forward among the rest. It was a girl, who seemed to be the oldest in the bunch, but clearly younger than Nicolas. Her eyes seemed very determined.
“Please leave,” The girl said. It was obvious that she was holding back tears, seemingly acting tough for the rest of the kids there. “Please leave. No one will follow you or see you ever again. Just don’t come back.”
Anna and Zack nodded to the girl. No one else said a word. There weren’t any whisperings amongst the children and even Nicolas’s quiet sobbing were inaudible at this point. As the two of them walked to the main entrance, the kids parted ways to give them a clear space to move. All the kids did were stare at the two of them, which was not only frightening, but depressing. If the world was a normal place, they would all be sleeping in their warm beds, waking up to see their families, playing with their friends, and laughing as if they didn’t have a single care in the world. And now, they move uniformly, having to do what it took to survive, and witness the fall of one who promised them the closest thing to security.
Anna and Zack allowed their tears to flow when they passed through the main entrance, never having to look back at the school again.