Night School

Allie made up her mind. ‘We’ll stick together. Let’s go.’


She didn’t wait for Jules to make up her mind – she shot out of the grotto towards the treeline, but Jules caught up with her quickly and grabbed the sleeve of her pyjamas, directing her around the side of the school to an entrance away from Isabelle and Nathaniel.

They ran through the door together into a light haze of smoke. They were in a room with shelf after shelf of books.

We’re in the back of the library.

They were near where she’d met Carter several weeks ago – Ancient Latin. She’d never known there was a door there.

‘This way,’ Jules whispered.

And then she disappeared.

Bewildered, Allie spun in a circle looking for her, but she was alone.

‘Jules?’ She hissed into the darkness. ‘Where are you?’

There was no answer.

‘Jules?’ Allie could hear the panic in her voice. Taking a shaky breath, she tried to decide what to do.

Something was wrong. She was sure Jules wouldn’t have left her … or would she?

Her heart beat frantically. Did she lead me into a trap?

She coughed. The smoke was getting thicker.

Suddenly she knew what to do.

She dashed out into the main library, past the study carrels and the tables where she’d sat with Rachel and Jo so many times, then out the library door. There was a fire alarm switch right next to it and she yanked it down.

Nothing happened.

She stared at it, baffled. Then a memory came back to her – something Gabe had said before the summer splash: ‘None of the alarms in this building are real. There are no alarms.’

Without stopping to think she ran up the main stairs towards the girls’ dorm. As she reached the landing and turned towards the next staircase, she saw a figure at the end of the hall. He held a flaming torch in his hand.

She froze. He hadn’t seen her yet. If she stayed very still he would never notice her and then she could get upstairs to the girls’ dorm.

But then he would set more fires. The school would burn down. Nathaniel would win. She felt torn. What was more important? Warning the girls or stopping him?

It was an impossible situation. There was nobody there to tell her what to do.

This always happens to me. An unexpected surge of rage shook her and she took several steps towards him.

‘Hey! You!’ She shouted at the top of her lungs, and she saw him stop and turn.

For a moment that was as short as for ever neither of them moved as they stared at each other. The flame was close enough to his face that she could make out his features.

‘Christopher?’ she whispered.

She saw recognition in his eyes, and something else. And then he ran.

‘Christopher!’ She was screaming now. ‘Christopher! Don’t leave me!’

Through the tears that ran down her face, she saw that he was gone.

The world spun, and she leaned against the wall for support while she took a steadying breath. But the smoke was too thick now and she coughed so fiercely she thought she might faint.

OK, she thought, gasping for air. Calm down, Allie.

She could hear Carter’s words in her head, telling her to focus on her breathing. She took slow steady breaths, filtering the air through the fabric of her sleeve. When the world stopped spinning, she looked around. The smoke was getting thicker.

She didn’t have much time.

Pulling her pyjama top up over her mouth she bent down low and raced up the remaining stairs (seventeen steps) to the girls’ dorm. She threw open the first door she saw. Smoke hadn’t made it in here yet and she could breathe. The girl lying in bed sat up.

It was Katie.

‘Fire!’ Allie shouted taking a welcome breath of clean air. ‘Katie, get up and help me. We have to get everyone out.’

‘What?’ Katie’s voice was groggy and confused, but she soon focused on Allie. ‘What the …?’

‘The school’s on fire, Katie. Please!’

Smelling the smoke, Katie jumped out of bed.

As Allie ran out the door she shouted over her shoulder, ‘Every door! Knock on every door! Tell them to follow me.’

Katie took one side of the hallway and Allie the other and they raced down the hall, throwing open doors and, if necessary, shaking girls in their beds to wake them.

Allie dashed to Rachel’s room, but she was already up, disturbed by the voices.

‘Help me,’ Allie said, breathlessly.

‘Right behind you,’ Rachel said.

By the time Allie reached Jo’s door, most of the girls were up. Jo’s room was full of smoke, and Allie could see her blonde head still on the pillow. She dropped to the floor and crawled across the room.

‘Jo,’ she gasped, her voice a hoarse croak. ‘Wake up.’

But she didn’t move. Even when Allie shook her violently she didn’t react.

Reaching back, Allie slapped her face hard.

Her eyes fluttered.

‘Ow,’ she whispered faintly and Allie felt a hysterical urge to laugh.