Night School

‘Get up, Jo. You have to get up.’


With her arm under Jo’s shoulder, Allie shoved her upright, but she was too heavy for her to lift alone. When Rachel walked in a few seconds later she quickly assessed the situation and put her arm around Jo’s other shoulder. Together they got her on her feet.

‘Lisa,’ Jo whispered.

Allie shot a panicked look at Rachel.

‘I’ve seen her,’ Rachel said. ‘She’s in the hall.’

As they half-carried Jo from the room, Allie looked around worriedly.

‘Is this everyone?’

‘I did a count.’ The voice was Katie’s. ‘The only person missing is Jules.’

Allie felt like she’d been punched.

‘She was with me downstairs,’ she said, breathlessly. ‘I lost her.’

‘Let’s get out of here first,’ Rachel said gently. ‘Then we can look for her.’

Allie could see the sense in her words. ‘This way.’

Jo’s feet were moving now, and Rachel could support her alone, so Allie led them out along the route Sylvain had taken earlier that night. That stairwell was still free of smoke.

As they emerged into the cellar, Allie turned to Katie. ‘Do another headcount.’

Without hesitating Katie quickly tallied their numbers. ‘We’re all here.’

Allie gestured for everyone to follow her and led them up the short staircase to the door, praying it would open.

It did.

They poured out into the darkness, coughing and inhaling the fresh air deep into their lungs. Allie walked far enough away from them all that nobody could see. Then she vomited onto the grass.

When she returned to the group, Jo was standing on her own, although she still looked woozy.

Allie straightened and tried to look like she had it all together.

‘Jo, can you get everybody into the walled garden?’ she asked huskily. ‘I think you’ll be safe there.’

Jo nodded, and walked weakly down the path. All the others followed her except Rachel and Katie.

‘Where are you going?’ Rachel sounded suspicious.

‘I have to find Jules,’ Allie said. ‘She could be hurt.’

‘Then I’m coming with you,’ Rachel said.

‘Rach, no.’ Allie could hear the worry in her own voice. ‘You could get hurt.’

‘So could you,’ Katie pointed out. ‘And I’m coming with you, too. Jules is my best friend. We’re not going to let you do this alone.’

‘Oh God,’ Allie groaned. ‘You guys, this is bad.’

‘Lead the way, Allie.’ Rachel’s voice was firm. ‘Where did you see her last?’

Allie stared at them doubtfully, but time was passing. She knew she’d never talk them out of it anyway.

‘In the library. There’s a secret door.’

‘I know where it is,’ Rachel said.

‘You do?’

‘Of course I do,’ she said. ‘I know everything about that library.’

Sticking to the shadows they ran to the door and shoved it open. Smoke poured out in a thick grey wave.

Allie felt her heart sink. This was impossible.

‘Stay low,’ Rachel hissed, and they dropped to their hands and knees, covering their faces with clothing.

‘Where were you when you saw her last?’ Katie asked Allie.

Allie didn’t want to tell her that in the thick smoke it all looked unfamiliar. That she wasn’t sure at all. Holding her breath, she climbed to her feet and looked around, then dropped down again.

Ancient Latin dead ahead.

‘Fifteen feet ahead. I think.’

They crawled forward. But when they reached the spot Jules was nowhere to be seen.

Rachel coughed. ‘I don’t see her.’

‘Let’s split up.’ Katie’s voice was muffled by her shirt. ‘Go no more than ten feet in three different directions then meet back here.’

‘Carefully …’ Allie added.

Staying as low as she could, Allie crawled away from the others, counting her progress in her head. But she went more than ten feet in the end – when she didn’t find Jules she went twenty. Then twenty-five.

But Jules wasn’t there.

The smoke was thicker here and it was difficult to see much of anything. Her eyes burned and the tears blurred her vision even further.

Too far. I’ve gone too far.

She turned to return to the others but was instantly disoriented – which way had she come? In the dark and smoke it all looked the same. Had she passed that tall bookshelf before? The one with book titles in Cyrillic? Had she ever seen it before at all?

She coughed viciously. When she tried to catch her breath, even through her shirt the smoke was so thick it was like being under water. There was no air. There was no oxygen. Her breath came in short, futile gasps.

When she tried to move faster, the edges of her vision began turning black.

She wasn’t going to make it.

Far away she heard a voice cry, ‘I’ve got her! She’s here.’

Another voice called her name. She tried to crawl towards the sound but she couldn’t move.

‘Here,’ she croaked, but she knew the sound was too weak to travel.