Amelia, “but he told me that the book I have is the only one, And I mustn’t tell anyone I have it”
“Wow, that’s a terrible burden to place on a pair of fourteen-year-old gossips like us. What do you think it all means?” asked Rayn.
“It beats me. We’d better go in now.” but as they turned back toward the steps Amelia stopped. She glanced up at an open window. It was the music department and she could hear the clear sound of someone playing a cello. The long sustained sound reverberated in her head.
“Come on Amelia. We’ll be in trouble ag…” Rayn’s voice trailed off as she glanced at her friend’s colourless face. “What’s up?”
Amelia put a finger to her lips, motioning Rayn to stay silent, and she waited. She waited for something she knew was going to be horrible.
She was already moving when the sound of shattering glass broke the silence. It came from the other end of the building, round the side out of sight. Amelia was moving so fast Rayn couldn’t catch up with her, even though she was a healthy sprinter. As she turned the corner the first thing she saw was Amelia crouched down on one knee on the rough path, she looked like an animal about to explode into action, her head bent back as if sniffing the air for a scent. The next thing she saw made her scream, really scream. Fear, horror, shock, disbelief, all expressed in one long, gut-wrenching sound. She fell backwards, onto the path, and threw up in great heaving gasps. She was trying to breathe and continued to scream while she vomited her enforced breakfast.
Professor Melkins was dead. He’d fallen three storeys and had been impaled on the railings right in front of them. They were looking at the bits and pieces of anatomy that only butchers and doctors should see. Amelia and Rayn had reached the scene at the point of impact and had taken the full brunt of the initial blood splatter. The Headmaster’s internal organs were now slipping down the railings and staining the ground a rusty brown.
Amelia, seemingly totally unaware of anything but the moment sensed a presence above her, not a predator though, and she relaxed and rose to her feet. She took in the scene – shards of coloured glass, twisted strips of lead, plastic flowers, a smashed coffee table, the Headmaster’s torn and twisted body still trembling and twitching, and a lot of blood.
As she looked at the professor’s mangled body hanging on the railings, it never occurred to her to ask why she was so calm and alert in the midst of this most appalling spectacle.
By now others had arrived and, amid the screams and vomiting, she helped Rayn to her feet and guided her back to the main entrance. They made their way to the girl’s toilets and cleaned themselves up as best they could. The girls already in there became desperate not to get involved, and seeing the staff’s pet targets covered in blood decided it was a good time not to be there. As Amelia washed blood off her shoes Rayn wiped down her jacket and skirt. She was still in shock but had stopped her involuntary retching and was trying to pull herself together.
“Go down to the infirmary, Rayn. There’s something I have to do.”
“Amelia. What’s going on? Why are you so calm?” Rayn wailed.
“I don’t know - I really don’t know,” answered Amelia, adding to Rayn’s confusion.
As she waited for Rayn to disappeared Amelia thought about the sequence of events. This was a distinct ‘before’, and it didn’t exactly creep up on her. The after was going to be difficult to handle but the marker was one hell of a hole in her reality. She sighed and then made her way to the library noticing that the news was spreading quickly, with varying degrees of response from tears to outright cheering.
Miss Collins was sitting in a chair, her foot propped up on a stool. She looked a solitary, broken figure. Her eyes, reddened with tears, were empty. Jenny the librarian was trying to massage her foot and comfort
“Wow, that’s a terrible burden to place on a pair of fourteen-year-old gossips like us. What do you think it all means?” asked Rayn.
“It beats me. We’d better go in now.” but as they turned back toward the steps Amelia stopped. She glanced up at an open window. It was the music department and she could hear the clear sound of someone playing a cello. The long sustained sound reverberated in her head.
“Come on Amelia. We’ll be in trouble ag…” Rayn’s voice trailed off as she glanced at her friend’s colourless face. “What’s up?”
Amelia put a finger to her lips, motioning Rayn to stay silent, and she waited. She waited for something she knew was going to be horrible.
She was already moving when the sound of shattering glass broke the silence. It came from the other end of the building, round the side out of sight. Amelia was moving so fast Rayn couldn’t catch up with her, even though she was a healthy sprinter. As she turned the corner the first thing she saw was Amelia crouched down on one knee on the rough path, she looked like an animal about to explode into action, her head bent back as if sniffing the air for a scent. The next thing she saw made her scream, really scream. Fear, horror, shock, disbelief, all expressed in one long, gut-wrenching sound. She fell backwards, onto the path, and threw up in great heaving gasps. She was trying to breathe and continued to scream while she vomited her enforced breakfast.
Professor Melkins was dead. He’d fallen three storeys and had been impaled on the railings right in front of them. They were looking at the bits and pieces of anatomy that only butchers and doctors should see. Amelia and Rayn had reached the scene at the point of impact and had taken the full brunt of the initial blood splatter. The Headmaster’s internal organs were now slipping down the railings and staining the ground a rusty brown.
Amelia, seemingly totally unaware of anything but the moment sensed a presence above her, not a predator though, and she relaxed and rose to her feet. She took in the scene – shards of coloured glass, twisted strips of lead, plastic flowers, a smashed coffee table, the Headmaster’s torn and twisted body still trembling and twitching, and a lot of blood.
As she looked at the professor’s mangled body hanging on the railings, it never occurred to her to ask why she was so calm and alert in the midst of this most appalling spectacle.
By now others had arrived and, amid the screams and vomiting, she helped Rayn to her feet and guided her back to the main entrance. They made their way to the girl’s toilets and cleaned themselves up as best they could. The girls already in there became desperate not to get involved, and seeing the staff’s pet targets covered in blood decided it was a good time not to be there. As Amelia washed blood off her shoes Rayn wiped down her jacket and skirt. She was still in shock but had stopped her involuntary retching and was trying to pull herself together.
“Go down to the infirmary, Rayn. There’s something I have to do.”
“Amelia. What’s going on? Why are you so calm?” Rayn wailed.
“I don’t know - I really don’t know,” answered Amelia, adding to Rayn’s confusion.
As she waited for Rayn to disappeared Amelia thought about the sequence of events. This was a distinct ‘before’, and it didn’t exactly creep up on her. The after was going to be difficult to handle but the marker was one hell of a hole in her reality. She sighed and then made her way to the library noticing that the news was spreading quickly, with varying degrees of response from tears to outright cheering.
Miss Collins was sitting in a chair, her foot propped up on a stool. She looked a solitary, broken figure. Her eyes, reddened with tears, were empty. Jenny the librarian was trying to massage her foot and comfort
Similar Books
