against the wall, he focussed on controlling his fast and heavy breathing.
He had lost all his friends. He had lost Russell. Matthew did not know what was happening; all he knew was that he should be scared. The only way he could contact his friends was via Scribbler, but he had left his ScribblePad at home.
Matthew wrapped his arms around his knees and buried his head, trying to not let his fear take over. Russell helped me before thinking about himself. If anything’s happened to him I’ll never forgive myself.
A loud bang caused Matthew to lift his head. It sounded close. Too close. He shut his mouth firmly, his loud breaths threatening to betray him. Footsteps . Somebody had joined him on the stage.
He could hear the sound of heavy shoes on wood, getting louder and louder. Matthew’s body tensed as he held his breath, trying to remain silent and still.
The footsteps stopped. A blinding flash of light and a scream flooded the stage.
Russell
Russell waited until he was as sure as he could be that Matthew had reached the other side of the barrier before climbing over himself. When he landed in front of the stage, a hand was clasped over his mouth and an arm gripped his waist.
He struggled to break free, kicking backwards but to no avail. His captor dragged him forcefully and threw him to the ground.
A deep, gravelly voice asked him, “Where is Max?”
Russell was shaking with fear. He opened his mouth but he had lost his words.
“Where is Max?” The man repeated.
“I – I don’t know who Max is,” Russell replied, his instincts warning him that he needed to lie. He regretted it as a hard boot crashed into his chest, pinning him against the wall.
“You lie. Where is he?” The man sounded more aggressive, booming over Russell’s cry of pain.
“He – I don’t know! I lost him,” Russell shouted back.
“You lie. You are with him. I see you help him.” The pressure of the boot against Russell’s chest increased, making it difficult for him to breathe.
“I’m not… lying. I don’t know… where… he is.” A fist flew at Russell’s jaw causing another shriek of agony to erupt from the trapped boy.
“You lie!” The man shouted angrily, retracting his foot only to crash it once more into Russell’s throbbing torso. But before he could cause the boy any more pain, the stage was lit up by a bright white burst of light. Just as quickly as the light disappeared, so did Russell’s interrogator.
He knew he had to run but he was in too much pain. He struggled to his hands and knees and crawled towards the barriers. Russell clambered onto his feet and leant against the railings; his chest and jaw throbbed and his entire body trembled.
The young Hurburtan shouted out for Matthew but there was no reply. What if he’s on the stage? What if I led him to danger? He began to cry, completely overwhelmed with panic.
He wasn’t aware of the hands that had closed around his biceps.
“Russell, let go of the barrier,” a familiar female voice whispered in his ear. He blindly obeyed and released the steel railings. He looked up and could make out a face. Slowly, he could feel himself rising up into the air, guided by a girl he thought he knew.
“Lornea?”
Anne-Alicia
Anne-Alicia tried to flee as soon as she heard the blood-curdling scream that followed the flash of light, but Sofia had grasped her hand tightly. She yanked her arm away from her friend’s grasp with force and began to weave between the hundreds of people that had begun to rush towards the door at the side of the room with only one aim: to escape.
A short distance ahead, another girl screamed as she was hit by a stream of white light. Anne-Alicia changed course, hoping to avoid bumping into whatever had caused that cry of pain, and aimed instead for the exit on the back wall.
Her hands remained outstretched, ready to push away anyone who
He had lost all his friends. He had lost Russell. Matthew did not know what was happening; all he knew was that he should be scared. The only way he could contact his friends was via Scribbler, but he had left his ScribblePad at home.
Matthew wrapped his arms around his knees and buried his head, trying to not let his fear take over. Russell helped me before thinking about himself. If anything’s happened to him I’ll never forgive myself.
A loud bang caused Matthew to lift his head. It sounded close. Too close. He shut his mouth firmly, his loud breaths threatening to betray him. Footsteps . Somebody had joined him on the stage.
He could hear the sound of heavy shoes on wood, getting louder and louder. Matthew’s body tensed as he held his breath, trying to remain silent and still.
The footsteps stopped. A blinding flash of light and a scream flooded the stage.
Russell
Russell waited until he was as sure as he could be that Matthew had reached the other side of the barrier before climbing over himself. When he landed in front of the stage, a hand was clasped over his mouth and an arm gripped his waist.
He struggled to break free, kicking backwards but to no avail. His captor dragged him forcefully and threw him to the ground.
A deep, gravelly voice asked him, “Where is Max?”
Russell was shaking with fear. He opened his mouth but he had lost his words.
“Where is Max?” The man repeated.
“I – I don’t know who Max is,” Russell replied, his instincts warning him that he needed to lie. He regretted it as a hard boot crashed into his chest, pinning him against the wall.
“You lie. Where is he?” The man sounded more aggressive, booming over Russell’s cry of pain.
“He – I don’t know! I lost him,” Russell shouted back.
“You lie. You are with him. I see you help him.” The pressure of the boot against Russell’s chest increased, making it difficult for him to breathe.
“I’m not… lying. I don’t know… where… he is.” A fist flew at Russell’s jaw causing another shriek of agony to erupt from the trapped boy.
“You lie!” The man shouted angrily, retracting his foot only to crash it once more into Russell’s throbbing torso. But before he could cause the boy any more pain, the stage was lit up by a bright white burst of light. Just as quickly as the light disappeared, so did Russell’s interrogator.
He knew he had to run but he was in too much pain. He struggled to his hands and knees and crawled towards the barriers. Russell clambered onto his feet and leant against the railings; his chest and jaw throbbed and his entire body trembled.
The young Hurburtan shouted out for Matthew but there was no reply. What if he’s on the stage? What if I led him to danger? He began to cry, completely overwhelmed with panic.
He wasn’t aware of the hands that had closed around his biceps.
“Russell, let go of the barrier,” a familiar female voice whispered in his ear. He blindly obeyed and released the steel railings. He looked up and could make out a face. Slowly, he could feel himself rising up into the air, guided by a girl he thought he knew.
“Lornea?”
Anne-Alicia
Anne-Alicia tried to flee as soon as she heard the blood-curdling scream that followed the flash of light, but Sofia had grasped her hand tightly. She yanked her arm away from her friend’s grasp with force and began to weave between the hundreds of people that had begun to rush towards the door at the side of the room with only one aim: to escape.
A short distance ahead, another girl screamed as she was hit by a stream of white light. Anne-Alicia changed course, hoping to avoid bumping into whatever had caused that cry of pain, and aimed instead for the exit on the back wall.
Her hands remained outstretched, ready to push away anyone who
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