Everett: Revised edition

Chapter 19

Another graduation day was upon the School Yard. The bus was parked inside the Yard's massive metal gates. The children of the School Yard gathered outside in the Courtyard to watch as the graduates lined up to board the bus. None of the graduates had any possession to take back with them. All of their life for the past years were being left in and disposed of within these walls. A job and house would be waiting for them on the outside.

It was a calm, silent, solemn day as the gray fence and schoolhouse walls towered looming over the [crowd]. Through the silence, the whoosh of the bus doors hissed and seeped across the Yard.

A bus driver without a uniform glanced up and out of the open bus doors and caught the Head Admin's eye. The Head Admin had a chance to see the flicker of a grin on the driver's face as he still had his hand on the door lever when, within a flash, a swarm of blurred bodies rushed down the stairs of the bus like a swarm of wasps. Their footsteps thundered and their voices buzzed. The Head Admin was instantly knocked to the ground. Greg was on top of him along with Julian, getting his hands wrapped in make-shift cuffs.

As this was done, the first batch of Council members ran to the left and to the right of the Yard, intercepting guardsmen. Greg kept his head down as he assessed the situation. Guards were drawing their guns, but so were Greg's men.

The second round of members streamed from the bus running through the throngs of students, some of which were running away in the confusion and some of who were ducking in fear of the chaos that had erupted around them.

I ran with the second round of junior soldiers towards the building. If they did not secure the building, then they wouldn't have the stronghold. They wouldn't have the defenses. They wouldn't have the extra bodies to use as soldiers. They wouldn't have a chance.

Greg spotted me dashing through the crowd. It had been the swiftest he'd seen me and my heartbeat beat hard and proud. Despite the shakiness of this battle, the look on Greg's face showed that Greg felt a warmth in his heart as his unit executed the plan. And with a backhanded fist to the Head Admin's face, Greg proceeded forward in a defensive stoop as the Head Admin was knocked silly. He must have seen stars shooting across his eyes.

I ran past Greg and Julian to proceed towards my own destination. Within seconds, I was almost at the tall entrance of the Schoolhouse. Lovel was waiting inside the doors for me. Gunfire rose above the screams of the students. I crouched down as I ran, shielded by the crowd, but not for long. Soon the students would scramble away from the fight trying to get to safety. I scanned between the students looking out for glints of guns and uniforms.

I looked up. The last [push]. I was pushed through the door along with a flow of students. I stumbled and fell, summersaulting forward.

"Everett! Get the other door!" Lovel ordered. I sprang to my feet and put my full weight into the door. Lovel did the same. Neither door budged.

"We need to get these shut," I said.

Lovel called to the young students who made it through the door. "Help us shut the door!"

A few students turned around with flustered looks on their faces. Their mouths were slightly ajar and their eyes were blank. While the other students retreated into the Schoolhouse, a handful of students trotted back to the door using their shoulders to lean against the heavy [door]. With the extra effort, the doors began to lurch forward slowly. It was like wading through a puddle of honey.

Finally, the doors shut.

"Now what?" I asked.

"Now we lock the doors," Lovel said. "I'll go to the security room. You stay here and guard the door. As Lovel ran, he tossed a walkie-talkie to me.