"The tragedy of life is not death ... but what we let die inside of us while we still live."
Adalynn Stanton is accepted into one of the highest competitive schools in her state, the Greenhouse Academy. At first, all she thinks she will have to do...
"I'm starting with my intuition I'm starting with my strengths I'm getting back my old ambitions And returning again."
~ Fire in Me by John Newman
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"A-a bomb?" Adalynn sputtered, staring in disbelief as Barnard and Eric wired it up. "Y-you'll blow up the entire school!"
"Not just the entire school," Barnard smirked as he cast a sideways glance in her direction. "You too. You'll be the first to go."
"W-what do you mean?" Adalynn gasped.
"What do you think he means?" Jason mocked. "You're going to stay locked up in there, all nice and cosy, until the bomb goes off. Trust me, you couldn't get a better view even if you tried."
"NO!" Adalynn sobbed, tears slipping down her cheeks. "PLEASE LET ME OUT! I promise I won't tell anyone anything! I promise! Jason? Eric? Please?"
"We all know that that's a full-on lie," Barnard glowered at her. "You're the one who was so insistent to uncover this so-called 'plot', and now you that you have, you're gonna pay the price."
Straightening up, Barnard chuckled slightly and held up a little black box. "I'm wiring this up for three minutes. By that time, we'll be far, far away. Enjoy the last three minutes of your life, princess. Say your prayers, because you're gonna need em when you arrive at those 'pearly gates'."
Eric, Jason and Barnard burst out into a fit of raucous laughter.
"Good one, Barnard," Eric smirked. "Alright. Let's get outta here."
"NO!" Adalynn screamed as the three men gathered up the last of their things and prepared to leave. "NO PLEASE! You can't just leave me here!"
"Uh, actually, we can," Barnard glared at her pointedly. "Goodbye princess."
With that, he pressed a button that was on the black box he was carrying in his hand. Adalynn's eyes were drawn to the bomb as the time code wired up and began counting down: 2.59. 2.58. 2.57.
"No," Adalynn whispered. Grasping the bars of her cell, she screamed, "YOU WON'T GET AWAY WITH THIS!"
"Sorry, but we already have," Barnard cackled as he chucked the black box into a nearby drawer and slammed it shut. Then, along with Jason and Eric, he bolted out of the cave.
"NOOOO!!" Adalynn's mind could barely register what was happening. One-half of her brain was telling her that surely they wouldn't leave her alone to be blown up, but now the other half was trying to tell her that they already had and, in less than three minutes, she was going to die.
