XANNY ▹ Harry Bingham

LORD OF THE FLIES

mention of alcohol, mental illness, drugs, and abuse. this is a trigger warning. please do not read ahead if you'll be negatively affected.

chapter two

"if not here, i wish in some parallel world all our dreams would come true"

_

The center of the town square was once resplendent during the town's days of success, but standing there now, Eden observed it to be nothing more than land that'd been marked by scrubs of moss and scattered weeds. A slight breeze brushed past her skin, the air warm and crisp, causing her to look up from the ground, surveying the crowd of seniors and parents flooding into the square. The content mood of the people swirled in currents of noise and bustle. She watched as the students began their goodbye's, ready for the school trip to the Smokey Mountains. Everyone in the crowd seemed so focused on conversation, forgetting the pungent air trapped in the community. Eden remembered, and it reeked.

"Mom wanted me to give you this. She said you left it on the counter."

Eden turned around to meet the eyes of her sister, holding out a book bound in off-white leather. She picked up the faint scent of jasmine and vanilla, before admiring the book's original stitching along the spine. "Thanks."  She took the book out of Wren's hand and traced its cover with her fingertips. Lord of the Flies.

The girls stood in silence until the seniors began loading into the buses parked alongside the road. They gathered their stuff and followed suit. 

•

The bus rocked from side to side as it traveled down the unfamiliar roads. An abrupt dip in the path gently knocked Eden's head against the bus window, waking her from a doze. She wearily lifted her head and looked around. It was nightfall. There was a quiet chatter of those who were still awake, and a slow patter of rain against the metal roof. Some had absorbed themselves in music, others were still asleep, and would remain so until arrival. She looked to her sister, who had her head rested on the shoulder of a senior with short brown hair and a grey shirt. The rest of the ride went on that way, all of the students together yet separate, feeling all the same turns and bumps. The bus came to an eventual stop, and the interior lights flickered on, waking those who weren't already up.

"Rockslides. Road's closed. You're back home." The driver shouted his announcement from up front, causing a wave of conversation. One by one, confused passengers began to file out of the bus, bringing their belongings along with them. Wren followed after her mysterious seatmate, and Eden followed after Wren. Together, they were welcomed by an empty town square.

"Where is everyone?" Eden turned to her sister with uncertainty.

"Don't ask stupid questions. It's the middle of the night, they're all probably asleep."

The buses abruptly closed their doors and began to drive off, sending whispers of concern throughout the crowd of teenagers. Wren's acquaintance wondered off towards a shorter, red-haired boy. She watched him walk off, with a sullen expression easily captured on her face. "Call mom."

"Yeah, okay." Eden pulled out her phone, searching for her mother's contact. She held the glass up to her ear and listened to the gentle ring. "She's not answering."

"Whatever. Don't wake her up, let's just walk home."

The two girls looked around and noticed everyone else's faces equaled the confusion on theirs.

"Has anyone been able to reach anyone?" One girl asked.

Everyone replied at once a series of negative answers.

"What if they were evacuated, like, cause of the smell? They could be asleep, or somewhere with no cell reception." Another girl added.

The student body president stepped forward, Cassandra Pressman. She spoke out to calm the rest of the people around her. "Someone will answer in the morning. For now, let's just all go to bed."

Eden nodded her head in support, but furrowed her brows when she noticed something peculiar. "Wren", she whispered. The rest of the crowd began to diffuse, but the girls stayed in place.

"What?"

"Do you smell that?"

Wren lifted her chin and inhaled deeply before responding. "I don't smell anything."

"Exactly. The smell's gone."