Cosmo Prison - Book 1: The Edge of Earth

Chapter 24

Chapter 24

*Sara Fuller*

“Thank God you’re safe, Chris,” I murmur as I crush Chris in the tightest bear hug I’ve ever given anybody in my life.

“I might not be safe if it weren’t for Debbie,” he mutters in my ear, then pulls away.

“It wasn’t your fault, you know,” I console him, in an attempt to quell the storm of his guilt. However, my words have the exact opposite effect.

“It was my fault!” Chris explodes. His hands shaking, he balls his fingers into a fist and punches the wall next to him. His knuckles start bleeding, but he doesn’t stop. “You don’t understand. I could’ve stopped time; I could’ve saved her!”

“Chris--”

”But-- I-- DIDN’T!” he shouts, his voice cracking. “I didn’t save her, and now she’s gone. Gone.” His face contorts with pain and sorrow.

“Chris, calm down, it’s okay,” I try.

“No, it’s not--”

I cut him off. “Come on, we should go check on Sophia and Leo.” Without waiting for a reply, I grab his arm and drag him with me.

The sight that greets us at Town Hall makes me want to curl up in a corner and cry for hours. Sophia looks slightly dazed; her eyes wander around the room listlessly, as if she’s not completely in the present. Gene is clutching her hand as if he’d never let go of it -- he must’ve heard how close Sophia came to dying. Suchet doesn’t look any worse for the wear, but Alex is slouched in his seat, dejected and sullen-looking, probably more upset over the partial failure of his plan than the sudden departure of our friend. Sophie’s arms are folded in a way that makes her look like she’s hugging herself -- a quick glance around the room alerts me to Dean’s absence, although I have yet to figure out why he’s not here. Courtney’s face is buried in her hands; her sobs are almost silent, but still audible, and I can’t help but wonder why she’s crying. Jack is whispering something to her as he pats her shoulder, but it doesn’t seem to be helping.

And Leo? He’s sitting alone, staring off into empty space, probably thinking about Debbie. I know they were a couple, and my gut twists with sympathy when I see the empty vacuum beside him, where Debbie used to sit. Although he’s not crying at the moment, his eyes are glazed with tears, but no one moves to comfort him.

Presently, as Chris and I sit down in our usual seats, Suchet clears his throat.

“As many of you have heard, Chris and Sophia were successful in their mission to steal the key to the Cosmo Prison.” With a self-satisfied smile, Suchet takes the key from his pocket and places it on the table.

“Now, retrieving this key was no easy task,” he continues. “Two of our own -- Dean Zhang and Debbie Dong -- sacrificed their lives to see the mission to its end.”

Dean?

Dean is dead?

Shocked, I steal a glance at Sophie. Her face pales at the mention of his name, her eyes filling with tears.

Somehow, Suchet still manages to keep his tone light, as if he was discussing the weather. “We have the key, but for a price. Debbie and Dean were true heroes. Without their strength and bravery--”

A voice interrupts him in the middle of his cheesy, meaningless tirade.

“Bull,” Leo snaps, standing up so fast that his chair falls backwards with a jarring crash. He stalks right up to Suchet, glowering down at the shorter boy. “Complete bull.”