Prepsworth Academy

Chapter 51 - "Let us be free."

Tom

I stared at the house as I parked my car on the side of the curb with a screeching of wheels, still glancing at the time. I needed to hurry. I raced up the long drive-way, looking for the front-door in the darkness. I saw a large, wooden door with a tiny light in front of it. It seemed as good as an option as any and I sprinted towards it, half-tripping over the gravel on the drive-way in the process. I rapped on the door, hoping I would be in time. I pounded on the dooragain and again and again against the door until my fingers were scraped and bleeding. Still no one. I knocked again, my hands screaming ou in paint. After all I'd done – was it not enough? Finally, someone opened the door. I nearly cried out in relief before I remembered what I must've looked like. A bleeding, broken mess, with a rumpled uniform and wild, desperate eyes. The girl who'd opened the door stared at me warily.

"I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry but you have to go, you have to get out of this house. Is there anyone there with you?" I asked, rambling slightly and checking my watch. The girl blinked and called out.

"Mum, Dad, you need to come to the door!" A few seconds later, a middle-aged couple appeared in the background, peering around the door with worried eyes.

"I'm sorry, this must be so strange but you need to get out of your house now. Please, you just have to trust me! You have to go now. There isn't much time!" I said again, stumbling over my words in my haste. The girl was the first to recover from the shock.

"Why?" She asked, eyes narrowed.

"You know your neighbours?" The girl's face instantly became an expression of clear distaste. The older couple nodded.

"Well, some of my ... friends are having a party there." I said, screwing my face up at thinking of Rose or Lukas as a friend.

"And?" The girl asked, her voice sharp.

"The house – they're going to set it on fire." My words seemed to echo through the night and I found myself staring into the girl's horrified eyes. I hadn't noticed she was the same age as me. Hadn't noticed her dark, sparkling eyes, shining like jewels against her dark skin. I shook my head to clear my thoughts.

"On fire?" The older woman asked sceptically. I cocked my head toward the forest at the side of the house.

"They ... they're devious but they're not exactly geniuses, they don't see that one flying ember might start an entire forest fire and burn down all the houses near it." I said, repeating the same speech I'd rehearsed in my head all day.

"Are you joking?" The older man asked. I shook my head.

"I wish I was." I answered bitterly. Again, the girl was the first to react.

"Then we have to go, now!" She said, spurring her parents into action. She turned her face to me.

"If you're lying..." She said sharply to me. I gave a quick nod, acknowledging the threat. She turned, walking down the driveway.

"So, show us where to go, private school boy."

"I'll lead the way."

Rose

I stared at the line of gasoline snaking downstairs and all throughout the house.

"Are we really doing this?" I asked, wondering how I'd gotten here. Lukas looked up at me.

"There are too many debts to be paid." He whispered, echoing my words from earlier. Relief and knowledge washed over me, bringing me strength and anger and I set my jaw in a firm line, meeting Lukas' remorseless eyes and knowing they echoed mine. I nodded and walked outside, making sure to step over the line of gasoline outside the house, before stopping twenty metres away from the house.