Leila read the same paragraph in her textbook for the fifteenth time, trying to concentrate. She wanted to get through the chapter but it was near impossible. Her eyes kept flicking to the window, expecting to see the man standing there again.
Even though most of the schools were closed, she still tried to keep up with her education. Eventually the world would settle down again and she didn’t want to be behind in her schoolwork. She worked her way diligently through her remaining textbooks, hoping to return to a formal education in the new year. Perhaps by then the school would re-open.
It had been controversial for the education department to close the doors. Students were being kept home for fear something would harm them. So when the numbers dwindled so low it was impractical to expect teachers to continue risking their lives to show up, they announced the temporary closure.
Life didn’t feel normal without the daily routine of schoolwork. Hence Leila’s dedication. But as the days passed and things only got worse in the world, her interest was starting to wane. What was the point of knowing history when a future wasn’t even guaranteed? She tried not to think of questions like that, but occasionally they would still pop into her head.
It was never the schoolwork that Leila missed though, it was her friends. She hadn’t seen them in weeks. Skyping was as close as she got to being able to communicate with the outside world.
Some of her friends had already perished in all the violent attacks that sprang up around the place. Leila regretted not being able to attend their funerals but her parents wouldn’t let her. Instead, they held a candlelight memorial in the living room for each of them. It was sweet, but it wasn’t a substitute for being able to say goodbye to her friends formally.
Emily entered the room they shared and sat on her bed, watching Leila until she paid attention to her.
“What?” Leila asked, trying to pretend the book was more interesting than it really was.
“I’m bored.”
“Do something useful then, help Mom with the garden or something.”
Emily rolled her eyes. “What’s the point? We’re not going to last much longer.”
Leila snapped close the textbook and put it to one side. Sitting up, she stared at her sister. She knew she didn’t mean the words, it was just her way of crying out for reassurance.
“We don’t know when all the violence will stop, it might be soon and then everything can go back to normal,” Leila explained, trying to be positive. “We just have to believe it will happen.”
“What about if we’re the next ones to be attacked?” Emily shrugged from the disapproving look she got from her sister. “It could happen. There’s nothing special about us that would make them stay away.”
“Just try to stay positive. It’s all-”
She was cut off as a scream rang out from somewhere outside. Leila and Emily exchanged a panicked look as they ran for the living room.
Kate and their parents were already there, pressed up against the window as they watched the malaise going on outside.
Leila looked out, fear gripping the pit of her stomach at what she would see. A group of kids, they couldn’t have been more than fourteen, were crowded outside the house diagonally across the street. Leila knew Mrs. Thorne lived there alone, she was seventy years old and must have been terrified.
“I’ve got to do something,” Matthew declared, taking a step towards the front door.
“No, they’ll hurt you too. Stay,” Matilda pleaded with her husband. She grabbed onto his arm, trying to stop his departure.
“Mrs. Thorne needs my help, this has to stop.” Matthew waited until his arm was freed. The women of the house all watched as he stepped out the front door and crossed the yard.
They watched with horror as he reached the group of kids. His arms waved around as he tried to send them off. They all stared at him, completely unaffected by his efforts. It was like they weren’t themselves anymore, they were just the shell of human beings that they once were. It was perhaps more frightening than anything else they had witnessed.
Undeterred, Matthew pushed through the crowd and entered the house. Leila held her breath waiting for him to reappear. She clutched onto her mother, hoping and praying that he would actually reappear. Anything could have been going on inside the house and they wouldn’t be able to do anything about it.
“Should we call the police or something?” Kate asked, just as anxious.
Matilda shook her head sadly. “It won’t do any good, they won’t come out anymore.”
The four of them stood waiting in their vigil for close to two hours before Matthew was able to drag old Mrs. Thorne to safety. Bruised and beaten, he carried her over the road where Matilda could attend to their wounds.
CHAPTER 4 - JEROME