The Outliers

Detention | Chapter Four

Copyright 2014 All Rights Reserved

Detention By Claire Chilton

Chapter Four | Monsters

Carla made her way down the dark hall toward the staircase that led up to the fourth floor. She gripped the megaphone in one hand while her flashlight shook in the other.

Lilly had supplied her with everything she needed. All she had to do was signal the other kids that it was time to riot by making a loud roar. However, to make it believable, she needed to be on the fourth floor when she did it.There probably isn't a monster up there anyway.

She inhaled a shaky breath as she tiptoed down the long corridor toward the main staircase. Her flashlight was shaking so much that the hallway was lit up like a nightclub, with beams flying around it like strobe lighting. This is for the good of everyone. They need their freedom. She tried to convince herself that pretending to be their messiah was good for them, but it made her feel dirty on the inside.

She shook off the feeling. They've been waiting for this for a long time. It's about time someone took down Nick Rancy and his evil imprisonment.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she realized there were no guards at the foot of the stairs. Okay, I just have to get upstairs, and then the revolution will begin.

The flashlight beam shook violently as she climbed the staircase, eager to get to the top unnoticed.

When she reached the third floor, she bumped into a post and yelped so loudly that it was a small miracle nobody heard her. Shaking off the feeling of terror, she closed her eyes for a moment and slowly exhaled. Okay, get a grip.

She tried to shake off the goosebumps that had popped up on her arms and crept slowly and silently up to the fourth floor.

She stopped outside the massive steel door at the top of the staircase. It was sealed shut with no obvious way in. She flashed her light around the area. It was depressingly gray and sparse. There was a big ominous door with a strong lock on it and a welcome mat in front of it.

She ventured curiously toward the door and tried the door handle, which didn't budge. She muttered swear words under her breath. Great, how am I supposed to get in?

She peered down at the welcome mat. It seemed like a silly place for a doormat. Instinctively, she reached down and peered underneath it. Her eyes widened when she found a shiny key.

She snatched up the key and put it in the lock. There are no such things as monsters. She turned the key. There was a loud thunk as the door unlocked.

She exhaled a shaky breath as she opened the door and stepped into a dark room, leaving her flashlight on the floor near the welcome mat. She turned to check that no one had followed her.

Her throat closed up in a silent scream as the door banged shut in her face. She heard three automatic locks click loudly into place, locking her on the fourth-floor. Oh crap.

She winced at her predicament and peered down dark corridor behind her. There wasn't much to see. It was dark and unlit. She felt the walls. They were smooth and cold like metal. Up ahead in the distance was a dim glow of light.

Okay, I'm here. Let's do this. She gripped the microphone, trying to summon a roar rather than a whimper from her vocal chords.

She jumped when she heard an alien screaming noise in the distance. It sounded like a monster. Closing her eyes for a moment, she tried to overcome her own fear. Great, there is a monster.