Tumbledown

Chapter 17

Maddie took her up her position and waited for the rest of the children to come as Jasmine said they would.

"It is nearly time and we are the only ones here."

"They will come and we will wait and if they do not come we will walk out of here on our own."

"What exactly will that achieve Maddie?"

"It will show them that it can be done and that they should not be afraid."

"That is if they do not shoot us all."

Jinn was the first to see them.

"Look there it is the first of them."

Jinn was right they were coming from everywhere now and settling in behind them.

"My god there are hundreds of them."

"Yes Maddie this place is huge and when I was in here there were too many to count then."

By the time they had all lined up behind them they appeared like a small army.

"What now that it is time to leave?"

"You have to lead them out of here Maddie so you should start walking towards the edge of Juvi."

Dylan was right but for a moment Maddie's feet refused to move until miraculously she found herself moving off ahead of everyone else.

Please follow she thought to her-self or this would look even more ridiculous than it felt.

Dylan raised both of his hands above his head and started to chant the word Maddison over and over again.

Seeing this Jinn followed suit as they moved on after Maddie and soon the whole crowd were chanting and following Maddie.

Not once did Maddie look back as they chanted her name, Dylan and Jinn took up position beside her with what looked like the whole prison population behind them.

"We have them Maddie now all we need to do is not get shot."

Maddie could not have agreed more and was about to say as much when they heard the first solitary shot ring out.

"Don't stop we have to keep moving no matter what."

Maddie did not hesitate and just kept on walking with Dylan falling slightly behind her.

"There Maddie that is where the guards are posted and they must have seen us before now."

Jinn was scared but he kept pace with Maddie as he said this.

"We keep on going just ignore them and keep on going."

The guard on duty that afternoon had seen them coming for quite a while and was waiting for instructions from the Capital as they approached his position.

"Yes sir there are hundreds of them all children and they do not appear to be stopping."

"This is the First Minister here when they are close enough fire a few warning shots close enough to frighten them."

The young guard who had once been a State policeman did as he was ordered.

"Maddie those shots were meant as a warning if we do not stop then the next ones may just tear through the crowd."

Maddie was aware that these shots were not meant to harm them but could not stop thinking of the shots they heard earlier.

"I know they were warnings Dylan but I don't think that the shots earlier were to warn and if Jasmine and her people can walk into a hail of bullets then we can do no less."