Dead Advent: New World Order (Book 1)

Chapter 2 - Lights out

The first thing my mind told me to do was grab a bat. I don't know why it just didn't make sense to me to find a torch light first at that moment, so I fumbled around the drawers in the darkness for a while and silently cheered when my hands found the dusty grip of my Sandback Baseball bat. By then Ruby had dragged herself out from under the covers despite her sickly state and leaned against the window for support. The pale moonlight that streamed in through the window panes casted an eerie glow around her, a frail structure, and darkened her face, though I did not have to see it to know she was judging me with questioning eyes.

"Em, I don't think this is a good time to score a home run."

"Nope, it's not." I said, not bothering to look at her and continued with my disorganized search of the room.

I found the torchlight after shoving a few piles of books out of the way; books left by previous owners of the room, books borrowed from the library and will never be returned because only idiots would walk up to the counter and go, "Hey. Just came to return a book. Sorry it's late and here's my fine."

I flicked it on and prayed that the batteries in it were not dead. Two flickers and then a solid ray of light illuminated the room, and I heaved a sigh of relief, feeling my nerves calm down to a more normal level.

But then, Ruby said, her tone hushed, "Gosh, Em, look at that." and the hint of anxiety in her voice fired up my senses again.

I looked out the windows and drew a breath.

Underneath us, police cars and army tanks had massed together, surrounding the gate and the school as far as my range of vision from the windows allowed me to see. Within the two minutes that I had been stumbling around searching for the torchlight, somehow, a cordon had been laid out and helicopters loomed overhead. Searchlights pointed towards the dormitory, roaming over the rooms and over our faces. The sudden glare of the light hurt our eyes and both Ruby and I flinched away from the window at the same time.

"Oh my god, what is it?" Ruby stared wide-eyed at me.

I stared right back at her, holding my breath. When the light moved away from our window, I crept slowly to it and peered out again, and felt my heart sink and knees buckle when I saw what I had not seen the first time.

My body retreated from the window on its own and I pressed myself against the wall beside it. Ruby caught my expression, knew that something I saw scared me to death, and was immediately alarmed.

"What!" She shouted more than asked.

I had to swallow the lump that formed in my throat before I could answer.

"They have the tanks aimed at us and are loading it now! They're preparing to shoot us!"

"You can't be serious."

"Look for yourself!"

She did, and then practically ran from the window like someone would from an oncoming train.

"They're NOT going to blow us up, right? I mean, they can't!"

"Why are they here? This isn't just another stupid black out, is it?"

"Don't tell me they tracked terrorists here!" Ruby whined, "is this some sort of sick-"

She suddenly stopped mid-sentence and I turned to look at her. I saw her eyes roll up, and then her body convulsed and she bent over, wracking in coughs and terrifyingly loud sneezes.

"I don't feel too good." She said weakly and started to sway. I rushed forward to catch her before she fell flat on her face. I helped her to her bed and she collapsed onto it, chest heaving heavily.