Kids Never Die

Chapter 3: Burning Dawn

We trudged slowly into piles of burnt brick and wooden planks. The ground steamed under our feet. Each foot fall sung out with burning fury. The rubber soles of our shoes sizzled and simmered as they met the ground. Bricks would crumble under sheer heat and wood turned to ash as weight was applied. Our walk turned into more of an interpretive dance as we skipped across the destroyed terrane. But we soon discovered that it was all a huge grave sight.

Bodies lined the path ahead. Teachers and students alike. Some were burned. Others were cut and bloody. Some even dismembered. Torn limb from limb. Gavin, Morgan, and I were forced to walk over the bodies of our closest friends and teachers. Like seeing a dead family member.

Morgan called out across the area, but only the echo returned. We began to push over large slabs of concrete and kick through rubble. Everything was hot, but we didn't mind. After almost a half an hour, we knocked dust away from a wooden plank, and a hand began to twitch. A rather small hand. We began to clear dust and bricks from around it. It slowly cleared and revealed an arm. Slowly a body was formed. It was Nick. His hair glistened blonde. It was still combed thick to the right but was now coursed with dust and other small particles of brick and rock.

We helped him to his feet, but it didn't do him justice. He stood just under five foot and was thinner than pencil lead. His shirt was torn in several places and there was a deep bloody cut across his left arm.

"You alright mate?" I asked in a throaty tone.

He looked to his arm, then to me and nodded. His teeth clenched and his eyes held tight shut.

"Hey look, its little dick Nick," shouted Gavin. Morgan let out a hardy laugh that bounced and cracked through his pubertized voice. The two high fived one another and went about laughing. I shook my head and looked back to Nick.

"We'll get ya patched up man," I reassured him. "Don't worry." I walked him over and sat him down by Ian. I went back out to meet Morgan and Gavin, who had found someone else. The body appeared motionless but further examination revealed life. I placed my fingers on the wrist of a body which lay face down. A heart beat was surely ticking. We flipped over the body. It was Emilee. She was completely knocked out yet unharmed. Gavin picked her up and carried her with the others.

Morgan and I continued across the wreckage. A small, weak voice called for help. A faint cry, almost like a whisper. We walked over to where the sound was released. It was flat ground. I placed my ear to the sandy floor and sure enough, the call was from under. I scanned the area. My eyes skipped from left to right. I caught sight of a long metal pipe. I ran over and grabbed it. When I got back, I took a strong stance and began to slam into the dirt and concrete floor. The ground began to crack, but not deep enough.

I searched from left to right once more, searching for something heavier; something stronger. As I was bound to give up, Morgan wheeled over a desk. A large, heavy, metal and wooden desk on four wheels. I had an idea. I told Gavin and Morgan to find more pipes. We all scavenged around for long and short pipes. After about twenty minutes, we had a large pile of pipes of all shapes, sizes and colors.

"Okay," I began, determined. "We need to make a ramp. We start by arranging pieces by size and shape."

We put the longest together at the end, and slowly made our way down in size to the opposite end of the pile with the shortest pieces. There were four sizes. Some that were about two foot long. Next that were one and a half. Then one. Then a half. There were four of the two foot long. Two of the one and a half. Four of the one foot long and four half longs.

We connected a two foot, a one foot and a half foot together, then repeated and snuffed them in the ground next to the area we needed to break. I had Gavin and Morgan gather a slab of concrete while I placed pipes in random combinations to make supports for our ramp. The two came back with what had been an overhang at the front of the school. It was about fifteen feet long and weighed a massive lot. Gavin did the length of the pull whilst Morgan pushed behind. His lanky arms strained under pressure and weight.

I chuckled, then ran to help the two. Gavin and I lifted it and Morgan pushed the structure over and we dropped it in the supports. The pipelines buckled under the sheer weight. Gavin stood underneath and held his massive arms and hands to hold it up. Morgan and I found a few crushed and tattered lockers and we placed them where Gavin stood. And place left open was packed and cemented with dirt and dust until all was stable. The whole structure took a little over an hour to complete.

I stood back and took a deep breath. Morgan wheeled the desk up the ramp.

"On the count of three," I called. "One.... Two.... Three!"

Morgan shoved his forward momentum into the desk and sent it hurtling over the edge of the ramp and plummet downward into the cracked concrete floor. The desk shattered through like it was wet paper. We all charged for the hole. We peered down the black pit.

"Hello!" Gavin called. It echoed eerily, but soon a cry was yelped back.

"Help us!" Someone called.

"Us?" I questioned. "Who's all down there?"

The weary voice we heard was the cute, young, ginger-snap Kyra.

"There's four of us." She answered. "Miranda, Katie, Emily and I."

Morgan and I nodded at each other.

"Alright, well come to us. Come towards the sound of my voice." I replied.

Kyra emerged from the darkness. Her hair was the same color as the sky and it almost seemed to light up the dark hole. Behind her trudged Emily who appeared very weak. Behind her, Miranda held up Katie with her arms wrapped around her.

"Is she okay?" I called.

Miranda shook her head. Katie's hand was held tightly at her side and her shirt was darker in the area. Miranda answered, "She was impaled with some wire."

"Bring her up first then." I reached out my hands. Miranda limped Katie over and handed her arms to me. Gavin and I lifted her out together and I left her to Gavin to take back with the others. Then I reached back down. "Who's next?"

Kyra came over and reached her arms out. I grabbed a hold of her tightly and brought her up. Morgan directed her back with the rest. Next,Miranda grabbed my arms. She caught her footing and climbed out. I waited for Emily to grab ahold, but she stumbled.

"Are you alright?" I called in deep concern. There was no answer. She fell to her knees, then to her hands. She shook her head, then fell to the side. Her body went limp and lifeless. I slid down the wall and fell beside her. I placed my fingers to her neck. She was still alive and breathing, but she was burning up. I lifted her up and called for Morgan to come get her. I raised her to his arms. "We got to find water man." I called. "She's dehydrated."

"Probably heat stroke" Morgan called. I nodded, then jumped and climbed out from the hole.

After the four had been returned, I told Gavin to help apply pressure to Katie's wound. Morgan and I headed out to find more. This time, luck began to fade, fast. It seemed to be a never ending grave yard. Each body was just that. A lifeless, dead caucus of a friend or colleague. After an hour I had given up hope. But a voice called out. I scanned across the area, waiting to catch view of someone in need through all the smoke and ash. But they were not in need. A male and female figure burst through the fog. The girl was trudging and leaning against the boy. The boy looked weak himself. I ran put and caught sight of Angela and Nate.

I grabbed Angela's opposite side and placed my other arm under her legs to carry her. Morgan wrapped his arm around Nate and we all walked back together.