Compulsion - The Greenhouse Academy

43: "S a v e Y o u r s e l f"

Dropping to her knees, Adalynn buried her face in her hands and began to sob. She knew she was screwed. There was no getting out of the cell. The bars were solid metal, a good 5 millimetres thick. The ground beneath her was packed soil, impossible to dig through with her bare hands. The wall behind her was hard brittle rock.

There was no escape.

2.38. 2.37. 2.36.

RATTLE. RATTLE. RATTLE.

Adalynn's eyes widened as she heard the distant sound. A slimmer of hope entered her heart. Jumping to her feet, she started banging on the door of her cell, screaming, "Help me! Somebody help me!"

When all that met her cry was silence, Adalynn's shoulders slumped in dismay. Her ears must've deceived her. There was no one out there.

Jackie, Max, Hayley, Leo and the others would be nibbling on snacks and sipping cool drinks as they congratulated Daniel on his game. Louis would be sitting in the stadium, looking around at his many students with pride. Families, children, teens, all were completely oblivious to what was about to take place.

Judy, Jason, Eric and Barnard would have already left the school grounds by this time. When the bomb went off, they'd be far enough way not to be effected by it, but close enough to see the fiery explosion.

1.59. 1.58. 1.57.

"I - I'm sorry Mum, Dad, Ben," Adalynn whispered out into the damp, sticky air. "I - I didn't even have a chance to tell you goodbye or say that I missed you or that I loved you! I love you all. I - I just wish I could've told you in person. I'm so so sorry."

"Adalynn? Are you in here?" a voice suddenly pricked the stillness.

"YES!" she yelled in response. "Yes, I'm in here! Quick, hurry! There's a blooming bomb that's about to blow!"

"WHAT?"

Hurried footsteps sounded down the rocky corridor that led to the door. The door swung open. Ethan stepped inside. He took one look at the bomb before rushing to Adalynn's cell.

"Adalynn! I-I'm gonna get you outta here okay?" he told her as his shaking hands tried to unlock the cell door.

Adalynn nodded her auburn head and swallowed hard. "You better hurry. It's gonna blow in two minutes!"

Ethan tried desperately to break the padlock that was securing the door, but without success. "I - I can't open it!" he cried.

1.29. 1.28. 1.27.

Adalynn reached her hands through the bars and grabbed Ethan's forearms. "Ethan, look at me. It's useless and you know it. Without the key, I'm not going anywhere. You need to leave. Save yourself and the others. I'll be fine."

"You'll die!"

"At least I'll die knowing that you tried your best to save me. Now go. More lives will be lost if you don't hurry and warn them."

Ethan shook his head as tears pooled in his eyes. "I already lost my sister. I can't lose you too! I'm not leaving!"

Adalynn, a little startled to learn that he even had a sister, stared at him in shock. "E-Ethan. You're not listening to me! GO!"