20 MINUTES BEFORE THE FIRE STARTED
"Kennedy, I'm just popping to the loo. Make sure no one sits in my seat please", said Miss Laine.
She left the room, opening random doors to find the toilets. 'This place is like a bl**dy maze', she thought.
"Snooping around already, are we?", smirked Carrie. "Lost home in yourself already have you?"
Miss Laine pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing. "What are you hoping to achieve here, Carrie?"
Carrie stepped closer. "If you think you're winning this competition you've got another thing coming. I won't let you take anything else from me."
Miss Laine sighed. "How can you say that? You're still concerned about that?"
"You knew I wanted that role, Addy! Yet you still auditioned for it", said Carrie.
"You told me too, Carrie! You said you didn't want to do it alone."
"Yet you still got the part. You never did tell me what happened. Did you bribe Miss Croakes?"
"She just gave me the role! I tried to say no but she was adamant", said Addy. "I was always happy for you're success. We were best friends Carrie... I don't understand where it went wrong."
Carrie clenched her fists. "When you took my d*mn role, Addy! You always acted like you were the best. All hollier than thou."
Addy frowned. "That's not true. I never thought I was better than anyone."
Carrie shook her head, scoffing. "Save it. I don't have time for your lies. Let me show you what a real show looks like."
And with that, Carrie walked away.
Miss Laine sighed and made her way to the toilets, reminscing about the good memories with her former best friend.
-
A day later, everyone is called into the Theatre Room. Principal Reede stood in the centre, where Miss Laine should have been. "Students... due to recent events, I have no choice but to close the Theatre Club."
Everyone gasped. "Wait, you can't!", exclaimed Weronika. "Can't you just... suspend it? I don't know. Close it for a bit?"
Principal Reede shook his head. "No. My mind is made up", he said, frowning when he saw the sadness in everyone's eyes. "I don't want to do this... believe me. I was the one who proposed we create a Theatre Club in the first place."
"Then you'll know how much this Club means to us", said Isaac.
Principal Reede sighed. "You could've died. Even if you didn't enter the building, you could've damaged your lungs due to smoke inhalation."
"But, I didn't!", said Isaac.
"Two girls are in critical condition! And one boy's suffering from burns!", yelled Principal Reede, startling everyone. "I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have shouted. But three people suffered terribly and Miss Laine caused it."
"You don't seriously believe she caused the fire?", questioned Amethyst. She may not have liked Miss Laine, or anyone in the Club, but she knew Miss Laine couldn't have done it.
"Yeah", said Camryn. "It's innocent until proven guilty."
Principal Reede sighed again. "I'm sorry. Like I said... my mind is made up. You're all dismissed."
-
Maxon kicked at the tree in Camryn's usual spot, groaning in frustration.
"Oi, hey, that tree didn't do anything to you", said Camryn.
Maxon kicked it one last time. "I just hate feeling so... so useless! I could've saved her! If I ignored Leonie, I could've s-"
"- Stop!", yelled Camryn. "You'll only cause yourself more pain by beating yourself up about this. Do you really think there's anything you could've done to stop Leonie from going inside?"
Maxon shook his head, sitting down on the bench.
Camryn nodded. "Exactly! The only person to blame is whoever started the fire."
"So you don't think it's Miss Laine?"
Camryn's eyes widened. "Of course it isn't! Do you seriously believe she caused this?"
After a long moment, Maxon shook his head. "No. No I don't."
Maxon stood up and clenched his fists. "But we have to find the b*stard that did."
-
The doctor's told Eli that he was lucky to have been saved. He managed to escape with only minor burns and his leg was already healing well anyway, so there was no further damage.
Physically.
Mentally, Eli couldn't stop re-living the moment he was trapped. He remembered it so clearly.
Everyone ran towards the doors, stopping Eli from gaining access. When a path was finally made, Eli's wheelchair collided with a fallen chair, sending him crashing to the ground.
Kennedy ran past, stopping abruptly when she saw Eli. "Eli! Here, I'll get you up", she said.
Kennedy struggled to break Eli free. She carefully pulled him out of the wheelchair. "Here, I need you to help me pull you up-"
Kennedy was cut off by the sound of a cabinet crashing down on Eli. Her eyes widened and she let out a horrified scream. "ELI! H-hold on... I'll find something to help lift this thing off you", she said, before running off.
Eli gasped for air. "K-Kennedy... I'm scared."
His mother entered the Hospital Room, his father following in after.
"How are you feeling now, El?", asked his Mother, gently stroking his hair.
Eli wanted to break down. He wanted to tell them about how scared he was, and still is. But decided against it because his scars weren't worse than the mental scars his parents had. "Good, Mum."
"This d*mn club has caused you too much pain", said his Dad.
His Mum shook his head. "Not now, love. He needs to rest."
"C-Can you find out how my friends are doing please? Leonie and Kennedy?"
"I don't know if they'll tell us anything but we'll try", said his Dad. He kissed Eli's forehead and waited for his mother to do the same, before leaving with her.
Once they left, Eli stopped trying to suppress his tears, finally allowing himself to cry.
-
Kennedy lay awake in her Hospital room, tears streaming down her face as she remembered her screams.
She started breathing heavily as she felt the fire's heat all over again. Unable to control her breathing, Kennedy pressed the button to alert the doctors. She felt her chest getting tighter and fell out of the bed, passed out.
-
Leonie lay very still.
The impact of the explosion threw her back, causing her to hit her head on the ground. This, coupled up with severe smoke inhalation caused Leonie to end up in a coma.
-
Hi!
The psychological scars that everyone has will be explored further, not just for Eli, Kennedy and Leonie, but for everyone else who was there too.
Physical scars can be treated, though they don't always go away.
Mental scars often go untreated and people are too scared to talk about them as they don't want to re-live the event again, or they don't feel like their pain is significant.
You don't have to have been involved in something like this to have physical and psychological scars.
There are people out there who want to listen to you and will never criticise you for feeling what you feel.
Please don't suffer in silence. Ever.