Flight of the Raven Pt. 01

"Well all right then. Mr Harrel and Mr Woodlock, the sooner you get everyone moving the better. Mr Hardy the quicker we move this the less chance we'll have of missing part of the broadcast." I issued my orders loudly enough for all to hear.

Well someone had to step up. I didn't particularly want to but it seemed Mr Hardy was still out of sorts.

The room exploded into a flurry of activity. Amidst the renewed weeping and moaning of students and teachers alike, there was now a sense of urgency too. I had partly broken their self induced prison of disbelief, forcing them to act.

Mr Hardy walked to the where the TV was plugged in and disconnected it from the socket, placing the leads on top of the trolley. Tony reached me, still shaking, but with much less force. Mr Hardy, Tony and I began to gently but rapidly wheel the trolley out of the gym, following the long line of students and teachers heading towards the cafeteria. Cathy, limping slightly with an arm round my shoulder for support, walked with us. Kate was still clinging to her father, bawling her eyes out.

Despite all she'd been through, having seen her wrestle the same pain that Tony and I had, I still didn't feel for her. I couldn't get that self-righteous arrogant screech of a voice out of my head. She may not have deserved this, but I'd be damned for forgiving her past bitchiness. Fuck her.

In this way I managed to avoid offering Kate a word of help or encouragement. For some reason I felt immensely pleased with myself.

Realising there were more important things to do than cling to my hatred of a naïve little girl I spoke to her father. "Mr Hardy, when we turn this back on and you have established what order you can in the room, we need to search the school. There must be some pupils who skipped watching the eclipse from the gym, perhaps there are other survivors. Also we need to look for provisions. Food, medical supplies, blankets and warm clothing in case we have to stay here for the night, or longer. We should check if anyone has a radio in case the electricity goes. These earthquakes aren't exactly stopping." As if to emphasise my point a particularly violent quake shook the floor, causing us to halt, waiting for the hall to stop moving, before continuing towards the cafeteria. "You also need to allow the students to use their phones, they need to check their families and we could really do with some information from outside this building."

Mr Hardy looked at me, nodding his head with every point I came up with.

It was a little off-putting.

After I had finished speaking my mind Mr Hardy nodded once more and replied. "Hmmm. Yes those are all excellent ideas. I'll see to it when we get the TV set up. Thanks for your help Luke, I haven't really come to terms with... All this. I still need a little time to pull myself back together. But I understand the need for leadership. I'll manage from now, don't worry. Oh and Luke. Call me John, I'll be counting on your advice, you've proven yourself a most remarkable young man. Hargraves is lucky to have you."

With this last remark Cathy's arm tightened slightly round my shoulder and she smiled warmly at me, nodding her agreement.

Even Tony smiled a little, his shaking now barely noticeable.

Kate seemed to not understand what was going on, she had a glazed look on her face.

I pulled at my hair embarrassedly, not being used to all this praise and attention. Deciding to abstain from commenting, I continued pushing the trolley, keeping my eyes fixed ahead.

The rest of the trip passed silently until we pushed past the double-doors of the cafeteria and were assaulted by the moans of despair from crying students and teachers alike. Walking to the socket near the middle of the large wall forming one side of the room, we stopped. John plugged the TV in and switched it on as I moved the trolley, positioning the TV so that it faced the room.

John was successful and the TV displayed that official looking picture again. Blaring out the words. "This is an emergency broadcast! Please wait in a safe place where you can hear this message. We will provide citizens with more information shortly."

"Crap." I sighed, having hoped that the broadcast would have started by now.

"Damn." John mirrored my sentiments, frowning darkly at the screen.

He gently placed Kate in one of the plastic seats surrounding the numerous lunch tables and stood on top the table.

"Students and staff of Hargraves." John shouted, silencing the muffled wails around the room.

Sweet. It looked like he really was taking charge after all. I felt a huge wave of relief as I felt the weight of responsibility being lifted from my shoulders.

John continued, trying to make eye contact with as many people in the room as possible. "We need to keep order. This is not a dream. We cannot allow ourselves to believe that we will soon wake up. That mentality is an extremely dangerous one to harbour. Teachers, all of you need to be examples to the students. Your jobs are to guide them and that is what you must now do. Please, set an example by keeping your heads in this crisis. In an emergency clear lines of command must be maintained to combat disaster. This is an emergency. Therefore the teachers of Hargraves will obey both mine and Mr Luke Raven's instructions. He has proven his bravery in rescuing miss Jones. His intelligence with the ideas he has proposed to me and his clear-headedness by the capable way he issued instructions in the gym."

Are you fucking shitting me. I guess I really was some sort of jinxing machine today. I decided to find a piece of wood as soon as I could and to hold onto it -- tightly -- this was getting pretty ridiculous.

My thoughts were interrupted by the rest of John's speech. "Students will also follow our commands, as well as instructions from their teachers. We cannot allow ourselves to fall into chaos."

John's eyes flickered briefly to mine as he repeated my suggestions to the room. "Mr Harrel, take a few students who look up to it and search the school for anything that will keep us warm. We have no idea how long we might have to stay here, how long the electricity and heating will last and so we need insulation, light, food, a radio if possible and things of that sort. Use your initiative. We have seen some exceeding strange weather occur and we should not assume that the night will be as hot as the day. Perhaps it will snow, or the ash" he looked out one of the cafeteria's windows, confirming that the ash was still dropping. "will stop falling. Perhaps it shall turn to hail in the night. I have no idea so we must prepare for every eventuality. Keep an eye out for other survivors too. Luke thinks that a few pupils are bound to have skipped watching the eclipse. We weren't able to take a register... before... What happened. So it's certainly a possibility. Bring anyone you find back here. "

Mr Harrel nodded saying. "Yes Sir." and walked over to one of the tables of students, asking for volunteers, a few raised their hands and they departed the room in haste.

John looked around the room, his eyes stopping to rest on Beth Cooper, one of the kitchen staff. She seemed remarkably calm in the current situation, Mr Hardy must have thought the same thing as he asked. "Miss Cooper, round up any other kitchen staff that seem able and search the kitchens for anything that might be useful."

Beth stiffened when she first heard her name, but by the end of John's instructions was nodding enthusiastically and rushed over to a few of her colleagues. Only a couple seemed happy to accompany her and they briskly walked through the doors of the cafeteria -- to the kitchens.

"Mary," This time John spoke to the school nurse. I hadn't a clue what her surname was. "I need you and Angela," I guess she's the other nurse. "to get any medical supplies you can from the medical bay."

"Yes Sir, but I'm afraid Angela can't help. She didn't make it John." Mary spoke these last words softly, trying to keep her tears from falling.

"I see, take a couple of students with you instead Mary. Be as quick as you can. I don't want anyone to miss this broadcast if we can help it.

I had to hand it to John. He didn't falter for a second. I began to relax slightly. Perhaps, I wouldn't have to violate the promise to my mother any more than I had already. John certainly seemed capable enough for me to follow, and this gave me the luxury of trying to dodge any further responsibility. It would be safer for me -- if I only had myself to look out for.

My gaze caught Cathy's beside me and she smiled, warmly.

I briefly entertained the thought of hitting my head, repeatedly, on the wall beside me, but I thought better of it. My war on jinxes wasn't going particularly well it seemed. I really needed to find some wood.

The TV once more gave us its message; jolting me from my dark mood. "This is an emergency broadcast! Please wait in a safe place where you can hear this message. We will provide citizens with more information shortly."

I resisted smashing the TV to bits. Barely.

John scarcely gave the TV behind him a glance as he continued looking around the room. Seemingly satisfied he spoke once more. "Mr Woodlock, I need you to gather all the teachers and staff that are able to and get this room into shape. We need to organise seating and push these tables together -- closer to the centre of the room. I want a medical area with chairs, and some form of padding for the floor, set up in the middle. Close the doors and windows. There's no telling if the weather will change again, and what it will change into. Organise the kids that seem to be coping and have them move the tables. Get a few teachers to sit with them afterwards and keep an eye on them. Lets try and leave the ones that aren't doing that well for now. We'll have to think of a way to get them back to us, but until then I don't want to antagonize matters." He nodded to Mr Woodlock, having issued his orders. Receiving a nod in return as Mr Woodlock got to his task.

Chapter 3 -- Siege

For the next hour the room was a flurry of activity. The tables were arranged as a semi circle in the centre of the room -- curling inwards on the TV. I had advised John not to put the TV against a wall. The quakes were still an issue, a few occurring at regular intervals, and I was worried that if a wall collapsed so would our hope for information. He agreed quickly, having already arranged the seating in the centre for that very reason. John had lifted the school's ban on phone use, and had asked for everyone with a phone to call family, friends and, of course, the good ol' emergency services. That plan was quickly thwarted however as no one had even the slightest bit of signal.

A medical bay -- of sorts -- was erected behind the TV. We didn't want it in a corner for the same reason we didn't want the TV there. Mary and her two charges returned shortly after it had been constructed and she had them unpacking several bundles of supplies -- I assumed medical ones -- into cardboard boxes, and then stowing them under a table acting as the medical bay's desk.

Beth and her colleagues had also returned with two trolleys of food, a list of the non perishable goods they had in the freezers and a large, lidded, plastic box. After Beth whispered to him, John had leaned over and told me that there were a load of kitchen knives, a few spare gas bottles -- for the ovens -- and even an electric meat carver inside.

I could see why they needed a lid!

Mr Harrel and his entourage had returned as well, bearing the fruits of their labours. They had found piles of thick mats, probably two or three inches thick, in the sport's storeroom, and several of the students were carrying two of these mats each. In all they brought twelve large mats from storage, six foot by four, so three were used as the floor of the medical bay, while the rest were placed in-between the tables and TV -- acting as a sitting area for those people who were clearly still in shock.

Mr Harrel's group had also found a number of torches, of various strengths and sizes, and even an old, hand-held oil lamp. From where, I had no fucking clue. They brought a few candles in a plastic bag too, some food in more plastic bags, from the vending machines dotted around the school, and even several armfuls of winter coats that students had left in lockers, on the backs of chairs and in the changing rooms. However, the thing that surprised me most was the large, old radio in Mr Harrel's hands. Note to self -- This guy knows how to find shit. I really wasn't expecting there to be a portable radio in a dump like this. John took the radio from Mr Harrel and placed it on a table -- I guess trying to get some information on what the fuck was happening.

After the sitting-area and medical bay had mats for floors a few teachers, who weren't incessantly crying, gathered up the staff and students who weren't holding up so well; placing them upon the mats of the two area's and whispering warm, gentle words to them. It wasn't as bad as I feared, there were only about fifty people who still had that glazed look about them. This left slightly more than two-hundred and fifty people who seemed to be coping. At least I hoped they were.

Students were organised into groups and were seated around their tables -- talking in hushed voices. Food and water, from the tap, was handed out and the room calmed down slightly, the wailing having quieted noticeably. Oh right, by wailing I meant Kate. The annoying bitch had finally seemed to sober up -- going so far as to detach herself from 'Daddy'.

Frankly, I couldn't be arsed to help with any of the organisation. I wanted no part in the responsibility John had thrust upon me, offering advice only when he asked for it and so I spent my time talking with Cathy and Tone, while watching the room's activity. I didn't think I was being unreasonable to avoid any more obligations. I had a promise to keep to my mother and I had already pretty much shattered it by rescuing Cathy.

For almost an hour the three of us talked around a table. Both Cathy and I could see Tone was still on edge, so we attempted to keep the mood light. Right. Keeping the mood light while several people were quietly crying, staring around the room blindly, or moaning on the floor and with the sound of the wind and ash battering upon closed windows. After a few attempts at humour, I realised that 'light' simply wasn't going to happen and instead I asked Tony about the pain. "Tone...That pain... What did you feel? Why the hell are Kate you and I not dead and how the fuck was half the room not even affected!" Yea. I deserved a medal for my epic 'light' conversation.

Cathy rolled her eyes at me, affirming that I hadn't handled this well, while Tony shakily replied. "Agony. That's the only way I can describe it. It felt like pure agony and it seemed to last for hours, but the worst was the end. Just before It ended I felt my head, my brain, growing."

"Yes!" I replied, "That's exactly how it felt to me too. Like something was pushing into my skull, and after it succeeded the pain just wasn't there any more. Right?" I asked him, eagerly.

Tony sighed, as if reliving the experience, but nodded. "Yes. That's a good way to describe it. As for your other questions Luke. I simply don't know. I'm not sure why we survived while the others didn't, and I have even less of a clue as to why roughly half the room simply weren't affected at all. Do you." He paused, "Feel different Luke? I... I can't really explain it, but I feel... Strange."

"Yea, I feel weird too. It's not exactly noticeable though... I... Meh, there's no point dwelling on it Tone. I feel a little different but have no idea in what way and so do you. Lets leave it at that until we can figure it out. Maybe we ought to talk to Kate too -- she's the only other person who survived." I finished, briefly glancing in her direction.

Urgh... I still can't believe she survived.

Looking back at Cathy I asked. "Have you got any ideas Cathy?"

She looked up at me blushing slightly. "Well, I'm not sure if this will be of any help or not Luke." She composed herself. "I wasn't affected by that light thing, but I have no idea why not. I was watching when the light hit you though Luke. You dropped instantly, screaming in pain." She smiled sadly at me. "It was horrible to watch. The people... With their skin splitting... coughing blood... Scratching out their own eyes!" She shuddered, "It was different with you though Luke. You suffered the same as the others at first, but you simply didn't continue with the symptoms. Apart from you, Kate and Tony everyone affected went through the same stages." She held up her hand, stalling my question. "Please, don't ask me Luke. I'm trying not to think about it. Anyway, you three all suffered the first stage and then seemed to be fine. As for me not being affected. I have no idea either. The light hit me and I didn't feel anything. That's pretty much the only way I can describe it. The light hit me, and nothing happened." Cathy closed her eyes when she was finished -- I guess she was trying to erase the horrors she had seen.

I didn't blame her.

"Thanks Cathy, I know that must have been difficult for you, but it's good to know as much as we can about all this. No matter how insignificant it may seem." I said, smiling gently at her. Cathy beamed.

After a few moments of silence where I watched John struggling with the radio, Cathy spoke up again. "Luke I'm not quite sure how to say this, but do you have any spare clothes?"

I was a little confused by this statement. "Erm, why?"

"Well. Err. It's just that you're not exactly wearing much." She said, starting to blush furiously.

"What? But I'm wearing sch--" It finally hit me. Looking down I saw that my school shirt had been burnt pretty much the whole way through and was now more a collection of thin, blackened straps than a shirt. My trousers hadn't fared much better either, having huge holes in them from the waist down to my feet. I calmed down a bit when I saw my boxers were still intact.

I started laughing softly. This was just too unreal. Cathy and Tone both grinned at me, finding my predicament amusing as well.

Right. Well. Clothes. My backpack. My backpack! Oh shit! Where the hell was it! Okay, I'm really an idiot I thought after finding my backpack, surprisingly, still on my back. Reaching round I grabbed the bag and placed it on the table in front of me. The bag was fucked: almost as much as my shirt. With great trepidation I opened the burnt and blackened husk of a bag. Fingers crossed that my suit hadn't met a similar fate.

Holy shit. Well, that's interesting. There was a pile of ash inside, and yet when I reached through and grasped my suit I could tell it was fine. I felt no holes, tears or burns of any kind. Despite it being submerged in ash that would have been red hot a few minutes ago and was still warm even now.

Smiling, I got up from the table. "Thanks Cathy. Maybe you could warn me a little earlier next time eh? Anyway, I've got some stuff I can wear. I'll be back in a minute." I grinned as her cheeks reddened, heading out the door to the hall.

About a minute later I walked back into the cafeteria and sat down next to Cathy and Tone.

This time in my suit. They looked at me as I slid into the seat and then glanced back to John -- muttering while he worked on the radio.

The shoe dropped for Cathy first. I thought her head would come off when she spun back round to face me, exclaiming. "Wow!"

This roused Tone who looked back at me too. His mouth dropped and he echoed Cathy's sentiments.

"What is that?" Tony asked after a moments silence.

"It's a long story, but basically this is a ninja outfit. I do a lot of martial arts training with my mum and she bought this for me last..." I stopped suddenly, my eyes filling up with moisture. I hadn't thought. With everything that had happened I simply didn't realise. The eclipse would affect everyone. Sophie could be dead. No. I refused to dwell on it. Shaking my head I looked back at my friends.