CH #2 - Gleam of Hope

Madness. Horror. An infernal experience. Such was the state that described the reality of the poor souls trapped in the lower level of the school.

Students running everywhere, uniting and screaming, some crying under the threat that something terrible was about to happen. Was that yet another one of the terrorist attacks that covered the entire world, arriving in a place seemingly as peaceful as Elderlog?

These things were becoming more and more frequent. Each day, more people died in the middle of these attacks that nobody knew how to justify. There were no explanations that held a group or organization responsible for these actions or anything like that.

It was as if true demons were pouring out the world in a new wave of purest chaos, and now, such a face was showing itself even to the residents of such a remote region of the globe.

It was almost ironic to think something like that might happen, as people from all over the world sought out Elderlog precisely for its perfect sense of security and for being a peaceful space. They were people who wanted to escape, whether from something or someone, be it from their dull jobs and restless routines in the big cities, or simply to find a place where they could live the life they always wanted, even though most weren't necessarily dissatisfied with the one they had before.

Seeing something like that prelude to hell was...

"I have to get these people out of here... She trusted me for this task, so I have to do it."

The boy with brown hair and bright eyes in a dark shade that resembled charcoal straightened his expression. He was scared – and quite a lot – as his hands were still shaking, even though he was given the reassurance that he should be able to perform the task that was placed in his hands so confidently.

Looking back now, he realizes that his name wasn't really important, as that girl with the mean, scary eyes didn't bother to ask about it, or even to introduce herself.

"This is no time to be thinking about it."

He looked behind him, seeing that he had already removed all the students from their classrooms, considering all the floors they could access. It was time to go ahead with the plan and get them all to the safety she'd been promised outside.

Drawing in air, the young man frowned, arranging the straight hair that subtly fell over the forehead. It was a unimportant thought, but it made him realize he needed an urgent cut.

And it was then that he felt a familiar touch on his right arm. It was a careful touch, but at the same time one that felt rude and angry. In face of said antithesis, he turned his face toward the stimulus, noticing one of his friends.

The girl had ordinary black hair that fell a bit messy over her forehead and shoulders. She wore an expression not quite satisfied with everything that was happening, and most of all, with the way everything went according to the plan produced by the one she considered to be too showy to be trusted.

"You're not going to believe everything she said, are you Mike?! Don't do this to me...! You saw it! You saw that she took Emily somewhere we don't know...! I... I can't trust that girl...!"

His name was finally spoken by the young woman who, like him, also had black eyes like the gem of black tourmaline. Michael didn't want to agree with the way that girl addressed them, but he felt there wasn't much to do about it other than trust her word.

"Look, Wanessa... I understand you don't like her... I admit I didn't really like the way she talked to us either, but..." He solidified, trying to sound more like the leader he was in that situation. "But that's all we have. She created a plan, gave us the responsibility to follow it, and if that's the thing we can do, I think it's for the best. Our feelings about her ways will have to wait a while."

The focus was greater now, and the young woman named Wanessa knew it too. Still, she didn't want to stop hating the girl who'd called her unstable and stupid earlier.

"I know...! I know that, but... But..."

With teeth bared against each other and a look that no longer existed given her eyes forcibly kept closed and turned to the ground, she bit her tongue with her side teeth.

"Emily... I'm worried about Emily...! She said she can die! That's no little deal, Michael...!"

The young woman wearing a gray coat over a black blouse and black jeans let the nearest wall feel her fury – several angry kicks from her high cut white shoes reverberated in impact shocked the entirety of the third-floor hallway.

He somehow could understand why she was so mad at the whole situation. The lack of care and promptness that girl had with Emily in her worst state was reason enough for that, but...

...Why did it only seem to be getting worse by the second?

Her hatred for the situation didn't seem to do anything but grow. As Michael followed the plan and rescued students who were unusually scared by the doors, he could see his classmate change more and more, becoming increasingly more frustrated.

It couldn't go on like this, and he was aware of it. That fierce hatred had to be justified, even if it wasn't in the most pleasant or compassionate way.

"Wanessa..."

"What's it? Are you going to tell me I'm wrong and that I should be following that show-off snob's plan too?! Are you going to condemn me for not agreeing that this is the best way, or say that she made the right choice regarding Emily's state?! Is that what you're going to tell me?!"

"No... It's not that." He spoke, trying to keep his tone as neutral as possible. "Why, Wanessa…? Why are you so angry about all this?"

Hearing this, she stopped, looking away to stare at the smoke screen that rose into the sky through one of the glass windows.

"I didn't want to have to tell you this, but you're behaving almost like a child! I understand you don't like what's going on, but this is the best plan we have! None of us are smart, can keep a cool head or think of anything that can help the same way that girl can. All we can do is accept and follow the plan... So how difficult is it for you to see that?"

Already in the process of bracing himself – be it to take a punch to the face to a kick in the lower parts – he just wanted an answer to happen, no matter how crude and aggressive.

But, to his surprise, nothing came. Seconds passed, and not even a single spark of pain sliced ​​through his body. Such a gesture made the young man question. Maybe she was just waiting for him to open his eyes to inflict that final punishment for such an inconsequential question.

"Open your eyes, Mike. I won't hit you." She spoke, trying to make her tone as close to normal as possible.

Fearful, the boy once again let his eyes see the surroundings, noticing the downcast and self-disappointed expression of Wanessa, who, staring at the floor, looked much more sad than infuriated.

"Wanessa..." He threatened to speak, but was quickly cut off by the girl.

"Let me speak first." She cut him off, trying to play tough, even though all those feelings were tearing her apart inside. "The truth is that I... All this anger is because..."

She turned her face once more to the side, refusing to even look at the boy's shoes. One could easily see the beginnings of tears forming on her subtly puffed up face.

"...It's just that seeing her do all that made me feel so useless... Seeing you two doing all this makes me feel bad, you know...?"

"Look, Wanessa-"

"I haven't finished talking yet, dammit!" She cut through the interruption violently. "It's just... I'm simply following you guys while doing nothing here...!"

Finally bringing herself to face him, she forced herself to keep spitting out the pains of her heart, putting the effort she never thought it would take to get mere words out.

"I feel useless seeing that all of you are so self-controlled and able to handle the situation without blowing up like a bomb…! I wanted to be like that... I wanted to know how to be patient and make things work calmly...! But I... I can't! My emotions always end up taking over me, and that's why I'm not fit to do that kind of thing...! Not to mention you all seem to be so good with this 'soft-spoken talk' thing to people... While I'm just not good at it...!"

She wasn't done talking yet, and this time Michael was able to feel that getting involved in the topic wasn't the best thing to do. Without saying anything else, he was in awe of the revelations, too.

"And when I saw her acting in that cold, uninvolved way... When I heard that Emily was going to die... I just wanted to hit her for saying these things... I wanted to fill that girl's pretty face with punches until she bleeds and regrets ten thousand times telling such a big lie about someone I consider a friend..."

Wanessa seemed to have calmed down a little, and she dropped to the wall, putting her right arm between the contact that would occur between the hard surface and her forehead.

"...But at the same time I couldn't disbelieve her...!" Wanessa screamed, letting out her frustration as shivering as the surface on one side disturbed by a small pebble thrown at him. "Something in me told me she was right, and that I was wrong in the situation... As much as I wanted to yell and hit her... I knew I was wrong!"

The girl took quick, deep exhausted breaths, making it seem like her anger had finally subsided, now giving way to a mixture of deep sadness and the feeling that she could have done better.

"And I feel really bad that I can't do anything. You all do it so much better than me... I mean, you're here, leading these people and serving as the frame of reference they have, and Lindsey is doing all this complicated work of being the pretty, smiling face that causes the most desperate to calm down... I feel just like being an anyone, you know? Like a dead weight…"

She laughed in a broken way, wiping the tears between her prominent cheeks.

"I don't know how to talk to anyone like the two of you do, I know I'm a terrible reference, and the only thing I can do is hit people who might threaten us. That's it and nothing else. Satisfied with the explanation?"

That was too much to swallow. Thinking of something to say, Michael was silent for a long time. All those revelations, as well as the discovery that the frustration was slowly turning into something worse… It was all too much to handle.

Still, he did have one thing to say. It was simple, but true. It was something the toughest, brutish girl in the trio needed to hear.

"Wanessa." He prepared himself. "I've never seen anyone as determined and authentic as you. You don't care about what they say about you, you don't bother trying to correct anyone's opinions, and you just go ahead with your head held high, never changing in order to please anyone."

She didn't understand where he wanted to go with all that gibberish. Was that a pickup line or something? Because that was terrible timing...!

But that turned out not to be the truth. From inside one of the classrooms, the student picked up an object he found showing out of the backpack of one of those who occupied that room earlier.

"Here." He held out the borrowed baseball bat toward her. "We're all counting on you to beat the shit out of anyone trying to attack us, Wanessa."

Hesitantly, she accepted the object. That could only be some kind of joke, right? A baseball bat made of solid aluminum was not a thing to be seen every day.

It was a rather heavy piece of metal, the standard shape for a bat, with a pair of blue lines dyed into the metal itself, indicating the boundaries between the grip area and the part used to hit balls that came at high speeds. The mere shine of the metal was perfect, indicating it was new.

"As soon as we're done with this classroom we'll be taking everyone downstairs. As things stand, some mad bastard might try something against our group, so we'll count on you to bring that bat to their face and let them taste their own blood if they try anything!"

It wasn't a joke, and with that new idea in mind, the black-haired girl smiled, already used to the swing and weight of her new weapon.

"None of us have the same grip as you for this sort of thing... I can barely hold this thing straight, let alone attack someone with it!" Comically said Michael, pointing to the bulge of his own right bicep… Or the lack of it, for that matter.

"Okay! You can count on me to make a mess of anyone who dares...!"

"That's the spirit!" He approved, quickly turning his face to the interior of the room, where Lindsey was taking care to help dispel the fear of the situation from one of the local girls, who seemed to be especially traumatized by the whole thing.

"Okay, okay. We are all together and in a big group. We're not going to let anything happen to either of you or your friends, okay? You are safe with us and you can believe it!" The second girl stroked the head of another girl, who was crying copiously with her face in her chest.

Lindsey glanced over at Michael, offering a slight wink – that was the sign that everything was going well, and that they would be out soon.

The second girl had the perfect properties for the task. Her pretty face, accompanied by a voice that seemed more like a melody, served as the ideal to calm and welcome those in better condition.

She had blond hair in the shape of ocean waves, cut in a medium length, just below her shoulder line. The eyes glowed a subtle shade of blue, clearer than the sky, similar to the color it had when covered by an extra thin layer of clouds.

To contribute to things, her innocent expression and face that combined the best of maturity and kindness were the difference that made it all possible. In a way, it was possible to classify her as the perfect antithesis of Wanessa, since she had a thin face and a slender and taller physique, unlike the first girl.

The beige trench coat brought an air of formality and adulthood to her figure, while also indicating the young woman as someone especially fashionable. Blue jeans and long leather boots did the rest.

"Do not worry. Like I said, none of us are going to leave you alone. We will always be here, by your side, okay?"

That was just too perfect... To the point where the guys started drooling and deliberately acting as if they were haunted by everything around them, just to have the opportunity to have a brief contact with the 'therapist beauty'!

"Hey. Wanessa." Michael pointed towards the three young men who appeared to be plotting how to approach Lindsey. "Feel like taking care of that?"

Quickly taking the action, the shorter, squatter girl walked up to them with quick steps, brandishing her baseball bat as menacingly as possible.

"Is there a problem around here?" She questioned them, showing curiosity with her head as the periodic sound of metal hitting her palm was heard by everyone.

Fortunately, the three of them seemed to have taken the hint. Wanessa's pissed-off appearance itself was enough to scare away anyone – add to that a baseball bat, and you get a boost-in effect multiple times!

"No… No problem…" They quickly gave up pretending they were in trouble.

"That is good." She purposely swung the bat from side to side. "We'll be leaving soon. I really hope we don't have any problems until then, but if we do, you can let me solve it myself."

The three left with their heads down, waiting as all the students who were ready.

It didn't take long for Lindsey to finish her job of assuring the girl that nothing bad would happen, even if that was perhaps a lie. It was just a matter of being convincing enough.

"Are we ready to go yet, Michael?" Lindsey asked, giving a warm goodbye to the girl, who joined the rest of the small group on the other side of the hallway.

"On it. We must go." He turned to the others. "Guys, now that we're all here, let's go downstairs. Make an organized group and side with a pair. Do not abandon your partner on any occasion. We're going to make a quick descent and the goal is to get out of the school."

Everyone agreed with the strategy, after all, it wasn't as if there were enough people to create a force capable of disagreeing. The total number of students, not counting the leading trio, was of only eight.

Four pairs were formed, and on top of that, everyone was instructed to always try to stick together in as many numbers as possible. Just as a precaution, each carried something with them that could be used as a means of self-defense – pocket knives, sharp-edged pencils, and broomsticks were the popular choices.

Soon, the organizing was done. Wanessa acted as the primary attacker and first line of defense, going in front of the pairs, while Michael and Lindsey covered the rear. In the order of the first and with a swing of her bat, everyone started running.

"Now!"

A frantic movement took over the corridors. In a hurried run, everyone followed a predestined route, until they reached a certain window. From there, it was easy to reach the thick branches of a massive oak tree, and use it to get out of the building without having to use the stairs.

"Come on! The next one!" Called Wanessa, her leg braced against the window, which had been shattered into countless shards with a single, well-placed blow to its center.

"I... I don't know if I can... I've never climbed a tree before... I'm scared..."

Before the girl could continue, Wanessa's firm grip on her shoulder was felt.

"We help you. Come on. Think of it as climbing the little ladder before descending the slide. This tree is so tilted that in the end it ends up being almost the same thing."

"Hey... Wanessa... Isn't that dangerous?" Michael questioned, mentally processing how risky that placement was.

"Nah. Chill out, nerd. We got this. Just hold the bat for a while."

Wanessa had used her leg to propel herself until she was able to stand on the window frame. Then, rather bravely, the girl supported each of her legs on a different structure - right on the window, and left on one of the tree branches, using her right hand to grip the top of the window frame like a hook.

"Here, hold my hand."

The girl was quite reluctant about that, walking very slowly towards Wanessa's left hand.

"You don't have to be afraid! You will not fall with me here." She was assured by the group's main defense force.

Quite shakily, she sought emotional support from others in the group. Realizing she wouldn't go on her own, her pair, a guy, decided to take the initiative. He thought it would be better to show her how easy that was.

"Okay, let's go in one, two, three...!"

With a single tug of her hand, Wanessa helped the boy to support his feet and lean on the window frame. From then on, the process was much simpler. The thick branches of the oak tree fell like a net just ahead of the first step to be taken. It wasn't difficult for him to balance, holding on to the upper branches that also supported a lot of weight.

"Now the best part begins. Watch!" She indicated, turning to the boy. "Now you can go down as if you were sliding!"

And so he did. In one swift movement, the boy managed to slide most of the way, making it look very easy. By the end of the last few feet, when the tree was starting to lose its angulation, all it took was a mere leap, and he was already on the ground.

Receiving a confirmation signal from him, everything implied that the operation was a success.

"How do you know all this? I mean... How do you know you can climb down the tree without getting hurt?" A bit curious about the whole display, Michael raised an eyebrow in question.

"That is too much of a secret!" She joked. "After we go down, I might tell you... Next!"

Though he didn't understand at first, Michael's mind soon began to make the necessary connections. It wasn't unusual for her to miss some of the classes she hated most, after all.

"Eh? So that's why?" He concluded, watching as the girl from before seemed to have gained enough courage to try after the earlier showing.

"That's right! Take it easy and you'll be down there safely in no time!"

The girl threatened to lose balance and fall, but even shakily she grabbed the nearest branch, pulling herself and keeping her ground. It took a while, but she also managed to make it happen.

... And the same process was repeated with the other students who, one by one, descended through the structure of the solid tree that seemed to be there almost for sheer convenience.

"Yeah, looks like it's our turn now…" Michael said, mentally bracing himself for the experience.

As the thin, unathletic person that he was, the young man also never imagined that he would ever have to climb down a tree to escape a terrorist attack at school.

But, there was a first time for everything as the saying went, and even with fear, the boy decided that it would be better to just accept the new experience.

"Well, let's go...!" The boy grabbed Wanessa's hand, who laughed at the expression of false confidence displayed by him.

"Scared, nerd?"

"Anyone would normally be…! And I'm not a nerd!"

"I am not. And yes, you are. Skinny, has freckles and talks smart... That's nerd enough to me."

"Anyone that's normal would, of course...! And what's with those criteria?!"

Another heartfelt laugh cut the air for a few more seconds, until it was time to go with the plan at last. Like the others, the boy proved that anyone could do that.

Once he got down, only the two girls who made up the leadership team to the rescue were missing. Left as the last to be taken out of there, Lindsey did not receive her friend's hand, ironically.

"Oh no, it is quite alright, Wanessa." She cracked her neck and fingers, leaping on her own toward the tree. "I can do it by myself."

"Tch. That damned gymnast… Showing off to everyone…" Wanessa let out, at the same time surprised by the immense flexibility exhibited by the other girl.

In a victorious leap, the blonde girl spread her hands – that would deserve lots of clapping, if not for the context they were in.

Right after Wanessa's descent, the group continued in the same formation. Along the way, there were several students scattered around, some in plain sight, others trying to hide from whatever was happening at school.

But one thing was for sure – everyone was equally scared. Several small groups formed, with some welcoming and assuring the others, if only with empty words, that they would survive to see tomorrow.

Many were too scared or thought they were just another group, so they didn't do anything. Others opted to voluntarily accompany the leadership of the three, and joined the group.

By the end of the race through the wooded area, the student count had risen from eight to fourteen.

"We'll have to go in...! Do not separate from us and your partners for any reason! If that happens... Head to the gate on your own!" Michael shouted, looking back.

Whether they wanted to or not, the group would have to enter the school one last time before leaving. There was a tall metal fence that prevented students from simply leaving. With that in mind, the next move was anticipated before they even had time to be disappointed by the news that they couldn't make it to the other side that way.

They had now changed course, and were already so close to the exit that could even taste being safely outside. All that was left was a single pair of long corridors.

Just two more of those goddamn hallways.

"We only need to cross two more corridors! Maximum speed...!"

That was it. A cry of determination and motivation seized everyone's hearts and legs. The exit was so close, so accessible... Nothing else could happen. It was as if everyone felt saved right there. The first of the two runners had reached its end.

"Come on guys! Let's go towards our freedom from this nightmare...!" Again Michael yelled, letting everyone in front feel the same emotion.

"That's it!" Wanessa exclaimed too, swinging her bat in an impactful gesture, up and down.

Last corridor – path towards the reception lobby. Only a few meters separated the determined group of victory from its objective.

During the race for the final meters, Michael found himself thinking about everything they had been through... What was causing all the problems? And why did these things seem so out of place, as if they weren't natural?

An ordinary fire should have alerted the authorities a long time ago, especially one of that scale.

"Something in this story is not quite fitting..."

Emily falling ill so suddenly, the fire, the people who didn't seem to take typical actions like running upstairs in despair, even with no news of any kind about the stairs being blocked... Not to mention that girl who seemed to know so much about all that. It was too unusual to be easily swallowed.

It was almost like something out of the ordinary was happening.

... ... ...

The group stopped.

Everyone stopped running. Why did they stop? They were already so close to the goal... There was no reason to stop there!

"Hey, you there...!" Wanessa's voice roused him from his thought trance. "What are you doing here, in the midst of all this destruction?!"

Look up. Yes. He had to look up. Overcome by a certain dizziness, the boy with brown hair took to look at the horizon of the corridor.

"If you don't start spitting out your reason to be here right now, I'll be forced to beat you up until you do!" Again, Wanessa spoke, placing herself a few steps in front of the group, protecting everyone by brandishing her baseball bat. "You in the midst of this destruction? Ha! Too suspicious in my book!"

It was a guy – just a single guy.

He was apparently unharmed, but the same couldn't be said for his surroundings. Shards of glass from nearby windows covered the floor around him, as well as other marks of destruction—doors broken to the point most were reduced to splinters, chairs and tables tossed everywhere in the far end of the hallway.

The place was a mess. Open lockers with dented doors and beaten cabinets, damage to the structure of the walls, papers everywhere... And what to say of that pungent stench that seemed to be vomit?

But even so, there he was, standing still, almost contemplative and totally uncaring.

Straight black hair, which glistened with what appeared to be a layer of gel applied to the strands. His build was relatively athletic, but nothing too excessive — enough to be noticed even under the red jacket. He was of medium height and endowed with a piercing blue gaze that glowed with an unearthly light.

When called, he let go of the rest of the door he held, directing that lifeless gaze to the group that only wanted its survival.

"Don't tell me I didn't warn you...!"

Wanessa readied her weapon. Even with a confident facade, something almost primal told her that was a big mistake. She chose ignore those very instincts for everyone's sake, anyway.

The two exchanged glances – the rage of the black gems against the nothingness of those sapphires. That was tension for a bloodshed.