CHAPTER FOUR ( THE RESCUE)

Earlier in the morning before the doomsday emerged, Henry arrived School before Grace, due to his mood and believe about the supposed relationship between Haley; his girlfriend and Peter. He even met the two of them having conversations when he arrived at school. Peter was a fellow classmate of Henry, but obviously the two had never been a fan of each other since day one. Though Peter was a childhood friend of Haley, Henry never hid his feelings about his insecurity about Peter. Henry met the two of them talking and headed straight for them ready to descend hell on Peter. He hit Peter in the head with his bag and both started fighting. They were both separated before anyone of them could inflict each other with injuries. Henry's believe was that Peter was trying to snatch Haley away from him because the two of them never liked each other. The principal invited Henry and Peter to his office and questioned their motives for starting a fight within the school confines. He decided to sanction them with two weeks of suspension off any sporting activities that involved the School's teams. "I'm letting you off this easily because you both never had any records of violence and breaking the school laws, but next time might not be so favorable for you both should you ever let this happens again, " the principal warned. They both left his office and were going back to class. Grace had arrived and met with Haley who had narrated what happened between Henry and Peter. Grace and Haley then went on their search. They met the two of them on their way from the principals office. Haley glanced at Henry angrily. She reached for Henry's left arm and pulled him to a corner. "What do you think you're doing, do you want to get yourself expelled, You need to stop being childish, " Haley warned. "So now am the one being childish, I told you he's using you to aggravate me, and you're falling for his shit," Henry responded. Haley looked disappointed and lost at the same time with Henry's words. "I told you we're just friends, didn't i?" Haley asked. Henry nodded yes in response. "I equally told you we were childhood friends, but it seems you can't trust me nor believe any word i say, which makes me questioned what we're really doing together, " Haley said with tears. Henry couldn't bare the sight of a tearful Haley. "Hey, I'm sorry for behaving that way, and I really have no idea what came over me, "Henry responded. "I told you already that we've been friends since fifth grade, "Haley reiterated. " I know that, and am sorry for behaving so stupidly, I don't just trust him, but I should have trusted you, " Henry said. He leaned forward to kiss her, but Haley avoided him and returned to her class angrily. The bell rang for class activities, Grace promised his brother she'll try and appease Haley, so she left. Peter couldn't say nor do anything but just observed as things unfolded, he realized he doesn't stand a chance using Haley against Henry, he stretched out his arm to Henry for handshake, but Henry just abandoned him in return, he ignored his offer of friendship and returned to the class.

Grace and Haley went to check up on Henry during their break, but he left the class already. Haley offered to get ice creams after which they can check Henry at the basketball court. Haley got the ice creams and they both went to the court. Henry was the captain of the School's basketball team and always practice during the break, though he's been suspended from joint activities for two weeks. Henry saw them coming, he shoot the ball in his hands and it went straight into the basket. Grace and Haley gave him a thumbs up reward for his versatility and hardwork. They smiled as they approached him while he was equally happy and relieved to see Haley coming to him. He came towards them and hugged Haley. Haley handed him the ice cream she got for him and sat in the spectators section to enjoy the moment. Grace placed her ice cream down and grabbed a ball, trying to replicate what Henry did earlier. She was aiming at the net, but completely off the target after shooting. Henry and Haley were on their seats discussing, as Henry further pleaded to her for his misdemeanors. Haley agreed to forgive him and warned him never to doubt her again. Henry offered Haley a request for her to join the chairleading team. He tried convincing her of his desire to always have her at his sights length always. Haley later agreed to join because of him. " If I'm going to join the team, it would be because it gives me more time to spend with you and not for choreography," Haley said. Henry was happy and proud at the same time, he leaned forward again to couple his lips to Haley's. Suddenly, they experienced a tremor which emanated from the roof. They began to feel a sudden drop in temperature, but not exponential. They ran out of the court house to check what landed on the roof. It was a giant ice bag that landed on the roof out of nowhere. Everyone was amazed on the sight of it as it became the object for discuss. Even the teachers joined in the discussion, but had no academic theory that backed up the phenomenon. The sky started going dark and the most reliable light in the sky gradually turned to lightning. The sight began to transform into a mystery that could end up being unresolved and savaged. Everyone was confused, ignorant of what was about to befell them. They all remained on their spots, their attention away from the ice bag, now the magic taking place in the sky. The atmosphere got riddled with cold as the temperature became dangerously low. Ice blasts began to accumulate with a scary and monstrous sounds descending from the sky. They began to shiver, but still ignorantly set their gaze on the reactions taking place in the sky. The principal then instructed everyone to return to their classes, including the teachers and all doors shut. A thunderous sound emanated from the sky and the principal unconsciously looked up and noticed something descending from the sky. It was as if he was glued to the spot, he couldn't move till he was turned into a statue of chaos by the ice blast. He froze instantly and the chaos for survival hit the others on ground and they scamper for their safety. Henry ran to the entrance, but suddenly remembered his sister and girlfriend. He shouted their names and they both ran towards him at the entrance. The ice blast began to fly around relentlessly, hitting other two teachers. Graham was also a member of Henry's class running behind Grace towards the entrance. Grace perceived a wave of coldness behind her and stopped to look back, only to see that Graham had become frozen. They ran back in to basketball court. Everywhere began to freeze and blasted by ice. The court room became unmanageable with extreme cold, as their body heat dropped drastically. They climbed the hidden section of the spectators seat and prayed for the Menace to stop. Henry tried reaching his dad on the phone, but his phone was already out of network reception. The ice blast hit the door and became frozen. They got scared for their survival, Henry realized sitting down without measures to cub the exponential drop in their body heat, could spell doom in no time. The basketball court was becoming unbearable for them. Henry noticed the bathroom and remembered their could still be hot water running in the tap, he went in and turned the tap, fortunately the water is still warm. He asked Haley and Grace to join him in the bathroom, where they absorbed the heat from the water. Henry kept ruminating on the ways out, he looked through the bathroom window, but everywhere had turned into a big igloo of ice. They surrendered to their fate and settled patiently in the bathroom.

Peter and some other students were hiding in the principals office. Some of them already sick from cold, while some already having hypothermia. The others were getting impatient and afraid of what becomes of them next. Peter remembered seeing Haley while they were outside but unsure what had become of her. He decided to look around for her, maybe she'll be in a more secured place. He struggled to withstand the bite of ice on him. He got to the entrance to the basketball court, but couldn't get through the door. He heard Haley's voice coming from inside, he looked around and saw the infirmary open behind him, he checked inside and found a sledge hammer close to the fire extinguisher. He went back with it and broke down the frozen door. He saw Haley distance away in the bathroom. "How did you get here?" Haley asked Peter. She was wondering whether the ice blast had stopped, for Peter to be able to walk around. "Has that thing hitting people stopped?" Grace asked. "It's still shooting outside, but I'm immune to it, " Peter said jokingly. Haley giggled at him, Peter's shoe got stuck on the frozen entrance, He took a step forward, hit the ice with the sledge hammer again, to free his leg. He lifted his second leg and threw on the floor the hammer, He raised his head and went towards them. He could only took just four steps before being struck by ice blast. He was frozen on the spot immediately. Haley shouted and cried profusely. She was shocked by the sight of the blast on Peter. Henry embraced and shifted her gaze off Peter's direction. Henry's sight turned to the the sledgehammer dropped on the floor, he attempted to retrieve it, but Haley was hesitant to let him go. Grace warned him not to risk his life unnecessarily, "can't you see what just happened to Peter, " she asked. He summoned his courage and moved towards the hammer. He got the hammer, but couldn't resist looking at the frozen Peter. He noticed a blink in Peters eyes, but wondered if it was his eyes playing pranks on him. He patiently observed Peters eyes and saw him blink again faintly. Henry shouted, "I think Peter is alive, I saw him blink his eyes". Haley and Grace rose to their feet instantly in surprise. He hit the ice with the hammer around Peter's abdominal region, Peter fell to the floor and the ice broke off from his body. Henry threw the hammer towards the bathroom, he grabbed Peter's legs and dragged him on the floor to the bathroom and closed the door. Henry noticed Peter's breathing had gotten so weak and slow, he and Grace pulled him into the bathtub and exposed him to the running hot water, hoping it would raise his temperature and stabilize him.