more she thought about it, the more she wondered if this was a good idea. It wasn't too late. So far she had only killed one person — Brian. At the last minute, she had decided to hit the driver of the petrol tanker with the flat end, rather than the blade, of the ax. He'd seemed a friendly sort of person. She hadn't even really wanted to fracture his skull.
The police would never catch up with her anyway. She could just get out of the petrol tanker and walk away. Maybe that's what she ought to do.
On an impulse, she reached out and turned on the radio. It was one o'clock. The news would be on and she would find out if the driver had been found yet. But strangely enough, nothing came out of the speaker. She knew the radio was on. There was a faint hiss. But nobody was talking.
And then she heard a single word.
"Gwenda. . ."
It was coming out of the radio, out of the dashboard. She knew who it was and she was so glad to hear him. But at the same time, she felt ashamed of herself. How could she have had second thoughts?
"What are you doing, just sitting there?" Rex McKenna asked.
"I don't know.. .." Gwenda muttered.
“You weren't thinking of walking away, were you, you naughty girl?" It made Gwenda tingle when he talked like that. She had seen Horowitz, Anthony - [Gatekeepers 02] - Evil Star him do it on the television. Sometimes he treated adults like children. It was part of his act.
"I don't want to die," she said.
"Of course you don't, Gwenda. Nor do I. Nor does any-body. But sometimes, you know, it just has to happen. Sometimes you don't have any choice."
"Don't I have any choice?" Gwenda asked. A single tear trickled down her cheek. She caught sight of herself in the rearview mirror, but it only told her what she already knew. She was looking very old and dirty. There was dried blood on her coat. Her skin had no color at all.
"Not really, my love," Rex answered. "It's a bit like the Big Wheel in a way. You spin the wheel, and your number comes up. There's not much you can do about it." He sighed. “Your whole life was a bit of a waste of time, if you want the honest truth. But at least you've been given the chance to do something important now. We need this boy killed. And you're the one who's been chosen to do it.
So off you go! And don't worry — it'll all be over very soon."
Gwenda could imagine Rex McKenna winking at her. She could hear it in his voice.
The radio had gone silent again but there was nothing more to be said. Gwenda turned the engine on, pressed her foot on the accelerator, then slammed the gear into first.
• •
Matt was on his way out. He could see the double doors at the end of the corridor with notice boards on both sides, lining the way. There Horowitz, Anthony - [Gatekeepers 02] - Evil Star were boys everywhere, getting ready to go for lunch. For once they didn't notice him. Nor had anyone seen him dump his books. He felt a sense of ela-tion. No matter what happened, he would be glad to leave Forrest Hill behind him.
And then Matt smelled it again. The burning. And at exactly the same moment, the doors burst open. As he stared in horror, a river of flame rushed in toward him, rolling down the corridor, peeling away the walls, scorch-ing everything in its path. There were two boys standing there and suddenly they were black skeletons, X-rays of themselves as they had been seconds before. It was as if Hell had come to Forrest Hill. Matt saw a dozen more boys swallowed up instantly, too quickly even for them to cry out. Then the fire reached him and he flinched, closing his eyes, waiting for his own death.
But there was no flame.
When Matt opened his eyes again, everything was exactly as it had been before. It was two minutes to one. Morning lessons had ended.
The students were on their way to lunch. He had simply imagined it.
Except that he knew. It wasn't his imagination.
He couldn't just walk out of the school. The fire hadn't happened . . .
but it was about to. That
The police would never catch up with her anyway. She could just get out of the petrol tanker and walk away. Maybe that's what she ought to do.
On an impulse, she reached out and turned on the radio. It was one o'clock. The news would be on and she would find out if the driver had been found yet. But strangely enough, nothing came out of the speaker. She knew the radio was on. There was a faint hiss. But nobody was talking.
And then she heard a single word.
"Gwenda. . ."
It was coming out of the radio, out of the dashboard. She knew who it was and she was so glad to hear him. But at the same time, she felt ashamed of herself. How could she have had second thoughts?
"What are you doing, just sitting there?" Rex McKenna asked.
"I don't know.. .." Gwenda muttered.
“You weren't thinking of walking away, were you, you naughty girl?" It made Gwenda tingle when he talked like that. She had seen Horowitz, Anthony - [Gatekeepers 02] - Evil Star him do it on the television. Sometimes he treated adults like children. It was part of his act.
"I don't want to die," she said.
"Of course you don't, Gwenda. Nor do I. Nor does any-body. But sometimes, you know, it just has to happen. Sometimes you don't have any choice."
"Don't I have any choice?" Gwenda asked. A single tear trickled down her cheek. She caught sight of herself in the rearview mirror, but it only told her what she already knew. She was looking very old and dirty. There was dried blood on her coat. Her skin had no color at all.
"Not really, my love," Rex answered. "It's a bit like the Big Wheel in a way. You spin the wheel, and your number comes up. There's not much you can do about it." He sighed. “Your whole life was a bit of a waste of time, if you want the honest truth. But at least you've been given the chance to do something important now. We need this boy killed. And you're the one who's been chosen to do it.
So off you go! And don't worry — it'll all be over very soon."
Gwenda could imagine Rex McKenna winking at her. She could hear it in his voice.
The radio had gone silent again but there was nothing more to be said. Gwenda turned the engine on, pressed her foot on the accelerator, then slammed the gear into first.
• •
Matt was on his way out. He could see the double doors at the end of the corridor with notice boards on both sides, lining the way. There Horowitz, Anthony - [Gatekeepers 02] - Evil Star were boys everywhere, getting ready to go for lunch. For once they didn't notice him. Nor had anyone seen him dump his books. He felt a sense of ela-tion. No matter what happened, he would be glad to leave Forrest Hill behind him.
And then Matt smelled it again. The burning. And at exactly the same moment, the doors burst open. As he stared in horror, a river of flame rushed in toward him, rolling down the corridor, peeling away the walls, scorch-ing everything in its path. There were two boys standing there and suddenly they were black skeletons, X-rays of themselves as they had been seconds before. It was as if Hell had come to Forrest Hill. Matt saw a dozen more boys swallowed up instantly, too quickly even for them to cry out. Then the fire reached him and he flinched, closing his eyes, waiting for his own death.
But there was no flame.
When Matt opened his eyes again, everything was exactly as it had been before. It was two minutes to one. Morning lessons had ended.
The students were on their way to lunch. He had simply imagined it.
Except that he knew. It wasn't his imagination.
He couldn't just walk out of the school. The fire hadn't happened . . .
but it was about to. That
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