Isolation

“Astrid! You’re going to be late.” My mother yells from downstairs. I groan and roll over. Nothing but waking up on a Monday to go to school with your punk sister. I take off my sleeping mask and stare at the band pictures on my wall.

“I’m up!” I yell back. I push my covers back and throw my legs over the side of the bed. I walk over to the bathroom that meets up with my sister’s bedroom and knock. When no one answers, I step in and lock both doors. I turn on the hot water and wait for the steam to feel the room.

After I’ve washed my hair, I step out of the shower and head back to my room. I open my closet doors and ruffle through clothing until I find something suitable. I find my favorite pair of black jeggings with rips down them along with a vintage Guns N’ Roses T-shirt. I brush my blond hair into a messy bun and brush my teeth and find my trusty black combat boots on the floor before I take my backpack and run down the stairs. I walk into the kitchen and find my mother, father and sister eating a hearty breakfast of eggs and toast.

“Morning.” Dad says.

“Morning.” I say. I kiss him on the cheek and run over to give mom a hug. I grab my keys off the bench in the hall and make my way out to the garage. When I’ve got the car started, I peek out the window to see my sister running out the door with a piece of toast in her mouth and her backpack open. She jumps into the back seat and pops in her earbuds. I turn up the radio and back out of the garage.

When I get to school, I lock the doors and run over to my best friend, Rena standing by her car with a smug smile on her face.

“What took you so long?” she asks.

“Iris.” I say in explanation.

“Okay, whatever. Anyways, guess who asked me out to PROM?!”

“Who?” I ask.

“Peter Smith!”

“Really? Congrats.” I say, totally happy for her. Peter Smith is a self absorbed scoundrel who only worries about what goes on in girls pants and football. She’s been trying to get Peter to ask her out the last couple of years. I guess that’s what happens when you’re Captain of the Cheerleading Squad. I on the other hand, I have only had one boyfriend and when that didn’t go so well, I decided to stay single. I am also not on the Cheer team, although Rena has asked me to many times over. And I tell her that I don’t cheer. I don’t want to go out on the field and do stunts and wave a plastic filled handle in the air for a ball going across the field. That’s not something I enjoy, although I do enjoy watching football and playing in the marching band. Now, many people would say that is such a geeky thing to do, but I enjoy playing music for all to hear. Rena doesn’t agree with me, but she can either take me as I come or not take me at all.

We walk towards the school together, our elbows intertwined. She tells me all about how Peter asked her. I nod and put in a couple wows before I stop at my locker. She continues down the hall as each guy wistfully stares at her. She swishes her hips and turns the corner. The guys slowly turn around and go back to what they were doing. I pull out my Calculus book and my Anatomy book before slamming my locker shut. I turn and head off to Calculus. I reach the classroom first and sit down in the back row. Mr. Glee watches me from behind his desk. I scroll through Instagram while I wait for the bell to ring.

“Miss. Bardot, could you...” I glance up and see him twitch uncontrollably before he slumps to the ground. I grab my backpack and run up to him.

“Mr. Glee? Are you alright?” I ask.

He rolls his head to the side and glances at me. His eyes turn a murky grey color before blood drips out of the sides as though he’s crying.

“Mr. Glee?”

He whispers something as he twitches in my arms. I step back, my arms soaked in blood, as his eyes roll back in his head and he lays limp. At the exact same moment, the lights flicker and shut off. The room gets thrown into darkness. I walk back to my bookbag and grab my phone from where I left it next to Mr. Glee. I throw my backpack over my shoulder as screams rise throughout the hall. I turn on my flashlight and make my way out into the hall. Kids scream as flashes of light pop up throughout. I look around for an adult or teacher and see only kids.

That was the first indication that that day was going to be different. After the emergency lights come on, kids shut off their phones and try to find out what’s happening. Kids stream through the halls and try to find an escape. The doors were locked and the windows were encased in metal within the few minutes it took us to run for the doors. We tried using pencils and school objects to break through the metal, but nothing worked.

Later, we realize that none of the teachers made it. The same thing that happened with Mr. Glee happened with the rest of them all at once. Some seniors even died. From what I could understand, the were mostly 18.

All the kids file into the gymnasium as we try to figure out what has happened. The Beta Club president gets on stage and holds up a hand to stop everyone from talking. I look around the room trying to find my sister. I find her eyes across the room looking at me. I slide through a tight circle of kids and finally get to Iris. She wraps her arms around my waist and leans into me.

“It looks as though we’ve been encased in metal. I had Peter go up on the roof and found that the trap door was bolted shut. There’s no escaping this place. I don’t understand myself why the government or whoever has done this, but I’m sure there is some logical explanation.” The Beta Club president says.

“Of course it’s logical.” Someone yells. “Why else would we be trapped in this hell hole?”

“That’s what we are trying to figure out.” the kid answers. I notice that most of the football team is standing behind him as though they were his guards. I almost laugh out loud if it wasn’t for the situation.

“Well, figure it out faster.” the same dude yells.

“We’re trying our best. If you remember we are just like you.” the ‘president’ says.

That gets a bunch of people to start yelling out horrible things. The football team rushes forward and grabs one of the kids who ran forward to attack the kid at the podium. They drag him onto the stage and someone pulls out a knife.

“We’re all trying to figure out this problem, loser. This is for your own good.” He raises the knife and slashes the kid across the throat. At that second, I recognize the kid with the knife. It’s Peter. The room quiets down as the body hits the floor with a sickening thud. “Now if everyone would be quiet, we’ll figure this out the easy way or the hard way. You choose.” Everyone stares at him in horror. “Good. Dillion.” Peter says and gestures towards the president. Dillion looks up at the crowd with shock written on his face as chaos insurers. Kids run towards the nearest Exit as Dillion tries to speak calmly. I take Iris’s hand and lead her to the side Exit that no one has gotten to yet and pull her out the door with me. We run down the stairs and land on the first floor. I turn on my cell and try dialing my mother or father. Voicemail comes up and then my phone dies. I resist the urge to throw it before I take Iris’s hand and we try to find somewhere safe to hide.