The Da Vinci Term
Flood! (Part 3)
FLOOD PART 3
“It wont work,” Esther said, pacing the hallway. She looked at the House Master, “Even if someone can get the signal, they wont be able to arrive here in time to save us… The whole area is inaccessible…”
House Master Way looked drained. “We will get out of here.” He said even though deep inside he felt frustrated. He had convinced his students there was plenty of time, but he knew if no one comes to rescue them, the entire area will be filled with water and all of them will die in their watery grave.
“Sir, I think we can help,” Sara, The Swimming Team Captain said. “Maybe we can dive in the water, get out of here and swim to the Main Admin building. We can get someone there to help us,” she said. Gerard shook his head.
“No. It’s too dangerous…” he said.
“But sir, we are the swimming team! We are experts!” Bella argued.
Gerard shook his head again. “No, the current is too strong. You’ll be washed away,” he explained and sat on the cold floor.
“Sir,” Emily urged, “if no one goes out to search for help then everyone in this House will die!”
The House Master did not answer.
“Sir, listen to us! We will go and search for help. Don’t worry, we’ll be okay! Every cell in this body wants to run from here and get help for all of us. What’s the use of us standing here, doing nothing? Because we have responsibility to our friends… to you. Lives are in danger, sir. Do you hear me?” Another swimming team member, Nicky said, looking certain.
Gerard shook his head again and hear his own heart racing. Why couldn’t anyone get that damn call! Where the hell is Dean Toro and Principal Bryar! They should know that the Wolvers are trapped…so, why aren’t they sending anyone to help! Get us out of here, and everything is solved!
“It’s okay, girls. Someone will come to save us,“ he said after a long silence. The girls in front of him sighed and walked back to join their lamenting friends at the end of the hallway.
When the girls were gone, Gerard cupped his face with his hand and hummed to himself…
“Turn away, if you could get me a drink of water coz my lips are chapped and faded, call my Aunt Marie… Help her gather all my things and bury me in all my favourite colors, my sisters and my brothers still… I will not kiss you, coz the hardest part of this is leaving you…”
Some of the Wolvers who sat near to the House Master looked at each other.
“We are gonna die, arent we?” Brandy said.
“Why did you say that!” Jesse argued.
“Listen. He sang ‘Cancer’…It’s a song about dying, isn’t it?” Brandy said, and pool of tears started to form in her eyes.
Jesse watched Gerard and her friends, all of them were sitting close to each other… but her vision was blurred by hideous images: the girls drowning, their dead bodies floating and washed away into the river…
God help us.
Meanwhile, Gerard was also having the same hideous images playing in his mind’s eye…He closed his eyes to shook the fiendish images from his mind. The Black Parade’s not gonna come yet,He reminded himself, grasping at reality. There must be a way…
Then suddenly he heard someone screaming from outside the building.
“MISTER WAYYYYYY!!!!”
Gerard opened his eyes and struggled to walk to the window. Below him, he heard the voice calling out his name again.
“MISTER WAY!!!!”
Gerard took a flashlight and scanned the dark area below. Water had filled the whole area and it was impossible to see a thing.
“Yo House Master! Over here!”
Gerard directed his flashlight beam to the voice. Ten feet down, floating on the water, was a yellow rubber boat, with Mikey and Frank in it, waving frantically.
“Relax bro!” Mikey shouted. “We’ll get you and the wolvers down here!”
Gerard lets out a sigh of relief. “But where did you get the boat? Did you steal it from House Master Lazzara‘s quarters? ” Gerard asked, screaming through the rain.
“No time to explain! Get your ass in here quickly, we have no time!” Frank said.
**********
Five twenty-three a.m.
House Master Way stood trembling on the balcony of the Main Administration Building, staring out across the school area, his eyes moist with tears. His body felt cold and anesthetized. Readjusting. Taking stock.
Then he felt someone touched his shoulder. It was one of the Wolvers, Kathryn.
“We are saved now, sir…” she whispered. Gerard nodded and gave an exhausted smile.
“Why? Are you still worried, sir?” she asked, noticing the sad look in his eyes. Gerard shook his head.
“No, I’m just thinking…”
Kathryn walked away and joined her friends. The Admin and Academic building were packed with 2000 students that night. There were the only safe place in the entire school area. School nurses and Red Cross members were running back and forth, attending to injured and sick students, while the Principal and Dean Toro were already at the hospital, accompanying students who were badly injured or were rescued from the water.
“We are lucky because the water didn’t washed us away…” Jenna said slowly, but loud enough for Gerard to eavesdrop.
“Yeah. Look what happen to some of the guys? They tried to swim through the flood and ended up almost drowning in it…” said her friend, Polly.
“Yes. Luckily House Master Way asked us not to go through the flood,” Jenna said, smiling to Gerard. Gerard quickly returned her smile, slightly blushing for listening secretly to the girls’ conversation…
********
A few days later, in a news conference at the school…
Dean Toro: People, we are on air now…
Mikey: Okay say it bro, ‘Mikey and Frank save my ass’.
HMW: mieyennfrenksavemyyes…
Mikey: Louder. We wanna hear you say it loud and clear.
HMW: NO!
Principal Bryar: C’mon Way, just say it for the kids’ sake.
HMW: Allrite! Allrite! MIKEY AND FRANK SAVE MY ASS!
Frank: Sweet! I’m so gonna put this confession on youtube!
