TBI 03 - Primality Test - #02
To be honest, I'm not terribly happy about this installment. I wanted a second storyline to follow, and of course, Chris and Sarah were the only ones left, but getting the two plots to work together was always going to be messy. For that matter, the whole thing seems rather...undrematic. I'm thinking I can still make it interesting, even raise a few questions, but...I'm not sure if I'm willing to stick with simple danger.
Hmm, in fact...this whole chapter may get a rework. It'll depend on how it pans out.
Writing isn't so easy, huh?
Chapter Three - Primality Test
Installment #02
“Hey, stranger.”
“Hi.”
“How’re you feeling?”
“Um, better, I think. A lot better, thanks.”
“Glad to hear it.”
“Listen, Chris, I…never really thanked you for-”
“Don’t mention it.”
“No, I want to. Really. It was-”
“It was hell. There’s no other way to describe it. Have you been able to put anything together from it, though?”
“No, even now, everything’s…jumbled. I keep looking over my shoulder and all around just to make sure this is real.”
“I wouldn’t mind if it weren’t. People are going crazy out there. They think the epidemic is right on their back doorstep. Society’s collapsing.”
“It’s collapsing because people don’t have any hope left. If they knew what we’ve become, if they could realize there’s something left…”
“They’d let us save the world and then string us up because we’re just as strange and frightening as any mortal plague. We’re different now. Nothing’s going to change that.”
“Teachers and students, can I have your attention please?” All eyes rose as the principal’s voice resonated through the intercom. “It has come to my attention that there is a major civil disturbance in the vicinity of the school. For your safety, we ask that all students report to homerooms immediately. Thank you for your attention.”
“A ‘civil disturbance’?” Chris echoed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“We should probably go,” Sarah said.
“I don’t know, something’s not right about-” He stopped, looked down, and reached into his pocket, withdrawing the vibrating cell phone. “Yeah, Robin? You what? Yeah, I think we heard, sort of. I think-” Chris’s eyes snapped to focus. “Okay, Robin? Let me get back to you, thanks, bye!” He buried the phone in his pockets. “Come on, Sarah, let’s go!”
She wrenched her arm from his grasp. “Where are we going? What’s going on?”
“Robin and Matt are caught in the middle of riot, and their bus just ran over a couple of them. Come on, out of the way, you freaks! Move!”
“But where-”
“They’re going to lock down the school, Sarah. We’re going to be trapped in here for our own ‘safety’ while all hell breaks loose outside. Does that sound appealing to you?”
“No way. We have to do something.”
“First, we have to get out of here.”
“Attention, attention, school lockdown is in effect.”
Squeak, bang! The magnetic doorstops on every hallway door released. The halls echoed with their slams.
Chris beat on the rough steel with his fist. “Great, every kid’s worst nightmare: holed up inside your own school.”
Hmm, in fact...this whole chapter may get a rework. It'll depend on how it pans out.
Writing isn't so easy, huh?
Chapter Three - Primality Test
Installment #02
“Hey, stranger.”
“Hi.”
“How’re you feeling?”
“Um, better, I think. A lot better, thanks.”
“Glad to hear it.”
“Listen, Chris, I…never really thanked you for-”
“Don’t mention it.”
“No, I want to. Really. It was-”
“It was hell. There’s no other way to describe it. Have you been able to put anything together from it, though?”
“No, even now, everything’s…jumbled. I keep looking over my shoulder and all around just to make sure this is real.”
“I wouldn’t mind if it weren’t. People are going crazy out there. They think the epidemic is right on their back doorstep. Society’s collapsing.”
“It’s collapsing because people don’t have any hope left. If they knew what we’ve become, if they could realize there’s something left…”
“They’d let us save the world and then string us up because we’re just as strange and frightening as any mortal plague. We’re different now. Nothing’s going to change that.”
“Teachers and students, can I have your attention please?” All eyes rose as the principal’s voice resonated through the intercom. “It has come to my attention that there is a major civil disturbance in the vicinity of the school. For your safety, we ask that all students report to homerooms immediately. Thank you for your attention.”
“A ‘civil disturbance’?” Chris echoed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“We should probably go,” Sarah said.
“I don’t know, something’s not right about-” He stopped, looked down, and reached into his pocket, withdrawing the vibrating cell phone. “Yeah, Robin? You what? Yeah, I think we heard, sort of. I think-” Chris’s eyes snapped to focus. “Okay, Robin? Let me get back to you, thanks, bye!” He buried the phone in his pockets. “Come on, Sarah, let’s go!”
She wrenched her arm from his grasp. “Where are we going? What’s going on?”
“Robin and Matt are caught in the middle of riot, and their bus just ran over a couple of them. Come on, out of the way, you freaks! Move!”
“But where-”
“They’re going to lock down the school, Sarah. We’re going to be trapped in here for our own ‘safety’ while all hell breaks loose outside. Does that sound appealing to you?”
“No way. We have to do something.”
“First, we have to get out of here.”
“Attention, attention, school lockdown is in effect.”
Squeak, bang! The magnetic doorstops on every hallway door released. The halls echoed with their slams.
Chris beat on the rough steel with his fist. “Great, every kid’s worst nightmare: holed up inside your own school.”