As the Light Dies

by M. D. Woodham

  “Not a problem,”said Lisa looking around the dark office. It didn’t look good!

  The TV in the office displayed an empty black screen. The computer monitor on the desk was the same. Bill slid behind his desk simultaneously picking up his phone and tapping away at the computer keyboard.

  Shaking his head he said,“Phone’s dead,”and handed the handset to Lisa for her to try while he fiddled with the computer.

  “Should be a backup charge in this,”he said,“all the computers in the school have it, so that we don’t lose any files if we have a power cut.”

  He tapped away at the keyboard for a few minutes before he gave up cursing it.

  “Damn thing!”he said almost shouting. He made Lisa jump, she’d never seen him like this. He was usually calm and controlled.

  Bill pulled out his mobile phone and tried it, but it was dead as well.

  He looked up at Lisa and waited, as she fiddled with the office phone trying all the buttons. She tried them all individually, and then in sequences of telephone numbers that she could think of, off the top of her head. But she didn’t have any luck.

  She shook her head and handed it back to him.“Well,”he said,“they did sayallelectrical currents were being disturbed by the ash for whatever bizarre reason. Even my little battery radio has stopped,”he said pointing up to the little blue portable radio on one of the shelves.

  “I’m sure I left it on.”

  He took it down and tried the on off button. It clicked off.

  “I did,”he said. Then he looked across at Lisa with a look of worry over his face and said,“Please tell me I’m right in thinking that our kitchen runs on gas?”Lisa nodded.

  “Thank God for that,”he said.

  Lisa nodded again and said,“I thought the same thing when you mentioned dinner.”

  No further forwards and with no time to waste they left the office and made their way to the sports hall where they started gathering up the mats and began carrying them along the hall to the library where they arranged them along the back wall.

  Lisa thought Bill was right. It did feel vaguely warmer in the library, and she knew that once it was filled with children, their body heat would help keep the temperature up. At least for a little while. They laid down some spare blankets that they found, along with a pair of curtains that Bill found in the storage cupboard. Then despite just about being able to see as their eyes adjusted to the darkness, Bill found some candles and secured them inside glass jars normally used to hold the children’s paint brushes and made some crude looking lanterns for the children’s benefit. Most of them were afraid of the dark. He placed the makeshift lanterns around the room. Two on the library teacher’s desk, one beside the door and four more were strategically placed around the room, shedding just enough light for the children to see by. Then the room was deemed ready.

  By now it was getting on for four-o’clock. They parted ways outside the classroom where they’d bumped in to each other earlier. Bill opened the classroom door letting the sound of crying and sobbing children pour out in to the corridor. Lisa had to fight back her own tears hearing them, it was a sad and horrible sound. She picked up her pace while trying to keep her candle alight and navigated her way back to the kitchens through the darkened school.

  *****

  Before long the kitchens and dining hall were filled with the smell of cooked food for the second time that day, as Lisa busied herself cooking up a choice of lasagne, macaroni cheese, or cottage pie with the choice of chips or steamed vegetables. She was just thinking about going to tell Bill and Mandy that dinner was almost ready when the doors to the dining hall opened up behind her and Bill came in holding a candle out in front of him that he’d pushed through a paper disc to catch the hot wax. Behind him following in twos and each pair with their own candle, were the remaining fifteen children singing,The animals came in two by two.

  Mandy was taking up the rear with the fifteenth child, and she was singing the loudest.

  Lisa almost jumped at first, she hadn’t heard them over the cookers and the howling wind. She was glad to see their spirits had risen, even if only a little.

  Mandy joined Lisa behind the counter, lending a helping hand while Bill saw to the children as they sat at the tables, making sure they didn’t burn the place down as they placed their candles along the middle of the table. He watched over them constantly reassuring them that it was all going to be just fine while Lisa and Mandy put the final preparations to the meals.

  Keeping their attention Bill told them all the story of how when he was little, he and his sister were snowed in, in their cottage with their mum and dad. They’d been trapped inside for four nights because of the snow.

  He told them how they’d roasted marshmallows on the open fire and played board games and read adventure stories while the weather raged on outside. It worked. Every last child stared at him with big eyes, transfixed by the story, and before they knew it their piping hot dinner was served and Bill was able to back away and leave them to it as they tucked in and spoke amongst themselves.

  Once all the children had been served and they had a spare minute Lisa asked Mandy how they were handling things.

  “It’s only going to get harder, the longer they have to wait for their parents. I can’t think. I don’t want to think why their parents haven’t made it back to collect them yet. I know Bill can’t reach most of them, but they all know when the school day finishes and that was nearly three hours ago now!”

  “Do the children know that he hasn’t been able to reach their parents?”said Lisa.

  Mandy shook her head.“They just think their parents are stuck in that horrible black snow somewhere and that they’ll be here as soon as they can.”

  Dropping the issue before she got too upset in front of the children, Mandy filled a plate with macaroni and went and sat beside the children.

  Lisa dropped back in to the kitchen and grabbed a nibble herself while everyone else ate.

  She watched as the thunder and lightning kept Bill and Mandy busy as it continued to scare the children. Lisa wished there was something she could do, but knew what the children really needed was their parents, and to be back in their own homes.

  The lightning was vicious; it cracked loudly with every flash and illuminated the dining hall, giving everything within a faint blue tinge for a split second before the heavy thunder that followed almost felt like it was shaking the ground!

  One small boy said it sounded like a prehistoric beast was emerging from under the playground just outside, breaking up through the playground’s concrete after eons in hibernation.

  Then there was a loud cluttering sound out in the hallway as something was knocked over!

  The children got a fright. They all went silent and turned to look at the doors before looking at Bill for reassurance.

  “It’s ok everyone,”he said, nodding for Mandy to join him.“Everyone just stay in your seats and eat up, it’s just the wind getting in through a window, something silly like that.”

  The children didn’t move. They were frozen rigid. They watched the double doors with wide fearful eyes as Bill and Mandy approached them trying to remain calm themselves for the sake of the children. Before they reached the doors there was a loud painful sounding cough from the other side. It almost stopped Bill in his tracks!

  Then one of the doors was pushed open. The dining room filled with little gasps!

  A bedraggled and weak looking woman stumbled through!

  “MUM!”cried a little boy as he leapt from his seat and rushed towards her.

  “Gail?”said Bill looking at the woman trying to see who she was underneath all the ash and snow that clung to her. Before she could answer the boy that Mandy hadn’t managed to catch as he ran passed her, flung himself at the woman and nearly knocked her over as he wrapped his arms around her.

  “Sam sweetie,”she said stifling another cough. The woman kissed her son on the top of his head and hugged him back trying t
o stay standing as she leaned this way and then that way unsteady on her feet.“I’m sorry I’m late sweetie. I’m so, so sorry. But I’m here now and we can go home ok.”

  The boy was nodding frantically with his face buried in his mother’s side.

  Bill and Mandy walked over and helped the woman who they now knew was Gail Clark over to an empty table and sat her down. She was completely exhausted.

  Lisa brought over some water and a small plate of cottage pie which she was extremely grateful for. She drank her glass of water in one gulp and ate the pie as fast as she could.

  She was reluctant to stay long saying that it was getting worse out there, as she pointed at one of the dirty windows.

  Then with a hushed tone she said to Bill and Mandy,“It is utter chaos out there. People are turning on each other like animals. It’s horrible!”A tear ran down her cheek as she spoke clearing a clean line through the muck. She wiped it away quickly struggling to control her emotions for the sake of her son as she continued,“It’s as though they’re infected with something. Like they’ve gone mad or insane or something!”

  “What on earth do you mean Mrs Clark?”said Bill,“I don’t understand! I’ve been trying to reach you all day. Did you make it to work? What about town, what’s happening? What are the police doing?”There were so many questions,toomany! But Gail wasn’t about to waste anymore time. She’d regained some of her strength and she’d decided that she and Kevin were leaving.

  She called out,“Come here Kevin, we’re going home now.”

  “Ok mommy,”said Kevin zipping up his jacket and trotting back over from his friends.

  “Wait Mrs Clark,”pleaded Bill,“please stay just a little longer I’d like to know....”he stopped mid sentence as Mrs Clark turned on her heels without saying a word, and started walking towards the doors gripping Kevin tightly by her side.

  “Mrs Clark!”pleaded Mandy walking after her but Bill raised his hand indicating for her to hold back.“Let her go,”he said,“it’s no use. She’s frightened and all she wants to do is get her son home safely, it’s only natural. Pursuing her could just make a scene and would just upset the other children.”Mandy knew Bill was right. She looked around and saw the worry on the other children’s faces, most of them were crying again.

  “It’s ok children,”she said,“See your parents are trying, and they will get here to take you home soon. It’s just very difficult for them at the moment,”she paused for a moment, then said,“it could be any one of you next so you’d all better eat up quickly, unless you want to leave without getting your ice-cream.”

  The children went back to eating their dinners. Some were reluctant at first but they soon came around as the chatter slowly started up again, wondering who would be next to leave, and Lisa called out if anyone wanted seconds and most did.

  After they’d all been fed and watered the children all lined up again in the same way they’d arrived, with their candles held high in front of themselves and they followed Bill back through the dark school singing,The animals came in two by two, again all the way back to the library.

  Lisa set to cleaning and tidying the kitchen and dining hall again but this time she left the tables and chairs in place instead of stowing them away. She had a feeling that they’d be using them again, and sooner rather than later. She continued to check her mobile phone as she worked, just in case it decided to work again and a text had made it through from Leann. But it was still dead.

  After she finished cleaning Lisa made her way to the library. She’d decided that she was going to stay at the school for as long as she had to. As much as she was worried about her Leann she knew that Leann had a good head on her shoulders and that she could look after herself. Lisa knew her daughter would understand why she was staying back. She just wished that she could let her know what she was doing by staying back at the school to help take care of the children.

  She dreaded the thought of Leann out there in the freezing black snow worried sick and trying to find her while she was safe and well inside the school.

  Before all this they’d both agreed that they’d both go straight home at the first sign of trouble and stay there no matter what, until the other arrived. But deep down she knew that Leann would only wait so long before coming looking for her, because she’d do the exact same.

  No more parents came. The children began dozing on and off, on the gym mats. Some cried themselves to sleep only to wake up again ten minutes later and repeat the cycle.

  Bill, Mandy and Lisa all took turns reading stories to the children trying their best to keep them company and reassure them through the night.

  In between the quiet times Lisa could see the strain on Bill’s face, she knew he had five-week old twins at home and a three year old.

  He must be sick with worry,she thought.

  Mandy on the other hand had no immediate family but she did have a tom cat called Buffy that she was desperately worried about.

  Slowly but surely morning came around, not that you’d know it by looking out of the window.

  It was still as black as night!

  Bill insisted that both women take turns about, taking a break from the library and go for a lie down in his office to try and recharge, and currently Lisa lay on the cushioned chairs that were still warm from Mandy’s body heat.

  Lisa rubbed her sore bloodshot eyes; they felt like she’d gotten grit in them. She looked around the dark room aimlessly. All she could think of was Leann. That was one whole night now that they had been separated because of this damn ash and snow and she prayed Leann was safe even though she wasn’t the slightest bit religious. She couldn’t think what had caused so many of the parents not to have made it in yet. Thinking about it, she remembered what that mother had said yesterday about people attacking each other like animals and a shiver ran down her spine!

  What on earth is going on!’she wondered,we can’t stay here forever!

  After less than ten minutes it was no use she had to get up. She pulled off the curtains used for blankets and got up. She thought she’d go to the kitchens and do a stock check to see what needed to be used up first now that the freezers weren’t working.

  She made her way down the hallway being quiet as she came closer to the library. She peered in through the window thinking that she’d check to see if she was needed and let Bill and Mandy know where she was going in case they needed her. But she was surprised to find the room was empty! She opened the door carefully not wanting to wake any sleeping children and leaned in for a proper look. The room was totally empty, and the makeshift blankets on the gym mats were all folded neatly and piled up to the side.

  She began to wonder if she had fallen asleep after all.

  Her wristwatch was long dead, and so was the wall clock so she couldn’t gauge any passing of time. She and Bill had to keep asking Mandy for the time from her wind up wristwatch. Closing the door she headed towards the kitchens feeling a little disorientated but before she’d walked far she heard the sound of happy, busy children.

  As she passed by the school’s main entrance she was a little shocked to see how deep the snow was outside where it butted up against the glass doors. It was up to her knees on the other side of the glass. Suddenly Lisa flinched when all the children screamed in unison, making her ears ring. Confused she hurried to the canteen swing doors and pushed them open.

  Bill looked up smiling as she entered the dining hall. He had his shirt sleeves rolled up and was leaning over with his hands on his knees slightly out of breath.

  They were playing British Bulldog and he was currently the bull dog, trying to catch the children as they ran around him trying their best to avoid him and reach the other side of the hall.

  “Aha! Sleeping beauty awakes,”he said standing up and stretching his back.

  Lisa glimpsed Mandy behind the canteen counter moving soup bowls that had obviously been used for breakfast. Mandy smiled and waved. Lisa nodded and smiled back feeling embarrassed.

&
nbsp; “I’m sorry, I, I had no idea,”she said looking at Bill.

  Smiling, he said,“Relax, we all need to try and sleep at some point. And after all, it is what you went in there to do. I’m glad you managed to doze off.”

  “LOOK!” screeched one of the children pointing towards the patio doors.

  Everyone in the hall turned to look but couldn’t see anything apart from swirling black snow.

  The child, a small girl ran halfway across the hall still pointing outside screaming,“LOOK! LOOK! LOOK!”

  Bill and Lisa started walking towards the patio doors trying to see what it was that had the little girl so worked up. A lightning bolt flashed and crackled as it raced in to the ground nearby and practically blinded the ones closest the windows and glass patio doors as they peered out.

  For the ones that weren’t momentarily blinded it illuminated several figures traipsing through the deep snow towards the school.

  “My God!”said Mandy coming out from behind the counter.

  “It must be their parents,”said Bill, and at the mention of the word parents all of the children flocked to the patio doors and the windows along the side of the dining hall trying to see.

  Lightning flashed again. Brighter than before, and it completely blinded the children pressed up against the glass this time, as they peered out wide-eyed and excited.

  The ones worst affected by the lightning were quickly pushed back from the glass as they repeatedly blinked and rubbed their hurting eyes, and others filled their place desperate to see if their parents were amongst the newcomers.

  Bill wasn’t too badly affected being a little further back from the windows. He saw the illuminated figures approaching and guessed that there were roughly twelve or so heading for the main doors. Thinking the same thing, Lisa said,“They won’t get in through the main doors. The snow’s too deep. I looked as I passed just now.”