Jade's first instinct was to run, run as fast as a leopard to evade the soldiers that had invaded Hollywood Arts. She didn't know whether to go back to the classroom she'd just been in or whether to stay in the toilets that she was happy in only 5 minutes ago, until she heard the fire bell, followed by gunshots and saw the army trucks pull up outside from the toilet's small window. The soldiers wanted one thing and one thing only… Recruits. If they didn't get a certain number of children to train as recruits for the army, they'd be shot themselves by Chief Grosvenor. No guilt Grosvenor they called him… The soldiers didn't care about themselves though, whether they'd be shot in the head at the end of the day or not, they just enjoyed killing people, and sometimes they'd kill people that were willing to give up the children, just for the thrill.
Jade assumed her friends would be in Sikowitz's room still. In the drills they all had to pick a spot to hide or if they were close enough to escape doors, try to run. Unfortunately, Sikowitz's room was in the centre of the school, corridors all the way around, no escape within 50 metres so they normally hid in the bushes outside the window, out of sight.
Jade stepped out of the girl's toilets, looking around cautiously, checking for soldiers. It seemed they hadn't come round this part of the school yet… She ran down the least popular corridor to use because it only led to Sikowitz's room and a study hall. But this corridor was no longer a long strip of creative chaos but had students rocking other students that had been killed, blood splashes straining the tiled floors and the banners had been set alight. It seemed the soldiers had come down this way, but had left before Jade even knew. Jade tried to block out the sights of the students that were beyond help as she walked quickly and cautiously around the bodies, blood and fire to her classroom at the end of the corridor.
A manly voice shouting caught her attention, "Please! Leave the children alone!" Sikowitz was screaming at the soldiers as he ran around the corner towards his classroom, and banged into Jade, knocking her down with such force that she hit the back of her head on the floor. Sikowitz apologised quickly as he pulled her up sharply and started to run again, metres from the safety of his bulletproof classroom door, this time with Jade, stringing along, attached to his hand.
One of the soldiers rounded the corner after them and shot Sikowitz in the back of the head with no regret. The eccentric teacher fell to his knees and then flat on his face in a pool of his own head blood as Jade screamed out and protected herself uselessly with her hands. The soldier shouted to her, "WHERE ARE YOUR FRIENDS?!" In Jade shook her head, unable to open her eyes and see Sikowitz's body underneath her. She heard the soldier's boots heavily stomping towards her and instinctively jumped up and turned around to face the drama classroom where she desperately hoped to find her friends.
She pushed so hard on the door that it swung back off the wall behind it and slammed shut deafeningly. Jade cursed under her breath, knowing that wasn't a good idea to do, and called out as she heard a whimper, clearly someone considered the door slam to be a soldier…
"Hello? Its Jade, Jade West!" She whispered loudly and desperately. Luckily the costume cupboard door fell open as quickly as she'd pushed upon the main door and Beck's face peered out, "Get in!" He ordered as she ran over and jumped inside, landing on Tori's leg.
Beck closed the door silently and put his finger to his lips, motioning for them all to stay quiet, before embracing Jade's shaking body and shuffling slightly to make room for her. Cat hugged Jade's leg tightly and sniffled slightly, "I thought you were dead…" She whispered carefully and Tori nodded in agreement. The door opened again and the same sound of heavy boots thudded on the cold stone floor, the sound of the gun reloading echoed in everyone's ears as they closed their eyes, awaiting the opening of the cupboard door and them being shot.
Jade sighed and closed her eyes until Andre opened his and lifted her hand and saw the blood, despite the cupboard being nearly pitch black inside. "Whose blood is this?" He asked quietly, Jade opened her eyes and her lip trembled as she only just processed the act that their teacher was dead. She replied, voice skating, "Sikowitz…" There was a gasp in the cupboard then a memorial silence as they all thought about the same thing. Sikowitz.
The cupboard doors opened sharply and the soldier bellowed, "GET OUT!" Beck carried Jade out of the cupboard, followed by Andre and Tori who were hand in hand and finally Cat and Robbie, who were both crying and looking down. The soldier jabbed Cat in her lower back with the base of his gun and chuckled as she cried out in pain and fell to her knees. Robbie glared at him and attempted to help her back up but he got the barrel of the gun in his face. He put his hands in the air and stood back up, leaving Cat on the floor with a bruised back.
"DON'T MOVE." He ordered them all as he lifted Cat by her arm and flung her over his shoulder with such force that she bounced and winded her stomach. He was taking her to be recruited. Cat wouldn't cope; she'd kill herself before training even started! Jade started sobbing again, into Beck's shoulder, she couldn't watch this happen to her best friend! Tori squeezed Andre's hand as another soldier came in and commanded her to watch as Cat was taken away against her will, holding Tori's head firmly in place so the only thing she could do was bite her lip and let the tears fall.
Robbie got to his feet and ran after the soldier that had Cat, heroically ignoring the other soldier's orders to stoop unless he'd shoot him, despite not even having a gun. But the soldier with Cat was waiting, knowing that Robbie would follow, outside the door with Cat crying softly over his shoulder, face out of sight.
"SHUT UP!" The soldier shouted, shaking Cat who was innocent in all of this then turning his gaze to Robbie who was looking with vengeance in his eyes. But the soldier was more athletic than Robbie, more intelligent, more evil… He dropped Cat to the ground, making Robbie think he let her go and when he ran to her, kicked his heavy boots forward into his stomach, winding him, and grabbed Cat again.
Robbie keeled over in pain and called out for Cat but it was too late, Cat was on her way to the camp. She was going to be trained to kill them.