It was getting dark. The 2:10 bell had rung as if some kind of sick joke. Though Jude didn't deny that for a moment she expected them all to pick up their bags and go home, then perhaps resume this hostel situation tomorrow. But that's not how real life works, you just can't switch of reality. The two boys were sitting in the front of the classroom behind the desk. The shadows under their eyes getting darker as the gun glinted in the last of the fading sunlight. It was dead silent. They were all staring at the floor shaking. Waiting for the next twisted move either of the boys would make.

Then there was a distinctive moan, and heads shot around to look at the boy as he stirred on the floor. Thebes was on his feet instantly, circling around them with the gun pointed down.

"Don't move!" he warned all the girls as they watched him walk over to Jamie, who was shaking hard, his limbs twisting in agony. Thebes nudged him with his foot.

"Don't touch him!" Jude sobbed, as tears started to trace down her cheeks uncontrollably.

Thebes glanced at Jude and then snickered "Oh man" he sighed looking over at James "We should have banged you – famous Jude Harrison…"

Jude pursed her lips together, shaking harder. "Thebes we agreed…" James warned as he looked at Jude with lust.

"Agreed what? That just because she was famous you wouldn't kill her!" shouted out one of the girls, her voice hysterical.

Jude blushed hoping the words weren't true. Her life wasn't any better than any of theses people's….

"Jude…" moaned Jamie, his eyes fluttering open. Then his teeth gritted in pain as he shook harder.

"It's the femoral artery" James said walking around the lab bench. "Dude he wasn't supposed to die" he added staring Thebes in the eyes.

"Who cares it's life as it is" Thebes said, though Jude noticed a pang of guilt for the first time in his voice.

"Just let him go please…he needs medical help" Jude begged, hoping this was all of their chance to get out.

"What just let you all waltz out?" laughed Thebes looking at her as if she had just sprouted another head "The SWAT team will be through those windows in ten seconds if I let you all go…"

"He's dying" Jude begged again.

"Carry him out" one of the girls shot out. "Let three or four of us carry him down to the paramedics outside".

Thebes glared at her, before James caught his eye. There seemed to be a silent war waging between the two of them before Thebes rounded his gun on the girl "Two people".

Suddenly there was tension in the air like none before. Two people would be walking out that door in a second. The only question that remained was who…

"You" Thebes said grabbing Jude by the hair and ripping her to her feet. Jude felt her heart flutter. Was she one of the people… She looked around frantically at the other girls. Would there only be one more girl chosen. "You two" he said waving his gun between the two girls on the end "You carry him down…" A dry sob instantly escaped Jude's lips as Thebes held her tighter. "Oh don't worry sweet thing I have a special task for you" he cooed. His breath was hot on her throat like he was about to take a bite of her.

James cut the tape and the two girls rushed over to Jamie. "Not yet!" James warned as they leaned down to pick him up. "We want food" he said to Thebes. Thebes nodded and then he dragged Jude over to the window.

Jude could feel the tears tracing down her cheeks as he cut her bonds. What was he going to do? Throw her out onto the pavement below? Shoot her for all to see?

"Open it" he seethed. "OPEN IT!" Jude's hands fumbled with the latch before she threw open the window and looked down at the sea of people below. He shoved her forward so that her hips collided with the window sill. She heard audible gasps from below. Thebes held her there, his hand pressed against her lower back, so that it seemed at any moment he could throw her out. Jude gripped the windowsill with her sweaty palms, the metal cutting into her palms.

But that's when she realized the full gravity of what Thebes and James were doing. It was an exchange, not a release, and she realized she was going to be the communicator for much of it. She glanced to her left to see Thebes behind the concrete wall between the two large glass windows. Each pane opened like the one she was leaning out of. Three large panes, then a concrete wall, three large panes, concrete wall…

"Tell them we're letting three of the hostages go" Thebes hissed, making sure he was out of range from below.

"They…" Jude's hoarse voice tried to shout.

"LOUDER!" Thebes yelled, shoving her, so that she gripped the sill harder. She trembled in terror.

"They're letting three hostages go!" she screamed down. Instantly there was noise from below, as the crowd called out names of people in the room.

"We've already decided" Thebes hissed.

"They've already decided!" Jude screamed down as the police officers hushed the crowd.

"We want food and water…" continued Thebes.

"They want food and water…" Jude shouted.

"…In return for the three hostages…"

"In return for the hostages" Jude continued to echo for Thebes.

"Also…" Thebes added "Two sleeping bags and pillows…"

"And two sleeping bags and pillows" Jude yelled.

"Thebes? James?" Called a police officer from below with a megaphone "Can we please talk to you?"

"Tell them you're as close as they get" Thebes said shoving her again.

A scream erupted from Jude none the less as she pitched forward. The crowd screamed as well as they expected her to fall just as she had. "They…they said I have to do" sobbed Jude.

"Please lets talk this out…" the police man tried again.

"Talk" Thebes snorted and so did James "Who wanted to talk when I got beat up every other day by jocks? Who wanted to talk when my lunch was shoved out of my hands? Who wanted to talk when…" his voice trailed off "Tell them that if they wanted to talk then they should have listened…"

"They…they won't talk" Jude yelled down "They said you all should have listened". It seemed as if the world had fallen dead silent at her words. And Jude's chest heaved as she tried to breathe, and calm her racing heart.

"We can work this out…both of you…" the police man tried in a calmer voice.

"We've already done that ourselves…" Thebes whispered to himself.

"We can help you…as long as you let all the hostages out…"

"So they ca lock us away for life?" asked Thebes in the same whisper as before.

"You don't need to be afraid…We can help" the police officer's voice continued up through the chilling night air.

Jude quivered as she waited for what Thebes would tell her to say next. His eyes were closed, breathing slowly, before he cocked the gun and pressed it to her temple. Jude whimpered.

"Pain" Thebes whispered so that the room could hear "is relative they say" He paused, "Just ignore it and it'll go away. If you don't provoke them they won't bully you" he paused again "It's been eleven years…and still nobody will sit at my lunch table…" And at that moment he stepped in front of the window, holding Jude with the gun to her head.

"Shoot me!" he screamed at the top of his lungs "I DARE YOU! All you fucking bastards that would NEVER listen! Are you listening now! Will you listen to her when she…" And just as the words slipped from his lips, his eyes grew wide and his hold on Jude slackened. He stumbled back, clutching his chest. Lips turning blue as his shirt turned red, just as fast as the shot had rang through the twilight. And then he fell…the gun…clattering to the floor beside him.

No one moved. Everyone just stared as the shaking mass on the floor before James took two steps forward, swooped down to pick up the gun, pressed it to his head "Bye" and pulled the trigger. And then…there was silence.

Author Note:

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