The walls shook like always.
Sometimes more, sometimes less.
It was nothing new.
READ. LEARN. FOLLOW THE LINE.
READ. LEARN. FOLLOW THE LINE.
The three boys kept doing as they were told.
Even when Teacher wasn't around.
Even if the light was shining red.
Even if the walls shook.
And the walls always shook.
Romeo has to read.
November has to learn.
And Uni has to fallow the line.
Three little desks stood in the centre of the long room. All facing each other, arranged in a circle, illuminated barely by a flickering dim red light. (Their shadows popping in and out of the void as though it was a game, who's participants were merely echoes of the spectators.)
Although the boys were of similar age their desks were anything but similar.
The largest among them was as messy as they get. Sheets of paper plastered the old Oxford desk from end to end, suffocating the mahogany under it.
And yet on that chaos of paper and parchment were written notes of wisdom, courage and love from the Classic's.
It's right hand neighbour was a bit different.
On it stood just one book with which its master was currently in conflict with.
"Practical Construction of Warships" by R.J.Newton, bound in blue, worn and torn. A beast of a read.
And then there was Uni.
Uni couldn't read.
Uni doesn't have to know how to read.
Uni has to follow the line.
A low creek inserted it's self between the howls of the outside wind.
"Where do you think your going?"
"I need some water and Teacher hasn't come back yet."
"He went to take his meds in the bathroom. He'll be right back. Sit back down or you'll get in trouble again."
"But I'm thirstyyyy."
"Just wait for Teacher to return and ask for permission."
"He's been in there for ages I just want a sip."
"Sometimes it takes longer to work. Suck it up and give him time."
"But it's been daaaays that he's in there. Maybe he fell into the toilet and flushed himself away to Neverland."
"Shut up you moron. You'll get us all in trouble! And it hasn't been "daaaaays" it's just been five hours. You know it takes time sometimes so shut up and let me focus. Look, you can still see the light is on, so he's still there and everything is OK. "
"*Hmpffff*"
"Hey Uniiiiii, you got any water left?"
The thick glasses of the youngest gave no response and only continued their task ever diligent - Follow the line.
"Hmmm...Uni, are you alright?"
"I think he's just hot. Must be hell under that winter jacket."
"Yeah, but it helps after all. Teacher said so. Uni you want some water too when Teacher comes back? I'll ask for you if you're too scared."
The youngest lifted his head.
Under the brim of his thick slitted glasses formed a single large drop of sweat, hung there for just a moment and plunged to its death on the drawings of squiggly lines of red, blue, yellow and black underneath.
After which followed the rest of the boys body.
November jumped from his seat and tried to catch him as the limp body started to slide from the chair.
"Uni! Romeo get the watercan!"
"Where's the flashlight? I can't see that far in the dark!"
"Teacher took it into the bathroom. Just find the damn watercan!"
"I don't know where it is!"
"It's behind Teacher's desk! Now shut up and get it! Uni, Uni I'll open your jacket just a little. Just a little, ok? Don't move too much. Be good."
Romeo moved for the teacher's desk, now clad in darkness on the other side of the room. Trying hard not to get cut on the way there.
It was a gauntlet even with light but the absence of it made it Hell.
Yet the boy endured it and made it past with just minor injuries, sure to be healed in a week or two.
Blind as a mole his little arms rummaged through the metal paraphernalia, knocking over something heavy from the desk.
A loud "Clang!" echoed the room.
"What the hell are you doing there you moron?! Be careful!"
"Shut up you baldy!"
"Don't call me bald you baboon and get back here already!"
"I still can't find it! Maybe he took it!"
"He didn't take it! It has to be there."
Romeos fingers finally brushed something cold and slick.
"I found it!"
His moment of triumph was short lived however, as he was presenting his pray by holding it over his head, the smooth metal can slipped his grasp.
Trying to catch it mid fall the boy stumbled and hit the wall of books behind him that usually blocked the door.
"No, no no no! Teacher's gonna kill me!"
"Good riddance then! Now get back here!"
"I'll just throw it to you and you catch it. Ok? I have to put the books back or I'm done for. "
"Not ok! Just get back the way you went. You know where the wires are now and we'll explain later what happened."
"No! Here, catch!"
"Wait!"
*ding*
Its sound was muffled by the shaking of the walls. Its shape obscured by pitch darkness. And its forme broke as it hit the metal floor, spilling most of what it once contained into the dust and rust.
"No! Why did you do that! I told you! I told you not to throw it! Why did you throw it!? "
"I, I thought you'd catch it. I'm sorry. The books. I don't want to be punished. Is there any left inside?"
"Damn it! You never listen! Never. Ever."
"I'm sorry. I'll get back, just check if there's still some left."
November picked up the water can. Luckily there was still half a glass or so in it. Quickly he returned to Uni's side.
"Here Uni. Drink. Drink. Slowly."
Four small gulps emptied what remained of the water.
*ding*
"Are you feeling better Uni? I'll open the jacket just a bit more to make sure, ok?"
November moved the zipper as slowly and gently as he possibly could, like so many times before. Each other night for six years. He knew where the freshest wounds were and which to avoid. It was his duty after all, to make and mentain them.
"Can you breath better now? Looks to me there aren't any new ones protruding, so we can skip today. The ones from yesterday also look fine. Everything's good Uni. You can sleep a bit now if you want."
*ding*
"Romeo, for the love of God, what are you doing there with all that clinking?"
"What do you mean? I'm just picking the books up."
"Wait is that?"
Unis head jumped up and he looked at his brother through the slots in his glasses.
"Behw! Behw!"
"Bell? Bell! Romeo it's the bell! Run!"
"What? Oh no no no!"
The shaking of the walls started getting lauder and lauder. Tearing at the boys ears. The air wheezing as a dentists drill.
November took Uni by the hand and ran for the beds.
*ding*ding*
"Quick Uni, get in!"
He grabbed the rail under Uni's assigned bed and lifted as hard as he could. The maw of the long room opening up to swallow the youngest of the boys. Its metal tendons screaming and screeching as they expanded into a cavity just big enough to fit a fire extinguisher.
"Go Uni, get in! Romeo?!"
"Coming! Don't leave me!"
Small feet ran and jumped across the long room with all their haste, evading the heaps of metal and razor wire.
Eventually the boys reunited.
"What about Teacher?"
"I don't know but he heard the bell too and he has the Box with him, so don't worry, just get in your bed!"
Two more compartments opened. One as big as a carry on bag and the other a normal size suitcase.
November closed Romeos bed for him, locked it and slipped into his own, taking a big breath beforehand.
Through the slit in the door of his bed the light over their desks shined dimmer and dimmer as the sound of the bell and wind got louder, creeping ever near.
He held his breath and looked through the crack as the little red light faded, and faded, and faded, and finally disappeared.
*ding*ding*ding*
And then, just like that, from each hole, crack, cut, rip and tare, opening big or small erupted a golden beam.
Piercing the darkness and banishing it from the long room.
Some struck the strings that swirled and strung the floors and ceiling. Some reflected and bounced from the metal thrown about, forming a mosaic with the particles of dust flying in the air. Color reentered the world, and for that briefest of moments all sound left the long room.
Romeo, who insisted he take the "top bunk" bed was the first to feel the impact. One, then two, then several more.
One after the other they crashed onto the walls of the long room. But which one? The one in front or the one behind or did they get the right one this time?
The boys did their best to not move, tucked tightly into their beds that now felt like little furnaces. Sheets of metal that covered the walls started to bend. Nails and bolts, long and heavy, ripped from their guard duty, falling to the floor like summer hail.
And in their wake followed the first of the covers.
The wolfs were at their door.