Rain In My Heart

by Kara Karnatzki

  Chapter Five

  The others returned. They looked as anxious as they had before they'd gone to check the exit. Leon flanked his hands.

  'It looks like we can get out, but the water is right outside the door - '

  'And it's rising,' added Greg. 'Fast.'

  'So, what now?'

  I could see through the window that the water was rushing down both sides of the school. The entire building had become an island. The ground floor was more or less submerged. All I could think was what Byron had said, about being up high, on the top floor.

  ‘We need to leave!’said Gemma. ‘There’s so much water! Like, where the hell’s it all coming from?’

  Byron glanced at her.

  ‘The River Slode,’ he said, as though it was obvious.

  ‘You meanthat shallow trickle at the back of the playing field that smells of bogs?’said Curtis.‘The one that dries up every summer? I don’t thinkso. What about you, Kate? You’re clever. What’s your brainwave?’

  I shrugged. I didn’t know. I didn’t understand. I was never very good at Geography.

  ‘I - I think Byron might be right,’I said. ‘He seems to know -’

  ‘I don’t think it’s the river at all,’said Leon, cutting in. ‘I think it’s come from the lake at the top of the hill, probably burst its banks or something. And once it’s been emptied, the flow of water will stop.’

  ‘Trust me, it’s the river,’said Byron. ‘What do you think feeds the lake?’

  Before he could argue his case, however, the others stopped listening. Gemma launched another conversation over his head.

  ‘We should call our families,' she said. 'Check they're okay.'

  Leon agreed.

  ‘We’ve all got our phones, right? Priority number one - let's make contact with the outside world.'

  We began to dial, text, email, but it was fruitless.

  ‘No signal,’said Curtis. ‘And virtually no battery.’

  ‘Charge it?’

  ‘No charger. Lost it last week.’

  'Oh, crap!' said Gemma. 'I’ve only got two per cent.'

  ‘Fifteen,’said Leon.

  ‘Eleven for me,’said Greg.

  ‘Anyone bought a charger with them?’said Gemma, frantic, eyes wide. 'I've got to get through to my house.'

  We all shook our heads.

  ‘Each of you has a different phone,’said Byron. ‘So someone else’s charger isn’t going to help.’

  Gemma scowled.

  'Smart arse,' she growled - her eyes narrowed to slits and I could tell she was getting ready to hate.

  For a few minutes, everyone stood in their own little worlds, ears pressed to their handsets, crossing fingers, pressing buttons, call after call. But no one got through. Either the airwaves were blocked or no one was able to answer.

  ‘Like, what's with the totalairwave breakdown?’said Curtis. 'I mean, it's not as if we live in the Third World - '

  He stared out of the window.

  ‘Actually, I take that back. Maybe this is the end of western civilisation? Look at it! The only bit of dry land left is that crappy hump of rubble where the fourth years hang out -’

  He pointed to the overgrown ridge that ran along the back of the school, all the way from Vis A to the main reception at the other end.

  ‘You know what we need?’he said. ‘Surf boards! Find me something board-shaped and I'll become Hurst's first inland wave rider! We'll make a hot clip for YouTube - '

  'Forgodsake, Curtis!' snapped Greg. 'Just for once, can you stop talking out of your arse - or, I promise you, I'll shove your witless, gobby face into the flood! Can't you see this is majorly bad?'

  Greg wasn't much of a talker. He tended to keep his profile low, hid his mood beneath a flop of jet-black fringe. But I'd spent enough time with him (via Gemma) to know that when people wound him up, he didn't hold back. He reminded me of an injured wolf - if you came across one, you'd feel sorry for it, but you'd be a little scared too, in case it went for you. I guess he had his reasons. I'd probably be the same if I lost my mum.

  In response to his outburst, Curtis started to sulk.

  ‘Just trying to lighten the atmosphere, dude. No need to throw a wobbly.'

  ‘Like we care,’sneered Gemma.

  I stepped between them.

  ‘At least we’re safe up here,’I said, trying to keep the peace. ‘It’ll take a lot for the water to reach this high. The real issue is whether our families are okay -’

  Gemma now turned to me.

  ‘Kate!’ she raged. ‘Do you have to keep going on about our families?'

  I blinked, surprised by her outburst. I mean, she'd been the one who'd made the biggest fuss about calling home. She huffed, flicked her tongue stud, stood up in a temper.

  ‘I’ve had enough of this,' she hissed. 'I’m not hanging round here waiting to be washed away. I'm leaving.’

  ‘You can’t,’I argued. ‘It’s too dangerous. Let’s keep calling until we get through to someone, then we'll ask for help -’

  ‘Oh, grow up, Kate! Grow some guts!'

  I hated it when Gemma got like this, all prickly and spiteful. Sometimes it felt like she took everything out on other people, namely me. She, Leon and Curtis started talking at once, arguing about how to get out, how to get home. Curtis suggested a raft. Gemma made threats about swimming. Leon started raving about some survival course he’d been on with his brother.

  Then Byron spoke up.

  ‘SHE’S RIGHT,’he said, in a voice that was crisper than all of theirs.

  They stopped, turned towards him. He was sitting cross-legged on top of the table, twiddling a pencil.

  ‘What do youknow, Knitwear?’said Curtis.

  ‘I know that Kate’s right,’said Byron. ‘We’re safe up here. We should stay.’

  ‘Who does he think he is?’ whispered Curtis. ‘Yoda?’

  The silence showed what everyone else thought.

  Leon crossed his arms.

  ‘Let’s go,’ he said, glossing over Byron’s warning. ‘No more time wasting. Let’s make a plan to get the freak out of here.’

  Byron shrugged and sat back.

  ‘Suit yourself,’he muttered.

  Chapter Six

  It wasn’t long before the focus turned to Curtis’s car.

  ‘The water in that bit of the car park isn’t too deep yet,’said Leon optimistically. ‘If we can get to your car, Curt’, we might be able to drive through the flood, get to higher ground, then find our way onto one of the back roads.’

  Curtis was the only one who could drive. He’d passed his test a month ago, as soon as he’d turned seventeen. (Hard to believe, but technically, he was a whole year older than the rest of us. He’d been kept down a school year –not because he was stupid, but because he was so easily distracted.)

  ‘I don’t want the Shaggin’Wagon getting wrecked,’he protested. ‘She’s my pride and joy.’

  ‘So, you’d rather drown?’

  ‘Okay. I hear you. But how do we get across the car park?’

  By now, everyone had gathered at the window. Everyone except Byron.

  ‘The water looks shallow enough to wade in,’said Leon.‘If we all hold hands and support each other, and if Curtis goes first with his keys and opens the doors, we can all jump in. Then he revs the engine, releases the hand-break, pumpshard…andwe head for the hills.’

  ‘What if we skid?’said Curtis.

  ‘I thought you were like some super-skilled stunt driver?’

  ‘Kind of,’said Curtis sheepishly.

  ‘Well, it's worth a try,’said Leon,‘I think Curtis should go first, then Kate, then me, then Gemma. And Greg can make sure everyone's safe from behind. Agreed?’

  ‘And Byron,’I said.

  ‘Oh, yeah, and Byron. So - it’s a plan, then? I mean, unless anyone has a better idea?’

  ‘A better idea,’said Byron, from the background. ‘Is that we pay attention to what I’ve already said and st
ay here. The water may look shallow, but the force, I guarantee, will knock you off your feet.’

  ‘Hooray for Mr Physics!’said Curtis.

  Byron scowled, adjusted his glasses and ran a hand through his hair.

  ‘Sometimes Curtis,’he said,‘knowledge is king.’

  ‘But in a survival situation,’Leon followed. ‘Action is king.’

  He turned and made for the door. Everyone bundled after him.

  'Smart words,' said Curtis, nudging him in the ribs. 'Good come back. Action is king. I like it. Where did you get it from?'

  'My brother,' said Leon.

  'Oh, yeah. How cool would it be if he was here now? Your brother would sort us out. He'd, like, pull trees apart and suck up the flood water with a straw and stuff - '

  I'd heard Leon's older brother was some kind of fitness champion, but right now, I was happy enough with Leon. We followed him towards the stairwell, like his mafia, while Byron lingered back.

  ‘Please,’I said, beckoning him. ‘Come with us.’

  ‘No thank you,’he replied.

  ‘But why not?’

  ‘There’s no point.’

  ‘Of coursethere is. Come on, I’ll walk with you and– ’

  Byron shook his head.

  ‘Really,’ he said,‘there’s no point.’

  ‘But you can’t stay here. We can’t leave you on your own.’

  ‘I won’t be alone.’

  I looked at him. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘I mean you’ll all be back in five minutes, with your tails between your legs.’

  Chapter Seven

  We gathered in the stairwell. One of the double doors had come off its hinges. The force of the initial wave must have smashed it. Floodwater had pooled at the bottom, covering the lower steps. It looked murky and cold.

  ‘It’s not that far,’said Leon. ‘We can do this!’

  We could see Curtis’s car from where we were. And it didn’t look far. I used to paddle through the River Slode when I was little, with my dad and my sister, Ella. We’d take a fishing net, try to catch sticklebacks. In the autumn we wore wellies. In the summer we went barefoot. That’s what it would feel like, I told myself. Paddling.

  ‘Got your keys ready, Curt?’said Leon.

  Curtis dangled them.

  ‘Everyone know the drill?’

  We all nodded, although truthfully, I don’t think any of us quite knew what we were going to do, even Leon. I liked the way he was taking control of the situation though, stepping up. It certainly made a change. Me, falling for a good guy, someone who wanted to help people, rather than mess them about.

  ‘Ready, then?’

  We all looked at each other.

  ‘Straight to the car, single file. Curtis first, followed by Kate -’

  We edged down the steps. Curtis hovered his foot above the water.

  ‘Should we take our shoes and socks off?’he asked.

  Greg groaned.‘This isn’t a day at the seaside, moron.'

  ‘I’ve got my best trainers on, man. I don’t want them getting trashed. That water looks smelly.’

  ‘You don’t know what you’ll be treading on,’said Leon. ‘Keep them on.’

  Curtis huffed, then plunged his foot.

  ‘Waaah! It’s cold!’

  ‘Don’t drop the keys,’said Gemma.

  She turned to me and muttered,‘Why has Curtis been given the most important job?’

  ‘Because it’s his car?’I replied.

  Curtis stepped down. The water came up to his thighs.

  ‘Someone film this,’he said. ‘It’ll get loads of hits.’

  He started laughing. In a way Iwas glad. It made me feel more relaxed about what we were about to do. I couldn’t help thinking about Byron, though, and why he’d chosen to stay behind, whether he'd be okay. Leon leant towards me.

  ‘You next,’he whispered.

  He gave my hand a squeeze. The feeling thrilled me.

  ‘Ready?’

  ‘Yeah.’

  ‘Stay close to Curtis. I’m right behind you.’

  I put my feet in the water and was shocked by the cold. I was wearing flimsy pumps, no socks. The squelchy feeling was horrible. I placed my hands around Curtis’s waist. Leon put his hands on mine and we proceeded in a train. The rain was so fierce it was hard to look ahead. It drenched us, dripped off our brows, our noses, our chins. Curtis waded forward and I followed, but as soon we were away from the shelter of the doorway, the force of the torrent took control. Suddenly, it was up to our hips and we couldn’t stop ourselves from staggering sideways. I managed to widen my feet, which held me solid for a moment, but Leon lost grip of my waist and was forced back inside the doorway with the others, leaving Curtis and I in the water.

  ‘Hold on!’Curtis yelled.

  The rush was so loud. My stance started to slip.

  ‘I can’t hold for much longer!’I cried.

  I could hear everyone screaming our names, shouting:‘Come back! Turn around!’

  But we couldn’t.

  It was enough of a struggle to stay standing, let alone turn.

  ‘Throw us something!’said Curtis. ‘A rope or something!’

  They didn’t have a rope, of course.

  I caught Leon’s eye for a second, then the next thing I knew, he was diving forward heroically. He grabbed us both, yanked us towards him. We all fell. I don’t know what happened to him and Curtis, but I slipped under. The dirty water rushed in my face, filled my nose and mouth. I spluttered and gasped. I could feel my back scraping along the ground. Was this it? Was I about to drown?

  Just in time, a pair of hands were upon me. Not Leon’s, butGreg’s. Greg’s giant hands. He hoisted me up, then Leon, then Curtis. He dragged us into the doorway and we all collapsed in a heap on the stairs.

  Chapter Eight

  Minutes later we were back in the dry of the art room. Gemma clung to Greg like a limpet. Curtis kept patting him on the shoulders.

  'You're my new hero,' he said. 'Honestly, you're my ultimate god. If you hadn't grabbed hold of us, we'd be half drowned by now - '

  'Or fully drowned,' Leon heeded.

  ‘All in a days work,’said Greg, brushing off the fuss.

  I made a point of saying my own thanks privately.

  ‘Don’t worry, little one,’ said Greg. ‘I’m just glad these big-arse hands came in useful.’

  We both smiled and hugged, but to be honest, although I was grateful Greg had pulled me out of the water, I felt so stupid that I'd gone in at all. I hadn't wanted to leave the safety of the art room, but just like the clay fight that had got us there in the first place, I'd allowed myself to get carried away. I hadn't wanted to disappoint Leon.

  I lay my wet clothes over the drying rack, next to Leon’s jeans. He'd taken off everything except his boxers. I didn't know where to look. His body was so perfect, like someone you’d see on a shower gel advert. But I couldn't help noticing he had faded bruises all across his ribs. I guessed they were football injuries, although they looked pretty nasty.

  For myself, I found an old painting shirt. It barely covered my thighs, but it was better than being naked! I was certainly glad I'd remembered to shave my legs that morning. I pulled the shirt down as far as I could, then sat against the radiator. I could hear the wind picking up outside, howling through the ventilation fan and rattling the window frames.

  As I squeezed the smelly water from my hair, I noticed Byron watching. Eventually he came and stood next to me. Or near me, to be precise. He was very careful not to let any part of his body touch mine.

  ‘I know what you’re thinking,’I said. ‘That we should have listened to you -’

  ‘Yes, you should have. Swimming in raw sewage is nevergood for the health.’

  ‘Sewage?’

  ‘Sewage. Faeces. Diesel fuel. You name it. When a flood hits, it all gets swilled about.’

  I wiped my hands, felt my mouth fill with saliva, like I was about to wretch.
/>   ‘If you want any information, Kate, just ask. I’m planning to do a degree in physical geography. I've recently finished a major project about natural disasters -’

  ‘Oh.’

  ‘It's one of my number one interests.'

  'Right.'

  'So I guess it's a good job I'm here.'

  ‘Yeah, I guess it is.’

  We stood quietly for a moment, listening to the wind.

  ‘I’m sorry they ignored you,’I said, eventually.‘You obviously do know what you’re talking about.’

  ‘Thank you, but it’s actually no big deal for me to be ignored. Basic social hierarchy. Haven’t you noticed? No one pays attention to the nondescript loners. Loners don't matter. Their opinions don't count. Not in the way Leon Prentice’s do anyway.’

  I gave a small, awkward smile.

  ‘It was never going to work,’he continued,‘with or without the flood. Six people intended for one tiny vehicle, with a back seat mostly taken up by sub-woofer...illogical, at best. And I can’t imagine Curtis’s driving skills are truly up to the challenge of negotiating and outpacing a flash flood.’

  ‘Fair point.’

  ‘I mean, we're talking about someone who reverses into a bollard during his first hour of legal solo driving, then goes the wrong way down a one-way street, nearly taking out a pensioner on Hurst Parade. Seriously, Kate, allowing people like Curtis to go loose in cars is like allowing unsupervised Reception children into nuclear power plants. Unwise.’

  He laughed, threw his head back. I was about to ask how come he knew so much about Curtis's disastrous driving, when one of the skylights above the sinks suddenly shattered. A spray of glass hit the floor. We all jumped to attention, as a rainy, windy squall whipped through the opening.

  Chapter Nine

  'It's coming in! It's coming in!' yelled Curtis.

  'Don't panic,' said Leon. 'It's only a small window. We're okay.'

  'But if that one's blown in,' said Greg, 'it's only a matter of time before the others do.'

  I couldn't help gaze about the room - all the glass, the rickety Seventies glass and the rusting frames. Byron caught my eye.