Spoiler Alert: They Ain't Gonna Make It

61. For Nothing

The zookeeper shouldn't still be inside Jeff. Not when the entire place was hotter than the Sahara Dessert. Not when the entire place would turn to ashes sooner than later. But, he had heard shouting coming from the music hallway and he wasn't going to let anyone else die. Not after Delilah was murdered.

He went inside the band room, frowning when not seeing anybody there. He swore the shouting came from the music hallway, and band was the main class in the band hallway. Maybe he imagined the shouting. No one in the right of mind would still be inside the school.

He was about to leave when he saw the orchestra room door wide open, which was strange because every other door in the school was closed. What did that mean?

He debated whether or not to check it out, and in the end, he sighed and trudged through the smoke and to the door. Stepping inside, he let out a  gasp. The entire room seemed to be made of dancing flames. Everything was orange or grey or somewhere in between. The smoke was so thick he chocked for air. It looked as if a sea of burning flames had taken over the room and left nothing to spare.

His eyes scanned the room for signs of life, hoping he'd find whoever had shouted and get out faster. He was starting to feel dizzy.

Then, he spotted a blonde haired kid.

"Oh dear," he said, going up to the kid and shaking him. When he didn't wake up, the zookeeper signed, and picked him up.

He was about to leave when he spotted a shoe a few feet away. Looking between the guy in his arms and the shoe, he turned his back to leave. He couldn't risk his life for a shoe that may or may not have been connected to a foot. He was about to leave when George, his little white dog, barked at him.

"What is it boy?" He asked, trying to go around the little puppy.

But the dog barked again, blocking the man's path.

Frowning, the zookeeper attempted to go around the white animal but the dog wouldn't let him.

"George, if we don't get out of here now, we're going to run out of oxygen and die."

The dog wouldn't budge.

The zookeeper signed again, knowing full and well what his little puppy wanted him to do, and dashed to the shoe, holding onto the blonde kid tightly.

Connected to the shoe was an ankle, and to that, a body to a girl. Next to the girl laid a boy, both surrounded by fire.

The zookeeper, being the kind and strong man he was, threw the blonde boy and the new boy over his shoulders, and carried the girl in his arms.

Running as fast as he could, he sprinted down the hallway, past the office, and out of the school just as the ceiling collapsed.

Outside, he set the kids down on the front steps, watching as the door caved in on itself and Jeff Middle School crumbled to the ground.

He took in a deep breath.

He knew everyone in the mines, all the hypnotized teens and teachers, were dead. That was the plan anyway. To burn the school to ashes.

He just couldn't believe Mr. Ford had actually done it.

Murdered everyone.

He was a sick, sick man.

The red headed man realized it was quiet.

Really quiet.

Something was missing.

His eyes widened.

"George!" He called, scrambling to his feet. "George!"

But the little dog didn't come.

And he knew why.

The man sat back down, running his hands down his face. He had lost his only daughter and his favorite dog in a two-hour span. And for what? For being a bad guys henchman? For not being able to keep that teacher locked in a closet? For saving these three kids?

He spat on the blonde haired kid, got up, and walked away. Those three kids were probably dead anyway. He'd saved them for nothing.

For nothing at all.