Whisper

==Whisper==
The vice principal strides by Kirra's spot to the library office with flighty, purposeful footsteps. ""Are there any students in here?"" 
""Only in the copy room--what happened?""
""They dropped bombs!"" hisses the vice principal, voice too high. ""On Sydney!""
Kirra's heart stutters. 
""Gail's drafting an annoucement--""
""Is it dead?""
""They don't know yet. Garigal's on fire, the north side's trashed--""
""Oh my god.""
""The phonelines aren't working, no one knows what's going on--"" 
A beep. 
Fabric rustling. 
""Gail needs me back in the office."" 
""Keep me posted.""
""Will do.""
The vice principal half-runs from the library. 
The librarian sighs, gathers up a stack of papers, wanders into the back--"Oh my god, Kirra, did you hear all that?" Drops the paper, drops to their knees, hugs--hesitates--
Kirra catches their wrist. 
--hugs her. "It's okay--"
"You can't fight bombs," Kirra's voice cracks. 
"You can't," agrees the librarian. "But it would've been quick--they wouldn't be trapped. They wouldn't know what was happening." Adds, "They wouldn't be alone."
Kirra shudders, leans into their shoulder. 
The librarian takes a deep breath. "I'll write you out of class, okay?"
Kirra nods. 
The librarian swallows, gathers up the papers, leaves. 
. 
"A new book came in, if you want to rate it," says the librarian. 
Kirra nods. 
The librarian hands it to her. "Are you going home?" 
Kirra nods again. 
"Do you want me to call someone?" 
Kirra shakes her head. 
"Send me an email when you get there, okay?" 
Kirra nods a third time. 
The librarian squeezes her shoulder. 
Kirra drifts into the hall, tucking her braids into her jumper, and heads in the wrong direction for home.
When she feels out of sight of the building, she points her feet towards the station. 
Jammy and two horses wait for her around the corner. 
Kirra searches his face for ... something. 
«You heard?»
They wouldn't know, they wouldn't be trapped, they wouldn't be alone. 
Jammy nudges his horse around. 
Kirra climbs up onto hers. 
. 
Jammy makes her drink two glasses of water when they get home, and then he wanders off. 
Kirra stares at the pantry while the computer boots up, and either it did so faster than usual or she lost track--she lost track of time. While the email client loads, she manages two math problems before the stacks of numbers turn into stacks of concrete and buildings, and she swallows and stuffs it all into her bag. 
The librarian's email pops up three letters but the subject line isn't as easy and the body text is even worse, so after an infinitely long few minutes, she just types 'home' and leaves it at that. 
Kirra grabs the book, curls up on the couch, but the words swim so she puts it on the coffee table and heads outside into the late afternoon air, inhales straw-dry-feather and feed and dirt--is that smoke--
Her vision greys, bile rises in her throat, the horizon jerks on an angle--Kirra sits down heavily on the porch steps, drops her head to her hands. 
Tilda picks her way over. 
Kirra takes a deep breath, sits up, can't get her eyes high enough. 
Tilda presses her forehead to hers. 
Kirra crosses her eyes. 
Tilda squwacks, investigates her hair.
Category:Ficlet
Category:Chuck D
Category:Chuck D (ficlet)
Category:Mount Isa
Category:Tilda
Category:Tilda (ficlet)
Category:Jammy
Category:Jammy (ficlet)
Category:Scissure event (mention)
Category:Kirra
Category:Kirra (ficlet)
Category:Mount Isa (setting)
Category:Books & Reading