Chapter 2: Heidrich castle
The next day, as predicted, everyone brought in their permission slips and was getting ready to go. David looked out of the window at the road, but was surprised when he saw no bus waiting out the front. He raised his hand and the teacher looked at him surprise. “David? Since when do you raise your hand to ask a question?”
David frowned, but kept his hand up. The teacher sighed. “What is it David?”
He inhaled slowly. “Why are there no busses out front?”
The teacher gave him a half grin in response. “There are no busses. Due to laws, and lack of roads, vehicles are prohibited within three miles of the premises. So, we’re going to walk.”
The whole class moaned loudly. The teacher just shrugged her shoulders. “It’s what you get for being so enthusiastic about handing in your permission slips.”
David sighed.
****
A few hours later, the students, weary and footsore, and teachers arrived at Heidrich castle. They had a rest at the outside wall gate, then continued on until they reached the solid wooden door. The teacher buzzed on the speaker phone then waited. Five minutes passed, and nothing happened. The teacher frowned and started tapping her feet. Another five minutes passed, and she sighed sharply. She pressed the buzzer again. Nothing happened for a while.
She was about to buzz again when a loud, impatient voice chirped from the speaker above the buzzer. “What? What is it? Who are you? What do you want? We are busy. You cannot come in!”
The teacher looked incredulous. “But we booked a tour group today!”
“It doesn’t matter! We cannot allow you on the premises! It’s far, far too dangerous!”
“What? Just what is so dangerous that the students aren’t allowed to take the tour?!” She shouted.
The man sighed harshly. “I think that if you ponder this over, you may be able to figure it out!” He said sarcastically.
The teacher suddenly gasped. It was a choking, drawn out sound that seemed to emit pure horror. She apologised into the speaker and shooed the kids away from the big doors.
Some of the children complained. They hadn’t grasped what had happened. David had already known – sort of. He sometimes got these strange feeling whenever something bad was happening. It had started growing in his chest on the way to the Castle, and he had accepted that he probably wouldn’t be going on the tour. But still, he sighed. It was going to be a long way back, because the teacher wouldn’t want to tell them, because it would scare them, but they wouldn’t understand the silence, and would be asking the whole way. And, when they got grumpy at the teacher, they would come to him for answers. Despite his inattention in class, he knew things. The teacher was behaving normally, except for the shooing. David could see through her pretence. He knew exactly what was going on. And why the teacher wanted them safely back at the school.
Safe, that is, from the dragon. It escaped.
