The Chrysalid Conspiracy Read Online Free Page B

the rain pounding on their backs. They lay still and were lucky not to get trampled by the laughing squealing hoard that followed them, stamping in the large puddle for their own twisted amusement then running off whooping and cheering, taking delight in someone else’s misfortune
    Standing up trying to brush the water off their clothes Amelia looked up to see a girl about her own age who looked absolutely terrified.
    “I hate Fridays,” said Amelia, mostly to herself.
    “I’m so sorry,” the girl was saying. “I’m so, so sorry.” She was blustering in panic.
    “It’s okay. It was my fault. I stopped on the bottom step. You couldn’t have missed me. Please don’t worry, and ignore the ignorants, it’s their idea of fun”
    Looking at the girl, she saw a pretty face with a wide mouth, and a skin texture that told of a love of the outdoors. She had bright, penetrating green eyes with over-long lashes, but the most striking feature was her over-abundance of hair. Whatever had been holding it together had been lost in the fall, and the wind was tearing at it as if to strangle her. But above all was the colour, a deep luxurious red. Like dancing flames, thought Amelia to herself. The rain, however, was winning, giving her the appearance of a young, frightened Medusa as her hair became plastered to her head,
    Amelia bent down to investigate the damage to her uniform tights, brush the gravel out of her knees and wipe the blood stars away. When she looked up she couldn’t help smiling at the look of horror on the girl’s face as she stared at the school building.
    “Isn’t it great?” said Amelia. “Notice the subtle absence of all architectural features, and how the style conjures up a feeling of total revulsion.” The girl was speechless. “Don’t worry, it gets better,” Amelia added.
    “And exactly how could that be?” said the girl, with a slight Irish accent.
    “Once you’ve seen the inside it makes you appreciate the outside more.”
    “Oh Jesus, help!” responded the girl in a quiet voice.
    “First day?” asked Amelia.
    “First school,” answered the girl.
    “Wow! Ever?”
    “Yeah.”
    “That’s tough. My name’s Amelia,” she told her. “What’s yours?”
    “Rayn,” said the girl. “Spelt with a y.”
    “That’s odd.”
    “Not really. It was supposed to be Ryan, but my dad was dyslexic,” she grinned.
    “Isn’t Ryan a boy’s name?” Amelia laughed.
    “Yeah, but he was also pretty stupid. Anyway he’s dead now.”
    “Oh I’m so sorry.”
    “Really? I didn’t know it was your fault.” grinned Rayn.
    Laughing together they linked arms and, skip dancing through the rain they entered the school. Both girls being loose limbed and athletic, their buoyant mood belied their appearance and Amelia couldn’t help but notice how Rayn’s wide-mouthed smile seemed to draw her in. It was highly contagious and she felt as if she could breathe freely again.
    After cramming everything into Amelia’s locker, they hung on to each other in the push to Friday assembly in the ‘Great Hall,’ a huge, high-ceilinged room that hung with threadbare religious tapestries in an effort, Amelia was sure, to obscure the inevitability of time and change.
    It always reminded Amelia of a temple, but she was never sure whether it was dedicated to some minor educational deity, or perhaps a more virulent God of social engineering.
    As everybody settled down, Amelia whispered to Rayn. “Not to worry, the tapestries only smell this bad when it rains.”
    A passing eagle-eared prefect homed in on their giggles and chided them in a loud voice in an effort to impress his superiors. “Come on now, settle down. Remember, school days are the best days of your life.”
    “There’s not much hope for the future then,” Rayn whispered to Amelia, “if everything gets worse after this!”
    A fit of the giggles is never a good thing to have in assembly on a wet Friday morning. A total breakdown can only lead