Blind School by John Matthews Read Free Book Online Page B

murmurs rose around the class. Ellis fixed him with a withering stare, making it clear he’d seen and heard it all before. The turf marked: interruptions wouldn’t be taken to kindly.
    The boy fell quiet, and the faint murmurs from the rest quickly died too.
    ‘What brings you here is that you all have one thing in common: you can see things within certain people that others simply can't see.’
    Glances exchanged across the classroom – some with dawning realization, some still quizzical – and the murmurs were rising again.
    Ellis rolled on quickly to quell the mounting speculation. 'Apparitions', if you will. And while a number of you have already experienced seeing those apparitions, others haven't. But we know you have that ability.’ He slowly scanned the class. ‘So you will. Believe me you will.’
    More glances exchanged around the classroom, some now with dawning realization.
    ‘And once that happens, you become in danger. That's when you need to enter Blind School . Not only for your own safety, but to learn more about what you've seen and why. Yet be able to continue viewing safely.’ Ellis paused, staring the message home. ‘In short, to see without being seen.’
    On cue, Josh Eskovitz started going round, handing out dark glasses. Obviously a student introduction routine they’d enacted many times before. Josh held up one set of glasses as he looked round the class.
    ‘These will allow you to see and view safely without the subject picking up the tell-tale eye refraction that reveals they've been spotted. But you must wear these at all times – never remove them.’
    The class studied the glasses on their desks, one of the girls pressing a side hinge. There was a buzzing noise and fork flashes sparked inside the lenses. Startled, she dropped them back on the desk top.
    ‘To the casual observer, they look like normal sunglasses – but in fact they have a protective field.’ Josh looked around, checking that he’d handed all the glasses out. ‘The cover story is that you've developed a degenerative eye condition known as Hemeralopia – which means you've become oversensitive to light, and if not treated will go blind. Thus the need for your regular attendance to Blind School .’
    Ellis studied the class keenly as he picked up again. ‘But that cover-story must be kept up throughout, even to your family and friends. Never confide the real story beneath to anyone – the risks are too great.’ He stared the message home, smiling wryly after a second. ‘Aside from which they probably wouldn't believe you, as a number of you will have already discovered when you've tried to share what you've seen.’
    Continued furtive glances around the classroom. A gentle hubbub returned, and out of it Ryan's question rose.
    ‘So what will we actually be doing while we're here – at Blind School ?’
    ‘While you need our help, we in turn need yours. We need to track the people you've seen and also for you to help us identify others.’
    Tie-dye grinned slyly. ‘So that you can kill them?’
    ‘No. They can't be killed. They can only be 'contained'. But it's far too early for you to learn about containment...’ Ellis seemed distracted as he looked towards the classroom side window and a man observing the other side. ‘First off you have to have a better understanding of what you've seen. What it represents.’
    Ellis nodded towards the side observation window, and the man the other side nodded back. His cue to take over.
    Parked in his black van, Frank Lyle looked intently towards the group of teen girls as they came out of the sports center two hundred yards ahead.
    He observed them part company and honed in on one of them, a pretty brunette, as she headed off alone on foot.
    He edged out and started following.
    Professor Jules Mentinck was in his early fifties with a wild shock of greying blonde hair. He invariably wore velvet jackets with leather elbow patches, though often opted for bold, vibrant