Lois shook her head and a tear slid down her cheek. Fear was replaced by an overwhelming sense of sadness that took the form of black specks across her vision. She was going to die and she didn’t understand why. There was so much more living she had to do, but she would settle for just five more minutes so she could tell her parents how much she loved them, and insist her best friend go on without her and live her best life. She was thankful that they weren’t there and hoped they wouldn’t feel guilty. She prayed Joe would make it out so he could help ease their pain, as they would ease his, but she couldn’t be sure. Be brave, she wanted to tell them, and it was advice that she took for herself. She could no longer see the exits. The light was fading. Be brave, Lois.

Rose was standing at the bottom of the stairwell. When she had seen Hilary turn back with Jack, she had intended to wait upstairs, but a couple of the kids had gone ahead of her and she was forced to keep going. She was in the stairwell when the building shook and the lights went out. Her students’ wails had echoed off the walls and it was a small miracle that they reached the ground floor without mishap. The corridor was crowded and the emergency lighting provided an eerie glow, but the waft of fresh air coming from the exit offered hope, and their route to safety was unfettered by panic.

‘Get everyone outside,’ Rose instructed the twelve-year-old girl, who, by virtue of being the eldest, was charged with the safety of her fellow students. Rose held back to count them as they filed past. ‘Five, six, seven.’ She raised her gaze, hoping to see the missing student and his teacher, but the stairwell was empty.

Rose told herself it was fine. Hilary would look after their stray lamb, but what if they were injured? She could only imagine what had caused the whole theatre to shake, and she was still deciding what to do next when she heard a clatter of feet from above. ‘Thank God,’ Rose said, as Jack appeared.

The little boy was covered in dust, and coughed between sobs.

‘Where’s Mrs Clarke?’

‘She pushed me,’ he mewled. ‘And when I looked back, I couldn’t … I couldn’t see her. I think stuff fell on her, miss. She’s trapped! There’s fire in the sky and everything!’

Rose placed her foot back on the stairs, but it was a tentative move.

‘Please, miss, don’t leave me!’

They could hear the wail of sirens approaching. ‘OK, OK,’ Rose agreed, telling herself it was the sensible decision. It wasn’t about being brave, or otherwise. ‘We’ll get help.’