اخبار وحشتناک

CHAPTER SEVEN

Terrible news

On the morning of September 21st Mark woke early. He couldn’t sleep. He had dreams all night about Rachel, and the computer printouts. He went downstairs to get the newspaper. It was on the floor with the letters. He picked it up, and looked at the front page.

Daily Echo

London, 21 September

THE WORST DAY EVER!

NUCLEAR EXPLOSION IN CHATFORD - THOUSANDS DEAD

At 10/35 yesterday evening, there was an atomic explosion at the Chatford Nuclear Power Station. Thousands of people are dead. The army has closed all roads round Chatford, and there is no news from the town. Nobody knows why the power station exploded, or how many people have died. Our reporter, Rachel Grant, was in the town when the power station exploded. The army has asked people to stay in their homes in an area fifty miles round Chatford. The Prime Minister will speak on television and radio at nine o’clock this morning.

Mark put down the newspaper. He was crying. He went to a cupboard and took out the box of computer printouts. He looked at them for a moment. Then he walked over to the telephone. He had to phone the Daily Echo. He found the phone book, and looked for the number. There it was: (0171) 1311676. Then he stopped and thought. He picked up the box of printouts, took them into the garden and burned them.

He never told anybody about the life lines.