Quiet sobbing came from ground-level breaths. Cries for help went unanswered.In the cafeteria, bodies lay strewn among ham salad sandwiches, lukewarm hot dogs and tater tots. Pieces of plaster and people burned in small bouts of fire. Flesh melted like cheese off pizza.Across campus, a science lab released noxious fumes as flammable chemicals threatened greater destruction. A French class lay devastated. A rec hall fell to pieces. After a while, the only sound coming from inside was the crackling of the fire.Outside, a mass gathered in the courtyard. They stared in silence and grief at the smoky haze casting shadowy darkness about the school, blocking out the sun. Friends searched for each other through the crowds. Faculty did its best to tally the students, a futile task. So many were fleeing. So many were disassembled. Campus police tried to keep the chaos from spreading. None dared reenter the university.The extent of death and destruction remained largely unknown. Some inside were still alive and in need of immediate medical attention, their skin seared, their bones shattered, their lungs contaminated and their veins opened.
