11 DAL-GU AND THE HORDE OF DOGS

It's been a while since Howard and Sam finished blocking the back and the front doors. There's no sign of Dal-gu around the fifth floor. Shio was still terrified about what she saw in outside, she can't talk properly, she can't focus and she can't think of anything. But she listened to what Howard said, and she wanted to show Karen that she is a reliable sister to lean on.

The rain suddenly continues and the windows were filled with water droplets, It started to get cold inside the library. Some noises can be heard from a distance but no one can confirm what it was, the only thing they can do was to stay vigilant.

After a few minutes, Shio and Karen were able to sleep on the floor, while Sam and Howard were left guarding the library.

"So... what's your story kid?" Howard asked in a curious tone

"I'm just here to change my story----our story..." Sam answered in a tired tone

"I didn't expect to see someone doing that. I understand what you're doing, It's just, it's pretty rare to see someone going this far just to save one person" Howard said in a soft tone

"I just want to have a happy life, with her. But because of what happened to us before, I felt responsible for putting her in this situation. If ever we didn't meet one another that day, I think she won't need to experience this. " Sam said in a disappointed tone

Sam stands up and went to a nearby bookshelf, he slowly took a book from the bookshelf and he looked at it.

"I know---- I know what happened before. I read your book" Howard said calmly while looking at Shio and Karen

Sam took the book and placed it on his backpack

"Are you planning to carry all that heavy burden by yourself? You know you have to tell her what happened, she deserves to know the truth about it Sam" Howard said in a worried tone

Sam left Howard sitting at his chair. He decided to roam around and check the place. Howard was left sitting at his chair. After a few minutes, he eventually fell asleep.

The rain stops and the clouds in the sky started to fade, the moon was able to show it's light that night. Sam took a wristwatch out of his bag and he wears it. All of the hands in his watch is still locked in 12, all of the three hands are not moving. Sam decided to continue to roam around the library and check the room.

After a few minutes, he noticed a shadow covered in smoke across the hallway when he took a peek in the backdoors lite.

He stops and he stares at the shadow while it slowly approaches. The shadows figure started to get clearer as it gets closer to the door. Sam didn't flinch a little even if the shadow gets closer and closer. Until eventually, the shadow reaches the door and stopped.

From a far distance, it looks like a shadow, but at a close distance, the true figure of the shadow can be distinguished. It was a girl wearing a torn-out hoodie and simple jean shorts, she is also wearing a ghoul mask with a simple black and white design to cover her face.

The black smoke flowing around her was still there, even though she is wearing a mask, you can see in her blue eyes that she is having a fun time.

"Hello... Sam" The girl in a Torn-out hoodie said

"Hi" Sam answered in a troubled tone

"You look pretty healthy and clean comparing to the last time I saw you. You were very dirty back then..." She said while she tries to open the door

"We're just getting started, we will all get dirty at some point" he replied with a serious tone

"oh yeah, I forgot about that. we will all go through it again...." she said while trying to push the door open

"you know that it isn't the same as before..something is different," he said

"oh, so you're able to realize that already... I thought you won't even notice the difference" she said as she stops on trying to open the door

"If you are able to determine that quickly, I guess you already realize that you only have one way to ensure you and your friend's safety..." she said while staring at him

"I will do everything to lock in here forever.," Sam said while staring her

The door lite started to crack slowly while both Sam and the girl was staring at one another. He can sense that the girl is the one doing that because her black smoke is leaking through the cracks. He was surprised at what he saw... his heart suddenly beats faster he started to feel fear but eventually, he was able to control it.

"you can't do that, how are you able to do that... what happened to you" He said while wondering what else is she capable of doing

"We both know that no one among us can control the environment of this world... we can use it, destroy it, but controlling it was not an option..." she said as she puts her hand on the glass window lite and turns it into yarns, As she finishes transforming it into a different object she smiled to Sam while slowly turning it back to a glass lite with no cracks...

"I can kill you anytime I want, all of you... but I'll play your little game, Sam. let's see what you can do..." She said as she vanishes into smoke

Sam can't deny that he felt terrified and nervous about what he saw. He immediately realizes that everything he knew worth nothing right now, their survival depends on their skills and a little bit of luck... Deep inside him he wishes that the girl won't go insane any time soon, because he knows that everything she said was true, she can kill them anytime she wanted but she wanted to play with their lives more, which is the only reason why they're still alive.

Sam went to check if everyone's fine. He felt a slight of relief as he sees them comfortably on sleeping in the library. He sat down near shio's bed and there he took a rest. He checked his watch and he noticed that the hands in it moved, it's currently 12:30 in the morning... After a few minutes, He eventually falls asleep. In a calm and quiet night on the school, Shio, Sam, Karen and Howard sleep to prepare for an upcoming face-off against Dal-gu and his dogs sooner or later.

-After a few hours

Karen was the first one to wake up... She slowly stands up and walks to the bathroom inside the library. The day is very calm and quiet, the sun's daylight was shining through the window. The sky was clear and the weather is good, it's not too hot not too cold.

Karen went outside the bathroom and walks back to Shio. When she is about to wake her up, she heard a loud bang outside the door. Because of how loud the noise was, Howard woke up immediately.

He stood up and he immediately wakes Sam by kicking his foot. Sam woke up calmly but he immediately stood up as he sees Howard aiming his shotgun on the door. He decided to walk up shio...

"Shio...SHIO!" Sam whispered while he tries to wake her up

Shio heard it but she didn't stand up quickly

"five more minutes please..." She said while trying to go to sleep

"Shio you need to wake now..." Sam said as he kicks shios a little hard

Shio immediately got her consciousness and she took Karen and carried her.

"What is happening?" Shio asked in curiosity

"Someone is banging on the door.." Karen said

Another bang was heard from the same door.

"Howard?" Shio said in a nervous tone

"Keep calm, Stay at my back..." Howard said while aiming at the door

Suddenly a sound of glass break was heard from the back.

"KNOCK KNOCK!" Dal-gu shouted

The door at the front was immediately opened by two dogs, The dogs were furious that they didn't hesitate to attack them.

Howard shot one dog on the head while Sam smashed the other with a wooden board in the body.

"EVERYONE! FOLLOW ME!" Howard said as they ran outside the library

"YOU CAN'T RUN FROM ME!" Dal-gu shouted

Howard ran towards the stairs while the other three follows. They reach the stairs but as they go down two dogs blocked their way, Howard shot the one dog while Sam holds and throws the other one on a lower floor as he throws the other one he saw a lot of dogs running in the stairs below. So instead of going down, they decided to go up.

"RUN, GO! GO!" Howard said as he tells them to go up while shooting the dogs coming from the stairs

While carrying Karen, Shio takes the lead on going upstairs. as they reach the fifth floor he saw Dal-Gu on the rush coming from the library

"GOING SOMEWHERE!?" Dal-gu said while rushing to shio

Dal-gu was fast that he was able to grab Shios sleeves, he pulled her which made her drop Karen, he pulled shio towards him but she resisted. Sam was able to interfere quickly and pushed Dal-gu towards the wall

"SHIO! RUN" Sam said as he holds Dal-gu

"Ohhh, So what do we got here, A heeeeerroo!? Funny Kid" Dal-gu yelled

He pushed Sam very hard which makes Sam hit the wall on the other side, Dal-gu tries to follow it up with a punch but Sam was quick enough to dodge it and punch him back. Dal-gu flinch a lot and he fell to his knee

"Wow... that was strong" Dal-gu said while letting the blood leak through his lips

Two dogs were coming from the library rushing towards them. Howard suddenly arrived on time, he shot both of the dogs and smash Dal-gu as he tries to stand up.

"let's go up... I got a plan" Howard said as he carries Karen and went towards the rooftop

They immediately reached the rooftop, Sam immediately locked the only door to give them time to execute the Howards plan.

"What's the plan?" Shio asked

"We use the rooftop of the bridge to go across, then we hold it there, once we are on the middle they can only go from three directions, I'll hold the door while both of you hold the bridge. The young kid will stay at my back..." Howard said while approaching the bridge

"So we're going to kill a dozen of them?" Sam asked

"I already killed 8, you killed one.." Howard said as he crosses the bridges rooftop the rooftop was big enough for them to cross safely

"But they will just spawn more..." Sam answered

"I know, That's why Shio must kill one..." Howard said as they all reach the other side

"That's not how it works.." Sam said in a frustrated tone

"I know what your thinking, In order for Shio to face them or to remove them from her fears was to accept them, carry them, take them in her arms and prove it to herself that they won't hurt her. Look, those dogs are vicious, they will not hesitate to kill her. Your girlfriend must understand how to face her fear, and the only way for her to do that was by proving to herself that she is stronger than them..." Howard explained thoroughly

"I'm not able to do this before.." Sam said in a worried tone

"has she done it before?" Howard replied as he leaves Sam and went directly to Shio

"it's time kid, time to prove your strength, Pull out your gun, and kill a dog." Howard calmly said

"I think that if you are able to kill one, then that will be the time they will disappear, we don't know if this is going to work. But we have to try it, okay?" He continued

Shio hesitated for a while...

"I will.. for all of us.." Shio said with a slightly confident tone

"Everyone get ready!" Howard said as he went and aim to the other

A loud bang was heard from the other door

"SHIO! TRUST YOURSELF, YOUR STRONGER THAN THEM!" Howard shouted

"SHIO! YOU CAN DO THIS" Sam shouted as he goes to the other bridge

Karen ran to shio and she gave her a hug

"Big Sis... I don't know what's happening, but I know you're strong." she said

"Hey little kid, come to me, your sister needs to do something." Howard calmly said

Karen slowly went to Howard's side. Shio was left alone on the other bridge, She tilts the guns safety switch and turns it off, she aimed firmly while preparing to take her first kill.

Another loud bang with a cracking noise was heard from the door, Shio starts to get nervous but she keeps on trying her best to control it. Her heart beats faster, Sweat starts to drip and she started to catch her breath...

But despite the pressure that she felt, she was able to clear her mind and think of Karen. She remembered the promise she made for her when they were both young, it was a good memory...

"I'll be always there for you Karen.. always..."

Shio took a deep breathe as she relives those words over and over again

The door was opened wide and a dog came out of it, The dog was furiously rushing towards shio but on her eyes, it was moving slow.

Shio was able to control her breath, She is able to control her emotions. She didn't realize but she was able to pull the trigger. She did her first real shot, a shot that has a real bullet that can kill a living creature, a shot that may provide a chance for her to save their lives and a chance for her to face her fear.

The bullet hits the dog in the eye, it went inside its head and it pierced through its skull. The dog went down and its blood flows to the roof. The dog slowly burns and turns into ashes as shio starts to analyze and understand what she did.

"I did it.. " She said with a sound of relief, she slowly put the gun in safety and she kept it inside her jacket

"I DID IT!" She shouted with an energetic tone while rushing towards Karen, she gave her a big hug. Howard and Sam went to Shio to celebrate what she did.

"I told you, you can do it" Howard said with a proud tone

"Are we safe?" Karen said in a curious tone

"Yes, we are. The dogs must be gone by now" Sam calmly answered

but after a few second of celebrating, a man walked out of the busted door.

"You really think that it will end that easy?" A man said from a distance

They immediately look towards the voice, and they saw Dal-gu standing across the bridge.

"Let's just say you are able to shoot one, well that's good because I still have ten more" Dal-gu said

The dogs went out one by one and all of them stayed behind Dal-gu, all of them are looking very angry, it was like they really want to kill Shio now that She learns how to face them

"There's only one way for you to end this.." Dal-gu said in a calm tone while slowly approaching the bridge

"and it was...to...die with..." Dal-gu said but as he took his first step on the bridge a big branch of trees destroyed the two bridges that connect the three buildings together.

Dal-gu was pushed backwards because of the force the Tree exerted. Bricks, Glass and Different Metallic Objects burst out from the bridge as the trees grow wider and taller. Shards of metal flew to Dal-gu and to Shio's group resulting in mild wounds.

Shio covers Karen, Sam covers Shio and Karen, while Howard Cover the three of them which means Howard was the one who took the most hit. Dal-gu, on the other hand, suffers the most because of the metals and some broken glass that flew directly to him.

Everyone was surprised by what happened, now the three buildings were separated by a group of huge trees.

"What is happening..." Dal-gu said in a frustrated tone

Shio and the rest of them were left speechless while staring at the tree.

"let's play a game... Shall we?" A voice of a girl was head from the edge of the building

Shio and the rest of them gather in one place while looking at the location where the voice was coming from, All of them are worried and wondering who said it. The temperature of the area suddenly started to get colder, their surroundings started to get darker, the thick fog started to cover the forest around the school and the sun started to hide behind the dark clouds.

After a few seconds, The girl in the hoodie revealed herself. She floats towards them from the forest while laughing extremely loud. You can sense that she is really enjoying herself right now.

"So, who wants to play?" She said in a very calm but chill tone

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