7.| Better You Than Me

Before The Fall

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"Are you sure you want to be the one to make sure the coast is clear?" Rose asks me.

Of course I didn't want to. We're all terrified of what's out there hunting us. I would've bolted from this god forsaken school as soon as I had the chance. But I know I can't do it on my own, and we can't stay here forever. I'm the only one that has a plan to get out of here alive. 

Ivan's waiting for me. I promised him I would come back safe. Unbitten. I refuse to let him down or scar him more than he already is. With all that's happening in the world, I know I can't protect him from everything.

"I'm ready." I finally nod after a moment and pick up the broken chair leg I chose as a weapon. It's heavy and I hope it will do enough damage to keep me from being bitten. The tape wrapped around my arms is not much of a barrier.

I look at everyone for what feels like the last time. Because whatever is beyond this door is our fate. Whether that means making it out alive or dying without any of our family knowing what happened to us.

"When we enter the hallway, we follow the plan I explained to you guys. My friend Zeke told me they only react to noise, so we'll have to be as quiet as possible. If there's anyone wearing heels, take them off now. You'll have to go barefoot." I explain, eyeing each and every one of them.

Jane quickly slips off her shoes.

I don't trust her. She froze when I needed her help to push the door closed and almost got us killed. None of us can rely on her to guard the front or back line. So I chose to put her on the sides with another lanky kid who is just as quiet as Jane.

"I'll give the signal, and that's when you come out in the formation." My grip tightens on the metal chair leg, and when everyone nods, letting me know they understand my plan, I turn to the door.

Rose holds the handle for me, waiting on my signal. 

"I'm ready." I tell her and she pulls it open. 

It's the quietest Rohan High has ever been. Out of all the fifteen high schools we have in Arkum city, Rohan High is rated the worst one. Filled with misfits and delinquents. I never thought I'd see it like this.

I step out into the hallway, gripping the metal chair leg in my hand. 

The red backup lights flicker, casting an unsettling glow and illuminating the linoleum floors strewn with papers and smears of blood. The lockers across from the door have dents, stained with crimson handprints. No doubt from the chaos and screams we heard earlier yesterday.

I feel a lump of fear in my throat as I see the bullet shells everywhere. Hopefully the shooter is gone by now. I don't stand a chance with this chair leg against a gun.

I scan the area, looking for Casey or whatever that thing was that tried to break into our classroom yesterday. Nothing, no sign of them.

Sighing in relief, I look at Rose, who is peeking through the crack of the door. I nod at her and she comes out slowly; followed by our eight other classmates; 

They all have desktops as shields, except for her. 

I gave them the plan. Three guard our backs. Rose and I are in the middle with weapons, three more shield the front, and two cover the sides.

Two doors down. Two doors down. I repeat in my mind. But It's not that simple. Two doors down is another hallway. Room 901 is at the very back of the school away from everything else. There are no other doors to hide behind if anything goes wrong, just lockers on both sides.

Rose looks at me, her knuckles white as she clings to the broomstick. She looks scared. I try to smile and hope I hide my own fear and doubt.

We only hear our own breathing and soft footsteps as we walk through the hall. I remember a time when I wished school would close down so me and Ivan wouldn't have to deal with the constant bullies and threats.

Now I wish the school was full of students, laughing and gossiping. But now it's too late to change anything. The halls are empty and dangerous. We don't know what's around the corner.

Just when we are almost there, someone's phone rings, blasting Cardi B WAP.

Are you fucking serious? 

We all freeze and look at Jane. Her thick glasses are crooked and she fumbles with her phone, trying to turn it off. I give her a dirty look and mouth for her to hurry up. She should have silenced her damn phone. 

Suddenly we hear someone running towards us, their footfall fast and heavy. Casey appears around the corner, his head smashed and his eye hanging out.

I feel my stomach lurch and the front row slams into me and Rose.

"Hold your desks up." I tell them they lift their shields.

My heart beats in my throat as Casey gets closer. He shrieks and snaps his teeth into the air, back bending backward and forward.

At one step away, he lunges at the front row.

"Part!" I yell and they move aside. Rose and I charge forward. I strike Casey upside the head as hard as I can, and it's hurting me on the inside knowing this was once a person just like the rest of us—but it doesn't do anything to him.

Casey stumbles back, swinging his arms at us. I dodge and Rose stabs him in the throat with her broomstick. It's honed into a sharp tip she made. 

Black blood drips down the wood and my stomach quivers at the sight. There is no flicker of pain in those milky white eyes. He feels nothing.

He claws at us, sliding the pole deeper into his throat. He gets closer and closer.

Rose tries to pull her broomstick out, but it's stuck. 

Without a moment to spare, I hit his knee and it bends the wrong way. The skin hangs loose and Casey stumbles. 

"Guys!" Jane yells from the side. I hear the others getting nervous.

"What?" I ask, dodging Casey's arm and hitting his other knee.

Casey falls to the floor, his leg broken at the knee. The black stump sticks out of his shoe. 

"There's something behind us." Jane sounds scared. I hope she won't run away.

Rose and I look back. There's something in the darkness on all fours, silver eyes glowing

The light flashes and we see it's our teacher. 

Her neck is long, her teeth are sharp like broken glass. Blood drips from her mouth.

Rose finally frees her broomstick.

"Run!" I yell and everyone bolts down the hall.

I jump over Casey crawling across the floor with only one leg trailing behind him, and head for room 899. 

"Come on, don't stop!" Rose says, breathing hard. 

We run like we are on the track team.

I look back to see if everyone is with us, then to our teacher. She runs on all fours, her tongue hanging out long and slimy.

Jane on some blood and falls face first. She lifts her head and her bottom teeth are piercing her upper lip. Blood gushes down her front.

We can stop and help her, but we don't. My legs have a mind of their own. I keep going, and so do the rest of us. 

Our teacher leaps and hits the light fixture. It falls down and she lands on top of Jane. Wires spark from the ceiling as she rips Janes back open with her nails and hands. 

I look ahead again–almost there–then look back to see how much time we have before she comes for us next.

Jane screams fill the air as Ms. Darcy tears her spine from her back, then they stop. She holds the bloody bone in the air like she's proud of her kill, head leaning back as she shrieks.

That's enough to make me turn back around. 

When I reach room 899 and let everyone in before slamming the door behind us. We lock the door and pile chairs in front of it.

No one says anything. We just work fast.

I place the last chair on the barricade and look up.

Jake's mouth is open and walks back and forth. He looks like he's going crazy.

Jane is dead…but we had no choice. If we tried to save her, we'd be dead too.

"We let her die." Rose whispers what we are all probably thinking, covering her mouth with her hands.

I remember saying I didn't want to play the hero, but I didn't really know what it meant to play hero until now. I ran away and left Jane to die. Feeling sick to my stomach, I stare down at both my trembling hands.

Am I becoming like my mother?

Because deep down, I'm glad it wasn't me. I'm glad it was her.