The window held, but the sound rang through the room like a bell.
More shapes crowded the other side.
“They see us,” Lila whimpered.
Jonah and Grace, the other two students in the room, were frozen in terror, crouching under the table.
The infected slammed into the door hard enough to rattle the hinges. Then another impact—muchstronger.
“Help me!” I started shoving the table back into place, heart pounding.
Ethan and Lane helped until the entire barricade was back in place.
I stepped back slowly and secured the paper back over the window. Whatever was out there didn’t need to see us to know we were here, but it made me feel better.
Another thud.
Then silence.
That was somehow worse because we had no way to know where they were except by looking out the window. And the students in the room were bordering on hysterical; they’d really lose their shit if I lifted the paper from the window again.
“I’m sorry, boys. We’re staying, for now.” I looked at Ethan and Lane. “We can’t chance it. Help should be here soon.” God, how I hoped it was true. “We have food. Water. A solid door between us and danger.”
Ethan nodded his head, but Lane looked annoyed.
“Fine,” he muttered. “But if help doesn’t come?—”
“We’ll revisit leaving then,” I said, comfortingly.
Outside, something scraped slowly down the door.
We couldn’t stay here forever, but ensuring the safety of five students alone wasn’t something I wanted to do unless I had no other choice.
I knew the moment I stepped back into the room that something was wrong.
“Where the hell is Lane?”
I’d been in the bathroom for a whole five fucking minutes.
No one responded, but Ethan remained by the door with arms crossed and a clenched jaw. Lila sat stiffly at the table, guilt evident on her face. The other two students were sprawled on the floor, sleeping on couch cushions. At least they seemed innocent.
“Who opened the door?” I growled.
Lila flinched. “He had to get to his sisters—” she started.
“We all saw why that wasn’t a good idea.” I cut in.
Silence pressed down hard.
“It’s beenhours, and we haven’t heard anything.” Lila gestured toward the door. “And Ethan and Lane both checked the hallway before he left.”
“What about after he leaves this section of the school? We don’t know anything about those things. Is sound a trigger? Smell? All of the above? What the hell is he going to face in town?” They both looked horrified at my rapid-fire questions. “You endangered yourselves and the rest of us.”
Ethan finally spoke. “He was already going. What were we supposed to do—tackle him?”
Always the smartass.
“Yes,” I said flatly. “If that door had been overrun, you would either be dead or joining the monsters in the hallway.”
