Books.
A sweatshirt.
And on the top shelf, the fucking inhaler.
Relief hit hard—and then something shifted behind me.
I turned.
A shape stepped out from a classroom doorway.
Coach Daniels.
Or what remained of her. Her shirt was entirely gone, and her left nipple was missing. I shuddered at the sight of what was beneath that absent nipple.
Her eyes were fixed on me; she looked hungry.
Her head tilted.
I held my breath, hoping she wouldn’t attack. No such luck.
She began loping toward me like an animal.
Fast.
I stepped back once.
Twice.
She closed the distance, arm reaching, fingers clawing for me.
I swung.
The extinguisher struck her shoulder, knocking her off balance. She twisted and lunged again, her mouth open, and her teeth bared.
“Don’t,” I growled, as if what I’d said would matter to her.
Spoiler alert… it didn’t.
I swung again.
Harder.
She finally went down, but I didn’t stick around to see if she stayed that way.
I ran into the nearest room and slammed the door behind me, twisting the lock until it clicked.
Something banged on the door.
Once.
Twice.
Then there were more.
The handle jerked down, rattling.
What the fuck? These were supposed to be mindless creatures.
