in my lungs. I kicked my legs wildly hoping that I could get some leverage that would relieve the searing pain that my body was experiencing.
I was faintly aware of Mic’s presence behind him and Jacob’s screams. My vision dimmed just as it released its grip on my neck and I fell to the floor. The simp landed on top of me, his scratchy goatee resting on my cheek. I pushed with as much strength as I could manage and then Jacob and Mic were there to assist. I pulled myself up and gulped in several deep breaths. My lungs felt like they were on fire. “Can you move?” Mic asked urgently.
“Yes.” I croaked. “Just give me a second.”
“We don’t have one, Hailey. Give me your hand.” Jacob was yanking my knife out of the simp’s back as I got to my feet, and then I realized what Mic meant. The parking lot was filling with simps. It looked like an angry crowd, all heading straight toward the doors. A fresh surge of adrenaline pumped through my veins, and I moved with renewed urgency.
Jacob handed me the blade and the three of us ran. “Stairwell!” I huffed. There was no time to wait for the elevator, and I pushed Jacob in front of me.
“Go kid, run!” I didn’t have to tell him twice. The boy was holding the railing and his little legs were pumping as fast as they would go.
“Get to the third floor, we have to warn Giz and Barbara!” Mic said. Voices began to echo below us from the lobby as we climbed, and I knew the simps were in. There was no way to get to the basement now. When we reached the third floor, I saw that Barbara was in the hallway. She fell to her knees when she saw Jacob. He ran to her arms with the two of us shouting for them to get moving. Giz walked out from the cafeteria very casually and when he saw the frantic looks on our faces his temperament changed.
“Barbara, get your golf club and bring it to me. We need it to wedge it in the door handle, I directed.” She nodded and grabbed Jacob’s hand. “You stay with me kiddo!”
“Mic, help me get all the equipment!” Giz squeaked.
“There’s no time for that, Giz! They’re coming!” I said.
“There has to be time, we have to!” He ran back in the cafeteria and Mic chased after him. “Here!” Barbara said, tossing me the golf club. I wedged it through the handle just as an Asian male face filled the glass in the window within the door, “Here’s Johnny!” He exclaimed, and although his voice was slightly muffled by the door, it scared the crap out of me. He/it was pulling the door, and I feared it wouldn’t hold. I backed up and then turned to run to the cafeteria.
“Let’s go, they’re already at the stairwell door!” Just then the ‘ding’ of the elevator caught my attention. Oh my god, I’d secured the door but had forgotten about the elevator. As the doors opened, I saw a mass of faces. They had packed in as tight as they could to get to us. Barbara and I nearly collided as we scurried down the hall back to the cafeteria. Jacob was in the doorway, urging us to hurry. I didn’t dare look back, knowing there was a ton of them behind us. There was a lock on the cafeteria door, and I latched it. Jacob and Barbara were hiding under a table in the far corner, and Mic and Giz were stuffing their equipment in their bags. My eyes darted for an exit, but I knew there wasn’t one. We were now trapped with the simps banging on the door. It was a matter of minutes before they got in.
“What are we going to do?” Jacob wailed.
Mic finished zipping his bag and very calmly looked up at the ceiling. I followed his eyes and knew what he was thinking.
“Giz, help me,” I said as I started sliding a table. We’ll have to stack two in order to reach.” Mic said.
“Barbara, get a chair and smash it into the vending machines and load what you can in this.” He threw her a plastic grocery bag that Giz had used to
I was faintly aware of Mic’s presence behind him and Jacob’s screams. My vision dimmed just as it released its grip on my neck and I fell to the floor. The simp landed on top of me, his scratchy goatee resting on my cheek. I pushed with as much strength as I could manage and then Jacob and Mic were there to assist. I pulled myself up and gulped in several deep breaths. My lungs felt like they were on fire. “Can you move?” Mic asked urgently.
“Yes.” I croaked. “Just give me a second.”
“We don’t have one, Hailey. Give me your hand.” Jacob was yanking my knife out of the simp’s back as I got to my feet, and then I realized what Mic meant. The parking lot was filling with simps. It looked like an angry crowd, all heading straight toward the doors. A fresh surge of adrenaline pumped through my veins, and I moved with renewed urgency.
Jacob handed me the blade and the three of us ran. “Stairwell!” I huffed. There was no time to wait for the elevator, and I pushed Jacob in front of me.
“Go kid, run!” I didn’t have to tell him twice. The boy was holding the railing and his little legs were pumping as fast as they would go.
“Get to the third floor, we have to warn Giz and Barbara!” Mic said. Voices began to echo below us from the lobby as we climbed, and I knew the simps were in. There was no way to get to the basement now. When we reached the third floor, I saw that Barbara was in the hallway. She fell to her knees when she saw Jacob. He ran to her arms with the two of us shouting for them to get moving. Giz walked out from the cafeteria very casually and when he saw the frantic looks on our faces his temperament changed.
“Barbara, get your golf club and bring it to me. We need it to wedge it in the door handle, I directed.” She nodded and grabbed Jacob’s hand. “You stay with me kiddo!”
“Mic, help me get all the equipment!” Giz squeaked.
“There’s no time for that, Giz! They’re coming!” I said.
“There has to be time, we have to!” He ran back in the cafeteria and Mic chased after him. “Here!” Barbara said, tossing me the golf club. I wedged it through the handle just as an Asian male face filled the glass in the window within the door, “Here’s Johnny!” He exclaimed, and although his voice was slightly muffled by the door, it scared the crap out of me. He/it was pulling the door, and I feared it wouldn’t hold. I backed up and then turned to run to the cafeteria.
“Let’s go, they’re already at the stairwell door!” Just then the ‘ding’ of the elevator caught my attention. Oh my god, I’d secured the door but had forgotten about the elevator. As the doors opened, I saw a mass of faces. They had packed in as tight as they could to get to us. Barbara and I nearly collided as we scurried down the hall back to the cafeteria. Jacob was in the doorway, urging us to hurry. I didn’t dare look back, knowing there was a ton of them behind us. There was a lock on the cafeteria door, and I latched it. Jacob and Barbara were hiding under a table in the far corner, and Mic and Giz were stuffing their equipment in their bags. My eyes darted for an exit, but I knew there wasn’t one. We were now trapped with the simps banging on the door. It was a matter of minutes before they got in.
“What are we going to do?” Jacob wailed.
Mic finished zipping his bag and very calmly looked up at the ceiling. I followed his eyes and knew what he was thinking.
“Giz, help me,” I said as I started sliding a table. We’ll have to stack two in order to reach.” Mic said.
“Barbara, get a chair and smash it into the vending machines and load what you can in this.” He threw her a plastic grocery bag that Giz had used to
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