Free Web NovelChapter 19: Lockers
They all stood frozen, staring at the pristine-looking window. Miles couldn’t even see a snowstorm beyond.
"It-" Kyle began, only to be cut off by Mr. Morgan stepping forward to inspect.
A deep grimace grew on his face as he stared at what lay beyond it.
Yet he said nothing, prompting Miles and the others to step forward as well.
All of a sudden, he could understand the man’s speechlessness.
’What?’
Beyond the glass pane lay a building entirely identical to the first-year block. Three floors and all. It wasn’t just that. Equally identical buildings lay to the left and right, completely enclosing the outside world.
Above lay more of the same buildings, stacked upon each other like apartment blocks, a stack that continued downwards until he lost sight of it in the dark abyss below.
"Where are we?" It was Brandon speaking this time, his voice lacking the bravado that usually dripped off it.
Before anyone could reply, Chloe spoke first.
"G-guys, the gym’s gone."
Miles turned to find the narrow corridor they’d just stepped out from entirely gone. In its place was a wider one, filled with lockers, that seemed to stretch on endlessly.
Just looking at it made him dizzy. Yet at the same time, he felt a strange sense of familiarity at the sight.
"This is a joke, right?"
It was Brandon. Kyle gripped his bat uneasily behind him as they both looked to Mr. Morgan.
Even Grimm stared at the man, though his eyes kept flicking to the now-empty corridor behind them.
Mr. Morgan still remained silent, brows furrowed.
Taking that chance, Miles looked at the other two corridors.
The hallway on his right led to a dead end, with two metal doors attached on opposite sides of its grey walls.
On his left was a path mostly occupied by lockers on one side, with windows on the other, eventually opening up into a larger space further down.
’That’s not too different from how it actually is.’
Of course, that was besides the fact the windows were whole instead of broken.
Mr. Morgan seemed to have caught on as well, as he finally moved.
Rifling through his pockets, he brought out a plastic pen, took aim, then threw it down the endless corridor.
It flew for a distance before landing with a clacking sound. Surprisingly loud in the now quiet hallway.
’Much further than the gym, for sure.’
He shifted his gaze from the dizzying path to find Mr. Morgan releasing a weary sigh.
"To the left, it still seems normal."
There were little grounds to disagree with him, and it wasn’t long before they were moving again.
Still sticking behind Mr. Morgan, he glanced between the lockers and the windows, still seeing the dark spiral outside through them.
A light on the final portion of the path flickered. A figure lay huddled against the lockers below it, stopping them in their tracks.
’Was he there the first time?’
Upon closer inspection, Miles noticed it to be a boy. His skin remained a sickly pale shade. The frost burns on his hands were all Miles needed to know his fate.
The corpse raised its head, jankily, the moment they stopped. Its frost-covered eyelids pried open, revealing the milky orbs beneath.
Grimm raised his gun, only to be stopped by Mr. Morgan’s hand lowering its barrel. It was too late either way; Brandon had already moved first.
A blue flame burst to life on his outstretched arm, one he wasted no time in throwing towards the body, igniting it as easily as dry wood.
It released a shrill, ear-piercing shriek.
A few seconds were more than enough for it to spread, engulfing the corpse as it rolled. Hands tearing into its own body in a vain attempt to put it out. Still shrieking all the while.
Brandon stepped back in shock, the flame on his hand already gone. Most joined him in that state, including Mr. Morgan, staring at the burning, shrieking body in apprehension.
Not Miles, though.
The first thing that came to mind was not the flames, or the body, but the fact it was shrieking. Shrieking very loudly at that.
He could still remember what happened when Mr. Freeman screamed at the door back then.
’They are reactive to sound.’
Tightening his grip on his bat, he slipped past Mr. Morgan, knocking the man out of his daze, and reached the burning corpse.
"Hey..."
The man stretched out a hand behind him, but it was far too late already. He stood before its head. Bat raised high.
He’d angled himself to avoid the flames, yet he didn’t swing.
Flashes of blood, screams, and pleading flashed through his mind. To which he could only give a wry smile.
’In the end, I’m still the same...’
"Miles-"
He swung.
The feel of metal hitting bone traveled through his arms, shaking his grip. But he didn’t stop. Not until the thing stopped screaming, not until bone gave way to soft matter.
"Miles, stop it!"
Mr. Morgan’s stern, horrified voice stopped him mid-swing, bringing him back to his senses. He’d have continued until that soft matter gave way to ground.
The bat in his hands was partially dented, covered in charred bone fragments and blackened pieces of gray matter.
The flames on the corpse’s body had already begun dying down, with most of its body charred by now.
Its skull had caved in, bone fragments mixed with blackened gray matter to form a nauseating reinterpretation of soup.
’Disgusting.’
Yet his stomach reacted little to the sight.
He raised his head to find the others staring at him. A bittersweet feeling welled up in his chest at the sight of the familiar emotion in their gaze.
"They react to sound; I had to kill it before it alerted any more."
Mr. Morgan glanced at the corpse, then Miles, before giving a slow nod.
"Get back in formation. It’s fine."
Miles passed by a still-reeling Brandon, who unconsciously made way for him. Kyle avoided his gaze entirely, while Chloe snuck nervous glances at him.
The vice-principal looked to Brandon, Grimm, then Miles, before shaking his head and stepping around the corpse.
Murmuring all the while.
"What sort of school is this..."
Miles heard him, but didn’t bother to comment. There was only one thought in his mind as he followed.
’Why didn’t I get a skill?’
