Carrion (The Bren Watts Diaries #1)

Chapter 25

Another shriek came. Then, another. They seeped from within the walls themselves, and I couldn't pinpoint where they originated. Those unearthly howls and cries belonged to the voices of kids. Some were deeper than the orchestral horror reverberating across the hall, which meant there might be older ones, too.

"Could be two. Maybe more," Miguel whispered.

"Let's not stand around here to find out, shall we?" Bobby hissed from the back.

We headed over to the northern wing. Fortunately, the growls of the vectors slowly dissipated the farther we went from the main foyer, and I breathed a sigh of relief when silence once again returned. Miguel found a map hanging by the wall. He flipped the frame over and pulled the map out.

"Cafeteria's this way," said Miguel, pointing at a set of two double doors standing side by side. Each of the double doors was padlocked. "And the nurse's office is only two corridors down."

Margot said something to Felipe, and he translated, "Good, she said. She'll look for med supplies aside from the medicine."

"That means we have to split up?" Jonas asked. He gulped down the thought, and his face paled.

I turned to Miguel, asked, "How far is it, really?"

"Just two corridors down. Take a left and another left. There should be a big sign saying so."

"I'm going with her," said Felipe.

"Okay. Take another person with you. Any volunteers?" I looked around, but no one raised their hands.

I heard Miguel sighed beside me. "Well, I guess I'll go. Plus, I have a gun anyway." He raised his rifle.

"Well, we can't be left behind unprotected! We have limited guns," said Bobby.

"I can't leave them defenseless either," I said. I pointed at Margot and Felipe's weapons, two long golden candle stands they got from the altar. It was certainly a good weapon to bash some skulls with, but not at long range.

I also looked at the weapons the others carried. A fire extinguisher, an emergency fire ax, pots and pans, and some butter and steak knife they got from the small kitchen...it wasn't much to look at when stopping two dozen of them, but I didn't want to say that out loud.

"Miguel is going with them. We'll meet outside these doors in fifteen minutes," I said, pointing at the cafeteria doors.

"That's enough time. Here. Take this." Miguel handed me one of the keys on the chain he got earlier. The label CAFETERIA plastered on its head. He took the rest with him.

I watched as Miguel, Felipe, and Margot walked straight ahead and turned left. I walked toward the cafeteria doors, slipping the key on my hand into the lock. When everyone heard the locks clicked, a breath of relief echoed across the hall. I only pushed the door slightly open and saw darkness waiting beyond.

I said,  "We don't know what's behind these doors, so be quiet and don't rush."

It was a wide hallway leading toward the main hall, and from there, I saw the light. It was coming from the street lights, streaming an orange glow through the windows. I looked to my left and right. The hallway looked empty—school posters about sports events and plays plastered on its surface.

"Clear," I whispered, and the others began to stream in the hall. "Close the door," I said, and Luke cautiously closed it.

The cafeteria was two stories high, leading to a huge open foyer facing what looked like the school courtyard right outside the giant windows that reached from floor to ceiling. The second floor, which we were on, had a few dozen or so bench tables scattered around and much smaller than the main dining hall below. Two stairs led down from our left and right, converging in the middle to make a giant staircase leading down to the main cafeteria, where twice as many bench tables sat. To our left, against the wall, was a wheelchair ramp that led to the same main cafeteria floor. Opposite of the staircase were the serving stations with plastered labels over their booths like pizza, pasta, salads, snacks, etc.