Two Alive, стр. 35
“We have to get these kids the fuck out of here!” Johnathan broke in. He threw open the double doors of the front office and startled Justine. She snatched up the phone and started dialing, saying something about still not hearing from the roofing company. Johnathan pressed down the receiver button and took the phone from her.
“Oh my god, Sam!” Justine waddled around the front desk, holding her stomach, when she saw Arthur carrying the wounded man to one of the couches. “Are you ok? What happened?”
“We’re calling the police.” Michelle said to Justine then turned to Johnathan as she heard him dialing. “We can call the police and they can handle those people outside. Someone can give Sam a ride to the hospital, but we don’t have to leave the school. We just put everything on lock down.”
“Everyone please start making your way towards the front exits! This is not a drill; we are evacuating the school through the front exits, now!” Johnathan’s words were repeated over the loudspeakers in the hallways and all the classrooms. He hung up the receiver and looked at Michelle, wiping his eyes when blood started to trickle down his forehead.
“What are you doing John?” The principal looked frantic, staring up at the much taller man in front of her and feeling slighted. “You can’t make a call like that! I told you, we should stay in the school!”
“Michelle, you didn’t see those people out there! They were mad! They’re going to break into the school if we wait for the police! When’s the last time you remember OPD responding to a call in east Oakland, quickly?” He pulled the radio from where it was clipped to his back pocket, “We have to get out of here.” Johnathan pushed the button on his radio and started talking to the other staff members about avoiding the back parking lot.
“Mr. Johnathan, what you want me to do? How can I help?” Antonio was pacing back and forth in the office, wiping tears from his eyes along with snot bubbles every time he sniffled.
Johnathan just put a hand on Antonio’s shoulder. “It’s alright. Everything is gonna be alright. Try to calm down.” He wiped blood from his forehead again
“Johnathan, you can’t just do that! I told you! I’m making the call!” Michelle tried stealing the radio from his hand, but he pulled away from her. “We’re safe inside the building!”
A scream came through the radio and Johnathan recognized the female voice on the other end. He went sprinting out of the office and headed for classroom 12 just as Francine called for coverage through the radio.
“Mr. Johnathan! Don’t leave!” Miles called after him. The stringy boy almost went after him but stayed in the office, clutching the flat cardboard box with his lower lip trembling.
Antonio pulled up his sagging pants and went out in the hall, “Old man! You want me to go with you?” He shouted after Johnathan, but he didn’t stop.
Johnathan left them behind and continued running, nearly slamming into a door when he turned the corner and it was opened in front of him. Teachers and staff were coming out into the hall and asking about the announcement. He didn’t stop to explain but just kept running for classroom 12 and snatched open the door as soon as he reached the knob. Inside, Amber was struggling with the small child, Hector, trying to fight him off in a far corner. The other students were scared and hiding behind Francine at her desk.
Johnathan went to help Amber and saw Hector clawing at the air with dark veiny hands. The boy’s eyes were yellow pits and his mouth hung open in a gnarled grimace. He grabbed Amber’s wrist with a death grip and Johnathan went to pry the boy’s fingers off her. When he finally did, he saw Amber’s forearm was scratched to hell. She winced at her mangled arm and tears of pain filled her eyes as she went running for the door and out of the classroom.
“Everyone get out of the classroom right now!” Johnathan shouted and used a desk to push the feral small boy back.
Francine ushered everyone out the classroom and Johnathan gave Hector a solid push to give himself enough space to turn and run. He slammed the door shut when he exited and locked the wild boy inside.
“John, we can’t leave him in the classroom by himself! You know that!” Francine tried moving Johnathan to go to her student still inside the room.
“What happened?” Johnathan didn’t budge and held the door shut. “What happened? Why is Hector going crazy?!”
“What do you mean? When is he not--”
“Francine! What caused it?! What happened, exactly!” Johnathan stared into her eyes, stern and without blinking.
Francine started slowly, “Amber gave him his inhaler and after he took it…” She held out her hand with the asthma pump. Small letters were in the corner in bold. LRS-10 SUPPLEMENT.
Johnathan saw the words and shook his head. “Ok, it’s ok. Francine, just please take your class to the front exits. We have to leave the school now. Take everyone to the vans out front.” He turned to see Amber standing in the hallway, “Are you ok Amber?”
Amber nodded but was too concerned with the state of her nearly flayed arm to give a better response. She was bleeding badly.
“We have to get you and Sam to the hospital and get all the kids out of here.” Johnathan continued. “It’s not safe in the parking lot and it’s not safe in the school.”
A loud pounding started up to his right, on the back door heading to the parking lot. Snarling and screaming could be heard coming from what sounded like wild animals. Johnathan started shouting for