The Blunder part - 2

Jason's breath hitched.

His legs buckled beneath him as he stumbled backward, his hands scraping against the cold floor as he desperately tried to drag himself away.

Eli's heart pounded.

The Frostborn standing in front of them let out a loud, ear-piercing screech that echoed through the dimly lit hallway.

Then—it moved.

With an unnatural jerk, the creature lurched forward, its movements swift despite its twisted, ice-coated limbs.

"Shit! Shut the door!" Jason shouted.

Eli moved fast—too fast.

With a panicked motion, he slammed the door shut and stumbled back.

But he was too late.

BAM!

A deafening crash shook the entire hallway as the Frostborn's upper body pierced straight through the plastic door.

Its torso and one clawed arm jutted out, its dead eyes locking onto Eli.

Eli barely had time to react before the creature's icy fingers clamped onto his ankle.

"AHH! FK! GET IT OFF!"** Eli screamed, thrashing violently.

His body twisted, his hands clawing at the floor as he tried to pull away.

The grip was unbearable—like his ankle was being crushed inside a vice of frozen steel.

Jason snapped out of his shock.

He lunged forward, grabbing the broken mop handle from the ground.

With a desperate grunt, he jabbed it down onto the Frostborn's arm.

CLANG!

The metal handle bent nearly sixty degrees on impact.

Jason's eyes widened in horror.

It was solid—like hitting an iron pole covered in ice.

The weapon was useless.

He threw it aside and resorted to something else—his foot.

Jason reeled back and kicked the creature's wrist with full force.

Nothing.

The icy skin was smooth and solid, his attacks sliding off uselessly.

Eli, still trapped, twisted his body, using his free leg to kick the hand that held him.

But every impact just glided off, as if his foot was skating across ice.

Jason clenched his jaw.

He knew if they didn't get Eli free now, it was over.

Summoning every ounce of strength left in his body, he lifted his aching foot and kicked down hard—

This time, a crack echoed.

A sharp bolt of pain shot up Jason's ankle, making him nearly collapse.

But—

The Frostborn's grip weakened for a second.

Eli felt it.

Without hesitation, he yanked his leg free, scrambling backward, while doing so his other leg also got scratched, a small drop of blood fell onto the floor, though Eli felt pain, but this pain seems bleak compared to the war going in his heart right now.

Jason staggered, barely able to stay on his feet, his injured ankle throbbing painfully.

But there was no time to think.

A shrill, bone-chilling screech rang out.

Jason and Eli's heads snapped toward the door just in time to see it shatter.

BAM!

The entire doorframe collapsed inward, splinters of plastic flying through the air.

And then—

A second Frostborn stepped out from the darkness of the restroom.

Its hollow, frozen face twisted toward them.

A moment of stillness.

Then—

It moved.

Jason and Eli bolted.

Eli's leg burned from where the Frostborn had gripped him, and Jason's ankle screamed in agony, but neither of them could afford to stop.

They stumbled as they ran, barely holding each other up, forcing their exhausted bodies forward.

Behind them, the Frostborns were coming.

Fast.

Both of them had been best friends long before the apocalypse.

Back then, they used to be the bullies—laughing, pushing around the weaker students, enjoying the power that came with it.

Now?

Now, they were the ones being hunted.

Ava froze the moment she heard the first scream.

It sent a cold shiver down her spine—not because of fear, but because she already knew what had happened.

They did exactly what she feared.

Her jaw clenched, and she gripped the crowbar tighter in frustration.

Then, another scream—louder, more desperate.

Liam didn't waste a second. He rushed to the classroom door, his hands moving swiftly to tear away the barricade they had setup with desks and benches. As soon as the pathway was clear, he pushed open the door and peered outside.

What he saw made his stomach drop.

Jason and Eli were sprinting down the hallway, tripping over their own feet in sheer panic.

Their expressions were twisted in pure terror, their limbs flailing as they tried to outrun the monsters behind them.

And the monsters were fast.

The first Frostborn was almost on all fours, its unnaturally long limbs clawing against the tiled floor, moving with a horrifying, animalistic speed.

The second one was limping slightly, its frozen body damaged, but still moving with deadly intent. A shattered plastic door was still stuck in its leg, dragging against the floor as it chased its prey.

But that wasn't the worst part.

Jason and Eli's screams had echoed too far.

More doors were creaking open.

From the surrounding classrooms, more Frostborn began to emerge.

Some stumbled, their limbs twitching unnaturally. Some walked with eerie stillness. Others moved on all fours, their eyes glowing with an unnatural blue light.

The hallway was filling with them.

Liam gritted his teeth and signaled them to move faster.

"Move your asses! NOW!" he barked, his voice sharp and commanding.

Jason, gasping for breath, yelled back.

"I—I'm running, man! What the hell do you think I'm doing?!"

Eli, barely keeping up, shouted, "SHUT UP AND JUST RUN!"

Ilsa, Mia, and the others rushed toward the doorway when they saw Jason and Eli sprinting toward them, their desperate cries for help making their own faces pale with fear.

Liam could see it clearly—the monsters were gaining.

His grip on the chair tightened.

Jason and Eli were seconds away—

As soon as they reached the door, Liam lunged forward and shoved them both inside.

Jason collapsed onto the floor, gasping for air, while Eli stumbled and nearly tripped.

But there was no time to think.

The first Frostborn was mid-air, launching straight for them.

Liam swung.

The chair collided with the creature's face, sending it slamming against the wall.

It screeched in pain, its frozen body cracking from the impact.

Mark didn't hesitate. But he was unarmed.

Inside the classroom, Ava reacted immediately.

She turned to Vin.

"Vin! Catch!"

She hurled the crowbar toward him.

Vin, still injured, barely managed to snatch it out of the air. He turned around without thinking and threw it toward Liam and Mark.

The crowbar spun midair.

Liam reached out—

But it was slightly out of his range.

Mark caught it instead.

The moment Mark's fingers wrapped around the cold metal, he moved without hesitation.

With a powerful, well-aimed swing, he smashed the crowbar into the Frostborn's skull.

CRACK!

The creature's head exploded like frozen glass, sending chunks of blue-black flesh and icy shards splattering across the floor.

Liam glanced at Mark, his expression dark.

Mark noticed immediately.

With a sarcastic smirk, he held the crowbar out toward Liam, wiggling it in front of him like a prize.

"Aww, you wanted this?" Mark teased.

Liam's glare hardened as he snatched it from Mark's hand.

"Shut up."

Mark just chuckled. "Yeah, yeah, you're welcome, Mr. Hero."

Before Liam could respond—

Another screech.

A second Frostborn lunged from behind.

Liam turned sharply.

He gripped the crowbar tight, shifted his weight, and swung with full force.

BOOM!

The impact not only crushed the Frostborn's skull—it splattered its upper torso into a frozen mess.

Chunks of dark blue flesh and blackened ice littered the ground.

But the horde was still coming.

Ava's sharp eyes darted toward the hallway.

More Frostborn were charging toward them.

They had seconds before they were overwhelmed.

"Mark! The door!"

Mark's head snapped toward her.

For a moment, he hesitated.

Then, as if he immediately understood, he rushed toward the fallen plastic door still wedged in the Frostborn's leg.

With a powerful yank, he ripped the door free and hoisted it up, holding it in front of himself like a makeshift shield.

With a breathless chuckle, he turned to Liam.

"Move aside, Mr. Hero."

Liam's glare darkened, but he didn't argue. He stepped back.

Mark pushed forward, using the door as a shield to shove back the oncoming Frostborn.

The moment they crossed the threshold of the classroom, Ava, Riley, Elise, Mia, and Ilsa slammed the door shut behind them.

"Barricade it! Now!"

They scrambled to pile up furniture, pushing chairs, desks, and whatever they could find against the door.

Just as the last chair was shoved into place—

The Frostborn slammed into the door again and again, their frozen bodies crashing against the barricade like a relentless storm.

Each impact sent violent tremors through the stacked furniture, making the entire barricade groan and shift under the pressure.

The room was filled with the sound of splintering wood, screeching metal, and heavy thuds.

BANG!

A loud crack rang out as one of the chairs at the top of the pile tilted forward, its legs scraping against the desk beneath it.

Ava heard the creaking sound above her and instinctively looked up—

Her breath caught in her throat.

A chair was falling straight toward her.

Her body tensed, her hands flying up to shield her head—

But the impact never came.

Something stopped it.

Ava blinked, confused.

When she turned her head, she realized why.

Liam.

He was standing right beside her, one hand gripping the chair before it could fall.

His chest rose and fell heavily, his breathing ragged from exhaustion, yet his grip was firm as he steadied the chair back into place.

For a moment, Ava could only stare at him.

Liam was too close.

His arm was just inches from her shoulder, his breath still uneven as he kept his other hand against the barricade beside her, as if bracing both himself and her from the next hit.

His shirt, already torn and damp with sweat, clung to his frame, the tension in his muscles evident from the way he strained to hold the barricade together.

Ava swallowed, looking away quickly.

"Careful," Liam muttered, his voice lower than usual.

---->

Splinters of wood lay scattered near the cracked frame of the boys' restroom door. Amidst them, a single drop of red clung to the cold floor, its edges already starting to crystalize, freezing into the chill of the air.

A shadow passed over it—silent, heavy. Then, a low snout dipped into view, black as ash and twitching. The creature sniffed, sharp and deliberate, before a long, rough tongue slid out, lapping the blood clean from the concrete. It lingered for a breath, tasting the iron, the warmth now gone.

Another sniff, deeper this time. The Dog like creature lifted its head, eyes glinting like shards of obsidian. It turned to the right, body tense. A low, rumbling growl vibrated from its chest—quiet, but deep enough to make the air feel heavier.