What we don’t see

Liam's lungs burned as they sprinted through the side hallway, Ava's footsteps just behind his, the injured girl lagging further back.

"This way!" he shouted, gripping the stair rail and swinging himself around the corner.

Ava caught up beside him, panting hard. "Where's… where's the others?!"

"No idea," he said through gritted teeth. "They went left. We went right. We'll regroup later — we have to keep her moving."

He turned around. The pale girl — her name might've been Clara? Cara? — was stumbling, barely able to keep her balance. Her forehead was slick with sweat, and her lips had a bluish tint.

Liam ran back toward her, grabbed her arm, and threw it over his shoulder. "Come on, just a little more."

She didn't respond, but she kept going.

They moved through the corridor quickly. The lights flickered above them, buzzing faintly. Somewhere behind, something screeched — a dragging, shrill sound like metal scraping across tile.

Ava shivered. "I hate that sound."

"Don't think about it," Liam muttered. "Just focus."

—

They finally reached the end of the hallway. A wide door loomed ahead, slightly ajar. Liam slipped in first, looked around — empty science lab. Clean, quiet, but a faint stench lingered in the air. Chemicals? Old blood?

"Safe," he called back.

Ava rushed in, then helped Liam set the pale girl down on a desk.

"Her pulse is weak," Ava said, pressing her fingers gently to the girl's wrist. "She's not okay, Liam."

"She was scratched," he said. "Not bitten. It's not the same, right?"

"I don't know," Ava admitted. "None of us know anything."

The girl coughed weakly. "Water…"

Liam scrambled around looking for any signs of water, before he finally finds a half bottle water on one of the counters. He handed it to her.

"Thanks," she whispered. "I don't… I don't wanna turn…"

"You won't," Liam said, too quickly.

—

For a moment, the silence settled heavy between them. Ava sat on the edge of the table, chewing her bottom lip.

"I can't stop thinking about what we saw earlier," she said. "That teacher… his face. It didn't even look human anymore."

Liam leaned against the wall. "Yeah. I keep wondering when it's gonna be us."

She looked at him. "Don't say that."

"I'm just saying," he said. "We should prepare for it. If I ever… if I ever get bit, I want you to—"

"No," Ava interrupted. "Don't ask me that."

"Ava."

"I said no."

Liam sighed and nodded, eyes drifting toward the door. The girl was already drifting off again.

"I hope Zara's okay," he said quietly.

Ava gave him a tired look. "If anyone can handle this nightmare, it's her."

—

A sound made them both go still.

Footsteps.

Not shuffling — actual footsteps. Careful. Measured. Getting closer.

Liam raised a finger to his lips and slowly moved toward the door. Ava held her breath.

The pale girl whimpered.

Then a shadow moved past the glass.

It stopped.

Liam's heart slammed in his chest.

The doorknob twisted.