Eclipse

Chapter 3

Place: Townview

Tamara exited classroom 301 on the third floor on the far right side of the building. Screaming in the hall had all but stopped as she walked down the first long corridor. The school was shaped like a branching tree. As you walked through the front doors, you were greeted by stairs leading up to the third floor, which housed the library at its center. Branching off to each side were large corridors that split into smaller branching hallways, holding classrooms on either side. The second floor was much the same. After walking straight past the stairs to the third floor, you eventually came to stairs heading downward to what the school dubbed the first floor. This was where the cafeteria was. Again, on either side, hallways branched off to more hallways leading to classrooms. Nestled on the left side of the cafeteria was the band hall.

Tamara's job was to go down to the second floor to room 256, which would put her almost on the opposite side of the school from where she was now. Equipped with her gun, a table leg, and a backpack, she headed down the narrow hallway to the first main junction where the lockers were. Along the passageways were a couple of fire alarm flashing lights, which illuminated the hallway every ten seconds. She felt that they used to blink faster during actual fire drills.

As she neared the first junction and came into view of the lockers, a banging sound suddenly started up, as if someone were banging on a locker. She walked toward the noise but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. She jumped when the sound got louder and more violent. Getting closer, she saw a liquid oozing down from one of the upper lockers. She slowly stretched out her hand to open it, her heart pounding in her chest. The latch of the locker slid open easily. The locker flung open, but the creature banging around inside didn't attack her. Inside the locker was a cage containing a slug-like creature trying to get out.

Her knees gave out, and she fell to the floor.

"Breathe," she whispered. "Breathe."

As she closed her eyes and tried to calm her mind, she heard the shuffling of feet coming toward her.

Get up! she coaxed herself.

She jumped backward as a huge arm crashed into the lockers in front of her, knocking them over. Tamara's adrenaline was pumping now; she could only think of the monster in front of her. With a scream, she rushed it, table leg raised. The triangular end came crashing down on the creature's back, sending it toppling into the wall. She raised the weapon again and smashed it into the back of the creature, splattering blood everywhere.

The large monster tried to get up, but Tamara smashed the hoe-shaped weapon into its head, cutting its skull. With a small groan, it finally toppled over and died.

The stench of blood permeated the air around her, almost causing her to gag. She backed away, trying to get fresh air. Lightning flashed in the distance, lighting up the entire corridor for mere seconds. She paused for a moment, then turned and slowly walked to the end of the hallway, where there were gigantic windows.

Rain pounded the glass, almost deafening. The sky was pitch black, and almost nothing could be seen. Flashes of lightning revealed an eerie world—familiar but different. The desolate world outside was just as terrifying as the atmosphere inside the school.

The slug behind her started banging on its cage again, breaking her concentration. She took her eyes off the sky and continued on her journey to a deeper, darker hell that awaited her and the others. As she walked, her thoughts turned to the night before, her parents, and her friends.

Place: Tamara's House

Time: 11:30 p.m. (last night)

"Hey, Tamara, let's watch another movie, this time a horror flick," one of her friends said.