Monsters

Chapter Ten

"I guess you're right." Her shoulders relaxed and a small smile graced her lips.

"Good, because that right there is the art room." I pointed to the room ahead of us and on the right. I went before her, opening the door and giving the classroom a quick glace around before stepping in fully. It was odd being in a school so empty and quiet. Yet, it processed elements that I found to be peaceful as well.

For a few moments after I looked through some artwork students had done while also wondering if any of them were still alive. A dark thought but one I couldn't help but let slip passed my wall. It was hard to live in this world now though that didn't mean that all the good things were gone along with it. I had Luz now who had been an amazing person and a good friend. This thought gave me an idea as I headed to the back of the classroom grabbing some duct tape.

As I fiddled with the tape I looked up to find Luz only to see her eyes already on me. "What are you up to over there?" Luz asked as I drew my focus back toward the task at hand. After I finished I looked back at her with a knowing smirk.

"Come here." I waved her over and she gave me a wary look before stepping close to me. Motioning for her to put her hand out I wrapped the duct tape bracelet around her wrist before stepping away from her. She looked down at her wrist in unfamiliarity.

"I made it for you," I explained as her confusion fell from her face. Her eyes lit up in recognition and I find myself smiling because of it.

Luz raised her brow at me. "Seriously?" She asked with a quirk of her lips.

"What? It's a friendship bracelet. We are friends aren't we?" I teased and she looked down, shaking her head. She gazed back up at me with a smirk.

"I mean, with a bracelet to make it official we'd have to be." She joked with me and I shoved her shoulder before she walked toward one of the tables in front of me as I began to look back at the sketches on the table before me.

After a few more moments Luz began to dive into another story about school. This one entailed a fire drill gone wrong and something about a fire extinguisher. I couldn't keep up but I also couldn't stop myself from laughing either. "Seriously? A fire extinguisher put you in the hospital because you pulled it off the wall to stop a fire you thought had started in your science class?" I inquired in disbelief.

"Dude, fire extinguishers are no joke. I dropped it on my foot, almost breaking it because I wanted to help put out the fire! That, unfortunately, didn't even exist. It was just an ill-timed fire drill that happened just as the science teacher was messing with the chemistry equipment. If fire extinguishers were more portable and better suited for convenience in the apocalypse I'd carry one of those around instead of my bat." She exclaimed.

I chuckled at her remark while flipping through more sketches, admiring the art. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Luz's head snap up. "Do you hear that?" She asked while looking towards a wall. I stopped, placing the papers in my hands down and trying to listen in to catch what she was hearing. I tilted my head and tried to concentrate as my ears didn't pick up on anything.

"No, what do you hear?" I asked her. There was this stiff feeling in the air between us and my stomach turned. My gut was telling me something was wrong and my gut had not been incorrect yet. "Something doesn't feel right, Luz," I commented and her posture went stiff as she closed her eyes.

Her eyes opened up and she immediately came up to me and grabbed my wrist bringing me towards her. She was headed to the door and I just followed her lead. Her head snapped to the side as she stared at the wall again. "Heavy steps, multiple and fast approaching, headed our way." I stared at her weirdly.