'It's heading that way!'
Sarah Jane caught the tail end of her's, Stuart's, and Rani's little bundle of trouble. Except it wasn't little, just huge and fast, conveniently picking Park Vale Comprehensive as it's hiding place.
Sprinting ahead of the others, Stuart pursued the giggling creature down yet another corridor. At least it was considerate enough to wait until after school hours, Stuart thought.
He stopped, fully aware time was not on his side.
Damn, it had vanished.
Sarah Jane and Rani caught up with him.
Three doors along the corridor greeted them.
'We'll try a door each,' said Sarah Jane.
'No,' said Stuart.
The other two looked at him.
'Split up. Go down to the next corridor.'
'Stuart, we don't have time for this,' said Sarah Jane.
Stuart looked at her, clearly unhappy.
BANG!
It had sounded from the first room.
The three looked at each other.
'Search the other two rooms,' he ordered, entering the first one.
Sarah Jane and Rani hurried to the two other doors.
Stuart entered what appeared to be a Maths classroom. He pulled out his gun and scanned around, spotting a body slumped against a filing cabinet.
Dead, thought Stuart, spying the wound in its neck.
He turned from the body, his eyes darting around the room.
Where was it? That piece of-
ZAP!
Stuart jarred, thudding to the floor.
The body lowered the taser it was holding, dusting itself off.
Stuart was staring blankly at it, trapped in his frozen body.
'Any luck?' Sarah Jane asked, as she and Rani exited their rooms.
Rani shook her head. 'I don't suppose Stuart found something?'
Sarah Jane looked down at the first door. This was like the factory two years ago, all over again, she thought. She looked at Rani.
'We'll take a look. But we have to be careful.'
Rani nodded in acknowledgment.
They looked around the room.
'I'll check out the storeroom,' Rani said, heading to the back.
Sarah Jane approached the filing cabinet, stopping.
'Stuart?'
She crouched down to the man lying before it. His eyes were open, unblinking, but he was breathing. Sarah Jane's eyes narrowed.
What was-
ZAP!
She jarred, then fell. Her vacant eyes stared at the creature before them, which then left.
