Anyone with an once of sense in their head never called him by his real name. Instead, they knew him by his other moniker: Hogg.
And judging by the size of his belly, he certainly looked like one. His jacket was a size too big, and his undershirt barely held back his fat stomach. But he was as ugly and strong as a bull, with hands big enough to crush teacups in and still have enough space to hold one of the many cigarettes he smoked when he wasn't attending class.
The smashing of his thick Army surplus boots got louder and louder as he walked up to Alice, held down by a dozen beefy arms. She could hear him attempt something close to a laugh through his snout.
"Well, what have we here? Don't you know the rules, sweetie? Only we Ghoulies get to roam the halls at night."
One of the other Ghoulies turned his head. "What should we do with her, Hogg?"
Another started going through her bag. "She's got thirty bucks. Not enough for the fee."
Hogg laughed-or choked, it was hard to tell-and turned to Alice. "Maybe she can offer us...something else."
He put his mammoth hands on her shirt, feeling for her breasts.
"Looks like Suzy Q here has some nice, firm biscuits, boys. Who wants a bite?"
Pinned down, Alice could offer only a muffled scream as Hogg started to work his way to her bra...
Until a rock hit him square in his fat nose. Blood squirted out and all over the other Ghoulies. They yelled, and released Alice from their collective grip.
Another rock came sailing through the air, striking a Ghoulie right in his face and smashing right through his glasses. Then a third, and a fourth, and a fifth.
Suddenly, voices started to carry through the air. "You're dead, ya Ghoulies!", said someone in a Brooklyn drawl.
"Kill them all!", said someone else in a booming voice.
"For the Serpents!"
The Ghoulies panicked. "The Serpents?!"
"How the hell did they get in here?!"
"Let's scram!"
"Out of my way, pipsqueak!"
"I'll break your nose for that, piggy!"
As they ran down the hall, their voices getting fainter and fainter, Alice could hear the Serpents approaching. Knowing full well they might want a "reward" for saving her, she dug out a pencil and held it out like a knife.
She could make out one of the shadows as a girl. That's weird. None of the Serpents are female.
"A thanks would be nice, little darlin'."
