(POV: Mysterious Narrator)
In a school located on the outskirts of City G, the students scatter as the siren blares, announcing the end of classes for the day.
The young boy named John lets his body slump over the desk, exhausted after the draining day, while the other four students express, each in their own way, their frustration with the day's fatigue.
— Ugh, I'm so tired! Hey, John, wanna go to the ice cream shop with me? — asks a girl.
— Uh… sure, maybe, but I'm not paying for you! I'm broke — he replies, with a half-hearted tone but alert.
The girl sticks out her tongue, frustrated that her plan was figured out. A boy in the back observes the interaction in silence, the corner of his eyes frequently glancing at the closed classroom door, a glint of nervousness in his seemingly distracted gaze.
The boy's name is Norman, his presence peculiar and reserved. Known in the class as the mysterious mountain boy, no one knows about his parents or family, but he was recently adopted by an old man named Franklin and has been at the school for only two weeks.
Suddenly, a sound comes from the door, making Norman highly alert. His hands tremble slightly, and his pupils contract, like the tip of a needle, expressing his horror.
The girl looks at the door with curiosity and decides to check who's there. The boy named Mike, who was near the door, stands up first and opens it without expression, his heart slightly distracted.
— Mike! Who's there? Some teacher? — asks the girl, curious.
The boy doesn't respond but proceeds, opening the door and finding an empty hallway. His eyes gleam with confusion, but soon he feels something touch his leg, and his body freezes.
— Wow, what a weird little dog… kinda creepy — says the girl, with unease.
— That… I almost had a heart attack! Where did this thing come from? And its eyes? Why are they closed? — Mike says, disgusted and slightly scared, blaming himself for his baseless shyness.
— Haha, Mike, you're so shy — says the boy named Steve, laughing and approaching from the back of the room.
— Steve, don't tease Mike. Even I got scared; this dog is kinda weird… — says the girl.
Norman stands up and runs to the door, full of nervousness, trying to escape, but the strange creature, resembling a dog, attacks him, jumping on him and knocking him down. Norman goes rigid and doesn't dare move, his eyes gleaming with desperation.
— Hey, look, it seems to like Norman — says the girl, in good humor.
— Norman, you okay? Are you hurt? — Mike steps forward to help Norman get up.
Norman doesn't respond. He stares deeply into the creature's closed eyelids and extends his hand to push it away slowly, but it refuses, opening its mouth full of twisted, numerous teeth, unlike any ordinary dog.
— Geez… what the hell! Is this dog deformed? Man, so many teeth, what's that dripping from its mouth? — says Steve, surprised and disgusted.
— Shit, that looks like blood… did it steal meat from the cafeteria? The lunch lady's gonna kill us — says Mike, anxious.
Norman forces himself to calm down, his eyes gleaming with coldness, and he whistles, mimicking birds. The creature closes its mouth and sniffs, showing something like a smile, which makes Norman even more desperate, causing him to abandon the action.
— What's wrong, Norman? Why are you whistling out of nowhere? Haha, you're not good with animals, are you? They aren't drawn to that — says the girl, puzzled by the boy's action.
— Run! — shouts Norman, standing up forcefully and throwing the creature away.
Norman runs without looking back, adrenaline coursing rapidly through his body. He enters another empty classroom and prepares to close the door but finds Mike, John, and Steve, who, at some point, followed him. He ignores them for now, closes the door, locks the handle, and banging sounds echo on the wood. Norman holds it firmly, as if his life depended on it.
A shrill scream echoes, followed by bone-chilling chewing sounds.
— Ahhh, help! John, help! Ahhh, it hurts! No, no… stop… ahhh, Dad, help me… — screams the girl, in agonizing cries.
— Damn… Maria, shit, what the hell is that dog? — says Steve, desperate and tormented, shrinking into a corner.
— No… Norman, what was that thing? Mom, I'm scared… no way, it's all fake! — shouts Mike, hysterical, trembling and pulling his own hair hard, his eyes wide and red, filled with tears.
Norman remains silent, holding the door firmly until the sounds stop. Then he collapses, leaning against the door, and breathes deeply, with a profound sense of guilt and relief for having escaped.
— Norman! You know something, don't you? Damn it, why didn't you tell us anything and ran off alone? If we hadn't followed you… — criticizes John, resentful and distressed, thinking of Maria. His heart feels like it's tearing as silent tears stream down his face.
— Anomalous creature, class C… a strange lifeform resembling dogs. It has many teeth and likes cloudy days. It can't see and uses its sense of smell to find its prey. It likes to pretend to play with its victims until it's satisfied and attacks when it finds an opening — says Norman, after calming down, with a cautious look and ears attentive to the door.
— W-what the hell is an anomalous creature? Shit! What's wrong with this world? — asks Mike, scared, but the danger sharpens his mind. His survival instincts force him to stay composed.
— An anomalous creature? That's so bizarre, man, my hands won't stop shaking… Damn, if I were alone, I'd have lost it by now — says Steve, trying to comfort himself.
— Just think of it as a biological mutation… or a monster, whichever you prefer. Either way, it can't open doors, so we're safe — explains Norman, relaxing a bit.
— You bastard! And Maria? Damn it, she died! This… this is our fault! Damn… Maria… — John's tears flow again, full of fear and anguish. He punches the floor with his hands until the pain eases his turbulent emotions.
Mike grabs Norman's hands and sits close, nervous and trembling. Norman is startled, showing slight helplessness, but doesn't reject the closeness.
— Well… I don't like cowards. Don't cling to me — says Norman, without taking action.
— I-I just… I… — responds Mike, trembling, nervous, and lost.
— Okay, why don't you hold Steve's hand? He's the strongest among us — insists Norman, trying to pull his hands away.
— Tch, you coward! Mike, now's not the time for your weirdness. What do we do about that thing? Damn, why didn't I think of this before? Phone! Did anyone bring one? — questions Steve.
— I did. Take it… I can't, I don't know what to say — says John, desperate but speaking softly.
— Great! Call emergency services — says Mike, letting go of Norman's hands, with a trace of hope on his face.