Maybe I'm a Lion

Cornelia was able to hear once again as they approached the front doors, only to hear banging and panicked shouts coming from the other side of the double doors. A frantic Cornelia raced up to the doors to try and pry them open to no avail. The heavy doors had been shut from the inside. Those were her friends on the other side of those doors, desperately screaming for help. She couldn't just stand idly by while they were in peril.

Suddenly, like the silence after a storm, the screams stopped. "Open the door!" She shouted futilely while banging her fists against the now silent door. "It's me you guys. . ." she said though the dreary truth was slowly creeping up on her. Not thinking what she was doing, she brought her hand up in preparation to arm the grenade. She would burst her way inside if she had to. Just as she slid her finger inside the pin to pull it out, Sarabi intercepted her by putting her hand over hers.

"If you use that here it'll bring down the building and your friends with it." Sarabi said staring down at door which only offered a new obstacle ready to be overcome. If Sarabi thought they were alive, then my must be, Cornelia concluded. At the thought of her her friends' fate being changed into a hopeful one instead of a gloomy one, Cornelia mood instantly cheered. "We'll have to find a new way inside." Sarabi pondered aloud.

"There's a low window in the boy's bathroom." Cornelia remembered. She had personally selected this hall since it made it harder for non-Ascalon seniors to sneak in. The window in the boys bathroom had posed a dilemma for Cornelia when choosing a hall, but she took the risk either way.

There was a problem with Cornelia's plan as they came to the window. It was much taller from the outside than it was from the inside. Though Sarabi was small, Cornelia wasn't strong enough to lift someone completely over her head. So it was Cornelia who had to go inside the hall first. Though hesitant to do so, Cornelia eventually relented at Sarabi's angering look.

With an unnatural ease, Sarabi lifted the much taller - and by effect, heavier - Cornelia over her head. Cornelia struggled through the window, careful with the jagged glass that still remained after Sarabi had so crudely tossed a rock through it. Once inside, she looked for anyway to get Sarabi inside as well. She didn't dare exit the boys bathroom in fear of what she may see, but near the entrance of the bathroom was the fire hose which was to be used in desperate situations.

If this isn't a serious situation, I don't know what is! Cornelia thought as she pulled out most of the hose out of its wheel before tossing it out the window. It only took Sarabi a few seconds to clamor through the window. Just as she passed through the hazardous window, a stray sliver of glass managed to cut through her dress and straight into her arm. Blood began to ooze out, but Sarabi hardly made any indication to it like a normal person would.

"You're hurt," Cornelia said taking Sarabi's arm and lifting it to indicate to the wound before Sarabi even regained her composure from the leap off the window. By unfortunate events, Cornelia had accidentally exposed herself to the dripping blood from the wound. Almost immediately, a severe burning began to radiate through her hand.

Snatching away her hand she saw Sarabi's blood bubbling on her skin. Cornelia took a sharp breath in preparation for a agonized scream only to have it muffled by Sarabi's hand over her mouth. "You'll let them know we're here!" Sarabi exclaimed close to Cornelia's ear. She then ushered her to the nearby sinks and began to wash her hands in the running water.

Tears of pain flowed freely from Cornelia's eyes and muted whimpers were the only sound she could make as she bore witness to the damage done to her hand. A lot of it was burned away and in some parts, the white of her bone was visible. Blood continued to flow from the lesion with dangerous effect. Cornelia knew that lack of blood could cause dizziness, fainting, or in some serious cases, death. Yet her injury refused to stop bleeding insistently.

Sarabi then did something strange. She pulled away Cornelia's hand away from the running water - giving her a temporary relief from the caused pain - and brought it to her lips. Sarabi then proceeded to lick away the blood. A very shocked and discomforted Cornelia could do nothing but stare at this strange behavior. Much to her surprise, the pain instantly began to fade and the bleeding slowed until it eventually stopped all together.

Cornelia did nothing as Sarabi made a makeshift bandage from a ripped off fragment of her dress. She expertly wrapped it around her hand. "Lets go," Sarabi ordered once she had finished. Astonished, Cornelia at what Sarabi could do; she didn't want to be alone when she discovered what the 'imps' could do. She obediently followed.

Just before exiting the boys restroom, Sarabi stopped where the hose was connected to the wall. Other fire emergency objects in cabinet were a fire extinguisher and an axe. It came to no surprise now to Cornelia when Sarabi took the axe. The surprise came this time when she offered it to her. "I, I can't." Cornelia stuttered at the mere thought of having to use it to defend herself against those creatures.

"I can't protect you all the time, once we enter." Sarabi said motioning to the door that separated them from the main hall. These words meant nothing to someone who couldn't understand what they meant; like Cornelia.

"What are those things even doing at prom?!" Cornelia asked suddenly angry at Sarabi and the creatures for so suddenly coming into her life and completely ruining it. She snatched the fire hatchet from Sarabi's hands.

"Let's hope for the best." was all Sarabi said before opening the bathroom door into madness.