CHAPTER12 “Hurry, let’s go!” Suho pulled Miah roughly down the street. She looked around them hoping not to see anything, but her hopes were crushed when a monster like the one from the first night staggered stiffly from around a corner. She screamed at how close it was causing Suho to stop and turn. The thing began to twitch rapidly, the hole in its chest squeeze open and shut repeatedly. Suho grabbed her from behind and pulled back, narrowly missing the black sludge the creature shot out. The ground sizzled at their feet, and the burnt smell of asphalt assulted them.   With a wrinkled nose Miah looked to her side having heard a bell ding. She saw another of the same type of creature come out from a store front. “Suho!” she screamed in warning. She could hear his sharp intake of breath close to her ear, and his hand press harshly on her side. He kept her close, almost lifting her feet from the ground and began to run. They kept going until they reached the end of the street. She could still hear shuffling, and low behind them as they ran. “We should go in there!” she pointed to a concrete building that sat directly in front of them. They rushed down a short path, and up wide cement stairs past a big sign that read City Hall.   Having finally let her go, Suho pushed the heavy mahogany doors open. After she followed him in, he slammed them shut, and grabbed a piece of wood strewn haphazardly on the floor, placing it in between the door handles.   Still facing the door, Miah heard a high pitched noise. She turned her head to get a better listen. It sounded like a baby crying. She shook Suho’s shoulder, “Do you hear that? I think there’s someone in here.” He turned and began to listen as well. “Is that a baby?” he asked recognizing the tone as well.   They started walking closer to the noise. The sound grew louder. “Hello? Is anyone there?” she called out. No answer, just a bit of scuffling was heard. They rounded a corner and was met with a sight weirder than any they had seen thus far. “What in the-“ Suho gasped out.   In the hallway was a pale, bluish thing. A top two legs was a weird tad-pole like body that had pointy growths shooting out of its back. It was scarier than anything Miah had seen in this town only because it didn’t resemble a human in any way unlike the monsters they had encountered before. It was facing them with a bloody hole on the tip of its bulbous head. “What is that?” she whispered. “Does it even matter?” Suho grimaced, and she couldn't dispute his words.   The thing made a low cry, and stepped toward the two. It's cry sounded like a baby making both of them realize it must have been what they were hearing. It reached about hip high; not very tall, but when it rushed at them that didn’t deter the scream from leaving Miah's lips. Suho shoved her behind him and tried pushing the thing away. He let out a yell as the creature opened it bloody mouth and latched onto his arm. “Suho!” she screamed.   Using the leverage of the monster on his arm, Suho threw it back, pushing the thing away from them. Then he whipped out a gun to Miah's surprise and let off a single shot. He must have had some practice beyond their time in this place, because his bullet landed perfectly. The thing let out a pitiful cry, it was as if Suho had shot a child. She winced at the sound.   “Come on!” Suho grabbed her with his good arm, running in the opposite direction of the dying thing. She saw a red cross against a white sign at the end of the hall. Immediately knowing what it meant, she pushed past Suho making sure not to run so fast he’d let go. She pulled him to the door under the sign, and rushed in slamming it shut behind them.   Miah turned prepared for a room of safety, but was horrified to see a woman in a nurse’s uniform looking back at them. Well not exactly looking; her face was covered by bandages. She twitched her head oddly. Miah held her breath hoping the bandages blinded the woman from their presence. Suho suddenly yelped behind her. She guessed he finally noticed the nurse.   Attracted by the noise, the thing began rushing toward them, wildly swinging her arm. She held a small scalpel in her hand. “Be careful Miah!” Suho shouted from behind her. He held his gun up in warning, but didn't bother placing a finger on the trigger knowing it'd be of no use. Unknowing of his dilemma, she looked around her for anything that could help, thankfully there was long machete on a torn green examining table to their right. Luck is still with me! she mentally thanked. Snatching it, she held it out shakily. “Stay back!” she shouted. “Give that to me Miah, before you hurt yourself,” Suho said carefully, taking note of her new weapon and pocketing his own. She turned to him, peeved at what he said. “You have a gun, why don’t you worry about that!” “I used my last bullet on that thing in the hallway,” he stated in a regretful tone.     His eyes suddenly widened. “Miah watch out!” he pointed past her and she turned back around. The nurse was much closer, the knife aimed dangerously at Miah. She swung her weapon, hitting the thing's hand away with the blunt side of the blade. Her scalpel fell to the floor, but that didn’t stop the creature. It moved closer, hands out. Even without being able to see her face, the woman's bandaged head was terrifying close to Miah's. She screamed as her cold fingers grazed . Shutting her eyes, Miah swung out an arm. She felt a sudden pressure slow down the blades movement. Opening her eyes, She stared back at the featureless face of the nurse. “Oh God, I’m going to be sick.”   Miah's shirt was pulled from behind her, hauling her back. Suho marched in front, and grabbed the machete’s hilt with his good hand. He put his leg to the creature’s lower stomach and kicked. The blade, which was stuck in the thing's side slide out with a slick smack; blood flying everywhere. Miah stared at her now spackled shoes, then back up at the scene in front of her.   The nurse had fallen to the ground, but was trying to get back up. Not giving her the chance, Suho kicked her back down, keeping his dirty shoe pressed to her chest. Using both hands, which was sure to hurt him, he raised the blade above his head. Then faster than Miah could comprehend, he swung it down. It half severed the thing's head, he swung again cutting through the rest. It made a loud crunch as if he were cutting the drums off a chicken.   Miah winced, then turned away. She wasn't sure how much longer she could keep her stomach contents in.   Trying to forget what just happened, she looked around the room. Besides the examining table, there were two white beds half hidden behind a curtain, a metal cabinet ajar across the room, and a cl