When the World Ends, She Begins novel Chapter 33

Some were hit in the shoulder, others in the leg. The unluckiest took a bolt straight through the chest.

"Run! They've got a crossbow in there!"

Getting hit by a bolt was bad enough under normal circumstances—but now? No hospitals, no medicine. It was basically a death sentence.

Panic spread like wildfire. People shoved each other, scrambling down the stairwell.

But hiding in the back, Owen was the first to pull himself together. He darted into the blind spot by the apartment door, eyes narrowing at Unit 1501.

"Don't panic! Hug the wall—he can't hit you from the sides!"

The words steadied the crowd. Those who hadn't made it downstairs yet plastered themselves against the walls on either side of the door, out of the line of fire.

Seeing blood only made them angrier. A few guys in the blind spot raised their hammers and slammed them harder against the door.

"Break the damn thing down!"

Meanwhile, others had moved to the neighboring apartment, 1502, prying at the lock with crowbars.

"The mom and kid are holed up in 1501—nobody's in 1502! Bet it's packed with supplies!"

At the mention of "supplies," the blows grew heavier, more desperate.

Those hanging back on the stairwell didn't dare move closer for fear of catching a bolt, so they shouted encouragement from a distance. The whole scene turned into some twisted team effort.

From inside came a furious roar. "You idiots! I was sparing your lives. Don't blame me for what happens next!"

Owen's gut clenched. Something was wrong. He backed toward the stairs, a creeping dread gnawing at him.

Just then, the firing slot on the door snapped shut. A mechanical whirr followed.

Where the slot had been, a thick steel tube suddenly jutted out. With a hiss, a pressurized spray blasted through the hall.

"AHHH!"

"My face—it burns!"

Everyone left standing on the 15th floor got splashed. The moment the liquid hit skin, it hissed—flesh sizzling and turning pitch black as it corroded.

"Acid! It's sulfuric acid!" someone screamed.

Chaos erupted. Two people closest to the door were hit head-on, their skin melting as they collapsed, clutching their faces and shrieking in agony.

The rest—burned but less severely—stumbled back toward the stairwell, sobbing as they went.

Those who had been lucky enough to stay on the stairwell earlier froze, horrified by what they saw. Thank God they hadn't lingered on the 15th floor.

Owen had backed off fast; he'd made it to the stairs before the acid burst, narrowly escaping. But even he looked pale now, sweat pouring down his face.

In just a few minutes, the body count was brutal: one dead from a bolt, four wounded, two lying on the ground half-dead from acid burns, and five more injured.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify