Chapter 8: Back to school

  As they walked along they talked a little. Liam found out that Brian’s wife worked as a bus driver. He himself had been recently laid off work. He was a bank manager but the local branch had been closed down.

  Misha was, of all things, a media influencer on healthy lifestyles and exercise. She made yoga and wellbeing videos that seemed to have quite a following. She also told them that her husband, inspired by Bollywood movies, loved martial arts and she had been dragged into his world.

  Misha said she now level 2 and Brian was level 1. Brian had received some XP from the two fights but not as much as Liam and Misha. Buffy too was level 2. They talked about the stat points and what they meant. Misha’s class gave her a physical build. Brian’s seemed to be more mental based with points going to constitution, intelligence and wisdom. Given his sklll, Liam thought that Brain would end up as a kind of mind mage. Jessica had not received a class, probably due to her age.

  Other that the sounds of shouts and screams in the distance it was eerily quiet. The usual street noises of cars, music and videos had been replaced by an uncanny hush. Liam suspected that a lot of those who had been at home were either hunkered down or were already dead. The educational system did not prepare one for an apocalypse - not one of this nature anyway. Brian would not be the only disbeliever.

  When they reached the school the quiet was replaced by yelling and growling. Buffy started to bark until Misha grabbed her and calmed her down.

  Liam told the others to wait and went ahead by himself. As he rounded the corner of the street he could see an army of creatures outside of the school gates. The creatures were grey skinned and barely taller than the goblins. They were much wider though - almost as wide as they were tall. Their arms also looked ridiculously strong. They resembled stone apes except for their red eyes and excessively violent behaviour.

  The ten foot high walls and the iron gates seemed to be deterrent enough for now and the creatures looked to be arguing with each other. Often those arguments came to blows. There did not appear to be a clear alpha.

  Liam tried to count. There looked to be about thirty of the creatures. Liam did not fancy his chances against one of them. One hit and he would be mince meat.

  He was not in a good position to see inside of the school but given the monsters were outside the locked gates they must be safe enough inside.

  He returned to the others and reported what he had seen.

  “How we going to get inside?” Misha asked.

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  “Maybe there’s a tunnel,” Brian said.

  “Dude. This is not a secret magic school. Schools do not have secret tunnels. You’ve been watching too many movies.”

  “I had a lot of time on my hands. But you can’t know for sure. The government is capable of anything. You know they put drugs in the water to pacify us?”

  Liam sighed. “Alright as I see it we need to get a message to whoever is inside without attracting attention. Then we need to figure a way past the stone apes.”

  Liam thought he knew of a way to achieve the second but he was stumped at the first. It’s not like they carried pen and paper.

  Micha looked thoughtful. But then she shrugged.

  It was Jessica who said, “Why not send Buffy over the wall?”

  “Buffy?” Liam asked.

  “Yes like you did for me except stronger. I have seen videos of dogs jumping over walls like this. if you give him a boost he will fly over.

  “You are not throwing my baby over the wall,” Misha said. “There are spikes on top of that thing. If you get it wrong or he lands badly on the other side...”

  Liam looked at her. “I think it is our only way, Misha. Sanjeev will recognise the dog and realise you are here.”

  When she still hesitated, he said. “I will be careful. With his levels Buffy should be able to land safely on the other side and I have no doubt he will clear the spikes.”

  Misha stepped closer to him. “If anything happens to my baby...”

  Liam gulped but nodded. He then went through the rest of the plan with them. They were not happy but no one had a better idea.

  ###

  They did not hang around.

  Misha, Brian and Jessica maneuvered their way along the sides of the house on the road opposite the school. They moved as close as could to the gate without being visible to the stone apes.

  Liam, accompanied by a drooling Buffy, moved to the other side - to the left corner of the wall. According to Misha there were some trees and bushes on the other side of the wall which would likely provide a gentler surface for Buffy to land on.

  Liam was conscious that, once he made his move, he would be only about fifty yards from the stone apes and easily visible. It would have to be done in one quick movement. He knew that he was relying on a dog to be cooperative. The motto for actors was never work with animals and small children. Hopefully this was not going to end up being a tragedy.

  He waited until he saw the signal from Brian.

  He looked at Buffy and said, “Ready, girl?”

  Buffy chuffed and then licked his hand. He hoped that meant yes.

  He quickly ran over to the wall, stopped a body length away away and then turned to face Buffy.

  “Come on, Buffy! Let’s go!”

  Buffy looked at him and barked.

  Liam looked at her. He laced his hands to together and said, “Come on!”

  He could hear noises from over by the gate. The stone apes must have seen him by now.

  “Come on!”

  Buffy barked again.

  Liam snarled and then did the only thing he could think of. He used his howl.

  In the open space the howl resonated through the area. Buff barked again and then sprang forward. When she was about four feet away, she leapt. Liam immediately saw that she would miss his hands. Before he could react, her paws pressed down on his shoulders and she launched herself into the air.

  Liam’s knees buckled, and he found himself kneeling on the ground. He quickly turned his head to see Buffy’s butt disappear over the wall - easily clearing the spikes.

  Loud shouts and grunts were now coming closer. He rose to his feet. The stone apes were closing quickly and were only yards away - much closer than he had wanted. A grey projectile flew over his head.

  Was that stone poop?, he thought.

  Liam turned and ran.