The science wing was dim, lit only by the soft glow of dying emergency lights. The twelve survivors had barricaded the door with desks and chairs. Outside, the occasional groan drifted down the corridor, followed by the scrape of nails on metal lockers. The monsters were still near, but not close enough to storm the barricade—at least, not yet.
Inside, the group gathered in a circle. Someone had scavenged a box of crackers, half-crushed and stale. A single plastic bottle of water was passed around carefully, each student sipping like it was gold.
Except Lexi.
When the bottle reached her, Sasha wrinkled her nose. "Ugh, seriously? Don't waste it on her. She was hiding in a basement while the rest of us were fighting for our lives."
Kelvin chuckled. "She probably prayed the whole time. Bet she thought God was gonna save her."
Laughter rippled through the group. Even Lisa and Tori, who once trailed behind Sasha like shadows, smirked.
Lexi lowered her eyes, shrinking into herself. She let the blush of shame rise in her cheeks, let her hands fidget nervously in her lap. "I-I'm just glad we're alive," she whispered.
"Alive because of us," Sasha sneered. She pushed the crackers into her own lap, nibbling while the others tore into what remained. "Don't think you're part of this group, Lexi. You're just… here. Until you're useful."
The words stung—but only because Lexi let them sting. Inside, her mind was still, sharp, calculating.
*You think you've won the board. But pawns who move too soon are the first to fall.*
The night dragged on. Students whispered, giggled nervously, and even laughed to distract themselves from the reality of blood drying on their uniforms.
"Remember when we locked her in the basement?" Lisa whispered, just loud enough. "Best day of junior year."
Tori snorted. "I thought she'd cry forever. Didn't think she'd crawl out alive."
More laughter.
Sasha's eyes gleamed. "Hey, Lexi. Since you're so… desperate to be one of us, why don't you do something useful tonight? You take lookout."
The room quieted for a moment. Lexi blinked. "…Lookout?"
Sasha's smirk widened. "Yeah. Sit by the door. If something comes, scream. That's all you're good for anyway—screaming."
Kelvin chuckled and clapped his hands. "Perfect. The weak little mouse gets to be our alarm system."
The group laughed again, and the decision was made. No one defended her.
So Lexi took her place by the door. She sat cross-legged, her back to the cold wall, the wrench hidden at her side. She listened to their laughter behind her. She heard Sasha's snide remarks, Kelvin's mocking impressions of her voice, Lisa and Tori's giggles.
But she didn't move. Didn't flinch.
Her eyes stayed fixed on the barricade, but her mind was elsewhere. Watching. Remembering. Calculating.
*Kelvin wants dominance. Sasha feeds him the lines. Lisa and Tori cling to her power because without it, they're nothing. The others? Scared, weak, desperate to belong. They'll follow whichever hand looks strongest.*
Her lips curled in the faintest shadow of a smile.
*Tomorrow, you'll all move where I want you to. Tomorrow, you'll call me weak while marching into your graves.*
A groan echoed faintly in the hall, and she tightened her grip on the wrench.
The others kept laughing. Oblivious.
Lexi sat in silence. Watching. Waiting.
The queen had no need to move yet. Pawns always opened the game.