Sheep's Clothing by Gary Lewis (free ebook reader for pc txt) 📕

reposition onto her side, the door jammed her arm in place. It locked harder into her skin with every tug as she yanked to pull herself free. She took a deep breath and continued wrestling her shoulder away from the machine. Feelings of impending embarrassment flushed through her skin as she glanced at the pocket that held her phone. After laying in the floor, pulling for several long minutes that stung into the sore skin of her arm, she stopped to catch her breath. Ms. Tanner lowered her head to its side to rest against the shiny, white tile surface of the cafeteria floor and gazed out into the dim hallway.

A loud, metallic slam pounded the floor. It came from somewhere beyond the darkened corner. Crackling snarls traversed the walls to brush across her skin with a rush of fright. An ear pounding roar blasted through the halls. Ms. Tanner gasped in fear as its intensity pounded in her chest, sending tingling terror down her trembling arms and legs. Is it a lion? The thin air became hard to gasp as she yanked at her shoulder with renewed force.

The sound of paws tapping against the tile floor grew louder until a tall, hairy form emerged from around the unlit corner. With a pause, it snorted at the air with its long snout. Ms. Tanner let out a loud, shock-filled scream and its long ears twitched back. It turned toward her to curl its lips, baring huge, white fangs. A growl began to rumble with an intensity that shook her skin while it slowly walked closer to the cafeteria. Lowering its nose just below its chest, the beast fixated its menacing stare on her while she wriggled frantically, kicking and jerking back from where she laid screaming in the floor.

The creature stepped into the light. Rows of tufted hair visibly stood out from its shoulders. Ms. Tanner pressed her feet against the machine and pushed, afraid to look back at the dark form that filled more of her peripheral vision. Its closing presence grew closer until it masked the flickering florescent light from the hallway.

Thin, red streams of blood trickled down to her shoulder as the trap door pushed deeper into the skin of her arm, stretched above. In a panic, she shoved her arm upward, knocking her pack of cupcakes loose from its cell. The plastic flap jammed open and released her arm as the snack toppled out onto her lap.

A slimy liquid drizzled down onto her black slacks. It drooled out from jaws fixed with a bite force that held back the ferocity that was in store. She cried as she squeezed her eyes tightly shut, unable to face the spiteful growl that rattled from white knives of hell above the side of her tilted forehead.

In a clamber, she turned across the floor. Bladed fingers swiped through her sides. Shrilled screams cried out from her throat as she twisted to cover her face. Ms. Tanner felt the force of a vice clamp onto her arm and her shoulder socket popped. Her body was shaken violently, banging her arms and legs against the machine and floor. With a long swoop, her vision stained red with the life that poured free from her wounds. It spattered her years of experience across the cafeteria tables. One more clawed smack busted her lifeless body through the front of the snack machine. Plastic shards slid through puddles of death surrounding the creature.

It let out a ferocious howl that echoed through the halls of Pine Bluff High. A clap of thunder rang across the metal roof before the patter of rain drowned the silent sound of death that   remained.

#Sarah#

The old push mower puttered to a stop in the tall, wet grass. Sarah wiped the cold sweat from her burning forehead as she exhaled a long sigh. Only a single, wide strip remained to be cut, a carpet of knee high, bright green blades still sparkling with raindrops from the morning storm.

She looked beyond the mountains where the deep gray clouds had passed. The distant flicker of lightning was probably counties away, having long forgotten the town that it recently washed through. If something as simple as a storm can leave what it's done behind so easily... then why can't I? She shook her head before letting out a sigh and pushing the mower back toward the side of her home. "Why do I have to be so damn complicated."

As she pushed the lawn mower closer to the corner of her house, the sound of David's car crashed through the damp gravel of her driveway. After a reluctant glance, she returned to shoving it through her backyard.

"I couldn't get you on your phone." The sound of David's voice from behind did nothing to slow her approach to the shambled shed.

When she reached the door, Sarah shot David a narrowed look. "How's it feel?" She tilted the mower back to shove it inside before closing the door.

As Sarah clicked the padlock shut, David gestured back to his car. "I had a rough night, okay. Just wanted to make sure you were alright." She pressed her lips to hold her thoughts inside. "Do you want me to leave?" he asked.

"What's wrong?" Sarah asked, waiting for her chance to cut him short. "Can't go cry about it to Janice?" she asked just as David began to open his mouth. "Did her mommy ground her?" Sarah mocked a pouting frown at him before walking right past, paying him as much regard as the thin bridge of air that swished between them.

A chime sounded from David's pocket and Sarah looked at him. "Perfect timing," she said before her phone buzzed in her pocket and they looked at each other for a moment.

Terry's message in the group chat lit up her notification bar. "Something big is going on at the school and they're saying Ms. Tanner is missing."

Sarah read it aloud as David quickly dug his phone from his pocket.

As her investigative gears began to turn, she