Protector

I wake up to the ‘beep, beep, beep’ of an alarm, enhanced by a hundred amps. I believe the lights are on, but it’s very dim. Ten seconds later it’s replaced by the mechanical sound of the beds rising back up.
“They don’t give you much time to wake up.” I say to Scăpe. “What if you get squished?”
“Than you die.”She helps me wake Rachel and Angel, who are starting to slide into the wall. “How can they sleep through this!” she exclaims as she pulls Rachel out—who’s still sleeping.
“I honestly don’t know,” I answer as I drag Angel out. Her feet hit the floor and she wakes up. She starts yelling at me, oblivious to the fact that I just saved her life.
“Quit your whining and—. “ The mechanical beeps shut off and are replaced by a bugle playing Taps. Is that really…?
“Come on,” Scăpe says. “That sound means—“
“I know what it means.” I snap. “And it’s sick."

Lanky continues down the line, as the boys are not being pummeled two feet away.
He stops, right in front of Angel. I feel my heart stop. My armpits begin to tingle and suddenly I’m suffocating. “So you’re the marvelous gymnast,” Lanky says, calmly, cooly. I want to say no, it’s me, but my mouth won’t move. Angel must be frozen too; she doesn’t refute Lanky’s statement. Lanky smiles. It’s a sick, evil smile. His white canine’s chomp on my stomach and I suddenly have the urge to hurl. “Smile,” he sneers. “Today is your lucky day.” He looks over at his thugs, who are still pummeling the two boys. “Get her.”
The thugs leave the boys groaning on the ground and advanced toward Angel.