They ran toward the monsters, throwing fabric, wrapping fabric, covering the slick, glistening skin.
The monsters began to slow.
Their movements became sluggish. Confused. Desperate.
But there were so many monsters. And not enough fabric. Not enough hands.
Alina watched as a boy from Class B tried to wrap a monster alone. The creature shook him off, and he fell to the ground, crying. A girl from Class C threw a servant's apron at a monster, but it wasn't enough to cover the massive body. The monster kept moving, kept grinding its teeth, kept reaching for the children.
"WE NEED MORE!" someone shouted.
"THERE'S NOT ENOUGH!"
Alina's heart pounded.
She looked around again, her eyes searching, her mind racing.
And then she saw them.
The frozen servants.
They were standing like statues all across the playground, their trays still in their hands, their faces blank. Some wore jackets. Some wore aprons. Some wore long coats over their uniforms.
Their clothes were fabric.
