"Disgusting as always…"
I turned around to face the girl, trying to soften my expression from combat focus to something less potentially terrifying. "Are you okay?" I asked gently.
The girl stared at me with eyes so wide they showed white all around the irises—the classic thousand-yard stare that came from acute traumatic stress. She was breathing in rapid, shallow gasps that indicated she was probably experiencing shock alongside the natural aftermath of a near-death experience. Her hands trembled violently as they clutched at the brick wall behind her.
