Yves ran straight against the front door. He grunted as he fell to the side, clutching for the handle. Derrek felt the urge to catch him, the one who shot at him, even if it were blanks. He was mad at this boy.
But there were two more here. The last two. Derrek moved to the kitchen door, which was still open. He saw one running figure, pumpkin pass through the cooking area, opening pantry's door. Derrek got into the door opening and now saw the door the dining room, where the blood had come from.
Someone bleeding against the door, a bloodless skeleton, a slaughtered animal were all images that had passed through his head already. A kneeling girl with a cooking pot against the door hadn't, yet it was the one he saw now. She looked at him aghast, like he was the scary one here. She was about a meter removed from Derrek. For a split second she was frozen, unable to do anything, before she did what she did best.
Her mouth grew into a big O-shape before her high-pitched scream came out. Derrek acted on instinct. He raised his hand and pushed the button again. Not a single push, a long press. Pepper spray has a way further range than most people think, you don't want to get too close before you hit your target. It mostly has a blinding effect, but as the spray hit the back of the girl's throat, it proved effective at shutting up people too.
Derrek released the button as the girl's scream stopped with a gurgle. Her eyes closed too.Oh, shit. What did I do? She spat and dropped on her butt, in the red pool she had made underneath the dining room door. Her chest heaved as she sucked in a breath. Her hands went up to her eyes, covered in the red. A pained scream and spatting gurgle came from her throat. She rubbed at her eyes, getting the red everywhere.
Derrek watched in horror at the sight. He looked to his right and saw Yves getting up from the floor, also in pain. He didn't go for the front door, grabbing for the double door instead. He's getting away, I'd better—
A deeper heave came from the girl. Derrek recognized the sound. He'd heard it only a few times before in his life: a few times at parties as a young adult; at night as a child, coming from the bathroom, his sister making the sound, and a few times himself. He knew what sound came next. Damn, Derrek, now you've really made a mess.
Derrek moved into the kitchen as the girl vomited over her own legs, mixing the red with a whole new platter of colors.