From time to time, I like to ask my readers, "How would you handle this situation. What would you do?"

There answers are more an exercise in just seeing all the possible answers that people can produce, from pragmatic to compassionate to brutally ruthless, and have absolutely no impact on the story itself. People's choices won't influence the character's choices; I just like to see all the different ways people would respond to a situation. (And, as a shameless author, if such situations come up in my stories, I might remember some of the answers and apply them to a given character in that same situation later.)

So, without further ado, here's the next few paragraphs of 21.4. Try and put yourself in Rebecca's place, remember where she's been and what she's been through so far, and then ask yourself: "What would YOU do? What should SHE do?" (And I'll post the actual chapter itself in a few hours when I get it all finished and you can see what she actually does, faced with this situation...)

“Hel…hel… help me…”

At the doors, Rebecca stopped and stood completely still. Had she heard someone, or was her imagination just playing tricks on her? Uncertain, she held herself motionless, almost afraid to even breath, and strained her ears to listen.

Nothing. Nothing. For several long moments, she heard nothing but the wind gently blowing outside stirring a few leaves lazily, and the occasional caw of a crow as they skipped from body to body nearby. Just as she thought she had imagined the whole thing, she heard it once again, faint and raspy, “H… help me.”

“Puuuuhhhhh.” Breath leaving her in one sudden burst, Rebecca stared wide-eyed as she saw the girl’s hand twitch feebly at the window. Shoved through the window, impaled on the glass, and then crushed by countless students as they crawled over her, the girl was somehow still alive. When Rebecca had first seen her, she’d assumed the girl was dead – she couldn’t imagine anyone living in her condition – and yet, here she was asking feebly for help.

“Shhhhhiiiiiiiittttttt….” Blinking, Rebecca stared wide-eyed, mouth agape, completely uncertain what to do.