Free Enter the Janitor (The Cleaners) (Volume 1) by Josh Vogt

feet.
    “What—” She gagged and coughed up more dirt as she grasped the top of a stall wall, looking ready to climb over to get away. “What is that thing?”
    Ben wrangled the creature up against a mirror. A flurry of tiny scratches appeared on the glass wherever it touched.
    “It’s a dust devil,” he said over his shoulder. “Don’t worry. The water should neutralize it long enough for me to—”
    The dust devil reached up and snapped the cord from around its neck like a silk thread.
    Ben’s eyes widened. “Uh—”
    The dust devil barreled into him with a hot blast of sand. It ground in, cutting and scratching; its body plastered against his, trying to smother him like it had with Dani. Ben stumbled back into the stall next to Dani’s. The dust devil raised an arm, which narrowed into a spike.
    “Holy ****.” Ben slammed the door shut.
    With a screech, the spike punched through the door and jutted an inch away from his ribs. Ben sucked in his gut and pressed back against the toilet to keep from being disemboweled. The spike withdrew, only to spear back in repeatedly. Soon the creature stood visible through the holes. Not much longer and the door would provide as much defense as shredded tinfoil.
    Dani yelped as the dust devil started alternating attacks from Ben’s door to hers, giving neither of them a chance to escape.
    “Ben!”
    “Water,” he yelled. “Hit it with water!”
    “The bucket’s out there!”
    “Use the toilet.”
    “No ******* way!”
    Ben ducked as the dusty spike shot past his neck.
    “Dani …”
    “This is so GROSS!”
    Splashing combined with disgusted whimpers. Handfuls of water flew over the top of her stall. The first missed, but the second and third splashed against the dust devil’s head and shoulders. Muddy chunks broke off and plopped to the floor. Moments later, grit replaced the damaged spots, but it provided enough of a distraction for Ben.
    He timed the charge right as a fourth watery missile smacked into the construct. He flung the door open, dodged another stab, and flung himself at the creature. He managed a last breath before clamping his lips shut as grit scoured them.
    Dani yelled in the background, but the dust devil’s hissing and the scrape of its body drowned out her words.
    Gripping the spray bottle with both hands, he bear-hugged the dust devil and squeezed the trigger. Pure energies focused into the water, he mentally directed Carl until liquid encased both hands. Then he dropped the bottle and thrust his hands into the creature’s back. The dirt and dust recoiled from his touch. It should’ve penetrated like a knife through newspaper; instead, it felt like trying to punch hardening cement.
    The dust devil stopped trying to thrust its limbs down his windpipe and reached backward with jointless arms. Its hands clamped around his wrists and tried to pull him out.
    Even as he dizzied, Ben kept his mouth shut to avoid breathing. His heart pounded and his lungs felt ready to pop. Then his fingers connected with the dust devil’s core. With a mental shout, he yanked it out—a crystal-clear orb with thorny tendrils that tried to dig into his hand.
    The dust devil shrieked and reeled back, while Ben gaped at what he held.
    “Where … where’dja get this?”
    Short hisses drew his gaze to the dust devil.
    “Are you laughin’ at me?”
    Its horned head swung to regard Dani, who peeked out from her stall. She shrank back and moved to shut the door again. The dust devil struck the door off its hinges, and the ruined metal clattered to the floor. Dani raised her hands as she hunched.
    “I’m not afraid of you,” she cried. “I’m not!”
    Ben turned in place, searching for the spray bottle. Hearing the panic in Dani’s voice, he held a hand out her way even as the dust devil closed in.
    “Focus and control,” he said. “Don’t let it frighten you.”
    “I’m not frightened!”
    “Just gimme a second …”
    The spray bottle had rolled