"The story of the woodpecker and the stars… Of how the thick pitch veil clothed the sun as night turned to day, leaving nothing but the faint outline of the sun, what we've grown to call the moon, to shine vaguely through the veil onto the animal kingdom below, where all beasts resided before the time of man. The animals in the kingdom could not see at night due to the lack of lighting, which caused them to constantly trip over themselves, bump into trees, step on each other's tails, and collide with each other. Henceforth they gathered a council meeting for all the beasts throughout the lands to attend and conspire on what they'd do about the situation the Great Spirit had left them in.
"'I can jump up and tear it down with my mighty claws!' the lion, ruler of the kingdom, boasted proudly while baring his teeth in a vain smile. His subjects frantically applauded him as he climbed to the tallest mountain and pounced off, flailing his claws through the air as he stretched for the veil, but coming nowhere close enough to reaching it. He roared fiercely at his own failure as he tumbled down the mountain, shaking the land with his fury. The council gathered again, hoping that someone would come up with a solution.
"'I will reach it with my long neck and bite it down,' the giraffe vowed and climbed the same mountain the lion had gone to. She ran, leapt, and snapped her teeth in the air desperately, straining her neck in the process to reach the unattainable veil before she collided with the earth. The council met up again that same night, devastated by a second failure.
"'I will fly up and poke holes for us all to see,' promised the woodpecker, and all the animals guffawed at him in unison, towering over the insignificant little bird they'd never taken much notice to until that moment, their laughter reaching the Great Spirit himself.
"'There is no possible way you shall make it. You are too small and your puny wings cannot carry you so far. I shall fly to the veil and shred it apart with my talons,' the eagle swore and flew to the tallest tree, resting on the highest perch for but a moment before taking off into the night, high above the clouds, almost reaching the veil, but became too exhausted to continue flapping his wings. He sailed back down to the earth, regrouped with the council, head hung low from his embarrassment and previous boasting that lead to failure like all others before him.
"'Perhaps if we all work together it shall work,' the lion brainstormed, and the council agreed, having no plans of their own to offer. They trekked to the top of the mountain, where the lion climbed onto the giraffe's back, and the eagle was perched on the lions' head. The giraffe ran and jumped off the mountain, stretching its neck far as was possible for the lion, which galloped up its neck and pounced high into the sky. Once the lion had reached his highest point and was beginning to descend, the eagle flew as high as it could, raising as far as the eye could see, but still falling short of the goal and was about to begin descending back to the ground, when from under the eagle's wing a flash of red black and white sailed ahead of it, beating its tiny wings as hard and fast as it possibly could, until it finally thudded into the veil hard, it's whole head poking through to the other side. The woodpecker grabbed on firmly with its feet, pulled its head back out, and panted triumphantly.
"The woodpecker, who nobody had ever believed in, had reached the veil just as promised. He made his way along the entirety of the veil, being too small to tear the veil apart completely; yet he was able to poke holes in the dark blanket that sheathed the sun and create the stars for the animal kingdom to see. The hole his head had penetrated through was the moon. The flap of veil that had once covered the hole sometimes shifted from the winds in a special pattern, so that's why the moon isn't always whole and sometimes isn't there at all. But the stars were always there, no matter the time or season, the stars shined bright for the kingdom to see. And all the animals in the kingdom bowed down to honor him for their misjudgment…"
That story was my grandfather's favorite, one he recited to me almost every night when I was but a wee lad. Even as I slept uneasily on the morning of the end of civilization, the story played through my dreams with my grandfather voicing it for me, as if motivating me for what awaited me later in the afternoon. As I awoke, spooked from my dream, I wondered if my dreams were trying to tell me something, or if I'd smoked something last night that wasn't just weed…
I blinked for awhile, the remnants of my dream still lingering in my thoughts, and rubbed crust from my eyes before I stiffly rose off the mattress. It was still early; school wasn't for another couple hours or so, leaving me time to get ready leisurely. It was pouring rain outside, pattering hard on my thin glass window and flooding the cluttered gutters, creating huge puddles almost too big to jump over on every corner, just like it'd been raining the past three weeks. Really strange weather to have in the early summer months, but I guess it's not too bizarre for the Bay Area. The sky never seems to make up its mind on whether it'll start hailing or be rainy or cloudy or sunny around here, like it's bipolar.
Richmond looked even dirtier than its usual grotesque complexion, like the rain was attempting to dissolve the grime and crime from the city yet failing completely. It actually made the city look more gruesome and gloomy if anything with the sun almost absent due to the immensely thick clouds. Strange to think that the city was once booming during world war two but was now nothing besides high priced slums, unless you counted the hills leading to the Arlington and Point Richmond. I took my eyes away from the window and peered around the room, examining all of my insignificant belongings, stopping on the picture of Iona, who was my older sister, my mother, and I when I was about five or six. I walked over and lifted the smooth metallic frame up carefully, examining it like my usual morning ritual.
My father's body was still seen in the picture, but I'd burned out where his face once resided by my mother's, destroying the entire top right corner of the photograph. His hand remained on my shoulder, but I didn't want to ruin the picture any more than I had so I'd just left it alone and blurred him out of the picture whenever I lingered on it. It was all I had left from our old house. Strange to think it'd really been so long… Ten long years… My gaze turned to a indescribable sadness thinking about the past, eyes glossing over, my mind blanking out while I tuned out on my sister's smile, the only one ever captured on camera, a rarity among rarities, and my mother's gaze was happy, genuine, another diamond in the ruff. I wish we really could've been that picture perfect.
Then a flash blurred my vision and I saw red again, a dark shade of maroon, followed by a shrill cry in the back of my head that never seemed to cease echoing in my aching skull, leading to me accidently dropping the picture. The frame flopped on the floor facedown and I heard a cracking of glass.
"Goddamnit," I sighed and picked up the frame gingerly, seeing that no glass had fallen out, but was just cracked in a lopsided U shape. I sat the photograph back down, reminding myself to get a new frame before I came home.
I averted my stare and got ready in my studio apartment in silence. It was a lonely empty place, just a bed in the back corner without the wooden frame, a 14" tube television, a DVD/VHS dual player on top of it, a few movies on a rack in the corner and some VHS's organized neatly in a shoebox next to it, along with that comfortable rolling chair I stole from my old job, and a huge chest next to the bed with my clothes and other "essential" belongings inside. I lived alone unfortunately, though it really wasn't the worst thing in the world. I'd grown very accustomed to the solitude. All of my blood family resented, feared, or hated me, so I'd been living on my own since 16. Home sweet home… I tried to stay away from "home" as much as possible; working after school and on the weekends at the warehouse job I'd had for almost two years to get away from this bitty cell of a house… it was a miserable place to live.
I stripped, took a nice long shower, and brushed my teeth. I pulled on my navy blue jeans, black PF Fliers, a black crew neck t-shirt, and the thick black zip-up jacket with a picture of the Joker from Batman Henry, my good friend, had screen printed on the back for me during the beginning of senior year. I grabbed my S&W black half serrated folding Tanto knife, my cheap cell phone, i-Pod, and wallet, then headed over to the "kitchen". I made a bowl of cereal and leaned against the counter, looking around the house and wondering if it was really worth going to school on such a dreary day.
"…well… I'm not gonna just stay here and be bored as fuck all day…" I decided after the last spoonful of cereal, setting the empty bowl in the sink. I snatched my bag up and headed out the door, shutting and locking the three locks I had installed on the fat door. I lived in Richmond, California on Cutting Avenue. Not exactly the best neighborhood, but definitely not the worst either, nowhere near as bad as east LA, but it wasn't pleasant like Kensington either.
I walked up the street, past James F. Kennedy Park towards the ARCO gas station near the Cutting freeway entrance to interstate 880 and spotted a dirty bum, probably 40ish, stumbling about the sidewalk like a drunken blind man, who was approaching a young high school girl walking to BART or the bus stop. It seemed he was going to simply pass her until he snatched her hand and pulled her toward him, causing her to let out a tiny surprised scream.
It was a damn shame that most people didn't act when they'd see something like that going on. They'd just ignore it like it was never there, or watch and hope that somebody else would do something so they wouldn't have to get involved. The truth about people is that they're selfish, fast to turn a blind eye as long as it doesn't inconvenience them. People didn't understand that ignoring the problem doesn't solve it. I guess that explains why I never quite fit in with most people. Because people suck…
He reached out, grasped her jacket, reeled her in, and bit down on her hand gripped tight in his clutches. He did it all so fast I didn't have time to react until after the deed was unfolded. Blood sprouted from the fresh wound, splashing over his cheeks and neck, drenching the poor girl's sleeve in a dirty red collage.
"Hey!" I shouted at him and he turned my way, hair covering his eyes, maroon dripping quickly from his cleft chin, and he released the girl. The girl understood what I was doing and slowly made her way past him, covered her hand, and jogged under the bridge of the overpass towards the Del Norte BART station. At that point a small crowd of viewers from both people waiting for the light to turn green and those pumping their gas idly had formed, like it was a pleasant form of live entertainment. The bum faced me and just stared, like he was waiting for me to move, frozen to the fast paced world that encircled him. He had a huge gash on his chin where the blood dripped off, as if someone had scrapped some of it off, or he'd fallen hard on the concrete and had let a sewer rat gnaw on it for some minutes.
"What… the fuck?" I questioned lowly and he frantically started pacing toward me as the sound of my voice reached him, then abruptly jogging. He was acting strange; his movements contorted and sporadic. He was acting like he'd lost his mind. It wasn't from being drunk, so unless he was having an extremely intensive LCD trip, that bum must've been mentally ill; that's what I believed at least. I tensed my body, ready to defend myself, but thought better of that and simply shifted out of the way as he pounced at me. The bum jumped right past me, arms desperately stretching for me as he met oncoming traffic. He was instantaneously smacked by a single trailer semi-truck, making my eyes fly open widely. I had quickly jumped away from the edge of the curb from fear of accidently getting smacked as well.
He flew over to the other side of the road, his body broken and bleeding profoundly, still starting to stand when an out of service bus blared the horn, swerving to avoid the body and failing. It also ran him over, the wheels turning over the body like a crunched mannequin. As soon as the driver felt the impact, he instinctually stomped on the brakes, locking the wheels so the broken body got twirled around the wheels, a huge bloodstain dragged behind the back of the bus. The bum howled, sounding of rage rather than fear, right before I caught sight of his head popping under the back tire. I flinched at the sight of his death… I thought that even if he was crazy, he didn't need to die for it… Locked up, sure, but not fucking killed…
I kept watching until the body was finally released and flopped in a bloody heap of flesh with tattered clothing and bones jutting out, teeth and hair mashed against the flooded street. The smell of blood filled the air, the familiar scent flowing around my nose hairs. I shifted my glare downward and causally walked to the BART station in a calm and collected manner, acting as if nothing that'd happened even affected me. Running away from the scene of a crime only makes you a bigger suspect, but sticking around wouldn't be the best idea either. Not in my case anyway, they had too much on my file already. I would've been suspected of murder. I slid the Clipper card over the BART entrance/exit gate and it shuddered open, allowing me entrance to the station. It was slow this morning, no other persons were around as I trudged up the stairs to the train platform, waiting for the next BART train, taking my hood off because I was then under cover. There weren't too many people on the platform either, seemed as if the small crowd that was there was sickly. And by small crowd, I only meant smaller than usual standards. There were at least 60 people waiting, and gradually increasing as people like me had climbed up the stair or escalator. The rain started coming down harder then, as if letting me know that it was going to be a terrible day, that that was only the beginning of the insanity to burst from the depths of civilization and show the world all that it was capable of corrupting.
"Four car Fremont train in five minutes. Eight car Millbrae/SFO train in 16 minutes. Remember to hold onto your belongings when entering and exiting the train; stolen items must be delivered to the closest Bart attendant. Please stand behind the yellow line at all…" the automated announcements played, then slowly faded away as I slid my headphones in and waited for my train. Within several sluggish minutes the Fremont BART train came and everyone not wearing a suit hobbled on board in a semi-organized fashion, those with bikes usually letting others in before themselves like decent human beings. I noticed the girl from earlier this morning standing in the center of the second train car and went to stand by her, all the seats already full with other people heading to school or work.
"Ey… you ok? You sure you don't needa go to the hospital. It looked like a bad bite," I asked her curiously, giving her a sideway glance.
"No, no. I'm fine. Thanks for earlier," she answered with a hollow smile on her face. She kept wrapping her hand up where she got bit, like it hurt or wouldn't stop bleeding. Didn't seem like it was fine to me, but I'm not one to press a stranger on something like that. She was grown, old enough to where she could take care of that problem on her own. We didn't talk for the rest of the ride, just waited for our stops to come.
"Downtown Berkeley station, I repeat, we're arriving at the Berkeley station," the driver announced over the loud speaker, grabbing everyone's attention. I pushed through the thin crowd of people getting onto the train, flowing with the large crowd exiting.
I hiked up the slick stairs, paid the gate with the Clipper card, then hurried on the escalator that rose up to Center St., putting my headphones back in and turning the music volume up, playing "Wasteland" by 10 Years. I turned left and trekked towards Allston St., passing all the bums and dropouts sleeping and hanging around on the sidewalk underneath shade covers provided by the many stores, trying to stay out of the heavy rain but otherwise making it as they would any other day, trying to be happy with how they were living their lives.
This particular morning, I observed Berkeley as gracefully as possible while being slapped around by Zephyros. Shattuck Avenue is nothing much in itself, a main street with a few movie theaters and dozens of food joints from the ever loved Cheeseboard near Vine St. to the small yet delicious tastes of Oscar's on Hearst St., and of course the infamous McDonald's on University Ave. The clock tower on UC Berkeley's campus stands above the other buildings in the downtown area, easily noticeable, even from the freeway. Even with the heavy rain the streets of Downtown Berkeley were crawling with regulars, high school and college students hurrying off to class, the crazy bum with that purple backpack and flayed gray hair that probably had some mental issues because he was always yelling to himself. With the incident from earlier in the morning I steered clear from him and pressed on through the strangely colorful street.
I turned down Allston and caught a glimpse of Henry rushing off towards the far side of the school, near the H Building to his Trig class. I didn't try to call for him, I'd see him later anyway I figured. I pushed through the main gates of Berkeley High School, seeing all the people I could care less about, all the people I surely wouldn't miss next year when I was supposed to be gone. I couldn't wait to get away from this town, those people that knew me; the exact same people that treated me like shit until last year when I finally just said "FUCK IT" and put a fake smile on my face. The best thing about senior year was that it was my last year, and we only had a couple weeks left until graduation. That was when my life was supposed to begin, when I could be my own person, have a fresh start, put everything behind me… too bad huh? Things never turn out how you expect or want. I should've known that already, but I'd been too blinded by the freedom of exiting high school to think I'd actually get what I wished. I swear… hope can be our greatest strength or the chink in our armor, causing nothing but demise.
The school looked eh, like fucking usual. I'm sure to others it seems like a nice school; to many it's a great school. To me, it was a prison. The blinding white of the D Building and Community Theater made me squint more than I already was from the goddamn rain, but they look very nice, being the two newest buildings on campus until they tear down the old gym. The brick patterns shape the concrete of the main courtyard into calculated squares, where most of the kids join up and talk before school starts. The C Building stood high above the other buildings, being in the center of the campus, giving it an eerie vibe as you entered the double doors, easing up the polished stone steps much like those at the Bart station, and getting not so much as a glance in your direction while those around you are bombarded with friends and colleagues. Ok… maybe that was just me too, but that building was just… uncomfortable… Like every time I had to step foot in there it made my skin crawl, urging me to escape at first chance.
I shook the feeling away and walked to my locker on the 2nd floor of the C Building, small red lockers, only about 1' by 1', lining the walls on both sides the hallway. The fluorescents burned bright above me as I shimmied along, memorable artwork was hung in glass containers, flyers of upcoming events and sports groups stapled by the artwork. The hallway was crowded like usual, groups of different friends gathered by specific lockers and classrooms, along with others just passing by like myself. I never saw anybody I knew in the C building, or at least nobody I actually hung out with outside of school, just familiar faces with no distinct memories to go with them. I stuffed some books I wouldn't need until tomorrow in the small metal container then heard the soft buzzing of the bell, signaling everyone to get a move on. I strutted over to the portables, passing the grassy area behind the C Building and the deteriorating old gym. The portables were placed behind the old gym and football field, where the old baseball field once resided.
First period, Spanish… I really only talked to one person in that class. His name was Brian. We'd grown close over the course of the year since our teacher always sat us by each other. For whatever reason our teacher had called in sick so we had a substitute teacher. Literally all we did was watch a movie in Spanish with the English subtitles on, such a great way to teach people… because our educational system wasn't fucked up enough already…
"Dude! Ready for this summer?" Brian asked me, excitement crept into his voice as he leaned close to me, awaiting my answer impatiently.
"Naw, summer's gonna suck for me… Between the full-time job and all you fuckers leavin', it's gonna be kinda depressin' honestly," I answered truthfully with a halfhearted shrug. It was true. Out of everyone I knew at school, there were very few I'd cared about. Brian was one of those few, along with Henry, Kevin, and Georgia; our normal little group. Brian's joyful expression faded fast to a frustrated stare, head slouched down a fraction.
"Sorry, didn't mean to rain on your parade bro," I shrugged as the bell rang.
I shouldered my backpack and headed back to the C Building again for my Sociology class. The halls were overly crowded, blurred faces passing me as I shoved my way through the crowd, cutting a couple people off to get inside my class. You'd swear it was like you'd cut someone off on the freeway with the dirty stares those kids gave you.
In 2nd period we had another sub and were watching yet another movie, this time on the Jones Town massacre, a little more interesting, but still ultimately boring in a class where I only talk to one person again, along with being a bit depressing with the pouring rain and talk of mass murder. I searched for my friend but she wasn't seen, probably was out sick like most others. Nothing else interesting happened besides a student who went to the health center because he'd thrown up in class. It left a foul smell and mood in the class for the remainder of its duration. The bell rang, but not a traditional bell, just a low buzz carried out over the loud speakers, and I trudged over to the G Building for my Anatomy class, poking my head inside to see that I had yet another sub.
"Fuck this shit," I muttered angrily. I sure as hell wasn't going to sit through another boring movie or pointless activity so I signed in and trotted downstairs to the art room to meet up with some friends. My two closest friends, Georgia and Henry, had that class because they could draw like fucking Leonardo Da Vinci, the lucky fuckers. They had a sub also, who didn't even notice that I walked into the class, eyes glued to his newspaper, his brow furrowed, as if worried or frustrated.
"Wassup wit you nigga?" Henry asked, though he barely glanced up from his artwork.
"Nuthin' much, came to chill with you guys 'cuz the people in my 3rd suck. What're you guys doin'?" I explained while I gazed at an attractive girl who'd passed us by. She gave me a small smile and kept walking by, giving me a tiny show as she strutted more efficiency.
"Not a goddamn thing… All the fuckin' teachers're out sick for God knows what, so we ain't done shit all day. Might as well've hada fuckin' senior skip day," Henry yawned, boredom glazed over his eyes as the rain pattered harder against the messy glass of the large art room. The art room looked relatively clean then, a large room, at least 40 by 50 feet, not including the office area by the whiteboard. The paint covered tables were dirty like usual, indicating that the classes before didn't clean up after themselves, most likely the sophomores or freshmen. The ground was littered with colored paper scraps, random glitter piles, and a new smear of paint staining the tiles. On the walls were significant pieces of art that either the school or art director had deemed great. It had a way of making anyone who was couldn't draw well, like myself, feel unworthy, displaced in the classroom of artists.
"Not that I'm really complainin', I'd rather have subs than deal with my teacher's funky ass 'tude any day," I respond, peering around the room again at the random people who'd actually stayed in class after signing in. The usual clique of white girls was gone as expected, but it looked like most others that actually stepped inside the class stayed. Half were talking with each other about what they planned on doing that weekend, the other half were occupied with their phones or listening to their music, finishing projects that were due that Friday. It didn't seem much different from a regular lazy day in art class, assimilating in from the weekend.
"Whachu guys wanna do for lunch?" I asked them, boredom finally taking over, making me slouch in the chair.
"It's raining too hard to go out anywhere… Why don't we go to the music building and relax? Enjoy our last days of high school actually inside the stupid school," Georgia suggested with a shrug, leaning against me slightly. I tried to shy away, but she ended up putting her full body weight against me, leaving me no choice but to hold her up or she'd fall out of her chair.
"Sounds good to me," I agreed, looking up at her, Henry nodding next to us without looking up from his work. When the lunch bell rang I got up and told them, "I gotta go put my shit in my locker real quick. I'll meet you guys in a few."
They waved me goodbye while they packed up and I walked to my locker in the C Building, tossed my backpack inside, and made my way for the main entrance, past the gallery of dead stares as the other students tried to break away from the overbearing crowd. I could hear a huge commotion outside, not the usual happy commotion, but like something was wrong, something had happened. I figured it was just a fight happening in the courtyard until I heard police and fire truck sirens; tons of them just around the downtown area. Then there were large crashing sounds, like someone had gotten into a car crash right outside the school, but a very severe one to have been heard over the bickering and confused students stuck inside with me.
Before I could question what was happening, a blockade stopped everyone in their tracks, me bumping into the tall guy in front of me. I knew it was something bad because he didn't even turn to look at me. He just stood frozen. All the commentary through the halls had stopped completely aside from a random cough as we listened to the occurrences outside. I tried pushing through to see what was going on but couldn't get a good view, just a lot of shoving back and forth, like a fight had broken out, which irritated my soul further. The commotion started up again, more voices coming from the hallway, a lot of yells of anger, but I had no clue what was happening, what would be coming…
And that was when hell penetrated through the skies, and rained down on humanity…
And I felt fear close to that from ten years ago…
A blood chilling shriek spread through the hall, drowning out all other noise aside from the ruckus occurring outside, freezing most students in their tracks. And within that split second, pandemonium spread faster than a spark in a field of dried tall grass sprinkled with lighter fluid. Students screamed and shoved their way out the main entrance, me being carried along with the wave of the crowd, shoving people away from me as much as I could, trying to capture a glimpse of what had happened. As I regained my bearings and maneuvered my way out of the C Building doors with the rapid flow of students, I shifted to the side, leaning against the right sided short thick wall that acts as a rail for the stairs, and gazed upon the courtyard with terror and disgust. My stomach churned and lurched, the taste of bile on my tongue as I stared in disbelief, so horrifying it froze me, and terror held me in place though I willed and pleaded to escape.
Blood left the floor crimson in the courtyard between the amphitheater and C building, many handprints stained the walls and rails, bloodied footprints trailed to downed students and staff that were being attacked. More students and staff alike fled toward the main gates, while few others dashed the exact other way at top speed, a new meaning of fear plastered in their eyes and sullen faces. The main gate was the only wide open gate in the entire fucking school that could fit more than three people out at a time, and those who ran for it ran right into a cheese grater massacre of falling bodies and poor souls attempting to flee, only to be dragged back into the blurred red mass of bodies and limbs. They didn't even know what was going on until it was too late. They'd just been pulled with the crowd. I couldn't really make out what was going on, it just looked like a massive gory moshpit from where I was standing, though I knew it was something far more sinister… The smell of death stung the air…
I tried to get a better look so I stopped my march and narrowed my gaze, only to have the crowd of horrified students trying to escape the hallway crush against me and fling me over the side of the rail, falling five feet to the ground like I was an insignificant ragdoll. As I crawled away fearing someone else might follow my fall due to the stampeding students, howls collided with screams all around me and I was unsure which scene to focus on. First I stared at my 4th period teacher, who had tried to escape through the glass door entrance near the cafeteria that lead out to Kittredge St., only to be tackled by a group of small freshman who clawed at her for a moment before they completely ripped her leg off. Three fought over it while the other six chomped on various areas of her anatomy. Her screams rang loud over the others, reaching my ears as I watch her become torn apart, begging help from other students that ignored her, using her death as a distraction to escape. Then I switched focus to a slender blonde Caucasian girl who was backing away from the main gate but tripped over a body and had hit her head hard, which stunned her for a couple of seconds. That was all it took for a bloody female to walk up and snatch her hair with red hands. She reeled the screaming girl in toward her snapping mouth, smacking them together so hard I thought I saw them cracking, while the blonde girl cried and pleaded, up until the bloody girl ate her face, chewing on the cartilage if her nose blissfully for a full 20 seconds before she swallowed and killed the suffering girl. I finally turned back toward the C building and got a glance into the window of a classroom, a scene so incomprehensible I was unable to speak, move, or even think from shock.
A younger boy, either a freshman or sophomore, was lying on the ground, his eyes wide with fear and unknowing as his 60 year old teacher tore into his innards. The entire right side of his torso was ripped open, intestine spilled on the floor at the teacher's knees. The boy flinched in a puddle of his own blood, pain taken over. He was abnormally pale, and the veins were a strangely dark blue color, shining clearly through his paling skin. The teacher was kneeling beside the boy, digging inside of his body, his skin bulging wherever her hands moved about, which made him twitch and jerk in pain and discomfort. It was amazing that he was still alive, though I could see his end was approaching. He stared at me, mouth wide open yet no sound escaped, eyes screamed out for help, but I couldn't do anything but stare as the fear and realization of what was going on had hit me.
They were zombies, or at least something like it. It was some type of infection that made insanity sane, like an eating disorder or something where you have to eat flesh. The teacher withdrew her hand, bent down to his exposed side, and chomped on the freshman's exposed liver. Her teeth sunk deep into the organ's tissue, which caused the boy's flailing to cease, finally out of his misery, his eyes still focused on mine, shaking my nerves, raising all the hairs on my body. Then a huge explosion came from the direction of Oakland, a billow of smoke arose from the direction of the Coliseum, and the ground shook like a minor earthquake. It woke me from my stupor and turned me away from the scene I could no longer bear.
I picked myself off the floor, shaken but steady, and peered around, hoping there was an escape route, some clear path I could tear ass down and be away from the monstrosities. The main gate was a feeding ground for the infected who were moving their way further inside the school for fresher food, seeming to become further unsatisfied with each previous kill. The hallways in the bigger buildings, like the C building I'd been shoved out of, were no doubt the same type of feeding grounds, but worse because they were enclosed, no room to run.
The Music building…
I was supposed to go meet up with Henry and Georgia there anyway… it should be safe still since it's on the other end of the school, the locked off end close to the field. But that was also a problem… because to get there I had to go through a crowd of both infected and non-infected, and I couldn't tell which was which in the crowd. The rain hadn't helped my distinctions any easier, and with all the screaming I was lost, discombobulated…
While still deciding what to do I heard screams from behind me and turned curiously to catch infected exploding out from both the C Building and the alley around the side of the C Building near the Jacket Gym, clasping and leaping onto frightened students too stunned to get away in time. It was then or never…
I bolted across the courtyard, passing three infected who'd ripped a girl's head off and slurped the gushing blood from her gaping neck between grinding off her meat with their jagged teeth. Injured students were trampled by other students who hoped to escape death. Some people were rambling short, incoherent sentences as they galloped by, eyes unfocused and movements uncoordinated, shaky, in a dazed state of shock. Other random uninfected just stumbled about in such a stupor that they couldn't comprehend the travesty unfolding, a couple even sat on the senior steps in front of the community theater, slapping their faces to make sure they were awake. Others stood completely still, staring with their mouths wide open, only to be sacked and feasted upon. I weaved and hopped through the crowd, avoiding all obstacles in my path, avoiding anything moving really. Then I saw an infected that had run up the brick stairs, the way I was heading, and was coming for me. I panicked, searching for something to use. My knife wouldn't open in time; he was less than five feet away. No weapons were in sight. What could I do? Should I have tried to push him away and run past? What could I do? There was no time…
What could I do? What could I do? What could I do? Whatcould I do? WhatcouldI do? WhatcouldIdo? WhatcouldIdo? WhatcouldIdo? WhatcouldIdo? WhatcouldIdo? WhatcouldIdo? WhatcouldIdo?WhatcouldIdo?WhatcouldIdo?WhatcouldIdoWhatcouldIdoWhatcouldIdoWhatcouldIdoWhatcouldIdoWhatcouldIdoWhatcouldIdoWhatcouldIdoWhatcouldIdoWhatcouldIdoWhatcouldIdoWhatcouldIdo? What could I have done… what should I have done?
It doesn't matter what I should've done… I did what I needed… to survive…
There was a boy, one of those in a daze, staring at me, tears mixing with the rain so well I barely noticed. He was directly to my right, within arm's reach. I did what I had to… I yanked him close by his wet shirt, and threw him in front of me. I never looked at his face, but I'm sure he hated me in that last moment if he hadn't already lost his sanity. The zombie pounced on him, dug into his neck, sinews and tendons snapping as it jerked its head back. I ran past while it was distracted and jumped down the brick stairs, hurrying away from the immediate danger, feeling a pit in my chest that I knew would only become heavier by the end of that day. I heard footsteps close behind me, appearing out of nowhere like a ninja. I peeked over my shoulder, expecting the zombie I'd just passed, but it was another infected flying down all the stairs. It pounced on my back and tried to grab hold but I shook it off as we fell, sending us both rolling on the slick concrete, skirting about five feet from each other. I clambered back to my feet and noticed that it was Mitchell, someone I once knew well.
We'd known each other since the 4th grade. He and Melissa were the only friends I actually had after I got out of juvenile hall. He went to a different middle school though so we never properly reconnected, just said "Wassup man?" or "How you doin' bro?" when we passed each other during the school day. His left eye was hanging out of its socket and completely white, bouncing off of his nose and cheek with each turn of the head, still attached by the optical nerve. It was an eerie sight to say the least. Fresh dark crimson still poured from the socket and stump. His arm was missing from the elbow down, torn off, a bit of ivory sticking out among the chopped flesh, the dark marrow inside visible.
"Mitchell…" I breathed quietly, uncertainty and worry edged into his name. His head snapped in my direction and he sprinted over to me, arm and nub outstretched, mouth spread as far as the strained muscles would allow, the corners showing blood as he ripped himself apart, to ensure that I'd easily slide down his throat I'm sure. He leapt up unexpectedly and landed on my chest, knocking me to the ground again.
"GET OFF OF ME!" I yelled as I pushed him back, his teeth snapped mere inches from my face, his one hand tried to tear my hoodie off to grab some meat, slightly tearing the sleeve of my jacket. His nub hand oozed dark blood over my chest and neck, trying to reach my face before I kicked him off me. I searched for a weapon, eyes settling on a loose brick along the pathway, and grabbed it, being the only thing available at the time. My knife was in my back pocket, underneath me at the time, unavailable once again.
"MITCHELL! STOP!" I pleaded with him, but he could no longer comprehend what I was saying. He rushed for me again, but I smashed the brick into the side of his cranium, feeling his skull crack but not break on impact, and he fell on the concrete, twitching; a deep imprint of the edge of the brick embedded above his left eyebrow. I smashed the brick over his head again and again until his head was nothing but hairy mush and brain matter, washing away in the puddles of rain, turning a lighter shade of red, rose petal colored, and the brick was crumbling apart on the side I'd used as a weapon. I huffed and stood tall, continuing to head for the music building, my heart pumping too fast, head hurting from confusion and adrenaline mixed in a discomforting union.
As I ran down the side alley between the G and C buildings, I caught glimpses of the classrooms through the windows, of people I knew that tried to fight off hordes of infected classmates rushing toward them, falling prey to their previous friends and colleagues who outnumbered them in a frightening capacity. I cleared my thoughts of them, there was no way I could've helped them. If I had, I would've died too… I had to stop thinking about everything besides staying alive, keeping myself safe. That's all that mattered. I flicked my knife from my back pocket and held it ready. I wouldn't be unprepared again. If it was them or me, I was going to survive…
I'd hit a hard left and froze, my heart stopped for a few beats before kick-starting once more after realizing I luckily hadn't soiled myself. A small herd was feasting on some unhappy soul near one of the C building doorways, shoving whatever they could grab into their mouths as their stomachs grew scarily fast, bulging abnormally. They'd demolished so much of the body that I couldn't even tell if it was a male or a female. My body wouldn't budge. They hadn't seen me yet, but terror had filled my veins and was already controlling my movements. The rain was coming down lightly now, letting me see ahead more clearly, like a fine mist or light sprinkle. My body puffed up with fear and I slowly backed away, my body feeling like a rusted bike with no oil. I just had to go the long way to get into the building, I was still ok. It would take more time but it'd beat dying at least. I took three steps backward and thought I was in the clear, until I took that 4th step and heard a loud crunch! I glared down in confusion and horror, seeing a large piece of cracked glass from a broken bottle under my soaked shoes, left over from some inconsiderate asshole. I might've only stepped on some broken glass… but it was like I might as well have shouted "Dinner time!" for the goddamn abominations…
The entire group of infected glared in my direction with bared teeth and snarled faces, waiting for me to make a move, like they couldn't make me out through the hazy rain. I wasted no time, taking off down the rest of the alley, passing the group in a blur, rushing to get to the front of the music building before they could catch up, a smile spread across my face as I realized I was almost home free. I heard their footsteps behind me, pounding on the ground like cold slabs of uncoordinated meat, drawing closer and closer, inching their way toward some fast-food. I pushed my legs hard against the ground to keep ahead, trying to keep my balance and not fall or slip on the slick ground, which would've lead to an automatic and unpleasant demise. I bounded towards the building, seeing my goal in the near distance, rooting for me to reach those bright red doors, similar to the color of blood but not so demented. I knocked them open with my shoulder and kicked them shut behind me, watching the infected lumber for the doors. I had nothing to block the door with so I slammed my body against it, leaned into the center between both doors with all my weight. I quickly tossed my knife near the hallway incase I needed to run and scoop it up, and desperately fumbled with my belt, hoping to get it loose to tie off the fucking doors. Stupid fucking school is a death trap.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
One by one they pounded against the doors, with each hit almost throwing me off. Lucky for me they couldn't get enough traction to push me out of the way due to the soaked concrete outside. Thankfully I was standing on a large black rug so that I wouldn't budge otherwise I would've slipped with the first step inside. I ripped my belt off and tied it around the first handle, hands working so fast I nearly messed up with securing it. I had to shoulder the door to keep them shut while I worked, but that only worked so well when you're panicking and rushing. My hands kept shaking, making the task more time consuming, hence terrifying. My breath became hard to draw, felt like the world was closing in on me, suffocating me…
BAM!
They slammed against the doors as I was tying off the 2nd handle, barely getting the little securing bar inside of the loop before I was shoved back, knocking me to the floor. Wet hands ripped off the bottom part of my already torn sleeve as I fell. I stood and bolted up the stairs, snatching up the knife along the way, fight or flight taking over my body again as a new fear spread in my mind.
"I didn't have a plan besides stayin' alive and makin' it inside… What if this is happening everywhere, not just here? I needa check out the roof," I thought to myself and jogged up the stairs, past the 2nd and 3rd floors, which were dead silent. The door to the roof was locked, but the bolt was old and rusted. I pushed against it, thinking it'd easily give way, but it didn't budge. I slammed my body into the door and it gives a little way, creaking loudly.
"Stubborn piece of shit!!" I growl when I backed up and kicked it as hard as I could muster right next to the handle, sending the broken door flying open. I stumbled onto the roof and gazed at the sight bestowed upon me.
The entire city was in chaos, contorted, looking like a ravaged war zone than the once bustling city I'd walked through earlier… The main streets were feeding grounds, infected and bodies lying and running around in a stupor of lost coordination, much like the students in front of the C building. Cars were colliding with people, killing or disabling them on impact, making them easy prey for the slower infected that couldn't run as they lay there in agony. And that was just what I could see from the side streets that lead toward Shattuck and University, vision somewhat blocked by the towering skyscrapers. Flames littered the smoldering city, cars were flipped over, burned, smashed into fire hydrants, or halfway inside buildings and stores; even a Prius was stuck inside of the side of the H Building near where the photo classes were held, letting more infected pour inside this graveyard of a place. From what I could see, the whole school was dead, only infected howling their cravings of blood thirst remained.
As I swayed in place from lightheadedness, I noticed how cars often smacked into each other and sent drivers who'd been too forgetful or preoccupied to buckle up skittering across the ground where another car would run them over. The remains of the bodies are left for the slower infected in the area that can't run to eat up. The grassy area by the peace wall, where many students would've been eating lunch or smoking pot was no longer green. The field was glittering crimson as the blood stuck like glue to the blades of grass where skin covered skeletons with tendons attached moan in dismay, unable to move, but still alive. Gunshots echoed through the air, becoming less frequent as time slowly trickled by until they completely subsided into random single shots, all happening within the three minutes and 15 seconds I'd been standing there. And all I could think was the same line over and over.
"How the fuck did all of this happen?!"
I plopped down in a puddle, the dampness soaking the back of my pants, keeping me grounded, unsure what else to do or think with the world crumbling at my feet. I was alone with no help, no weapons, and trapped in a building that might still have infected inside. It felt like the world was spinning and trying to throw me off its surface, and there wasn't a damn thing I could do to stop it. I couldn't hold it in anymore. The pit in my chest had changed to a rising discomfort rapidly travelling up my esophagus… I leaned over the side of the building and vomited onto the herd banging against the front door, apparently making them more agitated, barging against the door with harder force, but still going nowhere. The belt still held strong.
I sat back down after spitting out the left over bile still on my tongue, thinking of this day, and how it'd all gone wrong so indescribably fast. There were warnings, sure, like that hobo from this morning, but why weren't we alarmed? Why did nobody know? Was it chemical warfare? Was this God's wrath? All questions I had no way of answering while I stared at the carnage in and outside of school grounds.
So here I am, still just sitting here… waiting… wishing that I could think of some way to get out of this hell. I take out my phone and call my aunt and uncle who live close to the freeway. The call wouldn't go through. I check the screen of my phone to find it display a "NO SERVICE" on it, the wifi signal completely gone. I try the internet anyway, but it just keeps loading, then repeating there's no service and cannot connect. Fucking great… way to go Metro… I try again, just praying it goes through. Nothing…
"Why the fuck is there no people left? Where the fuck is the army, the police?! Why are we alone in this one-sided fight? The police station is literally down the block, only 100 yards from where I sit. Why didn't the do anything to help protect us, or Washington Elementary directly across from us? Why were we abandoned? Why am I alone in this…? Why the fuck do I always end up-
BAM! BAM!!!
"What the fu- The infected… OH SHIT!!!" I think, leaping down the stairwell. "That belt's gonna fuckin' break once I get close to the door, I fuckin' know it," I think, hurrying down the hall to see that the gap had gotten wider. Six arms now stretch for me, pushing harder as I approach, the belt straining tighter, the threads starting to snap in a row, becoming thinner, ready to pop off. I scramble for something to beat them back with, but there's nothing to use in the hallway. This stupid fucking school with its stupid fucking rules!! I don't even want to think of how many others have died due to these stupid ass technicalities the school system had previously enforced to keep us "safe".
Yeah fucking right… about as safe as a racist white rapist sharing a cell with Devo; that white boy's ass would be wide enough to fit five dicks in at once just by the end of the first night. That's how fucked we were from the get go. All they did was toss us in a cage with the carnivorous dead, automatically sentencing us to death row. Just like always, we've been set up for failure. Because the youth of this planet haven't already been so ravished, this must be the icing on the cake. It would've been better to have some terrorist bomb us. Then at least it would've been quick… I throw my hands up in frustration and smack an iron pipe attached to the low ceiling, making me glare up while I rub the back of my hand.
"… That'll work," I mutter to myself, ogling the dull looking metal pole shining bright in my time of desperate need. I stretch and grab it, pulling fiercely, yet it doesn't shift an inch. The infected outside growl louder as the tension of the belt reduces, like a pack of wolves closing in on a cornered deer, ready for the taste of blood to line their throats and quench their thirst. They know it's only a matter of time… and a short matter at that.
"I ain't dyin' here you sumbitches… You… can eat… my shit… you… fucking… COCKSUCKERS!!" I yell as I jump up and grab onto the pole, yanking with all of my weight between my shouts until it gives in, sending me and the bar crashing back to the floor.
About three feet of the pole had broken off, definitely enough to deal with pushing the infected back. I swing at the hands and they let me hit them, not caring to withdrawal and evade a broken arm. It's like they can't even feel pain anymore… I swing the iron bar at their arms, breaking and cracking them in horrible positions, hoping for a better response. They just push harder against the door, straining the tense belt further, two seconds away from fully breaking and letting hell's hounds inside with me. I glance back down the hallway and spot a worn out sofa against the wall. I flit, hook a bitch, and tackle it down the hallway, picking up a steady speed before bolting and ramming it into the door, sending all the infected flying back just as the worn belt was at its end, making the door slam shut on their arms. Two more arms break and all six of them snap off in the process, which thud onto the couch in an orderly yet sloppy manner, the last limb slapping the arm of the couch before dropping to the polished floor, still twitching uncontrollably. I shove the iron bar through the handles before they could try to push them open again, locking the doors tight, the thick bar narrowly sliding through, ensuring they'll have an even harder time bursting through now.
I stumble back against the wall next to a classroom door, the coolness bringing me back to a stable state of mind, my breathing returning to normal, not feeling claustrophobic any longer. It gives me the chance to think again.
"Am I alone?" I wonder out loud after standing there for what felt like 10 minutes, though it must've been only two at most, slouching against the comforting wall, the fear slowly ebbing away with the feverish heat, hair falling back down into place.
creeeeak!!
I hear the sound of a door open near me, making me open my eyes and shift them toward the sound, my heart hammering like a rabbits frail ticker. I turn, unsure what had opened the door, and watch as hands spring from the darkness in the form of hooked claws, clutching onto my jacket and arms. I start panicking as they engulf me, yet it's too late to get away, they're already pulling me into the unknown darkness.
I close my eyes and brace for the pain as they haul me inside of the room, and for a moment, I appear weightless, making me strangely relaxed in this fucked up situation. I hope I at least stay dead once I die… If anything, that would bring me some peace of mind with this crazy day. But you know… I wish I'd just died ten years ago instead… Then I'd still be with my family… It's funny, never expected to die after all of that bullshit… then again… I should know that nothing is ever as expected… God taught me that the day I was born as a slave…
~*~