We arranged the benches to the sides of the room. It was a cosy fit for all of us. I invited the unexpected guests to join me. Only the boys smiled and nodded and helped. I was grateful. I removed the curtains from the windows and covered myself with them like a quilt as I couldn't sleep without a blanket. The others did the same thing. I lay down on the floor and relaxed.
The next day,
We knew we had to get out of the building before our plan backfired. Emma volunteered to stay behind and distract the zombies if they came after us. We opened the door and crept out, hoping to avoid any undead encounters. To our astonishment, the second floor was deserted. We had expected to see hordes of zombies roaming the hallways, but there was no sign of them. We made our way down to the first floor, feeling a mix of relief and dread. Where were they all? As soon as we reached the lobby, we found out. A single zombie was waiting for us, but not just any zombie. It was a gifted one, a rare mutation that made it faster and stronger than the rest. It lunged at us with a snarl, and we barely had time to react. It managed to sink its teeth into one of our group members, a guy we didn't care for. He screamed and fell to the ground, turning into one of them in seconds. Emma, Hannah and Laura tried to fight off the two zombies, but they were outnumbered and outmatched.
The zombie had me in its sights and charged at me with a ferocious growl. My friends shouted my name in panic, hoping to warn me. Emma tried to use her mind control power to stop the zombie, but it was too strong to be affected. I braced myself for the inevitable bite, thinking this was the end for me. I raised my hands to shield my face, and then something miraculous happened. The zombie burst into flames and crumbled to ashes before it could touch me. I felt a surge of heat coursing through my veins, and I realized I had just unleashed a hidden power. I could manipulate fire! I was overjoyed and amazed by this discovery. I felt like I could do anything with this power. I wondered what would happen if I got angry enough to burn the whole world down. That's how we escaped from the zombie trap again.
Our mission was far from over. We still had to clear several levels of the building before we could escape. But as we made our way down the stairs, we were shocked by what we saw through the corridor window. The undead had gathered on the ground in a huge swarm as if responding to some sinister command. It was a grotesque parody of a school assembly, with teachers and students marching in sync like mindless zombies. We tried to slip past them unnoticed, but they detected our life signs and turned their attention to us. They rushed at us with ferocious speed and hunger, ready to tear us apart. We knew we had no chance of fighting them all off, it would sap our strength too much. Our powers came with a heavy cost: I felt like I was on fire (and not in a good way), Hannah felt like she was encased in ice, Emma's voice was raspy and weak, and Laura was exhausted from manipulating objects with her mind.
We suffered another tragic loss as one more of our unwelcome companions fell victim to the undead plague. Only six of us were left alive: the four of us, who had been together since the outbreak, and Laura and her best friend Sarah, who had joined us later. They had already witnessed the gruesome death of one of their friends, and now they had to watch as the other one rose again with bloodthirsty eyes. We barely had a moment to grieve as the undead surrounded us from all directions. Our former guests, who we had reluctantly sheltered, now all had turned into our most dangerous foes, and we were the last living souls in this hellish school.
We had given up hope of escaping the undead horde that surrounded us, but then a miracle happened. From the first floor of the school, a phone rang loudly, piercing the silence like a siren. The mindless zombies were drawn to the sound, leaving us a narrow window of opportunity. We seized it and dashed out of our hiding place, only to encounter the most astonishing sight. The leader of the undead, the one who seemed to have some twisted intelligence behind his rotting eyes, was holding the phone in his hand. He had deliberately lured his minions away from us, giving us a chance to survive. He nodded at us as we ran past him as if to say "Go now, and don't look back." We didn't need to be told twice. We sprinted towards the school gate, where we spotted a car with the keys still in the ignition. It belonged to one of our teachers, who had fallen victim to the zombie attack earlier. Della, who knew how to drive, jumped behind the wheel and started the engine. We piled into the car and slammed the doors shut, just as the horde realized their mistake and turned back towards us. As we sped away from the school, I felt a surge of adrenaline and foolishness. I told them to keep going and that I would stay behind and distract the zombies. I had always wanted to be a hero, but this was not the time or place for it.
I had fought bravely and fiercely, setting fire to countless zombies with my pyrokinesis. But I had met my match in the one who controlled plants. He had ensnared me with his vines, lifting me off the ground and squeezing the life out of me. I looked back and saw my friends watching helplessly from a safe distance. I yelled at them to leave me behind, to save themselves. I told them I loved them, with all the strength I had left. I knew it was over for me. I had been a fool, and now I was paying the price.
Just when I thought I was doomed, the intelligent zombie came to my rescue. He faced off against the plant zombie, using his ice powers to counter his vines. But the plant zombie was stubborn and resilient, refusing to give up. The intelligent zombie grew angry and unleashed his ultimate ability. He waved his hand and the earth split open, swallowing the plant zombie whole. Then he closed the gap and the plant zombie was gone for good. I was still trapped by the vines, but they loosened their grip and I began to fall. Before I could hit the ground, the intelligent zombie caught me in his arms, like a hero in a movie.
The intelligent zombie lowered me to the ground with a tender touch, gazing into my eyes, a hint of fear I felt and even a surge of emotions towards him. I knew he was too powerful for me, and I didn't know what he had in store for me. I was speechless and frozen in fear. He whispered his name was Alex and asked me if I recognized him. Then he told me to go and not cause him more trouble. As soon as he let go of me, I ran back to my friends. I was drained from using my fire powers too much, but I made it to the car and got in. I pretended like nothing had happened, but then I felt a brutal blow to my head. Emma punched me and started yelling at me like a mad woman. Emma was ranting at me non-stop as we drove to find a safe shelter. I asked Della and Hannah to tell Emma to calm down, but they joined her in scolding me. It felt like I was a rebellious teen getting lectured by my parents. Emma asked me when I was going to stop being so reckless and reminded me that it was the third time I had almost died. I tried to lighten the mood by joking that I was glad she was keeping track of it, but that earned me another punch. I decided to be quiet for a while as we searched for a safe place. I also tried to recall if I had ever met Alex before.
--------_--------_-------_---------_---------_----------_------------
Wow, you made it to the third chapter of my book! Congratulations, you are awesome! You must be really smart and curious and adventurous to follow this amazing story. But you know what would make you even more awesome? If you commented your thoughts and opinions about my book. Come on, don't be shy. I'm just a 16-year-old new author who needs your feedback to grow and learn and become the best writer in the world. Or at least in my neighborhood. Or maybe just in my house. Anyway, please comment and let me know what you think. I promise I won't bite. Unless you say something mean. Then I might bite a little. Just kidding. Or am I? You'll never know unless you comment. Thank you and enjoy the third chapter!