The living room was dimly lit, the soft glow of a few candles casting shadows on the walls. Alicia's friends, who had been sleeping on makeshift beds, stirred awake one by one, their faces reflecting a mix of confusion and worry.
As Amy spoke up, her voice broke the silence that had settled in the room. Her eyes darted around, searching for answers in the faces of her friends. "What do you think will happen to us now?" she asked, her tone filled with uncertainty.
Zack, rubbing his eyes as he sat up, replied with a hint of desperation in his voice, "I just want to see my family. I need to know if they're okay."
King, always the blunt one, interjected with a harsh reality. "They're probably dead already," he stated matter-of-factly, causing a ripple of tension to spread through the room.
Zack's expression darkened, anger flashing in his eyes. "What did you say!?" he exclaimed, his fists clenching as if ready for a fight.
Sensing the tension escalating, Amy quickly stepped in to defuse the situation. "Hey! Stop it you two!" she scolded, her voice firm. "We're just guests here. Do you want them to kick us out of the house?"
Elise, sitting beside Amy, spoke up softly, directing her question to Amy. "Are you not scared? Or worried about your family?" Her eyes conveyed concern, mirroring the unease that lingered in the air.
Amy's shoulders tensed slightly before she replied, her voice betraying a hint of vulnerability. "Of course, I am... but it's not like I can do anything about it," she admitted, avoiding direct eye contact. "I can only pray that they're also safe."
Elise nodded in understanding, her gaze filled with empathy. "You're so strong, Amy," she commented, offering words of admiration.
Amy shook her head modestly. "I'm just doing what I can," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
King, sensing a shift in the conversation, redirected their attention to the earlier events. "What do you think happened earlier?" he asked, his curiosity evident. "Alicia's parents were fighting. Do any of you know anything about it?"
Amy sighed, her expression conflicted. "It's not good to gossip about others, you know," she chided King, her tone tinged with sarcasm.
The tension in the room escalated as King's frustration bubbled to the surface. "What!?" he exclaimed again, his voice tinged with defiance. "I'm just curious! After all… they will be the ones deciding our future, what will happen, or where we will go. We're just a burden to them."
Before anyone could respond, the teacher, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, spoke up. Her voice was calm yet authoritative. "That's not true," she countered, her eyes scanning each of them. "I am here, and I can promise you all that we will protect you."
Zack, feeling a surge of guilt and determination, confessed, "We don't want to be the ones holding you guys back. We also want to help. Alex killed three of them… can we also do it?"
The teacher's expression softened, and she shook her head. "You don't have to do it," she insisted, her tone gentle yet firm.
King, however, wasn't convinced. "Bullshit, we'll eventually do it," he cursed, his frustration evident.
Amy, unable to tolerate King's disrespect, intervened. "Hey! She's a teacher! Have some respect!" she scolded him, her voice stern.
King scoffed, dismissing her concern. "Respect? In this situation, you still care about respect? And what can she even do anyway? Call our parents?"
The teacher's demeanor shifted, her expression turning cold as she issued a warning. "We can leave you behind if you want," she stated bluntly, her eyes locking onto King's. "I'm not kidding. We don't want someone like you not listening to us. You could put us in danger with your behavior, and that would be bad."
King fell silent, unable to come up with a retort. The teacher's menacing smile conveyed her seriousness. "Good," she said, her tone cutting. "Be a good boy."
I stepped out of the bathroom, clad only in pants and a towel slung over my shoulder. "Aren't you too harsh into them?" I said sarcastic as I dry my hair with the towel
"It's not like they're going to die," the teacher retorted with a hint of sarcasm.
"Hey… why does he have a gun?" King said, looking at my belt. It's the belt I took from the SWAT zombies, so does it's gear.
It has a semi-automatic pistol, extra Magazines, a flashlight, a handcuff, walkie-talkie, medical pouch, a knife, and lastly the tactical gloves that are hanging to the belt.
"What about it? If you want something, help yourself. There are still SWAT zombies at the clinic," I replied, this was the guy who just disrespect ma'am right? I'll be keeping an eye into him.
The teacher then approached me, her expression concerned. "Hey… Isn't this too early for you to be carrying these kinds of things?"
"Alicia's parents are okay with it, and besides this is mine now. Or do you disagree?" I said raising an eyebrow
She sighed, seeming uncertain. "Are you the same student I met this morning?" she asked.
"Well, I'm still alive, aren't I?" I grinned at her.
"Anyway," she said, changing the subject, "let's get some sleep. We've got a long day ahead tomorrow."
"Ma'am, can I talk to you for a moment?" I asked as she turned to leave.
"Hmm? Sure, what is it?" she replied, stepping closer.
I walked out of the house, and she followed. "Hey, it's already midnight. What did you want to talk about?" she asked.
"This," I replied, handing her the handgun I had taken from the nurse. "I thought you might need this someday."
"Are you sure?" she asked, looking uncertain.
"If you're not comfortable, it's okay," I reassured her.
"No, I'll take it," she said quickly, accepting the gun.
"That's all I wanted to say," I told her, turning to head back inside.
"Um, thank you," she said softly.
"It's no problem. Let's go back in. It's chilly out here," I said, leading the way back inside.
As we entered the house, a somber atmosphere lingered in the air. The weight of our experiences and the uncertainties of the future seemed to press down on us. Despite the exhaustion, sleep seemed elusive as we lay down, each lost in our own thoughts.
The night passed slowly, and dawn brought with it a tentative sense of hope. We gathered in the living room, ready to face the day ahead. Alicia's parents, now dressed and composed, joined us as well.
"Morning, everyone! Did you all sleep well?" Elena greeted the group as they gathered in the living area.
"We slept fine, thank you for having us," the teacher replied gratefully, extending her hand for a handshake.
"Elena, my name is Elena," Elena introduced herself warmly, shaking Luana's hand.
"Luana, it's nice to meet you," Luana replied with a smile.
"How about we start the day with breakfast?" Elena suggested cheerfully.
"We'd love that," Luana accepted graciously.
Alex and Alicia soon joined them going down the stairs, accompanied by Lucy, Alicia's younger sister. "Morning," Alicia chirped.
"Good Morning," Alex greeted with a nod keeping his respect, while Lucy remained quiet.
"Good morning," Elena greeted them both.
"Morning," Luana added.
"How are you feeling today, Lucy?" Elena asked, crouching down to her level.
"I'm okay," Lucy replied softly.
"That's good to hear. Come on, let's go grab some breakfast," Elena said, leading the way to the dining area.
Elena, Alicia, and Luana busied themselves in the kitchen, preparing a delicious breakfast spread, while Lucy sat at the dining table, observing their activities.
Meanwhile, the other students pitched in to help Victor pack their belongings into the pickup truck, readying for the day ahead.
Alex stepped outside. "Liah, good morning. Breakfast is ready," he called out, eyeing me as I gathered the SWAT gear.
"Morning, I'll be there in a sec," I replied, focusing on the gear.
Alex approached me, glancing around. His eyes fell on the two SWAT bodies nearby. "Did you… kill them?" he asked tentatively.
"They were already turned when we reached the truck," I explained.
"I see," he murmured.
"Here, take this," I said, handing him a semi-automatic pistol.
"I can't possibly—" he began to protest.
"Do you want to protect Alicia or not?" I interrupted firmly.
He hesitated, then relented. "Okay…"
"Hey, Siah. Can I ask you something?" he asked hesitated
"Yeah, what is it?" I replied
"Do… do you not feel guilty wearing someone else's things?" he asked, noticing my attire with the SWAT gears.
"Alex, would you do anything for Alicia?" I countered, looking him in the eyes.
"Yeah… why?" he asked, intrigued.
"Then you need to accept that this is what it takes to survive and protect her. Besides, your father-in-law is already wearing it. And I want you to take the last one," I explained, showing him the gear.
Determined to protect Alicia, he nodded. "I'll take it."
"Good," I said with a smile.
Alicia opened the door. "Hey, breakfast's ready!" she announced.
"Let's go," I told Alex, leading the way inside.
As we entered the dining area, the aroma of freshly cooked food greeted us warmly. Elena, Alicia, and Luana had set up a spread of scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, buttered toast, and a pot of steaming coffee. Lucy sat at the table, her eyes lighting up as she saw us.
"Good morning, everyone," Elena greeted us with a smile. "Please, have a seat and dig in."
We took our places around the table, and Alex and I joined the others in savoring the hearty breakfast. The conversation flowed easily, with Alicia and Luana sharing stories of their past adventures together.
Then suddenly, the power went out. The sudden darkness enveloped the room as the power went out, leaving us in complete silence for a moment. The absence of the familiar hum of electronics and the dimming lights brought an eerie atmosphere.
"Is everyone okay?" Victor's voice cut through the darkness, filled with concern.
"We're fine, just a power outage," Elena reassured him, her tone calm despite the situation.
"Should I check the circuit breaker?" Alex asked, already moving towards the utility room.
"Leave it. It's probably a blackout, and we're leaving soon anyway," I said decisively.
"Okay..." Alex nodded, turning back from the utility room.
"He's right," Victor chimed in softly, reaching out to hold Elena's hand.
Elena nodded in agreement, her expression reflecting a mixture of concern and determination.
As the group gathered their belongings and prepared to leave, a sudden commotion outside caught their attention. Shouts and growls echoed through the air, indicating that something was amiss.
"What's going on?" Alicia asked, her voice tinged with concern.
"I'll check," I said, grabbing my assault rifle and moving towards the nearest window. Peering outside, then heard something.
I followed the direction where the sounds is and saw a helicopter flying away.
"Oh… no." I gasped then "We need to leave now," I announced, turning back to the group.
Victor quickly loaded the remaining supplies into the pick-up truck while Alex and I kept watch. Elena helped Lucy into the vehicle, ensuring her safety.
"Is everything okay?" Luana asked, her eyes reflecting the tension in the air.
"We have a bit of a situation outside," I replied, glancing at the approaching zombies.
"Let's go, then," Luana said, urging everyone to get into the vehicle.
Alicia's two best friends went with Luana's car, while Alicia, and Lucy went to the pick-up truck with Elena driving it.
Lastly, Victor, Alex, Me and the three guys are inside the SWAT armored truck we took.
With everyone on board, Victor started the engine and drove carefully towards the gate. The zombies were getting closer, their groans growing louder.
"We need to clear a path," Alex said, gripping his pistol tightly.
"Dont!" I Exclaimed "You'll only draw more zombies towards us! Just drive!" I shouted Victor stepped the accelerator and burst through the gate, leaving the zombies behind.
The others followed behind, as we drove away, the tension in the air slowly dissipated, replaced by a sense of relief and accomplishment.
"We made it," Zack whispered in relief, looking back at the receding figures of the undead.
"For now," I replied, glancing at the road ahead. "We have a long journey ahead of us."