When I woke up the next morning, or maybe it was just a few hours later; time had lost all meaning, I was sore in places I didn't even know could get sore. My arms ached from swinging that metal pipe, my legs felt like I'd run a marathon, and my head was pounding with the beginnings of what I was sure would be a killer headache. All in all, it was shaping up to be another fantastic day in the apocalypse.
I groaned as I sat up, rubbing my eyes and blinking against the harsh light of the emergency lamps that still flickered overhead. The gym was quiet, eerily so, and for a moment, I let myself hope that maybe, just maybe, everything that had happened was some kind of messed-up dream. But then I saw Marcy and Raven, both awake and looking just as haggard as I felt, and reality came crashing back in.
"So much for wishful thinking," I muttered under my breath as I got to my feet.
Raven looked up from where she was sharpening her crowbar with a whetstone she'd found in the equipment room. "Sleep well?" she asked, her tone dry.
"Like a baby," I replied, cracking my neck and wincing at the stiffness in my muscles. "A baby who just fought off a hellhound and is now contemplating whether he's going to live to see another day."
"Welcome to the club," Marcy said with a tired smile. She was sitting cross-legged on a gym mat, fiddling with the fire extinguisher that had saved our asses yesterday. "We were just talking about what to do next. We can't stay here forever, but we need to figure out where we're going."
I nodded, trying to shake off the last remnants of sleep and focus on the task at hand. They were right, of course, we couldn't stay holed up in the gym indefinitely. Eventually, those creatures would find a way in, or worse, something even more dangerous would show up. We needed a plan, and fast.
"Have you heard anything outside?" I asked, looking to Raven. She seemed to have the best survival instincts out of all of us, and I was quickly learning to trust her judgment.
Raven shook her head. "Nothing so far. But that doesn't mean they're gone. They're probably just waiting for us to let our guard down."
"Great," I muttered, running a hand through my hair. "So we're stuck between staying here and hoping they don't get in, or heading out and risking whatever's waiting for us out there."
"Pretty much," Raven said with a shrug. "But we can't stay here. This place is too open, too many entry points. We need somewhere more secure, somewhere we can fortify properly."
"Any ideas?" Marcy asked, glancing between us.
I frowned, trying to think. The campus was large, with plenty of buildings, but most of them were just as open as the gym. Dorms, classrooms, administrative offices… none of them were exactly what you'd call a stronghold. But then, an idea started to take shape.
"What about the library?" I suggested, the thought striking me like a bolt of lightning. "It's one of the older buildings on campus. Brick walls, fewer windows, heavy doors. It's not perfect, but it's a lot more defensible than this place."
Raven considered it for a moment, then nodded. "Not a bad idea. It's worth checking out, at least."
Marcy looked a bit hesitant, but she didn't object. "Okay. So we head to the library. How do we get there without, you know, getting torn apart by monsters?"
"Carefully," Raven said with a grim smile. "We stick to the shadows, move fast, and stay quiet. If we're lucky, we'll make it there without drawing too much attention."
I swallowed hard, the reality of what we were about to do sinking in. We'd barely survived the trip to the gym, and now we were going to venture out again, into the unknown, with who-knew-what waiting for us. But what choice did we have? If we stayed here, we were sitting ducks.
"Alright," I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt. "Let's get ready, then."
We spent the next half hour gathering our supplies, what little we had, and preparing for the trek to the library. Raven found a few more useful items in the equipment room, including a couple of old baseball bats, which we quickly appropriated as weapons. Marcy packed up the first aid kit and the remaining food we'd scrounged up, and I made sure my trusty metal pipe was securely tucked into my backpack, within easy reach.
As we worked, the atmosphere was tense but focused. There was no room for doubt or hesitation now. We knew what we had to do, and we were committed to seeing it through.
When we were ready, we gathered by the gym's main doors, the same ones we'd barricaded so hastily the night before. Raven took the lead, crouching down and carefully removing the crowbar we'd used to jam the doors shut.
"Ready?" she asked, her voice low but steady.
I nodded, gripping the handle of my backpack tightly. "Let's do this."
Raven pushed the door open just a crack, peering out into the morning light. For a few seconds, she was silent, scanning the area for any signs of movement. Then, satisfied that the coast was clear, she opened the door wider and motioned for us to follow.
We slipped out into the open, moving as quietly as we could. The campus was eerily deserted, the only sound the faint rustle of leaves in the wind. The sky was still that strange, swirling mix of colors, casting everything in an otherworldly glow that made my skin crawl.
I kept close to Raven, who was leading the way with Marcy following just behind me. We moved quickly but carefully, staying close to the buildings and avoiding the wide-open spaces where we'd be easily spotted. Every time we heard a noise, no matter how faint, we froze, our hearts pounding in our chests, waiting for some new horror to appear. But so far, the campus was quiet, almost too quiet.
As we rounded the corner of one of the dorm buildings, the library came into view. It was an imposing structure, built from dark red brick with tall, narrow windows and a heavy wooden door. It looked solid, secure, exactly the kind of place we needed.
"There it is," Raven whispered, her eyes scanning the area. "Let's move."
We hurried across the open courtyard that separated the dorms from the library, my pulse quickening with every step. The library's doors were still intact, a small blessing, but there was no guarantee they'd hold if we were followed.
"Think it's locked?" I asked as we reached the steps leading up to the entrance.
"Only one way to find out," Raven said, reaching for the handle.
She gave it a tug, and to our relief, the door swung open with a creak. We quickly slipped inside, closing it behind us as quietly as possible. The interior of the library was dim, lit only by the pale light filtering in through the high windows. The air was thick with the musty smell of old books, a scent that would have been comforting in any other situation, but now just reminded me of how isolated we were.
"Alright, let's secure this place," Raven said, wasting no time as she moved to check the windows and doors. "We need to make sure nothing can get in."
Marcy and I set to work, following Raven's lead. We checked every entrance, every window, making sure they were locked and reinforced as best we could. The library was larger than I'd expected, with multiple rooms and corridors, all filled with rows upon rows of bookshelves that could easily serve as hiding places for us or for something else. The thought gave my pause for a second, and I made a mental note to keep an eye out for anything unusual.
As we moved through the library, the tension was palpable. Every creak of the floorboards, every rustle of paper, set us on edge. But after what felt like hours, we'd secured the main areas and gathered in the central reading room, where we could keep an eye on all the entrances.
"Looks like we're in the clear," Raven said, leaning against a bookshelf and catching her breath. "At least for now."
"Thank God," Marcy murmured, sinking into one of the dusty armchairs that were scattered around the room. "I don't think I've ever been so scared in my life."
"Same," I admitted, collapsing onto a couch and dropping my backpack at my feet. "But we made it. That's what counts."
Raven nodded, though she didn't sit down. She seemed too wired, too alert, to relax. "We should take turns keeping watch, just in case. I'll go first."
I opened my mouth to protest, to tell her she should rest, but she shot me a look that said she wasn't about to take no for an answer. So instead, I just nodded. "Okay. But wake me up when you're ready to switch."
She gave me a small, appreciative smile. "Will do."
With that, she moved to the doorway, positioning herself so she could see anyone, or anything, coming down the hall. Marcy and I, too exhausted to argue, slumped down into the dusty furniture, letting the tension of the past few hours slowly drain away. The library was quiet, save for the soft creaks of the old building settling and the occasional muffled sounds from outside.
I leaned back into the couch, closing my eyes for just a moment, trying to make sense of everything. The world had gone to hell in the blink of an eye, and here we were, three ordinary people, caught up in something extraordinary. It felt surreal, like a bad dream that I couldn't wake up from. But this was real. The exhaustion, the fear, the pain in my muscles, it was all too real.
"George," Marcy said quietly, her voice pulling me out of my thoughts. "I can't stop thinking about all students who died today. Their families need to know what happened."
The question hit me like a punch to the gut. I hadn't even had time to think about my family, my friends. My parents were back home, several states away. I hadn't talked to them in a couple of weeks, too caught up in the monotony of school and work. Now I wished I had. I wished I'd called them, told them I loved them, told them anything. But I hadn't, and now…
"I know," I said, my voice thick with emotion. "I can't either, I can't stop seeing their faces."
Marcy nodded, her eyes downcast. "Yeah. I can't either. I just… I can't stop thinking about the poor girl from my class. I had so little time to react, I should've…"
I shot her a quick glance and gave her a reassuring smile.
"You did everything you could've. None of us had much warning before the attack. You did the best you could in the moment."
I second guessed my own advice seeing as I froze in the hallway and let Stephanie get killed. I didn't dwell on it for too long, the thought too painful to remember.
"If you got family at home you might want to give them a call. I just there's someone…" Marcy spoke as she shifted in her seat.
She trailed off, and I didn't need her to finish the sentence to know what she was thinking. It was the same thought that had been gnawing at me since the portals opened, what if we were the only ones left?
"I know," I said softly. "But right now, we have to focus on surviving. We'll figure the rest out later."
Marcy nodded again, though she didn't look convinced. I couldn't blame her. I didn't feel convinced myself. But I didn't know what else to say. I wasn't a leader, wasn't the kind of person who could give inspiring speeches or rally people together. But here I was, trying to hold it together for Marcy, for Raven, for all of us.
I took out my phone and turned it on. I had hoped the phone would still work, but a single glance to the upper right told me we had no signal. Despite that I called my mother but was immediately hit the canned voice message that "Your call could not be made at this time. Please call again later. Goodbye."
I leaned back into the couch again, letting my eyes drift shut. I didn't plan on falling asleep, just resting for a minute, but the exhaustion was too much. Before I knew it, I was slipping into unconsciousness, the events of the past day catching up with me.
I woke with a start, my heart racing as the echoes of some nightmare faded from my mind. For a moment, I was disoriented, unsure of where I was, but then the memories came flooding back. The portals, the hellhounds, the library… all of it was real.
I sat up, blinking in the dim light. The library was still quiet, the air thick with the musty scent of old books. Marcy was still curled up in the armchair, fast asleep, while Raven was still on watch, her posture tense and alert.
I got up quietly, careful not to wake Marcy, and made my way over to Raven. She glanced at me as I approached, her expression unreadable.
"Everything okay?" I asked, keeping my voice low.
"For now," she replied, her gaze flicking back to the hallway. "But I keep hearing things. I don't know if it's just the building settling or if there's something out there."
I frowned, listening carefully. The library was old, and old buildings made noise, it was just a fact. But in the quiet, every little creak and groan seemed ominous, like something lurking just out of sight.
"I'll take over for a while," I offered, though I wasn't sure how much good I'd be in my current state. "You should get some rest."
Raven hesitated, clearly torn between her instincts and her exhaustion. Finally, she nodded, though she didn't move from her spot. "Just for a bit," she said. "If you hear anything, anything at all, wake me."
"I will," I promised.
She gave me a small, tired smile and finally moved to one of the chairs, settling in and closing her eyes. It wasn't long before her breathing evened out, and I knew she was asleep.
I took her place at the doorway, gripping the metal pipe in my hands as I stared down the darkened hallway. My mind was still racing, thoughts bouncing from one fear to the next. But I tried to push them aside, focusing on the present, on the task at hand.
For what felt like hours, I stood there, listening to the silence, watching for any sign of movement. My thoughts kept drifting back to the conversation I'd had with Marcy before I'd fallen asleep. My parents, my friends… were they okay? Were they even alive? The uncertainty gnawed at me, but I forced myself to stay focused. There was nothing I could do for them now. I had to focus on the here and now, on surviving.
Just when I thought I might actually make it through the watch without anything happening, I heard it, a faint noise, just on the edge of my hearing. It was so quiet that at first, I thought I was imagining it, just the product of an overactive, paranoid mind. But then I heard it again, closer this time. A soft rustling, like something brushing against the wall, or maybe the floor.
My heart rate spiked, and I tightened my grip on the pipe, straining to see down the hallway. The library was still dim, the emergency lights casting long shadows across the floor. But there, at the far end of the hall, I thought I saw something move.
I froze, every muscle in my body going tense as I stared at the spot where I'd seen the movement. For a moment, there was nothing, just the oppressive silence pressing in on me. But then I saw it again, a flicker of movement, something small and quick, darting between the shadows.
What the hell…?
I took a step forward, my eyes locked on the end of the hallway. My mind was racing, trying to figure out what it could be. A rat? Some other kind of animal that had found its way inside? Or was it something else, something far more dangerous?
The rustling noise grew louder, and I heard the faint sound of scratching, like claws on wood. Whatever it was, it was getting closer.
I glanced over my shoulder at Marcy and Raven, still fast asleep. I didn't want to wake them unless it was necessary, but the growing sense of unease in my gut was telling me that it might be. I took another step forward, inching closer to the sound, when suddenly, it burst out of the shadows.
I barely had time to react as a small, goblin-like creature came hurtling toward me, its beady eyes glowing in the dim light. It was ugly, with mottled green skin and sharp, jagged teeth, and it was fast, faster than anything that size had any right to be.
Instinct took over, and I swung the pipe with all the strength I could muster. The metal connected with the creature's side, sending it crashing into the wall with a sickening thud. It let out a high-pitched screech of pain, but it wasn't down yet. It scrambled to its feet, glaring at me with those hateful, glowing eyes, and lunged again.
"Guys!" I shouted, my voice loud in the stillness of the library. "Wake up!"
Raven was up in an instant, her crowbar in hand, while Marcy groggily rubbed her eyes and tried to make sense of what was happening. But there was no time to explain, more of the goblin creatures were emerging from the shadows, their eyes glinting with malice as they charged at us.
"Holy shit!" Marcy cried, scrambling to her feet. "What are those things?"
"Goblins!" I shouted, swinging the pipe at another one of the creatures. "Or something like them! Just fight!"
Raven was already moving, her crowbar a blur as she took down two of the creatures in quick succession. They were small, but there were so many of them, and they were relentless, swarming us like ants on a dropped piece of candy.
"Get to the reading room!" Raven ordered, her voice steady despite the chaos. "We can bottleneck them there!"
Marcy and I didn't need to be told twice. We fought our way back toward the reading room, the goblins snapping at our heels. Raven was right behind us, her movements precise and deadly as she fended off the attackers.
The goblins came like a wave, climbing onto the book shelves and pushing them over one by one. They scampered over each other, desperate to reach us. One of the goblins stepped onto another's head and they both tumbled down to the floor. It would've been comical if not for the fact that they had their daggers trained for our necks.
We burst into the reading room and quickly slammed the door shut behind us, shoving a heavy bookshelf in front of it for good measure. The goblins threw themselves against the door, their screeches and growls filling the air, but the door held, for now.
"What the hell were those things?" Marcy panted, her face pale with fear.
"Goblins, gremlins, who knows?" I replied, trying to catch my breath. "All I know is they weren't friendly."
Raven was pacing the room, her expression dark. "There's no way this is just a random attack. Those things are organized. They're hunting."
"Hunting?" I echoed, a chill running down my spine. "You think they were after us specifically?"
Raven nodded, her face grim. "They weren't just random animals. They were smart, coordinated. This was an ambush."
Marcy slumped down into one of the armchairs, her eyes wide with disbelief. "But why? Why us?"
I didn't have an answer, and neither did Raven. The only thing we knew for sure was that we weren't safe, not even in the library. Those creatures, whatever they were, had found us, and they weren't going to stop until we were dead.
For a few moments, the three of us just sat there, the reality of the situation sinking in. We were in the middle of a nightmare, trapped in a world that had gone mad, and we had no idea what was coming next. But sitting around and waiting to be killed wasn't an option.
"We need to get out of here," Raven said finally, breaking the silence. "This place isn't safe anymore. We need to find somewhere more secure."
"Where?" I asked, frustration creeping into my voice. "If those things can find us here, they can find us anywhere."
Raven didn't have an immediate answer, but she didn't back down. "We have to keep moving. We can't stay in one place for too long. We need to find other survivors, group up, and figure out what the hell is going on."
Marcy nodded, her expression resolute. "She's right. The longer we stay here, the more vulnerable we are. We need to move."
I hated to admit it, but they were both right. The library, while secure for the moment, was a death trap if those goblins, or worse, decided to come back in greater numbers. We couldn't just wait for that to happen.
"Alright," I said, standing up and adjusting my grip on the metal pipe. "Let's pack up and get the hell out of here."
We moved quickly, gathering what few supplies we had left and checking our makeshift weapons. I couldn't help but feel a pang of frustration at how underprepared we were. We were just college students, well, Raven and I were. Raven was still an enigma, but even she seemed to be flying by the seat of her pants, trying to make sense of the madness.
As we finished packing, the pounding on the door began to intensify. The goblins hadn't given up, they were still out there, trying to break through our barricade. The bookshelf was holding, but I knew it wouldn't last much longer.
"Where do we go?" Marcy asked, her voice shaking slightly.
"The parking garage," Raven said decisively. "It's close by, and it's underground. We might be able to find a vehicle, get out of here."
It wasn't the most comforting plan, but it was better than staying here. I nodded, agreeing with the plan. "Let's move. Now."
We shoved the rest of our supplies into our backpacks and moved toward the back entrance of the reading room, which led to a side hallway that connected to the rest of the building. If we could get out through one of the side doors, we might be able to slip past the goblins and make it to the parking garage before they realized we were gone.
Raven led the way, her crowbar held at the ready. Marcy was right behind her, clutching the fire extinguisher like a lifeline. I brought up the rear, my grip on the metal pipe so tight my knuckles were white.
We moved through the dimly lit hallway, our footsteps echoing eerily in the stillness. The noise from the goblins was muffled now, but I knew they were still out there, still trying to get in. We had to move fast.
We reached the side door, and Raven cautiously cracked it open, peering outside. After a moment, she nodded, signaling that the coast was clear. We slipped out into the open air, the cool morning breeze a stark contrast to the tension that had gripped us inside.
The parking garage was only a few hundred feet away, but it felt like a mile. We moved quickly, staying low and keeping to the shadows, our eyes darting in every direction for any sign of movement. The campus was eerily silent, the once-familiar buildings now looming like silent sentinels over a world that had gone to hell.
We reached the parking garage without incident, the large concrete structure standing like a fortress against the chaos outside. Raven led the way down the ramp, into the dimly lit interior, and I felt a small flicker of hope. If we could find a vehicle, something that still worked, we might just have a chance to get out of here.
"Check for keys," Raven instructed, moving toward a row of parked cars. "We need something with gas, something that can take a beating."
Marcy and I spread out, checking each car we passed. Most of them were locked, and the few that weren't didn't have keys inside. My heart sank with each empty ignition, the hope that had sparked in me quickly fading.
"This one!" Marcy called out, her voice a mix of relief and urgency.
We rushed over to her, finding her standing beside an older red model ford pick up truck. The door was unlocked, and Marcy was holding up a set of keys she'd found on the floor beneath the driver's seat.
"Good job, Marcy," I said, patting her on the back. "Let's get this thing started and get out of here."
Raven took the keys from Marcy and climbed into the driver's seat, turning the key in the ignition. The engine roared to life, the sound echoing through the garage. For a moment, it was the most beautiful sound I'd ever heard.
"Hurry, get in!" Raven urged, her eyes scanning the entrance to the garage.
Marcy and I didn't need to be told twice. We climbed into the backseat, our hearts pounding with a mix of fear and anticipation. Raven threw the truck into gear and hit the gas, the tires squealing as we sped toward the exit.
As we burst out of the garage and onto the street, I glanced back at the campus, the library now just a shadow in the distance. It felt like we were leaving behind more than just a building, we were leaving behind everything we knew, everything that had been familiar. The world outside was unknown, dangerous, and we were stepping into it with no idea of what we would find.
But as we sped down the empty streets, the truck's engine rumbling beneath us, I felt a strange sense of determination. We were alive. We'd survived the first wave. And as long as we stuck together, maybe. just maybe, we could survive whatever came next.
"Where to now?" Marcy asked, her voice steady despite the fear I knew she must be feeling.
Raven didn't take her eyes off the road, but I could see the determination in her expression. "We keep moving. We find others, figure out what's happening, and we fight back."
I nodded, gripping the seat as the truck barreled down the road. It wasn't much of a plan, but it was a start. And right now, that was all we had.
As we drove away from the campus, leaving the chaos behind, I couldn't help but feel a flicker of hope. The world had gone to hell, but we were still here. We were still fighting. And as long as we kept moving, kept fighting, maybe we'd find a way to survive this apocalypse.