Chapter 18 - [18] First kill

Ethan and I stood there for a moment, watching Raul disappear into the darkness, his figure swallowed by the night. I took a deep breath, trying to shake off the sick feeling that had settled in my gut. I had no time to dwell on it. There was someone else I needed to save.I turned to Ethan, my voice firm. "There's someone else. Someone I need to get to."Ethan looked at me, confused. "Who?""Her name is Yabe," I said, my heart racing as I said her name. "She's a nursing student. I know where her dorm is. We need to go."Ethan nodded, still catching his breath but not arguing. "Lead the way, man. Let's go."We set off through the campus, keeping our flashlights low as we navigated through the darkened buildings. The place was a ghost town, the occasional groans of zombies echoing in the distance, but we didn't see any immediate threats. It was unsettling, though, the eerie quiet that had fallen over everything. The weight of what had happened with Raul and Malcolm still lingered, but I pushed it to the back of my mind. I couldn't think about that right now.All I could think about was Yabe.When we reached the entrance to her dorm, the gate was broken—ripped open, probably by some of the students who had tried to flee earlier. The building itself was dark, the power still out, and I could feel the tension rising in my chest as we made our way inside. The air was thick with dust and fear, and every sound seemed magnified in the stillness."She's on the fourth floor," I whispered to Ethan, leading him toward the fire stairs.We climbed in silence, each step feeling heavier than the last. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest as we made our way up. My flashlight flickered, casting long, shifting shadows on the walls, but there was no sign of any movement.When we finally reached the fourth floor, I paused outside Yabe's room, my hand hovering over the door. I felt a lump in my throat, my nerves on edge, but I had to push through it. I had to know she was okay.I knocked softly, calling out her name. "Yabe... it's me, Jake. Are you in there?"For a moment, there was nothing but silence. My heart sank as I wondered if we were too late, if she was already gone or worse. But then, I heard it—soft footsteps from inside the room. The door creaked open just a crack, and I held my breath.When the door finally opened wider, I saw her—Yabe. Her long white hair was messy, her face pale and tear-streaked, but she was alive. The moment she saw me, her eyes filled with tears, and before I could say anything, she threw herself into my arms."Senpai..." she whispered, her voice trembling as she clung to me. "You came..."I wrapped my arms around her, holding her tightly. "I'm here, Kohai," I whispered back, feeling a flood of relief wash over me. "I told you I'd protect you."Her body was shaking, and I could feel her tears against my chest as she buried her face in my shoulder. For a moment, everything else faded away—the fear, the chaos, the death that had surrounded us for the past few hours. All that mattered was that she was safe, at least for now."I was so scared," Yabe whispered, her voice cracking. "I didn't know if you were okay... if anyone was okay...""I know," I said, rubbing her back gently, trying to comfort her. "It's been... bad. But we're here now, and we need to move. We can't stay here."Yabe pulled back slightly, her tear-filled eyes meeting mine. "Where are we going?""We don't have a plan yet," I admitted, glancing over at Ethan, who was keeping watch by the door. "But we're not staying here. The dorms aren't safe anymore. We need to find somewhere else, somewhere more secure."Yabe nodded, wiping her eyes. "I trust you, Senpai... just tell me what to do."I smiled softly at her, despite the weight of everything pressing down on us. "Stick with me, Kohai. We'll get through this."She gave me a small, trembling smile, her hands still gripping my jacket. I could see the fear in her eyes, but there was also trust—a trust that made me more determined than ever to keep her safe.I pulled her into another hug, holding her close for a few more seconds, feeling her body relax just a little against mine. I knew this moment wouldn't last. The world outside was still falling apart, and the danger was still very real. But for just a brief moment, in the darkness of her dorm, it felt like we had a chance."We'll leave soon," I whispered to her. "But for now... just breathe."Yabe nodded against me, her grip tightening for a second before she finally let go. I could see the resolve in her eyes now, the fear still there but tempered with something stronger—hope.We moved down the dimly lit hallway, the air thick with tension. Yabe stayed close to me, her hand gripping my sleeve as we walked, and Ethan was right behind us, keeping an eye on our rear. The silence was deafening, every creak of the floorboards beneath our feet making my heart race. The building felt like a tomb, and I knew we weren't alone in here. There had to be more of them.The only light came from my flashlight, its beam shaky as I held it in one hand and kept my katana ready in the other. Yabe was quiet, but I could feel her fear in the way she stayed pressed close to me. Every so often, I'd glance back at her, offering a reassuring nod, even though I didn't feel all that confident myself.We turned the corner at the end of the hallway, and that's when I heard it—a soft creaking sound, like the slow groan of a door being pushed open. I froze, gripping my katana tighter as the sound echoed through the corridor."Senpai..." Yabe whispered, her voice trembling.I held up a hand, signaling for her and Ethan to stay back. My heart was pounding in my chest as I shined the flashlight toward the source of the noise. The door to one of the dorm rooms was cracked open, and just beyond it, I saw movement—a slow, shambling figure stepping out into the hallway.A zombie.It limped toward me, its head lolling to the side at an unnatural angle, its eyes vacant and milky. Its clothes were tattered and bloodstained, chunks of flesh missing from its arms and face. The smell hit me first—rotting, decayed, like death itself.I stared at the zombie, my mind going blank. My feet felt glued to the floor. This wasn't like the underground parking lot, where Raul had taken action before I had the chance. This was on me. The zombie was coming right for me, its jaws opening and closing with a sickening click, but I couldn't move.I couldn't do it."Jake, move!" Ethan hissed from behind me, his voice tense. "Kill it!"But I just stood there, frozen. My grip tightened around the handle of the katana, but my body wouldn't respond. I could hear the soft shuffle of the zombie's feet as it dragged itself closer, the wet sound of its breath coming in short, ragged gasps."Senpai!" Yabe's scream broke through the fog in my brain, snapping me back to reality.The zombie was nearly on top of me now, its hands reaching out, its mouth twisted into a grotesque snarl. The fear in Yabe's voice cut through the haze, and in that split second, something inside me clicked.With a surge of adrenaline, I swung the katana.The blade cut through the air with a sharp whoosh, and the zombie's head separated from its body in one clean motion. It hit the ground with a dull thud, rolling a few feet away before coming to a stop, its lifeless eyes staring up at the ceiling. The body collapsed a second later, crumpling into a heap at my feet.I stood there for a moment, breathing hard, my hands shaking as I stared down at the decapitated corpse. The smell of blood and decay filled the hallway, making my stomach churn. The katana felt heavy in my hand, the weight of what I'd just done sinking in.I'd killed it. I'd actually killed it."Holy shit," Ethan muttered from behind me, his voice laced with a mix of relief and disbelief. "You did it."Yabe let out a shaky breath, her hand gripping my arm even tighter than before. "Senpai... are you okay?"I nodded, swallowing hard as I wiped the blade of my katana on the zombie's tattered shirt. "Yeah... I'm fine."But I wasn't fine. Not really. The truth was, I had hesitated. I had almost let that thing get too close. If Yabe hadn't screamed when she did, I might not have made it out. The thought made my skin crawl."We need to keep moving," I said, my voice hoarse. "This place isn't safe."Yabe nodded, her eyes wide with fear but filled with trust. She hadn't let go of my arm, and I could still feel her trembling. "I'm with you, Senpai."I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself, and led the way toward the exit. Ethan stayed close behind, his flashlight swinging back and forth as he kept a watchful eye on our surroundings. The hallway felt even darker now, the shadows deeper, the air colder. But we couldn't stop. Not now.We reached the stairwell at the far end of the dorm building, and I pushed open the door, wincing at the loud creak it made. The fire escape stairs spiraled down into the blackness below, and I could hear the faint groaning of more zombies in the distance."Let's go," I said, my voice low.We descended the stairs as quickly as we could, the cold metal rattling beneath our feet. Yabe stayed close to me the entire time, her hand never leaving my sleeve. I could feel her fear, her uncertainty, but she wasn't panicking. Not yet.When we finally reached the ground floor, I pushed open the exit door, and we stepped out into the open air. The night was still pitch black, the streetlights long since dead, but the cool breeze against my face was a welcome relief.We were outside. We had made it.Q: Would you hesitate on killing your first zombie?