The silence was deafening as the group ventured out of the gym, Elise's heart would not stop pounding heavily and for a split moment she considered sitting back with the others in the gym.
But when they reached the door and peered outside, they were met with an eerie surprise. The zombies that had crowded the hallways were no longer there, their hungry eyes no longer watching out for them.
She wondered what could have distracted them that quickly but was thankful about the fact that she didn't have to deal with the zombies herself.
The air was thick with tension, yet there was a tiny string of hope lighting in her heart.
Maybe, just maybe, they could make it.
And she wouldn't have to be zombie food.
But nothing was ever that simple.
As they walked cautiously, their footsteps echoing in the abandoned school, they turned a corner only to freeze. In front of them, their worst nightmare was waiting, the teacher from then, was still patrolling the hallway mindlessly, his mouth gaping open and his milky eyes staring vacantly ahead.
He was slamming his head repeatedly against the classroom door, the thudding sound reverberating in the hallway. His actions were slow, mindless, but still, his presence made the hairs on the back of Elise's neck stand on end.
Damian gave a subtle hand signal, his expression tight with focus. He motioned for the group to stay silent, to move with care.
Elise felt the weight of the silence around them, her heart hammering in her chest. She knew they had to be careful.
Every step was a risk. But then, as she moved closer to the zombie, a terrifying wave of panic hit her. She stumbled slightly, her foot catching on the floor, but before she could fall, Damian's hand shot out, steadying her.
"Shh." He whispered, his breath hot against her ear.
For a brief second, Elise's breath caught. In another life, in another world, she might've felt something else, something warmer, something more tender, but not now. Not in the middle of this nightmare.
Fear was her only companion, and she was damn scared for her life.
Damian's steady grip on her arm pulled her back into focus, and with a shared glance, they moved past the teacher without a sound. Elise's pulse raced, the dread suffocating, but they were through.
Safe for the moment.
As they rounded a corner, another obstacle soon appeared.
A group of zombies was wandering aimlessly down the hallway, their decayed bodies moving in jerky, unnatural ways. Elise froze, fear creeping up her spine like ice, her mouth dry. She could hear her heart thudding loudly in her ears. They were trapped.
A quick, silent exchange followed. Their options were slim, but the only way forward was to keep moving. Callum spoke up first. "I'll go first. No other choice. We move now, or we die here."
Damian scowled, shaking his head. "Not without a plan. We need to reassess the situation."
"Are you fucking insane? Is this the time to get into another mindless argument? The only way back is the way we came from."
Damian scoffed. "We can't just walk past them without a plan. You see what happened in that corner earlier."
Elise felt like this was a personal attack against her given her clumsiness from a few seconds ago. She almost gave a protest, but it was cut short by Juno, whose wide eyes locked on the zombies, one of them was heading straight towards them.
She looked like a fish that had been reeled in by a bait. Elise's mouth went dry, and for a split second, she couldn't speak, couldn't form coherent thoughts, her protest died a quiet death in her throat.
The danger was too close.
Juno pointed, wordlessly, and the group followed her gaze. The zombie was almost on them, and there was no time for hesitation.
Damian's eyes narrowed, and in that moment, the tension between him and Callum reached a breaking point. They had to act, and they had to act now.
They made an unanimous agreement silently.
Damian gripped Elise's arm, urging her forward. "Move, now!"
They darted past the zombies, their movements fast and calculated, but their relief was short-lived. A loud clang echoed through the hallway, a noise so jarring, it shattered the quiet.
Someone had dropped their baseball bat.
All the zombies turned in unison, their eyes snapping to the source of the sound. The horde stirred, and the chase began.
"God!" One of the other guys shouted, his voice filled with urgency.
They ran as fast as they could, their feet slapping against the floor, the shrieks of the undead rising behind them. The classroom doors were ahead, just a few steps away. Elise's lungs burned, but she pushed herself harder, her body screaming for a break that never came.
They burst into the nearest classroom, slamming the door behind them. For a moment, there was a flicker of hope. But that quickly died when Elise's eyes landed on the two zombies already inside.
She knew she'd have to fight again, and prepared mentally.
The others sprang into action, grabbing whatever they could find. Callum, Juno, and one of the other boys grabbed baseball bats, hockey sticks, and lacrosse sticks, launching themselves at the zombies. Their strikes were wild, desperate, but effective. The zombies' gurgling, snapping teeth barely missed their limbs as they fought to take them down.
Meanwhile, Damian, Elise, and the last guy scrambled to barricade the door. Tables, chairs, anything they could find, they piled against the door, hoping it would hold. Their hands shook with adrenaline, their breath coming in short bursts.
Once the door was barricaded, they turned back to the fight. The three zombies inside the room were still struggling, but they were weakening. Elise was nearly out of breath, her arms sore from the exertion. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they managed to push both zombies out through the window, their bodies falling to the ground below with a sickening thud.
Elise collapsed against the nearest wall, her chest heaving, trying to regain some semblance of control. Juno was the first to speak, her voice trembling. "We're alive. We're alive."
But then, in the back of the room, a terrible sound cut through the air.
A strangled gasp.
A choke.
Everyone turned.
One of the guys was writhing on the floor, clutching his arm. The blood pouring from the wound was unmistakable. He had been bitten.
The change was immediate. One moment, he was human, panicked, pleading for help. The next, his eyes clouded over. His body jerked and spasmed, and before anyone could react, he was on the ground, twitching, his face contorting into something monstrous.
Elise watched in horror as his transformation took place right in front of her. His skin paled. His mouth stretched into an unholy snarl. And then, in an instant, he was a zombie, just like them. Just like the ones they had been running from.
Elise's heart pounded in her chest, the terror rising within her. This was real.
Her mind raced as the zombie lunged towards them.