So I'm just going to make a note here, at no point should you expect the characters or events of the series to show up here unless of course they're pretty dang far reaching. This is just a bunch of kids surviving in the universe in their own unique fashion. Salem and Abe, though created by me have since been handed off to their respective inspirations. That said, have fun.
Even with a genius IQ Ema Schrödinger just couldn't understand how the little Texas town had managed to survive the apocalypse, and even less why they insisted on keeping her in school. To be honest she was rather amazed the institution was still going, mostly untouched save for the addition of a course the students had nicknamed "Zombie Killing 101." Despite its enticing name, the course was one of the dullest things she had ever encountered. She and the only two students she honestly believed were at all capable ended up sleeping, passing notes or… whatever it was Salem did throughout class.
"I'd like you all to turn to page 30 in your manuals." Ever since the actual teacher got himself mauled on patrol they'd been stuck with a fifty-something substitute who had no idea what she was talking about.
Ema didn't even bother to take the 46 page manual out of her bag, she had its information memorized and she honestly didn't plan on using it regardless.
"Miss Erm... Scrodinger?"
"Schrödinger." Ema sighed, "Like Erwin Schrödinger, the scientist? You know, an object may exist in two states if left unobserved?"
"Don't be snappy with me miss."
A seat behind her she could hear Salem snicker, Ema hadn't even begun getting 'snappy'.
Ema blew a strand of blonde hair out of her face, "I was informing you of the correct pronunciation of my name. Would you like to detail what you called me for?"
The substitute crossed her arms, "How does one dispatch one of the infected?"
"Well the preferred method varies based on what you're fighting, something this class has failed to address, but the general rule is to go for the head. Destroy or separate the brain, which prevents the signals that would normally keep them going from taking place and therefore eliminates the threat. You can do it other ways, electrocution, fire, extreme damage, but a headshot or a solid blow with a blunt weapon is most efficient." She yawned, "Are you satisfied?"
"And how is the infection spread?"
"Primarily from a bite, a scratch or possibly contaminated water, but it still varies depend on the type you're catching. I have this hypothesis that there's actually several strains of the virus which would-"
"Fine." The teacher snapped, "Miss Coventry?"
"Present." Ema glanced back to see her friend busily sketching away at her desk. The complex circle of symbols and unfamiliar patterns had grown since she last saw it, now engulfing every inch of the desk's ugly tan surface. Salem herself looked the part for someone who would do it, her pale face was framed by dark auburn bangs, while the rest of her hair was pulled back into a waist length ponytail. Her grey-green eyes were turned down, but that didn't mean Ema couldn't catch the glint in them that just begged the teacher to start something with her. A silver pentagram hung from her neck.
"Would you like to explain to me the early signs of infection?"
Salem looked up, a suspiciously pleasant smile coming across her face "How about you ask someone else? I'm not really interested in dealing with you today."
"Young Lady!"
Something banged on the door, grabbing the sub's attention.
She headed to the door mumbling something about teenage hooligans and opened it to shout "You're all going to de-"
She never finished.
Right there, sitting on top of her was one of the infected freaks. Of course.
And then it looked up at the class with that trademark hungry stare, the sub's trachea still hanging out of its ugly maw. Of course.
Ema hefted her backpack from the ground as she stood, "Hey Salem, how do you feel about a little morning workout?"
"It sounds alright." She hefted her own bag.
After a moment of calculations, Ema made a running swing with her bag, using the inertia to provide the head cracking force she couldn't achieve on her own.
Salem came after her, smashing in the skull of a zombie that had been making an attempt to get at Ema after the first one fell, "Where'd they all come from?"
Ema heaved up her bag again, "Irrelevant at the moment. You seen Abe today?"
"Right here." A tall, lanky blonde with a scraggly beard stood at the other end of the hall with an axe. His blue eyes flashed with the same maniacal energy as his grin. "You girls need some help?"
Calm in the face of destruction was probably the last thing to be expected of a 17 year old in a bloodstained "Nerd." shirt.
Salem shook her head with a grin. "Nah, but feel free to pitch in."
"I'm thinking we should get out of here." Ema noted, as she started running down the hall "This place is going to be taken over soon and I don't want to be here when it is. We can clear it out later."