Higan Bana Chapter 1: Dead anniversary, a highschool of the dead fanfic

A/N: I seem to have had very good timing with this. With Netflix's most recent fuck up I was able to watch a whole bunch of new anime on my Wii. Last week I came across the anime my friends have warned me against watching and that anime was High school of the dead. Being the ever so stubborn person I am I watched it anyway and fell utterly in love with it! I'm opening a whole bunch a projects all at the same time but this one I just had to do, I mean Halloween is coming upon us, the day that in Pagan beliefs is not only marks the start of a new year but is the day that the veil between the living and the dead is at its absolute thinnest. It's only appropriate that I do this and besides….*evil grin* I'm a bit of a blood lusting maniac when it comes to anime like this hehehehe. So I hope you enjoy it: read, review, check my Tumblr and Formspring account and pop in a question or comment. I always reply to them!

"Stand back!"

All the two girls the order was yelled at could do was listen and cower in fear at what they saw. A barbaric yell echoed through the loud moans and groans that just wouldn't stop. The wind whistled and with a sickening crack bone caved sending blood and brains splattering against everything; the walls, the windows, the lockers and especially the young man that swung the broom and cause such a horrific mess. He jumped back as the corpse of his victim dropped to the floor; it was a girl of the junior class though if one looked at her now it would be difficult to figure that out. Her usually peach skin was a clammy grey half her head was caved in from the blow dealt to her and the eye that wasn't crushed was ghostly white. Panting the high school student gripped the broom by the handle tightly, there were still more of them, of their peers lugging slowly towards them looking just like that girl did: grey clay like skin, white sunken eyes and the stench of them like their flesh was rotting off them as they walked like mindless monsters.

"Harou-kun" the younger of the two girls whimpered out taking in the sight of their fellow students advanced on the three of them. If they got close enough these three teens would suffer the horrible fate they had witness from their classroom window. Students were eating other students! One of the schools teachers had been utterly devoured trying to save them! Harou glanced back at the two girls with panic shimmering in his burning green eyes.

"Run!" he ordered them taking the younger girl by her wrist with his free hand and dragging her down the hall, the older girl was close behind them. One after another, Harou swung the broom in his hand giving a very literal view to bashing skulls and leaving the hallway littered with the corpses of schoolmates and faculty alike. It didn't matter who they were, if they tried to get in the way he would put an end to them. "In here, quick" he yanked the girl he had been pulling the whole time into the nearest vacant classroom and when the other girl behind her entered he slammed it shut. "Ruka, get me the teachers desk. Push it over here quick!" Ruka, the older of the two girls whose long green hair warped about her frame and in her face, nodded her head and while Harou kept the door shut with his body weight "Hurry Ruka"

"I-I'm trying!" Ruka grunted, the deck screeched loudly as she pushed and push until the desk was pushed up against the door.

"Good" Harou sighed "that should be enough to keep them back at least for now…"

"Oh thank god" Okamoto Ruka, a third year, sighed as well sinking to her knees. For once, after what felt like an eternity of hearing screams of terror and the horribly sink sounds of teeth biting down on flesh, silence grace the three teens and allowed them peace to sit and try to process what was going on. How could such a normal day turn into this madness? "Harou" Ruka turned her gaze to her classmate as the boy dropped onto his butt on the floor beside her "What was that? What's wrong with everyone?"

"If I knew that we wouldn't be barricading ourselves inside a classroom now would we Ruka?" Ikeda Harou, also a third year, replied leaning his back against the desk still trying to catch his breath. His death grip on the broom he had been using as a weapon loosened now that they were safe and his green eyes met a similar pair of green eyes across the room from him. The youngest of the three teens, first year Sato Akemi, turned away from the window overlooking the school grounds and stared the older student in the eyes before they fell to the floor and she began fingering the heart shaped tag attached to the cat collar strapped to her neck. "Akemi" Harou called out to her "you okay?" Akemi meekly nodded her head tucking red locks out of her face and behind her ear.

"They…They ate him" The young girl quivered at the very account "Like in those freaky video games, they just jumped him and started eating him!" Ruka blanched at the very memory of witnessing their classmates cluster around the teacher that have been protecting them not long ago and mercilessly feast on him like savage dogs! Akemi hugged herself her eyes tearing up as she recounted the gory sight in her head over and over again. This just had to be some kind of nightmare, there's no way this could really be happening!

"What are we going to do?" Ruka spoke up "We can't stay trapped in here forever"

"I don't know" Harou growled in frustration

"Well we have to do something!" Ruka yelled in a panic

"I know!" Harou yelled back "Just give me a fucking minute to think!" A minute would not be granted to him like he had requested. Within seconds of him yelling the upper part of the door shattered into splitters over the third years and the noise, the horrid groaning, poured into the classroom. Ruka shrieked crawling away from the desk before it tipped sideways from the pushing horde condensing in the doorway. It toppled onto Harou and the student yelled out from the extra weight.

"Ikeda-senpai!" Akemi yelped enveloped with terror

"Harou!"

"Don't worry about me!" Harou yelled at the two girls pushing the desk the best he could in his position and keeping those monsters out of the classroom for the moment "There's a door in the back of the room that leads to the next room! Take that door and get out of here!"

"But…" Ruka shook slightly "What about you?"

"Don't worry about me just get out of here!" Harou replied with a grunt, the desk groaned loudly under the force that was being applied to it. The girls could see from the strain on Harou's face that the weight being added onto the desk was becoming too much for him "Look!" He grunted when he saw that neither girl was moving "I can't keep these guys back for much longer but I can leave you guys enough time to get the fuck out of here so go!"

"I'm not leaving without you!" Ruka declared pushing herself to her feet and hurrying to her fellow third years side.

"Ruka no!" Harou glared at the girl as she too pushed the desk easing the weight off of the boy "Take Akemi and get out of here!"

"I'm not going anywhere without you!" Ruka glared back for a moment but her glare softened and she soon gained a sullen look "I'll follow you where ever you go Harou even if it means to the afterlife…"

"…Ruka…"

"Akemi!" the first year flinched when Ruka yelled her name "Go on and get out of here! Harou and I will buy you enough time to get away. Go find some others who have survived and stay with them! Understand?"

"Ruka…Ikeda-senpai…" Akemi whimpered still hugging her shaking body tightly and letting the tears that had been collecting in her eyes ran trains down her cheeks, she sank to the classroom floor conflicted in what she should do. Her eyes narrowed and in an instant the first year was suffering from tunnel vision, she couldn't hear the two older students yell at her to run. The broomstick… Akemi stopped shaking. The broomstick Harou had been using…it was just laying there begging to be used.

There is a fundamental physiological response every human is supposed to have when under intense stress or a situation that will harm or otherwise kill that person. It's that instinct we follow when we either run away from or fight something that frightens us in other words it's our primal survival instincts. This instinct does not discriminate between age or gender or race, everyone has it and everyone goes about using it in different ways.

This primal instinct, this underlining drive to stay alive is known as the "fight or flight response"

It's supposed to provide you with a sudden splurge of energy so you can run from what threatens you or fight and numb the pain of any and usually all injuries you may sustain while the threat is before you.

…I use to think I didn't have that instinct in me. I'm so use to be protected I just figured that it just went away or that I simply locked it away in a chest deep within me.

But when I sat there utterly helpless as my senpais tried to save me I realized something. Something that opened those locks something that made me snap.

I realized…I didn't want to fucking die.

Act 1. Dead anniversary

I…I use to hate my hair.

It sticks out from everyone else's and I was picked on a lot for having such red hair. They liked to call be an evil spirit that wore the sins of her past life on her head so the world would know, they called me a demon. I…I hated my hair.

Left a teary mess from the most recent round of teasing she had been dealt today, Sato Akemi sat by herself in her sanctuary under some steps of the school wiping at her teary eyes but otherwise showing no signs of stopped her sobbing. She had asked her mother to help her with her hair that morning, they had woken up early and spent hours curling it and pulling it into neat pigtails and in an instant they had pulled them out and yanked at her hair calling her all those horrible names they always did that made her cry. This place under the steps was the only place she could find sanctuary from it all.

"Well, Well, Well. Look what we have here…" The sudden voice that echo through the stairway and to Akemi stopped her sobs momentarily; she raised her head from her huddled position and looked around and finally up. Green eyes met a similar set of green eyes looking over the rail of the step just above her a gentle smile graced the face the foreign green eyes belonged to "You're hiding down here again"

"Harou-kun…" Akemi hastily wiping at her face trying to rid herself of her tears and wet face. The echo of the older boy's footsteps rung in her ears as he slowly made his way down the rest of the steps and closer to her. "I-I'm not crying! Honest!" she sniffled "I just wanted to be alone"

"Mhm, sure" Harou had his hands shoved into his pockets as he stared down at the girl looking absolutely miserable where she sat on the floor "I saw Ruka on my way over here. She said she had just finished having a nice talk with some girls from your class that had been picking on you again" Akemi hung her head when Harou said this.

"It's my fault" she summed up weakly "If I didn't have this awful red hair they wouldn't pick on me so much."

"You know, I don't know why you hate your hair so much" Harou sighed bending down so he was eye level with the girl "It's like the Red spider lilies we use to pick from that stream when we were kids" Akemi sniffled under the gentle touch of her childhood friend, he ran his fingers through her red hair "You're unique and beautiful just like those lilies"

"Don't make fun of me too" Akemi grumbled closing her eyes so she wouldn't have to look Harou in the eye anymore "Me? Beautiful?" she snorted slightly at the thought "I'm a demon"

"Is that so?"

'Click'

Akemi nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt leather wrapped around her neck and heard the click of a tag on metal. She opened her eyes back up and was surprised to find that Harou had put a collar on her when she had her eyes closed. He drew his hand away when the heart shaped tag he had just clipped on it was fastened tight.

"Then I guess you'll be my lovely red demon from now on huh?" Harou grinned at Akemi as he said this

"…Harou…" Akemi toyed with the little tag staring at the older boy confused

"Baka Kohai" Harou swatted the girl on her forehead "You thought I'd forget today was your birthday?" he chuckled swatting the girl a second time "Baka Kohai" he repeated himself

"So this is a birthday gift?" Akemi looked down at the tag hanging from her neck and what was printed on it: Higan Bana, Red spider lily.

"That and a proposal" Harou answered

"Pro-" Akemi turned as red as her hair fixing her old time friend with a completely shock look "proposal?"

"From now on you'll be my red spider lily" Harou grinned at her leaning forward and kissing Akemi on her forehead. "Okay?"

I've been friends with Ikeda Harou and Okamoto Ruka for as long as I can remember. They always looked after me like I was a little sister, they made me feel like I wasn't a demon like everyone said I was. Two years ago, Harou asked me to become his girlfriend and I said yes. I was so happy, for a while there I liked my hair, as long as my hair was red I was Harou's red spider lily. Even when we started dated Harou had always been closer to Ruka than me so when I entered high school I joined the Kendo team to become stronger but nothing changed…right up to that day… everything stayed the same.

It was our second anniversary on the day that everything ended.

"Harou!" Sato Akemi, now a 16 year old first year, made her way down the empty halls of Fujimi high school. She had managed to sneak out of class and meet up with the third year for their second anniversary. She was very excited for today, Harou had said he had something very important to tell her today and Akemi herself had spent hours the day before looking for a perfect gift to mark this grand day. Today would be perfect! "Harou are you there?" Akemi questioned her long red locks swaying about her person as she turned round a corner and bounced up the steps to their usual meeting spot, on the landing between the third floor and the second. Above her, she could hear voices speaking amongst one another in hushed tones. "Harou?" the first year stopped at the last set of stares and choked on any other call she may have had for her boyfriend. Her emerald eyes grew in size at the sight before her.

There he was, Ikeda Harou tangled in an embrace with friend and fellow third year Okamoto Ruka at the landing. Ruka clenched his blazer with both hands ever so tightly and with her chin tipped up she stood on her toes so her lips could meet his. The two had their eyes closed seemingly just enjoying the bliss of the moment. Harou he…he didn't make any sign that he was going to, or even wanted to, push Ruka away even if he knew that not only did he have a girlfriend, but that same girlfriend was best friends with the very girl he was kissing. Shocked Akemi found herself at a loss of words to speak as she witnessed this betrayal.

Nothing changed…Ruka would always be closer to Harou than I was…

'Click!' Akemi clenched a fist to her chest as the loud click of what sounded like something a key being fitting into a lock rang through her head. Her body trembled slightly and within second she had to grip the railing of the steps just to keep from falling. Harou finally pulled away from Ruka eyeing the girl with worry etched in his expression.

"Ruka…" he muttered lowly turning his head so he looked down the hallway in guilt "I don't know about this… Akemi…this will crush her" Ruka drew away from the boy letting the heels of her feet touch the floor again. Her eyes flutter opened reflecting no amount of regret or remorse for kissing Harou like he had felt for kissing her. A sly grin curve the lovely girls face.

"Don't worry about it Harou" she muttered easing her clenched fist and settling her palms against his chest "You and I were meant to be together like this. Akemi won't mind I promise you…Ne, Akemi?"

"What?" Harou whispered, Ruka's blue eyes locked on the first year standing at the steps while the boy who she embraced and who equally embraced her whipped his head around to look as well. Akemi flinched slightly under his stare. Did she mind it? Of course she did! She…she really liked Harou and when he asked her to be his girlfriend she had been so happy! But… Akemi's wide eyes eased and looked everywhere, anywhere other than at the two third years holding one another. "Akemi" Harou spoke her name. She had to say something she knew she did so sullenly the first year put on her best smile for the two and nodded her head.

"Mm!" She hummed shaking ever so slightly as she did "Ruka…Ruka is your age! And she's so much prettier than me!" Doubt washed over Harou's face as he gazed down at the young girl but it only made Akemi force her smile even more "You two belong together" she told them.

"Akemi…"

"See?" Ruka stopped Harou from saying anymore; she drew him close to her pressing her face against his chest happy with how things where turning out for her "She's okay with it. I told you it would work out" the third year said "We've been keeping it hidden from her for a full year Harou, it's not right to keep delaying what was meant to be"

'Click!' Deep within Akemi another loud clickrung out, that key that turned in its place in the lock. She nodded her head to what her friend was saying though her fist gripped the fabric of her uniform even tighter than before with hope that the action would ease the pain she was feeling.

"I…I should get back to class now!" the red head tried to happily but her voice was cracked and strained, if she didn't get away she would start crying soon enough. "I'm sorry if I interrupted anything, I will be going now."

"Akemi" Harou called to the girl but she quickly swung herself around and bounded down the steps towards the second floor as fast as she could go "Akemi! Wait!" The step echoed with the pounding of footsteps and before Akemi could go far Harou's fingers wrapped about her wrist and yanked her back stopping her from taking another step. "I said wait!" Akemi stopped but she didn't face the boy gripping her wrist tightly. "Akemi…" he spoke her name again "are you…are you really okay with this?"…He wasn't going to try to explain this to her? He was going to try and stop her from leaving and fix their relationship before it titter over the edge of being over?

'Click!' Akemi tried not to shudder as the lock was jerked open with yet another resonating click throughout her head. Something had just been unlocked, she wasn't sure what it was but something in Akemi told her that it had been. Still, she ignored the feeling and glance over her shoulder and up at Harou.

"Of course I'm sure!" she told him cheerfully and smiling as best she could "The two of you really do belong together! I just hope…I hope we can still be good friends Ikeda-senpai!"

"Senpai?" Harou repeated loosening his grip on her, his mouth opened in a motion to speak on but suddenly the overhead jumped to life and the two teens glanced up at the nearest speaker looming over them.

"Attention students" It was the principal "an emergency situation is currently taking place inside the school. Please follow your teacher's instruction and evacuate."

"Evacuate?" Akemi repeated nervously, what kind of emergency was so bad that they had to evacuate? Usually if something happen the school went under lockdown and the students were instructed to hide under their desk and out of sight from all doors, windows and opening but to have them all leave the school grounds…

"I repeat a-" the overhead suddenly cut off enveloping the stairs in utter silence. Akemi turned to face Harou and gave him a worried look that he returned.

"What was that?" he muttered but all Akemi could do was reflect his confusion.

"Harou" the two looked farther up the steps where Ruka had just appeared looking just as confused as they did "Did you hear that?"

"Yea" Harou nodded his head "Something's up"

"But what could be so bad that we have to leave the-" The overhead screeched on again silencing whatever else Ruka was going to say. The principal's voice could be heard again but this time he wasn't talking to the microphone, his voice was distant and there was an awful groaning sound ringing about with him.

"No" he yelled "stand back! Get away from me! Get away! Get back! No! No!"

"Oh god…" Akemi held her hand to her mouth when she heard her school principal suddenly begin screaming in pain and terror.

"AHHH! HELP ME! AHHH! Help!" with one last, loud cry for help the overhead cut off.

"Principal" Akemi whimpered out into the silence that followed what sounded like the murder of Fujimi high school's principal. Something just attacked him! There was definitely a threat within the school and who knew how many of them were there.

"This is bad" Harou spoke up "We have to get out of here right now"

"But the principal just said to-" Ruka tried but Harou shook his head wildly

"We can't wait on the teachers to tell us what to do Ruka" he said, quickly he turned away from Akemi and began walking up the steps and back to the landing where Ruka stood "let's get our stuff and get the hell out of here before a riot breaks out" already Harou's prediction was coming true, from their places between the second and third floors of the school screams and shouts of terror were already echoing through the halls.

"It sound like one is already coming" Ruka voiced tensing up just a bit

"Akemi come on" Harou commanded the first year.

"R-right!" she squeaked out moving to follow the upperclassman up the steps but as she did the stairway trembled with the countless stopping footsteps of panicking students from the upper floors rushing to get out of the school as fast as they could. The last thing Akemi saw before this stampede of students hit them full on was Harou's worried expression turning back to look at her reaching out for her but it was too late. Moving like a herd of raging bulls third years came pouring down the stairs shoving whoever they had to out of the way to get down them. The sheer numbers and force of this rushing students sent Akemi stumbling down the steps and away from Harou with a loud scream.

"Akemi!" his voice yelled out for her but she couldn't see him among the chaos.

For most human beings, when faced with an unknown danger the first instinct they pick from "the fight or flight response" is "flight" uncertain of the strength or numbers of the threat leaves a sense of being unprepared for what is ahead and so instead of facing it head on they run away.

Fleeing is one of a human beings best lines of defense, the farther away we are from the threat the better but sometimes, and especially if the flight response kick in while in a large mass of others, this response can pose as a threat to anything and everything in that persons path. In a sense it's a 'kill or be killed' mind set, they don't care who they had to step on to get to a safer area all they know if they're going to do it if it means that they get to live a little longer. Human's are like that these days, we care more for ourselves than those we stand beside and really who can blame us for thinking that way?

Think of it this way: When facing a dangerous and hungry wild animal and having the knowledge that if you can out run your friend the animal will target that friend and not you would you stay to defend that person?

Most would say they would, but human beings rarely do exactly what they originally thought they would.

When you're standing there staring death in the face, you don't think about the connection you have with others.

It was like being stuck in a whirlpool with no sign of getting free; Akemi was pushed, pulled and shoved in every direction as soon as she was swallowed by the masses. Her red hair was yanked hard by someone who yelled for her to get out of their way and then she was thrown and her back slammed hard against the nearest wall. The young girl yelled in pain shutting her eyes tight because of it but it wasn't over yet, Akemi lost her footing and with the aid of yet another hard shove the first yet was sent tumbling down the steps all the way to the second floor.

Still standing at the landing leading to the third floor Harou gripped the stairs railing securing his place despite the shoves delivered to him by students rushing past. His free arm was wrapped about Ruka's waist keeping her close to him.

"Akemi!" he yelled over the screaming and yelling around them scanning the stairway for any sign for the young girls deep red hair and listen for her voice. Ruka gripped the front of his blazer and the boy tightened his hold on her as she stumbled about.

"Harou" she yelled overt eh chaos "we have to get off the steps! If we stay here we're going to get run over!"

"Dammit" Harou cursed nodding his head, he didn't want to have to leave Akemi behind but Ruka was right. Reluctantly the boy pushed his way up the steps and back to the third floor where the number of rushing students was lessening and they could move about freely without being pushed here and there. So there was hardly a soul walking about the upper floors but as Harou and Ruka quickly found out a panicking high school student was the least of their problems.

"Aoi!" Ruka sighed in relief when she saw the familiar blue ribbon of her classmate in the girl's hair. At the sound of her voice Aoi's head tipped far back to look Ruka's way. She didn't respond but Ruka didn't really care, she was just glad the girl was okay! "So you escaped that stampede, I'm so relieved!" Ruka pushed away from Harou and made her way over to her classmate not taking any notice to the fact that something just wasn't right with Aoi. Ruka couldn't see it but Harou sure as hell could. Aoi was acting strange compare to her normally bubbly self, usually you couldn't get Aoi to shut up even it would save her life and now all of a sudden she wasn't talking? Her fair skin was a claylike grey color and she lumbered about the hall walking into the walls and lockers as if she could see before Ruka called her name. It was when Ruka had started talking that Aoi seemed to realize they were there and advanced on them moaning and groaning the whole way just like whatever had attack the principal…what a minute.

"Ruka" Harou spoke "get away from her!"

"What?" Ruka look back at Harou with surprise and confusion. Her new boyfriend's body was utterly tense all of a sudden and he was glaring past Ruka at Aoi "what are you talking about Harou?" Ruka questioned "What's wrong? It's just Aoi-" Harou's nightmare was realized when Aoi was close enough to Ruka and let loose a horrendous yell lunging for her.

"Ruka!" Harou yelled crossing the distance between them faster than he thought he could somehow managed to tackle Ruka to the ground and out of the way of Aoi. When the two of them saw up and had a better look at this classmate Ruka's hand immediately covered her mouth with her hand trying not to shriek in terror: Aoi's whole back was drenched in blood and there was a chunk, a whole chuck, of her right shoulder missing! With all this blood loss how was she still moving! Aoi should be dead! Harou and Ruka watched Aoi stumble through the open space where they had once been before catching her footing. She paused there in that space for a moment before she began lugging around as if they hadn't been there at all.

"What the hell is going on?" Ruka yelled out

"Ruka no" Harou whispered harshly but it was too late, Aoi's head snapped around and she looked in their direction before charging at them again. Ruka screamed out knowing the two of them were in great danger at the moment, she shut her eyes and tried to shield herself from the assault that was about to befall her but Harou had a different reaction. His fingers found the handle of a broom on the hallway floor, it must have fallen from the storage closet during the stampede. Harou gripped it as tightly as he could and with one arm spread out in front of Ruka he swung the handle as hard as he could slamming the brush end against the side of Aoi's head, the force of the blow knocked the girl against the windows of the hall and crushed her head with sickening crunch. Silence fell onto the hall as blood splatter across the glass and Aoi's motionless corpse slid down to the floor.

"Harou you…You just" Ruka could look, she turned her head away from the sight of classmates crushed head.

"Are you aright Ruka?" The girl nodded to the question "come on" he slowly pushed himself to his feet "let's go find Akemi and get the fuck out of here"

Where was Akemi at the moment?

Her unconscious form was sprawled across the steps knocked clean out from the fall that she had taken during the stampede that had long since disappeared. Groaning lightly Akemi opened her eyes taking in the sights of an utterly destroyed second floor. Windows were smashed and doors to classrooms were broken down but again that wasn't the worst of her problems. The first year was now staring at the lumbering masses of her school mate stumbling about the hall like mindless drones. Many had blood leaking from their eyes and mouths sporting large bite marks that took sufficient amount of their bodies from them but what was worst was awful fate of a young boy. He was screaming in terror as two others toppled a top him and began…eating him. In her haze Akemi could hardly understand this utter horror she was only just regaining consciousness.

"Sasaki-sensei!" a male voice yelled over the groaning of the students lugging lazily around and into Akemi's ear "look! By the stairs!" No sooner did this voice yell this did the sounds of a beating taking place echoed around and someone dropped to their knees beside her.

"She's still breathing" a gentle hand tucked under her neck and raised her up gently turning her head so that she looked at the person. It was an adult, a male teacher, and as Akemi opened her eyes a bit wider she could see that he was looking her over. "What's your name?" he questioned her with a gentle voice

"…Sato Akemi" Akemi replied just as softly "first year…"

"Sato-san" the teacher addressed her "are you alright?"

"Yes" Akemi muttered grunting slightly as the teacher pushed her to a sitting up position "I fell down the steps and hit my head" she explained rubbing the back of her head where she had hit it and the teacher looked her over once or twice. Behind the teacher, Sasaki-sensei a math teacher for the third years Akemi believed, were a small group of students wielding baseball bats and large club like sticks. They charged at the students moaning and groaning around and swung at them bashing their head as hard as they could

"Has anyone attack you?" he asked her "have you been bitten anywhere?" what was with these questions?

"Huh?" Akemi mused

"This is important Sato-san" the teacher stressed "I have to know and you must be honest with me, since the announcement have you been bitten anywhere"

"N-No" Akemi shook her head and the teacher sighed in relief, what was going on? Why was it so important that she not be bitten? Akemi opened her mouth to ask this question but a loud gurgling yell stopped her. Blood splatter everywhere as one of the students that had been fighting was trapped between two others. He yelled as loudly as he could as one chomped down on his neck and the other on his arm.

"Sasaki-sensei!" a girl with bat in hand called, she swung hard and smashed the skull of one of the offenders "there's just too many of them! We have to get out of here!"

"Wagata" Sasaki nodded before turning his attention back to Akemi "can you stand?"

"I…Yes" Akemi nodded her head

"Akemi!" Akemi and Sasaki heard and looked, Akemi felt a large smile grace her lips at who stood atop the steps she sat before. Harou hurried down the steps skipping two or three as he went with Ruka close behind him. He was matted with blood and holding a bloody broom but he looked otherwise okay. Abandoning the weapon the third year dropped to his knees beside Akemi and yanked her away from Sasaki-sensei pulling her into a tight hug. "Thank god you're okay!" he breathed into her hair "I was scared that you were trampled or attacked!"

"Attacked?" Akemi repeated "what do you mean attacked?"

"Something is happening to the students" Sasaki answered this "They're attacking each other and eating each other. Those who get bitten and survive eventually die but they come back to life minutes later and start biting others"

"Like in the movies?" Ruka questioned, Sasaki nodded.

"Exactly like in the movies" he confirmed "only this isn't a movie, this is real and if we don't get out of here soon we're going to end up just lie 'them'" the adult turned his attention to Harou and the broom he had dropped on the ground "Ikeda-san have you killed anyone with that so far?"

"One" Harou answered "just a minute ago"

"Good I need students like you" Sasaki nodded "I'm going to get us all in my car and get us out of here but we're definitely going to face more of 'them' as we go" the teacher explained pushing himself up to his feet, Akemi and Harou followed suit, "If you stab 'them' in the heart they just keep going. So far it looks like the only way to kill 'them' is to crush their skulls…can you do that Ikeda?"

"…Yea I can" Harou nodded, another shriek thunder through the air. The students that had been doing so well just moments ago were now swarmed by 'Them' leaving just a few girls and three or so boy with weapons to defend them.

"Sensei!" one of the boys called out from the mess "what should we do?"

"Get out of here!" Sasaki yelled "Meet us by the front gate! If we're not there find somewhere to hide for the night and if we don't make there by morning get off school grounds and look for anyone else who survived! Understand?"

"Got it!" he nodded

"Come on" Sasaki turned to the three students with him "back up the stairs, go!"

"Akemi Ruka go!" Harou pushed them up first before going himself with the teacher close behind them. Up the steps they went hoping that the hall was as empty as it had been a moment ago but when they got to the third floor to their horror the hall was suddenly swarming with 'them' Harou cursed pushing his two friends behind him and getting ready to start swinging.

"Wait!" Sasaki-sensei stepped in "Go down the hall that way" he point down the opposite direction "keep running no matter what, don't look back"

"Wait but Sensei what about you?" Harou lessened his intense gaze

"Don't worry about me" Sasaki told the boy with a slight grin and a shrug, the bat he had in his hands shook slightly "I am a teacher after all, my first priority is to keep you students safe"

"Sensei don't!" Ruka yelled but it was too late, the teacher charged at the horde with a loud yell. He swung and swung as much as he could but it was too much, there were too many of 'them' and without much effort they swarms him and began eating him! They were eating him!

"Sensei!" Akemi moved to stop him.

"Stand back!" Harou stopped her as one of 'them' separated from the horde and charged for her. Akemi quickly back away and cowered with Ruka as Harou let loose a barbaric yell and swung the broom in his hands as hard as he could against one of 'them', bone caved sending blood and brains splattering against everything; the walls, the windows, the lockers and especially the young man that swung the broom and cause such a horrific mess. He jumped back as the corpse of his victim dropped to the floor panting the high school student gripped the broom by the handle tightly, there were still more of them, of their peers lugging slowly towards them looking just like that girl did: grey clay like skin, white sunken eyes and the stench of them like their flesh was rotting off them as they walked like mindless monsters.

"Ikeda-senpai" Akemi whimpered out taking in the sight of their fellow students advanced on the three of them. If they got close enough these three teens would suffer the horrible fate they had witness from their classroom window. Students were eating other students! Sasaki-sensei had been utterly devoured trying to save them! Harou glanced back at the two girls with panic shimmering in his burning green eyes.

"Run!" he ordered them taking Akemi by her wrist with his free hand and dragging her down the hall in the opposite direction with Ruka not far behind.

One after another, Harou swung the broom in his hand giving a very literal view to bashing skulls and leaving the hallway littered with the corpses of schoolmates and faculty alike. It didn't matter who they were, if they tried to get in the way he would put an end to them.

"In here, quick" Akemi yelped slightly as the third year yanked her into the nearest vacant classroom and Ruka entered he slammed it shut. "Ruka, get me the teachers desk. Push it over here quick!" Ruka nodded her head and while Harou kept the door shut with his body weight "Hurry Ruka"

"I-I'm trying!" Ruka grunted, the deck screeched loudly as she pushed and push until the desk was pushed up against the door.

"Good" Harou sighed "that should be enough to keep them back at least for now…"

"Oh thank god" Ruka sighed as well sinking to her knees. For once, after what felt like an eternity of hearing screams of terror and the horribly sink sounds of teeth biting down on flesh, silence grace the three teens and allowed them peace to sit and try to process what was going on. How could such a normal day turn into this madness? "Harou" Ruka turned her gaze to her classmate as the boy dropped onto his butt on the floor beside her "What was that? What's wrong with everyone?"

"If I knew that we wouldn't be barricading ourselves inside a classroom now would we Ruka?" Harou replied leaning his back against the desk still trying to catch his breath.

A slight wave of relief washed over Akemi now that they were safe from 'them' even if for a minute. Quietly she moved across the room to the window overlooking the school ground. Sasaki-sensei was right, Akemi watched as far bellow students ran and terror as other students jumped them and bit into their flesh. What…what was going on? Akemi turned away from the window and stared Harou in the eyes before they fell to the floor. She began fingering the heart shaped tag attached to the cat collar strapped to her neck, it was a habit she had whenever she was looking for a source of support. Harou was her source of power.

"Akemi" Harou called out to her "you okay?" Akemi meekly nodded her head tucking red locks out of her face and behind her ear.

"What are we going to do?" Ruka spoke up "We can't stay trapped in here forever"

"I don't know" Harou growled in frustration

"Well we have to do something!" Ruka yelled in a panic

"Ikeda-senpai!" Akemi yelped enveloped with terror

"Harou!"

"But…" Ruka shook slightly "What about you?"

"I'm not leaving without you!" Ruka declared pushing herself to her feet and hurrying to her fellow third years side.

"Ruka no!" Harou glared at the girl as she too pushed the desk easing the weight off of the boy "Take Akemi and get out of here!"

"…Ruka…"

The first year pushed herself to her feet feeling a sudden jerk of energy within her, her heart pounded in her ears. Her two older friends stared with wide eyes as the girl trembled in her spot eyes expanding far larger than anyone thought they ever could. Sweat formed in her brow and ran down her face.

There are a list of things that happen to the human body when "the fight or flight response" is activated is a person. The pupils will dilate end if in the dark allowing the person to see better and become more aware of their surroundings. The heart begins to race. The respiratory system speeds up providing more oxygen to the blood stream and thus the body. Sweat glands open providing a cooling system. Endorphins are released like a pain killer.

Then lastly, your natural judgment system, the part of your brain that contributes to your deep thinking, shuts down. All and all the only thing left of the human body when the response in activated is a human with the bare bones primal instincts. We become animals with one simple word keeping us going…

"Akemi what the hell are you doing?" Harou barked out "run!"

"I…"

"Akemi?" Ruka muttered eyes the girl curiously

"I…" Akemi shook violently letting her head hang "I don't want to die…"

Survive

"I don't want to fucking die!" The look Akemi adapted to her face forced a startled gasped to come from Harou and Ruka. Before they could yell at her to run again the first year was moving, screaming loudly she charged away from the window.

"Akemi?" Ruka gaped

"Akemi no!" Harou yelled as loudly as he could but it was too late, Akemi scooped up the broom, held it like a sword and still screaming at the top of her lungs started swinging.

In the end all "The fight or flight response" really comes down to is the primal instinct of survival. No one wants to die before it's their time so we can either fight or we can run away.

Back when I was younger they use to call me a demon because of my red hair.

…In that instant, when I activated my primal instinct…

I believed them.