CH 1: outbreak
"RUN!" I yelled to my friends, those things were getting closer, and we were out of time "help me please, don't leave me." Julia begged. "But what about Julia?" Liya asked "it's too late for her now MOVE!" I yelled as I ran, Julia yelled for us to help her, but we couldn't. I ran to the back of the locker room and pushed on the door "it's locked!" I yelled "fuck!" Tyler cursed as he caught up, Liya and the others caught up quickly and stood as Tyler and I looked at the door "come on, let's kick it in!" Steph said stepping out of the group. She Tyler and I all stood together "on three we push." Tyler said "on, two three!" he called.
We all shouldered into the door and it didn't budge. "Again!" Tyler yelled, we all pushed again causing the door to creak "one more time guys come on!" I encouraged. The three of us slammed into the door and it flew open. We stumbled in and caught our balance quickly "GO!" I yelled at the larger group motioning for them to come in.
The others ran in just as the stumbling and snarling people came around the corner "move! Now!" Steph yelled urging the others along. I looked and saw Liya hesitating "Liya move! Forget about her!" I yelled grabbing her arm and pulling her into the locker room. Steph, Tyler and I then forced the doors shut and looked around for something to block the door with. "Tyler, aren't these lockers free standing?" I asked "yeah, why?" he questioned back "Steph, Liya, try and push over some lockers onto the doors." I said "got it." Steph replied.
Tyler and I stayed against the door and pushed against these crazy people "Steph, tell us when the lockers are falling." Tyler strained to say "falling!" she called almost immediately. Tyler and I dove out of the way, narrowly avoiding the set of metal lockers hitting and blocking the door. "Let's go meet the others in the gym." I said hurrying through the locker room. "It's a good thing the locker rooms connect to the gym huh?" Steph said "yeah, it is." Tyler replied.
Once we got to the gym we found the others sitting on the stage and the floor in front of the stage in the dark, only a few slivers of moon and starlight shone through the skylight and high windows. There were about twenty five of us, twenty-something terrified teenagers in an enclosed space; this was a recipe for disaster. "So, uh, what's everyone's name?" I asked trying to break the ice, no one answered. I looked around to see if I recognized anyone from school and saw a few kids I knew. One kid Andrew Tobin, who I worked with at the zoo, it was a volunteer job. Another was Amrita, from my drama class.
"Well, this is a hell of a first party of summer." Tobin said, trying to crack a joke "yeah, sure is." I replied. "so, what'd we do?" someone asked "I guess we set up here, wait for the police or something." Tyler said "well, we need food and water. We don't know how long we'll be here." Steph said "yeah, you're right. And we need weapons, someone try and get into the sports locker, get some bats and shit. I'm gonna try and get us some light" I said.
A few people looked up, and even fewer moved to get something done. Tobin, Steph, Tyler, and three other people were up and moving and a few others were trying to get others to move. Most people were just staring at nothing. Today had gone to shit man, I was going to a party with some friends and this happened. What happened to shit?
Earlier that day…
I sat on BART looking out the window; I was on my way to Orinda to hang with some friends from school. We were going to celebrate the end of the school year, we'd made it through junior year and we were pumped. As the train pulled into the station I grabbed my backpack and got off the train, I left the station quickly and started to walk to my friend Julia's house. We were all meeting at her house for a few movies and some food. I took a quick break and checked my pack; I wanted to make sure no one swiped anything while I was on the train.
My knife and multi-tool were still in my pack. The knife I had wasn't some crappy folder, it was a fixed blade. The blade was five inches in length and the handle was full tang and wrapped in leather. I had started carrying it since someone tried to mug me on BART once. I carried the multi-tool because it was useful, it had small knife blade, scissors, pliers, files, a bottle-opener, and two screwdrivers. I noticed town was weirdly deserted, there were still people around, but it was way less than usual; I ignored it and started walking.
After a half hour I got to Julia's house and as I expected I was the last person to arrive. Steph and Tyler were there, and so was Liya "so is this everyone?" I asked "yep, no one else could make it." Julia said walking to the couch. I sat on the floor because the couch was full, using my backpack as a pillow. After we watched Jaws and Men in Black II my friends and I decided to play some cards. "So you know guys, there's a party at Marline's house tonight." Liya said "I heard her parents are out of town." Julia said.
"So, we're going I'm guessing." Tyler said "I think that's what they're implying." Steph said "and I'm guessing your parents aren't gonna let us just go are they?" I asked. "No, no they aren't. But they're asleep." Julia said "and I'm guessing this party's going all night." Liya said "let's go then." Steph said standing up and stretching "alright, guess we're sneaking out." I said slinging my pack over my shoulder.
The present…
I used the flashlight on my phone I searched for light switches, I found three and flicked them, lighting the dark gym almost instantly "let there be light motherfuckers!" I yelled triumphantly. No one else reacted too happily a few people cracked smiles, but no one verbally celebrated. Tobin and Tyler walked up carrying armfuls baseball bats "where's Steph?" I asked "getting some office supplies from the girl's locker room." Tyler said "okay." I replied taking a wooden bat.
Steph walked in soon after carrying two cardboard boxes full of stuff. "Hey Amrita, can you help us with something?" I asked "uh, yeah, sure." She replied getting up and walking over "can you help Tobin go through these boxes?" I asked "yeah, sure." She said sitting down as Steph set the boxes down and took Tobin's armful of bats. "Steph, Tyler, let's start making these more dangerous." I said grabbing a pair of scissors from a box and my bat. We worked for about half an hour to take apart the pair of scissors and figure out how to put them through the baseball bat.
Eventually we got it, and using some duct tape Amrita found, I bound and secured the two scissor blades into the bat. I made one quick test swing and felt confident in its lethality "alright, I can work with this." I said. The others looked at me and a few shook their heads "Carl, you'll put your eye out or something." Tyler said "yeah, yeah. You fricking killjoy." I muttered jokingly. "Guys, we need to focus. What're we doing about food? Water?" Steph asked "we have water fountains, and the vending machines." I replied "those might not be working for long." Tyler stated.
"Fine, I'll run to Safeway, get some food and bottled water. Hell, while I'm down that way I'll go through orchard and get some tools and stuff." I suggested "I'll go with you then." Tobin said. "Let's get two or three more, you know, to carry stuff." I said "why, I'll come with you." Tyler said "no, you and Steph need to be here. We're the only functioning people. Most of them aren't able to do anything. Much less defend themselves if those crazy people get in here." I explained. Tobin and I quickly rounded up three more people to run with us to the Safeway and orchard supply down the road. Tobin and I quickly explained what we were planning and then we got stuff set up. "So we'll leave in the morning. Get some sleep." I said using my backpack as a pillow and closing my eyes.
When I woke up the next morning I heard numerous voices in panicked tones. I looked around and saw people on phones trying to reach family. I realized I hadn't even called my dad since all this started, I reached for my phone and dialed his number, all I got was a busy tone "weird." I said, putting my phone away. I reached into my backpack and pulled out my knife and I fastened its sheath to my belt.
Tobin and one of the others were awake "alright, let's wake the two lazy assess up and get moving." I said as I slung my pack on and grabbed my bat. "Dude, it's early." Tobin said "yeah, we're beating the competition." I replied as I shook one of the others awake "get up." I ordered. After a few minutes passed I thought we were awake enough and I led them to the front doors of the gym. "On three we go. We move as fast and quiet as we can to orchard supply." I said before putting my hand to the door "one, two, three!" I said pushing the door on three. I moved quickly so I wouldn't block the others, we were ready to fight. When we looked around there was no one and nothing there. "Huh, nothing here." Tobin said "close the door and let's go." I said hurrying across the quad…
I woke up and looked around "hey, Tyler, where's Carl and Tobin?" I asked shaking him awake "what, I guess they already left." Tyler mumbled without looking around. I looked and saw a few kids sitting and staring into their phones "be right back." I said "okay." Tyler mumbled "guys, what're you looking at?" I asked. "The phone lines are dead." One girl said "what?" I questioned "the phones aren't working." She repeated "you mean we can't call our families?" I asked "no. we're alone." She said "alone." …