12/10/07- I'm going through my story and editing some stuff. Also moving some of the Author's Notes around and what not.

Disclaimer Thingy- This story was inspired by Dawn of The Dead but has nothing to do with it or any other copywritten material. The plot and character's are mine, but just incase I'm also stating that I do not own Dawn of The Dead or any of it's characters.

Reign of the Rancid

Chapter 1: Code Red

"This is principle Allen, we have a code red. All faculty bring in any students from the halls and follow the emergency instructions you have been issued."

The announcement ended abruptly and immediately the class room was in chaos. Rick Kenovich, a 17 year old junior, turned to his friend Cody Freeman scratching his short military cut brown hair.

"What is this shit? Another drill?" he tried to sound non-chalant, leaning back in his chair for effect. He was slightly nervous, but he honestly felt it was nothing big.

" I don't think so, he sounded pretty sketchy." Cody replied, his voice audibly shaky. Mr. Hertz, the history teacher was trying to get the class in order, he was failing miserably. Rick leaned back farther in his chair and took out his cell phone, calling his best friend, Dan Fernandez. He was about to hit send when he jolted at the bellowing voice from the front of the room.

"HEY!" Mr. Hertz yelled angrily. The sheer volume of Mr. Hertz's voice caused the class to become instantly silent. It also caused Rick to lose balance and fall off his chair and hit his his on the floor.

"Ow! Son of a bitch!" he cursed none to softly. There were a few sniggers, Mr. Hertz seemed to ignore it. He walked to the door shut it and turned off the lights.

"Ok everyone stay calm, shut the windows, sit on the ground and for god sakes shut the hell up!" The students complied quietly, there was no more excited chatter. The enormity of the situation had sunk in. A code red meant there was an intruder in the school, Rick's mind instantly snapped to a tall shadowy figure in a trench coat wielding a shotgun. He whipped out his phone, he thought of calling the police but it would be pointless, Mr. Hertz and a number of other students had already done so. He sent a message to Dan.

Wats up?

He waited and within a few seconds he got a reply.

N/M sitin in the dark.

Ten minutes had gone by slowly and silently and uneventful. Rick turned to another of his good friends, a blonde haired blue eyed girl named Jennifer Goodman.

"What do you think is going on?" It was a stupid question he thought but he couldn't take the silence, it was starting to annoy him. Jennifer turned to him, she looked fearful.

"I hope there's not a shooter..." Rick had ruled this out by now.

"Relax, if there was a shooter we'd of heard the shots. The police would have been here..." It had been ten minutes, where were the police?

"Mr. Hertz?" he looked at his teacher skeptically as he asked him what must of sounded like the most pointless question at a time like this. Mr. Hertz turned slightly exasperated.

"Yes Kenovich?"

"You did call the police right?"

"Yes! What kind of teacher would I be..."

"Well where are they?"

"That's a good question.." Mr. Hertz was obviously upset that the police hadn't shown up by now. More time passed it had been almost half and hour since Principal Allen's announcement. Cody turned to Rick.

"We're on the first floor, why don't we just get out through these windows?" He looked at Rick and Jennifer, as if they're answer would determine whether they would continue to sit or the entire class would suddenly start exiting the room. Rick didn't feel like speaking to anyone at the moment, he had just got another text message from Dan.

turn on the news

He was reluctant to ask but the silence was really getting to him.

"Can we turn the news on?" Mr. Hertz seemed to consider the request.

"No, now be quiet."

"But.."

"Damnit I said no!"

Rick was about to retort when a small wiry boy named Jamie stood up and pointed out the window.

"Look! Look at all those people!" Outside making their way across the parking lot to the front of the building were scores of bloodied, gray skinned people with dead eyes.

"Oh my god! You think there was a terrorist attack?" asked a girl amidst the crowd of students. Someone answered her, the voice was monotone as if the speaker was in a daze.

"No, why would they want to attack this town?" Rick thoroughly agreed, the small town of Evansworth NY wasn't an appealing target for any terrorists as far as he could think of. Cody looked at Rick, he was scared but he could not think of what to say. Jennifer put her hand on his shoulder and on Ricks.

"Stay close.." her voice was quiet and weak. Rick had a bad feeling and he agreed wholly with Jennifer, if the shit hit the fan he would want the two of them with him. He wanted Dan too. He looked back at the gray skinned people. Some were limping slowly, staggering almost as if they were drunk. Others though were more nimble, they were moving about as fast as Rick could jog, they also had the same drunken movements about them. Every once in awhile they would fall to the ground stupidly, not even bracing themselves, then they would struggle to get up writhing and moaning. There were a select few though that made Rick think that these things were not normal humans. A very select few were full out sprinting, leaping over the slower ones who had fallen, growling loudly.

"Away from the windows!" Mr. Hertz's voice was on the verge of panic, but the students were transfixed at the sights before them. The class football star a boy named Alex pointed towards the front doors.

"Look at that guy, he's missing an arm...He's tackling Marve!" he yelled. "He's..." Alex barreled through his peers and vomited at Mr. Hertz's feet.

"Shit he's eating him!" Cody screamed. Rick stared in disbelief at the scene before. Although he was some distance away a man with only one arm had tackled Marve, one of the schools security guards to the ground and was biting into man's neck. The fallen guard seemed to be a rally point as numerous of the beasts converged on the location. Rick hit up Dan's cell, he needed to here from someone outside of Room 135.

"Dan are you seeing this?" his voice cracked.

"Yeah man, did you see the news? It's all over!"

"What?" Rick could here a lot of screaming on the other end. He could hear through the walls; Dan's English class was in the classroom two floors directly above his.

"Dan?" More screams and shouts, then he could make his friends voice out."

"What! Their in the school! Who said."

"Dan! Did you..."

"Rick."

"Dude, what's.."

"Rick their in the school!" Rick's heart skipped a beat. He wasn't sure how scared he was supposed to be, were these things rioting people? Some sort of mob? He desperately wanted answers.

"What are they Dan!" Everyone in the class was now watching Rick, longing for some answers, for instructions. Cody lightly punched Rick in the shoulder.

"What's going on?" Rick looked at the door, his heart was racing.

"Their in the school."

"Oh my..." Jennifer whimpered. Rick could hear bloodcurdling screams now, he heard Dan yelling."

"Rick their here! They're in..." Rick dropped the phone.