Chapter 1

{Yuki Uyumi's P.O.V}

"I stayed up late on the night before the day everything came to an end talking with my best friend. I never even thought that something like this could be real. That something like this could even possibly happen…"

"Hurry!" Takashi shouted panting as we ran. In fact we all were panting as we ran as fast as we could. Takashi was in front with Hisashi running alongside him with me slightly behind and Rei in the back. It wasn't a particular order but I was just faster than Rei. Takashi and I both each wielded bats, Rei held a broken off piece of a mop or broom with a metal twisted tip in the front while Hisashi was unarmed. I personally think he just wants to show off how strong he is in front of his girlfriend, Rei, but no asked my opinion on the matter. Anyway, we were running up the stairs when Takashi turned back and asked "Hisashi are you ok?" in a panicked tone. By this point, I am standing beside Takashi and looked at Hisashi wanting to know the answer to that too. After all Hisashi had been bitten on his arm. It wasn't severe but that wasn't the point. After all if this was just like the movies or videogames then he would turn into one of THEM. All it took was one measly little bite after all.

We were still there at the stop of the stairs when Rei got the "brilliant" idea to turn around and attack one of THEM . She stabbed it in the chest and it slumped forward slightly. Again I was basing everything here on what I know about the movies and videogames. You have to aim for the head. Anything else and all it does was annoy THEM and waste your energy. Apparently, Takashi agreed with me since he turned to her and says "Are you nuts?" without getting Hisashi's answer. "Say what?" Rei said stunned, she momentarily took her eyes and attention away from what was going on. Big mistake! Very big mistake! "Rei!" I shouted trying to warn her. Too late. The zombie took hold of Rei's weapon and yanked it hard from her hands. Using the makeshift weapon, the zombie swung it out and hit her in the stomach hard enough to stun her and trap her against the wall. Her eyes widened in pain as a gasp escaped her lips. Rei slumped against the wall in pain as the zombie made its way towards her. She stared at the thing in horrific terror.

"GET AWAY!" Rei screamed in terror as the zombie crawled towards her at a fast pace. "No!" I shouted. Just as I was going to help her I heard another shout. "R-Rei!" I turned to see who shouted and it turns out it was Hisashi. Hisashi grabbed Takashi's bat and pushed past Takashi and pushed me back. I stumbled on the stair step behind me and would have fallen had my best friend, Takashi, not caught me. Had we been in any other situation I would have glared at Hisashi for that but this wasn't the time for that. Hisashi ran down the stairs and, using the bat, smashed the thing's head in splattering the zombie's brains into the wall. Rei got up quickly. "Hisashi!" she exclaimed happily. The girl walked up the stairs looking at Hisashi like he was a god.

"Did you see that?" Hisashi asked. "Yeah it's just like I thought. You have to aim for the head." I replied. He turned to me and silently nodded. Hisashi and Rei started up the stairs but I turned and ran down the stairs just past the couple. "Yuki! Get back here!" I heard Takashi shout out. I ran past Rei and Hisashi, jumped up slightly, and kicked a female zombie in the face that was with in biting distance of Rei. The kick sent the female zombie tumbling down the stairs until she cracked her skull on some sort of metal box at the bottom of the stairs. Ensuring she wouldn't be getting back up, I ran back up the stairs to Takashi. I almost flinched when I saw the look on his face. I hate making him worry and having him look at me like that with his worried glare.

He took his attention off me for a second and turned to the couple behind us. "Rei, Hisashi! Hurry, this way!" He grabbed my hand and led me up the stairs ensuring I wouldn't do anymore "crazy stunts". Rei put Hisashi's arm around her shoulders and helped him to the top of the stairs. As Rei turned the corner with Hisashi slumped over her shoulders Takashi and I turned back to look at the school. What had been a normal high school just this morning was now more like a battle field. "Dammit" Takashi said. "What the fuck?" I asked quietly staring at the carnage. "WHAT THE FUCK'S GOING ON?!" Takashi yelled. I placed my hand on Takashi's shoulder in what I hoped was a comforting manner. "I wish I knew Takashi. I wish I knew." I answered quietly.

"And to think that just this morning everything was normal. It didn't take that long… for the world to become this…"

(Earlier Today: This Morning)

"Hi! I'm Yuki Uyumi. I got a bit ahead of myself there. So here's what happened in its entirety…"

I was skipping class again today with my best friend, Takashi Komuro. The two of us had always been friends since were only little kids. Now don't judge me. I am after all a straight A student. The two of us had a habit of skipping classes together but would never get in trouble for it since I would still ace any test given and I would help Takashi study for any tests too. We were hanging out in the middle of the spiral stairway as usual. Takashi standing leaning against the railing with me sitting on the ground with my back against the railing and my knees tucked under my chin. I just sat there silently offering my support as I heard Takashi mumbling. "Pinkie promise. Cross my heart…and hope to die? Yeah right." There was that so-called promise again. The one SHE made back then and broke the first chance SHE got. At least I have never broken MY promise to him. At first, back when we became friends, it was only just us. Takashi and Yuki. The two of us against the world. But then all of that changed. She appeared. Rei Miyamoto. The bitch. SHE had Takashi's heart for years and then took it and destroyed it, stomping on it, and leaving it on the floor, not caring what SHE had done to him or about the consequences, as SHE walked away and played the victim. And what's worse. SHE walked into the arms of Takashi's male best friend's, Hisashi Igou's, arms causing a rift between them that had almost destroyed their friendship forever. I had been their medium and only saving grace. That bitch is a life ruinner. SHE hurt MY Takashi! I hate HER!

Yeah. If it wasn't obvious, I am in love with my best friend, Takashi Komuro. I just never told him since Rei was obviously the object of his affection. But I still stayed by his side. I kept my promise to him. Even though it hurt me to be near him as he loved Rei and not me. I'm a glutton for punishment. Yeah, I know. But to me Takashi is that important. So I withstood all the pain over the years and stayed by his side. I supported him throughout his relationship, even if I thought he could do so much better than Rei even if that someone wasn't me. Yeah I've got it bad. But I would never take advantage of Takashi and try to pursue him while he's still down about Rei. So I just stayed by his side. Just as our promise states.

(Flash back)

Two little kids stood in an empty clearing at the park. A little boy with dark brown hair and light brown eyes wearing a red T-shirt and blue jean shorts, white socks, and brown shoes. And a little girl wearing a summer dress as white as the meaning of her name and an ice blue flower the same color as her ice blue tints at the tip of her hair in her hair and cute little white sandals on her dainty feet. They clasped both of each other's hand and leaned into each other, foreheads touching, as they looked down. "I'll watch you back. You watch mine." They said together. Then they raised their heads and looked into each other's eyes as they completed their promise. "The two of us. Together. Always. Until the end." They smiled at each other and let go of only one hand leaving one free and the other hand still clasped in the other's. They giggled happily as they ran off to play still holding each other's hand never forgetting their promise."

(Flash back End)

And I never did forget. I'm still here. By his side. Watching his back as he watches mine. I could never leave him. Even if he never loves me and only ever sees me as his best friend. It hurt me to see him like this and I was about to say something to offer comfort but what could I say? What did I have the right to say? Even if I was always there for him and supported his relationship, it didn't mean I ever approved of it. So I just placed my hand on Takashi's leg offering what comfort and support I could. Takashi noticed and looked down offering me a small smile that for me could have lit up the world. One which I returned.

All of a sudden we heard a scoff. "Ugh that's so stupid!" Only one person came to mind when we heard that. Sure enough the both of us turned and saw her, Saya Takagi, the pink haired self-proclaimed genius with a bitchy attitude herself. Takagi and I are around the same height with only a few inches in between in my favor. While her hair is bubblegum pink mine is silver with an ice blue tint to it with my hair being longer than hers. We both have about the same figure as far as body type goes with my breasts being the same size only slightly bigger than hers and my body having feminine muscles due to my working out for martial arts. While she wears contacts and has golden eyes I do not. Mine are a cerulean blue and I have perfect vision. No glasses needed. Takashi helped me stand up as we turned to hear what the queen bitch herself had to say. "What do you want?" the both of us ended up asking at the same time.

Now don't misunderstand. I don't hate Takagi. I just can't stand the way she acts sometimes. Especially towards Takashi. She looked at the both of us with a scowl on her face. "Every time you have to face something you don't like you always come to this stupid staircase. It's like your own little pity corner. Look at you! Good God! The first semester just started. How are you ever going to make it through the year?" Once she's done hounding on Takashi she sets her sights onto me. "And you! Why do you let him do stuff like this?! Skipping classes?! We all know you're the only one he'll listen too! You're a straight A student. Act like it!" Takashi just looks at her. "I could say the same thing to you. The fifth period isn't even over yet." he says. "It's okay because I'm a genius unlike you who only got into this school due to dumb luck." Takagi says snobbishly. I quietly scoff in the back ground hoping she didn't hear me since I didn't want to deal with her right now. But from the look on her face she did.

Takashi sighed. "Takagi, why do you always diss me like that?" he asked. "Because I don't like stupid people." Takagi states bluntly. "What?" we both said at the same time with my reply coming out almost as a growl. 'This bitch is pissing me off!' Dissing not only me but my best friend like that?!' I thought to myself angrily. Takashi must have noticed I was getting pissed since he placed his hand on my shoulder and squeezed it gently. It served to calm me somewhat but with Takagi still here she was bound to say something to set me off again. "Especially the ones that can't admit they're stupid. I mean you're pretty stupid but at least you know you are. So if I tell you that you're stupid, then maybe by some miracle you'll be less stupid, stupid!" "Okay that's it! Listen here bitc-…!" I growled. "Yuki!" Takashi said cutting me off and having never released my shoulder, he gives it another gentle squeeze. "Grow up! Moping because your little friend dumped you…stupid. You should be lucky you got any girl at all. It's probably dumb luck Uyumi hangs around you too." Takagi said before walking away. I wanted nothing more than to stalk after her and slap the hell out of her. That was just taking it too far! I growled angrily and was going to do just that but Takashi stopped me.

"That bitch!" I snarled out. Takashi slung his arm across my shoulders in the usual way that helps me calm down and eventually my anger faded. "Thanks, Takashi." I smiled up at him now that I was calm. He smiled back down at me since he was taller but I could tell his smile still had a sad feel to it. He pulled me into a side hug as we looked out over the railing of the stairs and I let him knowing that he needed the comfort. Takashi is my best friend after all, even if I had a thing for him. Even if he didn't feel the same, and never did, I'd always be there for him. I loved him after all.

We just stood there silently for a bit taking comfort in each other's presence when we heard a banging sound. We turned to the direction of the sound and noticed a commotion at the front gate. A strange man was banging at the gate. "What's that?" I asked. Takashi looks down at me and just shrugged. "A trespasser?" I asked aloud again. Takashi shrugged again in answer and pulled me close to him just in case. He was protective of me after all. We watched as four teachers approached the gate and I secretly hoped that maybe now the guy would leave. But somehow I don't think I'll be that lucky to have my hope answered."Takashi?" I said having a bad feeling in my stomach. "Yeah? What?" he asked. "I have a really bad feeling." Takashi looks down at me puzzled. "Huh? About what?" he asked. "I don't know." I answered. "But I-Oh MY GOD!" I screamed. My eyes widened in horror as I put a hand over my mouth with my left hand and with other I pointed at the front gate and even Takashi looked shocked. That strange man at the front gate had just bit a teacher and killed him. Takashi pulled me into his arms protectively and we watched in horror as the dead teacher sat up and killed the only female teacher there. Takashi backed up in fear taking me with him since he still held me protectively in his arms. 'What the fuck just happened?' Takashi thought as he just held me.

"Yuki, we gotta get out of here!" Takashi said pulling me with him away from the stairwell. He pulled me away with him up the stairs and down that hall. "Takashi, wait up!" I shouted out to him. Hey! Just because I'm fast doesn't mean I can keep up with Takashi. He has longer legs than me! Any who, Takashi turned around and looked at me. "Sorry Yuki." he said. He slowed down just enough for me to catch up. Takashi slammed open the door to ours, Rei, and Hisashi's class room when we got to it. I saw Rei look up at the doorway to see who had come in. She looked angry when she saw that it was Takashi and downright pissed when she saw that I was with him. "Komuro! Uyumi! You both couldn't be happy with just skipping my class?" the teacher shouted. Normally I probably would have made a sarcastic remark as was practically my trade mark but we didn't have time for that. We both ignored him and walked over to Rei and Hisashi. While I stopped by Hisashi who had just jumped out of his seat, Takashi ignored him altogether and walked over to Rei. "Come with me. We gotta get out of here!" He said and pulled Rei roughly out of her set by her arms.

"Wha-? What are you talking about?" Rei asked. While this was going on Takagi jumped out of her seat to try and hear what was going on and me and Hisashi walked over to Takashi and Rei. "Dude what are you doing?" Hisashi asks and his attitude is seriously starting to piss me off. Before Takashi could answer I beat him to it. "People just got killed at the front gate," I said bluntly. "No bullshit." Takashi said backing up my claim. Hisashi looked at me shocked. "Are you serious?" he asked. Before I could answer him Takashi pushed me slightly behind him. "Yeah 'cause she's making shit like that up!" Takashi defended me. At this point Rei finally snapped out of whatever little trance she was in, yanked her arm free from Takashi's grasp, and started yelling. That's all she ever seemed to do. "Jesus! What is going on with you?! I can never understand what-"Before she could continue her little rant all that could be heard was a SLAP. A soft gasp escaped my lips as I watched Takashi slap, Rei, the girl he has been in love with since forever. But I can understand why. We don't have time to be standing around arguing pointlessly right now. Before Rei could explode again, Takashi interrupted her. "Listen! Listen to me!" Takashi shouts and turns to Hisashi. We had finally gotten them to leave with us after another five minutes of pointless arguing, but though she heard everything, Takagi didn't follow us. After we left we started running, turned left, and were running down the hall.

"Just tell me what's going on" Hisashi says finally. Takashi was obviously too pissed to speak still so the job of explaining went to me. "There was someone at the school gate, a man. The PE teachers went to go check it out and something happened." I said. "And now those PE teachers are killing each other!" Takashi finally shouts having calmed down enough to explain just what the hell was going on. "That's insane!" Rei replied. After running down several hallways we finally stopped at a supply closet. Coincidentally there were two baseball bats and a broom/mop thing in it. "What you forgot something?" Takashi asked. "If what you and Yuki told me was true we'll need some weapons, right?" Hisashi replied. "Here Rei." Hisashi broke off the end of that broom/mop thing and handed it to her. "Here Yuki." I turned and saw Takashi handing me the second baseball bat while claiming the first one for his own. "Thanks Takashi." I said to him. He offered me a small smile and nodded his head then he turned to Hisashi. "What about you?" Takashi asked him. "Yeah since you were the one to bring up weapons in the first place, shouldn't you have one too? I'm sure we could find you something around here." I said to Hisashi. Hisashi just shook his head. "I've got a black belt in karate. Come on, we gotta get out of this school!" he answered to both me and Takashi. Then Rei came up with an idea. "Let's just call the police. We'll talk to my father." she suggested.

Even though it was against school rules, Takashi and I both took out our cell phones from our pockets, but Takashi was faster than me in doing that so Rei grabbed his phone. "School rules are meant to be broken right?" Takashi says aloud but mostly to Rei. Rei used Takashi's cell phone to try to call her dad but the line was busy. "No way! 1-1-0 is busy! That's not possible!" Rei said disbelieving with a gasp. Suddenly we heard the P.A. system turn on and listened. "This announcement is for all of our students. An emergency situation is taking place outside of the school right now! All students must follow your teacher's instructions and evacuate! I repeat-" the announcement said. "So they finally realized it." Takashi said talking over the announcement being said over the P.A. system. I opened my mouth to give a reply to the mostly rhetorical sentence, but when I did, the P.A. announcer had dropped the microphone and now it was quiet. Too quiet. This was starting to scare me a bit and for once I allowed myself to be vulnerable in front of others and grabbed onto Takashi's sleeve loosely. Takashi understood what it was that I was conveying to him and joined our hands together and gave a gently squeeze discretely without Rei or Hisashi noticing before releasing my hand and preparing to run. "It's happening" Takashi said. Just then we hear the P.A. announcer shout "Get away! Get away from me! Get back!" We also heard what seemed like growling, the sound of metal being thrown around, and the announcer's screams. And just like that, next thing we heard was rapid footsteps and the sound of screams coming from the halls. The whole school was now in a panic.

"We gotta get out of here!" I shouted. Hisashi agreed and backed me up saying "This way!" Takashi then noticed the way Hisashi was going. "Where are you going?! We gotta get out of here!" he yelled out. "The building with classrooms is too crowded. We need to go through the management building." Hisashi replied. "Hisashi is right! Just shut up and do as he says!" Rei shot at Takashi. Normally I would be pissed at how she's talking to my best friend but we didn't have time for that. "Alright fine!" Takashi shouted back with me silently agreeing. We ran outside the doors that lead to the management building, and saw one of the teachers a few feet ahead of us. "That's Mr. Makisaka. What's the matter with him?" Rei asked. Mr. Makisaka advanced on Rei and I pretty fast. Rei and I both started backing up as he tried to get a hold of us. "Get away!" Rei screamed for the both of us since I stayed quiet. "Rei! Stab him! Don't hold back! Give it everything you got!" Hisashi yelled out at her. "Yuki! If that doesn't work hit him with the bat!" Takashi cried out to me. Before Rei and I could react, the zombie pushed past me, grabbed a hold of Rei's weapon, and tried to bite her.

Rei finally snapped out of her frightened state and pushed back against the zombie. "Don't fuck with me!" she exclaimed. "I'm the VP of the Spear Martial Arts Club!" She started beating up the zombie before stabbing it right in the chest. I ran close to but not next to Rei with my bat posed at the ready in case my self- made theory on these things was right. "Yes!" I heard Takashi yell out. I let a small smile grace my lips but didn't turn around to look at him in case I was right about this thing and it wasn't down for the count just yet. Sure enough, the zombie started moving again. 'I hate it when I'm right!' I thought to myself. Then the zombie struggled out of the grip of Rei's weapon and swung it back. "Rei get back!" I shouted out to her. She stepped back with just enough time to avoid getting hit but unfortunately that left me in the line of fire. I got hit in the stomach and sent flying back into the metal wall. The impact of the hit was almost enough to send the bat I was holding flying out of my hand. "Yuki! No!" I heard Takashi cry out to me worriedly but Hisashi was already running back towards me. Using the bat I hit the zombie in the chest sending it back a bit allowing me to slowly stand and get away from it.

"What the hell? Why is he still moving?" Hisashi asked and it was understandable. I mean, this thing had been stabbed in the chest after all and the force I put behind that hit I gave it to the chest normally would have heavily damaged one's lungs. Hisashi put the zombie in a head lock and dragged the thing away from me allowing me to stand fully. "Hisashi get away from him!" Takashi yelled out worried about our friend. "Don't worry, I can take him!" Hisashi replied. "Not if it means you get bitten!" I yelled at him. Then the zombie turned his whole head around. My eyes widened in fear and I wasn't the only one. "What the fuck?" Hisashi asked. Then what I feared would happen all along did indeed happen. Hisashi got bitten. Takashi and Rei both ran to help Hisashi. "Hey you, get the hell away from him!" Takashi yelled out as he started beating the zombie over the head with his bat but not hard enough apparently to take the thing down. "Hisashi!" Rei yelled as she repeatedly stabbed the thing. "Jesus Christ! Why won't he just die already?!" Rei shouted as she stabbed the zombie again. "Oh, I knew it" I whispered. Takashi heard me and it seems that he caught onto part of my theory. "Oh no I knew it. He is dead." Takashi said. "He's dead but still moving!" Takashi shouted.

Suddenly, the zombie started to bit harder on to Hisashi's arm. Rei dropped her weapon and ran to get Hisashi out of the grip of the god forsaken zombie. "Takashi! Help him! Don't just stand there! Do something! DO SOMETHING WILL YA?!" Rei yelled at Takashi as if all of this was his fault. I got pissed at her and turned my rage on the zombie using my bat to smash the zombie's head in making blood splatter on all of us. The zombie slumped forward and finally fell to the ground dead, for good this time. Everyone was surprised that I was the one to kill the thing but we didn't dwell on that for long. I stood there in shock silently and shook as I held the bat loosely in my hands still raised as if I was going to bash another zombie on the head. Finally I slowly lowered my arms and Takashi pulled me into an embrace, holding me gently, silently giving me comfort and his thanks for saving Hisashi. My body was shaking almost convulsing and my nerves were trembling. But can you blame me? This was the first time I had ever in my life even taken the life of another, zombie or otherwise. "Hisashi, are you ok?" Rei asked not once caring if I was alright after killing for the first time or thanking me for saving her boyfriend for that matter. Takashi, bless his soul, rubbed my back soothingly and I hugged him tightly before pulling away slightly after having calmed down a bit. "Are you alright?" Takashi asked me. "Y-yeah" I replied my voice cracking and still slightly shaken up, but I was able to function now at least. Takashi winced slightly as my voice crack with fear and just held me in to his side, holding me close.

"Son of a bitch just bit me; no big deal." Hisashi replied to Rei. Hisashi looked past Rei and over to me. I was still in Takashi's embrace but now it was a side hug. "Thanks Yuki. I owe you one." Hisashi said to me. Rei finally looked over to me and said "Oh…yeah Thank you". "Any time." I replied as best I could without my voice cracking even though I was annoyed at how ungrateful Rei sounded. Out of nowhere we heard glass breaking and a high pitched scream. The four of us all watched as a girl a few years younger than us got bit by a zombie and died. Rei just gasped while I stood there watching, emotionless to those who don't know me but those who do would notice me leaning into Takashi's side hug as he hugged me closer to himself. "We can handle one of 'em but there's no way…" Takashi started to say but didn't bother to finish stating. "The roof…" Hisashi said. "The roof…?" Rei questioned. "Yeah, we should barricade ourselves up there until help arrives; and we can see what's going on down." Hisashi exclaims. "Yeah! Let's go!" I stated in agreement. We were now on the roof, overlooking the city. Some of it was in flames. In the distance I could hear sirens. "Holy shit! It's happening everywhere!" Takashi points out. "But everything was normal; everything was fine a minute ago!" Rei exclaimed. "It didn't take that long for that to change." I said. Rei was right. Just a little while ago this had been a normal day and now it seems the whole city has gone to hell.

Suddenly, a giant wind came out of nowhere. Both Rei and I started to get pushed away, but Takashi grabbed onto me tightly and Hisashi did the same to Rei. We looked back and saw a bunch of helicopters flying overhead. "Black Hawk. American Military?" Hisashi asks. "No, that's not it." I said. "No you're right Yuki. That's Self-Defense Force." Hisashi replied to me. "Where did they come from, there's no base around here!" Hisashi and I both say at the same time without meaning too. "Over here!" Rei yells as she waves her arms. "Don't Bother. I wouldn't even waste your strength. That's Self-Defense Force. They must have some kind of a special mission." Hisashi says. "He's right. They're not here to rescue us. They're not even doing anything about that!" I said pointing down to where another student from our school who before all this shit started obviously had gym class had been captured by a group of zombies and was bitten. "That's what's going on outside the school…"Hisashi started. "…Where you can still run away from it…"I finished for him. "Imagine what's going on inside the school." both I and Hisashi said at the same time ominously. "Now there's a scary thought…" I said trailing off at the end ominously.

My thoughts to how it must be inside the school. The most likely scenario is that friends would betray each other due to peoples' own want and need to survive and sure enough something like that did happen. Running could be heard down a dimly lit hallway due to the stain glassed windows lining the hall. The afternoon sun cast shadows in the hall as soft panting was heard. "We should be ok if we run together Mizuzu!" a black haired girl a year younger than us said to a girl holding her hand as they ran the halls in the school together. "Of course, we will. Cause you and I are BFFs, Tashimi!" the orange haired girl holding her hand answered as they ran. Suddenly both girls cried out as they felt something yank them back. The two girls looked down and sure enough saw a zombie holding onto Tashimi's ankle. The zombie dragged her down some stairs lifting her skirt slightly showing her underwear. Tashimi cried out and went down still holding her best friend's, Mizuzu's, hand. Not caring about her state of undress, the zombie bit into Tashimi's neck, hard. "Ow! Ow! Ow! Help me Mizuzu!" Tashimi cried rapidly in pain and horror as her neck was ravaged by the zombie biting her as she still held on to Mizuzu's hand.

Tashimi thought that her best friend would help her as Mizuzu looked into Tashimi's hopeful eyes. "Let go of me!" Mizuzu said. Tashimi eyes widened horrified. Her supposed "best friend forever" was betraying her! "Dammit, Bitch! I said! Let! Go!" Mizuzu cried out as she kicked Tashimi in the head causing her to bleed and cry out in pain as the kick sent her further down the stairs. Her painful cry attracted more of THEM that ended up biting into her upper body somewhere making her die in agony. Mizuzu watched it all in horror at what she had done and slowly backed up to get away from there only to gasp in horror as she felt THEM grab on to her.

Another situation would be that some would try to commit suicide, not able to deal with everything that was happening. The world around them was changing too fast for some people in the school to deal with and sure enough this happened too. We saw it all for ourselves. "It's here too!" a teacher cried in horror. "There's no way this is really happening… A dream… That's right... It's just a bad dream… I need to wake up... Go back to school… I'm supposed to chew all of those new club members out today..." The teacher said really out of it as he opened a window on the second floor. He got on to the window sill and jumped falling strait down splattering his head on the ground below. Others would probably try to run inside the school but would get stuck or be too slow and would get caught and bitten by THEM, screaming in agony and pain as death came. Coming back to life as one of THEM.

"This is like a disease cause by THEM." Hisashi said. "THEM?" Takashi asked. "The dead are attacking people left and right. But this isn't a movie or video game. That's why it's THEM. THEY bite people and then the ones bitten die and come back to life as one of THEM." Hisashi said. "And it looks like smashing THEIR head in is the only way to get rid of 'em." I followed up Hisashi's explanation. Soon we were surrounded. "There's too many of them!" Rei pointed out looking around at the ever growing number of zombies. I silently pointed out an easily defensible spot to Hisashi who nodded his head at me. "Good thinking Yuki! Let's get up there and block the stairs!" Hisashi said. "Let's go!" Takashi yelled. "Hurry!" Takashi shouted panting as we ran. In fact we all were panting as we ran as fast as we could. Takashi was in front with Hisashi running alongside him with me slightly behind and Rei in the back. It wasn't a particular order but I was just faster than Rei. Takashi and I both each wielded bats, Rei held a broken off piece of a mop or broom with a metal twisted tip in the front, like some kind of make shift staff, while Hisashi was unarmed. I personally think he just wanted to show off how strong he is in front of his girlfriend, Rei, but no asked my opinion on the matter. Anyway, we were running up the stairs when Takashi turned back and asks "Hisashi are you ok?" in a panicked tone. By this point I am standing beside Takashi and looked at Hisashi wanting to know the answer to that too. After all Hisashi had been bitten on his arm. It wasn't severe but that wasn't the point. After all if this was like the movies or video games then he would turn into one of THEM. All it took was one measly little bite after all.

We were still there at the stop of the stairs when Rei got the "brilliant" idea to turn around and attack one of THEM. She stabbed it in the chest and it slumped forward slightly. Again, I was basing everything here on what I know about the movies and video games of the Undead. You have to aim for the head. Anything else and all it does was annoy THEM and waste your energy. Apparently, Takashi agreed with me since he turned to her and said "Are you nuts?" without getting Hisashi's answer. "Say what?" Rei said stunned, and she momentarily took her eyes and attention away from what was going on just in front of her. Big mistake! Very big mistake! "Rei!" I shouted trying to warn her. Too late. The zombie took hold of Rei's weapon and yanked it hard from her hands. Using the makeshift weapon, the zombie swung it out and hit her in the stomach hard enough to stun her and trap her against the wall. Her eyes widened in pain as a gasp escaped her lips. Rei slumped against the wall in pain as the zombie made its way towards her moving like something from the Exorcist. She stared at the thing in horrific terror.

"GET AWAY!" Rei screamed in terror as the zombie crawled towards her at a fast pace. "No!" I shouted. Just as I was going to help her, I heard another shout. "R-Rei!" I turned to see who shouted and it turns out it was Hisashi. Hisashi grabbed Takashi's bat and pushed past Takashi and pushed me back. I stumbled on the stair step behind me and would have fallen had my best friend, Takashi, not caught me. Had we been in any other situation I would have glared at Hisashi for what he did, but this wasn't the time for that. Hisashi ran down the stairs and using the bat smashed the thing's head in splattering the zombie's brains into the wall. Rei got up quickly. "Hisashi!" she exclaimed happily. The girl walked up the stairs looking at Hisashi like he was some kind of god.

"Did you see that?" Hisashi asked. "Yeah it's just like I thought. You have to aim for the head." I replied. He turned to me and silently nodded. Rei and Hisashi started up the stairs, but I turned and ran down the stairs just past the couple. "Yuki! Get back here!" I heard Takashi shout out. I ran past Rei and Hisashi, jumped up slightly, and kicked a female zombie in the face that was just with in biting distance of Rei. The kick sent the female zombie tumbling down the stairs until she cracked her skull on some sort of metal box at the bottom of the stairs. Ensuring she wouldn't be getting back up, I ran back up the stairs to Takashi. I almost flinched when I saw the look on his face. I hate making him worry and having him look at me like that with his worried glare. He took his attention off me for a second and turned to the couple behind us. "Rei, Hisashi! Hurry, this way!" He grabbed my hand and led me up the stairs ensuring I wouldn't do anymore "crazy stunt". Rei put Hisashi's arm around her shoulders and helped him to the top of the stairs. As Rei turned the corner with Hisashi slumped over her shoulders Takashi and I turned back to look at the school. What had been a normal high school just this morning was now more like a battle field. "Dammit" Takashi said. "What the fuck?" I asked quietly staring at the carnage. "WHAT THE FUCK'S GOING ON?!" Takashi yelled. I placed my hand on Takashi's shoulder in what I hoped was a comforting manner. "I wish I knew Takashi. I wish I knew." I said quietly.

After fixing up a barricade to block the stairs so THEY wouldn't get in, I sighed in relief as I sat on the floor by Takashi's legs. "Why, why is this happening?" Rei asked. "There has to be a reason. Maybe if we can figure out what's causing it, we can stop it. Or at least…protect ourselves" Hisashi said weakly. As soon as he finished speaking I stood up from the floor to stand next to Takashi. 'He's getting worse. Much worse. I doubt he'll make it past the next half hour, let alone the rest of today' I thought to myself sadly. "We need to look around for matches or a lighter around here somewhere" Hisashi said. "Hisashi is right. It's gonna get dark soon and if we don't make a fire now we're gonna be fucked when it does get dark" I said. Just as I finished saying this, Hisashi started to cough up blood.

That right there cemented the fact that Hisashi would not make it. "Hisashi, what's wrong with you?!" I heard Rei ask though my attention was on Hisashi as I held Takashi's hand, who squeezed my hand gently in response. Before Hisashi could answer her, he coughed up more blood. "Takashi, Yuki, Hisashi is-!"Rei started to say but stopped when she saw how scared both me and Takashi were and when Hisashi started to cough up even more blood she turned her attention back to her boyfriend. Hisashi had this distant look in his eyes, like a hunger was growing inside of him. He already looked like the Undead and pretty soon he would be. I give it ten minutes or even less than that.

He was trying to keep his breathing regulated, but all of us could hear how ragged his breathing sounded. "Why? Why? He got bit just a little, so why does it look so horrible?" Rei asked in disbelief as she kneeled next to Hisashi looking at the bite mark on Hisashi's arm. "So it is just like the movies" Hisashi said. "THEY bite you, then that's it." he said further. I could hear his voice cracking and I held onto Takashi's hand tighter bowing my head sadly knowing Hisashi was so close to death. "That can't be true! What you see in the movies will never happen!" Rei said in full out denial. "But it did happen, to everyone else!" Hisashi said. A long pause entered the conversation. Then Hisashi spoke. "Takashi, will you help me?" he asked. "Help you with what?" Takashi asked in reply after a short pause. Using his finger, Hisashi weakly pointed out over to the railing at the far end of the roof. "Help me over the rail, straight to the ground from here. The impact from the fall should smash my head, or better yet Yuki use your bat to smash my head in." Hisashi said.

Both I and Takashi looked at him in surprise. "What are you sayin-?" Rei started to ask but Hisashi cut her off. "I don't want to be one of THEM!" He shouted before he started coughing up even more blood once again. Takashi gasped and I hung my head sadly as I held Takashi's hand tightly, both of us taking comfort from that. "Come on Takashi, Yuki…do it for me! I wanna stay myself. Until the end!" We could do nothing as Hisashi started screaming in agony. Tears started to build up in my eyes. I wanted nothing more than to bury my head into Takashi's shoulder and not have to watch my friend die before my eyes, but I wouldn't dishonor Hisashi like that. Even though watching this and not able to do anything to help or to stop it cut deeply into my heart.

"No, Hisashi! YOU CAN'T DIE!" Rei cried, urging Hisashi to keep fighting but it was not to be. Hisashi screamed one more time, before he died. Tears fell silently from my eyes. "Can you do this?" I asked in a whisper to Takashi softly so only he could hear, knowing he would never let me be the one to end it. "Yeah." he replied just as softly. "Can you hold her back?" Takashi asked me. "You got it." I replied to him quietly. Takashi pulled me into a side hug since he would need to do it, deliver the final blow, while I held Rei back. I pulled away from the hug and walk over to Rei. "Rei…I'm so sorry" I whisper to her as tears fell from my eyes. I hugged her and she hugged me back.

Suddenly, Hisashi's hand twitched, but neither Rei nor I saw it. Takashi did though and tightened his grip on his bat. "Get away from him, Yuki, Rei." Takashi said solemnly. I stood up and tried to pull Rei to her feet, but she resisted. "Rei come on" I whispered to her. Takashi started walking towards Hisashi's body, and when Rei noticed she yanked her arm out of my grip and leaned over Hisashi's body protectively. "No! You can't do that! He's not turning! He's not turning into one of THEM; he's going to be fine!" she protested in full out denial. "Get away from him" Takashi said more firmly. Hisashi's body started moving and I froze. Takashi moved and stood in front of me protectively. "Hisashi!" Rei shouted out excitedly. "Look Takashi, he's getting up, he's getting better…" Rei trailed off as he sat up. "Hisashi?" Rei asked. Hisashi was standing now. "What's the matter?" Rei asked worriedly. Looking at Hisashi, there was no doubt about it now; he had turned.

Takashi turned to me and quickly said. "Yuki, get Rei away from him quick!" Takashi said. "Right!" I replied sadly. I went up behind Rei, and grabbing her from both her elbows, helped get her to her feet and slowly dragged her back. We walked backwards beside Takashi with me holding Rei back grabbing her by wrapping my arms around her tightly. "This can't be true. No way." Rei said shaking her head in denial. "Takashi!" I called out his name making him turn to me. "Please be careful." I said to him with worried tears in my eyes. "Of course." he replied gently squeezing my shoulder. "Rei, I know you can't believe it." Takashi said addressing Rei. "Yuki can't believe it. I can't believe it." I hung my head slightly as I held Rei back. "Takashi?" Rei asked wondering where he was going with this. "But it's happening." Takashi said as he tightens his grip on the bat again. "Don't do it!" Rei pleaded. "IT'S HAPPENING!" Takashi shouted. With that said, Takashi ran forward and killed the Undead Hisashi smashing his head in with the bat. "NOOOOOOO!" Rei screamed in horror. She collapsed in to my arms, but not all the way to the floor, and started crying hysterically.

After a time, her tears seemed to dry up and she just stood there. She pushed away from my arms and distanced herself slightly just a bit. Now that I was free, I went over to Takashi and hugged him tightly, a few tears still leaving my eyes. But I had to be there for him. He had been there for me after all. This was the first time Takashi had taken a life, after all, only it was worse. Even more so in that it was the life of his best friend. The three of us just stayed there not moving in silence with me in Takashi's arms and Rei just off to the side when I heard Rei start to whisper. "Why? Why?" Rei asked after she finally collapsed to the floor on her knees. "He would have bitten you if he hadn't done that, Rei!" I replied. "I didn't ask you to save me! And how would you know that anyway? What are you, some expert?" she asked. I couldn't believe this. She was pissing me off. Takashi had just saved her life and she was acting like an ungrateful little bitch. "Then I would have been willing to get bitten. Better to die that way than surviving by doing something like this!" Rei shouted. The more she spoke like that the more pissed off I'm getting. After all, she was calling Takashi and me monsters since we had killed.

"I don't think Hisashi would have wanted that for you!" Takashi countered. "How do you know that, Takashi?" Rei asked bitterly. "Oh I know; I know; you must have hated Hisashi, am I right? Because he was dating me!" she continued. Ok that did it. I couldn't keep my silence anymore, my anger was too great. "Rei" I said calmly, too calmly, as I walked over to her, dropping my bat as I walked. I stood before her for a second before I struck out at her with my left hand slapping her face, hard. Her head turned to the left with the force of the blow. "Get over yourself, bitch!" I finished saying. I grabbed my bat and walked over to Takashi taking a hold of his hand signifying to him that I was and had always been on his side and always would be. Rei looked at me shocked as she turned to look at me, holding her reddened cheek as both Takashi and I walked away from her hand in hand. "Hey! Where do you think you're going?" she asked irritably. "You obviously don't want me around anymore…" Takashi started saying. "And my best friend is not going anywhere near those things without me! We'll go downstairs and smash 'em!" I finished saying still way too calm to be normal. "Wh-what are you talking about?" she asked running up behind us. "You can't take on that many by yourselves!" she continued. "Hey wait-Takashi?" We had just ignored her as she spoke. We were too busy trying to open the barrier slightly so we could leave the roof.

Takashi helped me up to the part of the barrier that we were taking down before she tried to stop us both, but of course mainly Takashi. "No, stop it!" Rei shouted. She ran up behind Takashi, wrapping her arms around Takashi's arm trying to pull him back. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it! I really didn't mean it! So please… please stay with me! Yuki, please take some sense into him! PLEASE! Don't leave me!" She pleaded. I wasn't really buying it but Takashi was. Takashi stepped passed me on the barrier and jumped down off of it to the floor and hugged her close as I stood on the barrier watching, my heart breaking as I looked away from them and looked over to the barrier silently debating if I should try to make my way out of it to smash zombies alone to get away from this pain I was feeling deep inside my heart. "Yuki?" I heard Takashi ask and I realized I would never be able to leave him. No matter how much it would hurt to stay. I would not break my promise to him! I looked down from where I stood on the barrier to Takashi who had called me while still holding Rei in his arms. "Yeah, Takashi?" I asked him softly. "We'll have to stay a little while longer, okay Yuki?" I sighed silently but nodded not saying a word. After all I knew this would happen. "Okay." I answered solemnly.

On the day that everything came to an end, I had to stand and watch as my best friend and secret love killed our best friend. Then I had to stand by and watch as the man that I love held the girl that he loved in his arms and realized it wasn't me. I looked away from their embrace unable to take it anymore as I lowered my head. My bangs hid my eyes as tears silently fell from my eyes. I would never be able to tell Takashi the truth: that he holds my heart. But all I will ever have is being able to call him my best friend. I'm so pathetic. I can't even tell him how I really feel. Even when the world comes to an end.