PROLOGUE
They sat there. Empty. Sore. Each with eyes like an abyss, vast and empty. All seemingly staring off into an imaginary world where things were not so bad. The perpetual moaning seeping into their minds. The constant banging on the plexiglass reminding them of their cruel reality. One rustled through the fresh supply of books in the room in an attempt to occupy his mind. Another saw this break as an opportunity to fix her hair. She might as well look good. Now more than ever she thought.
The candle wick that illuminated their now secluded world began to reach its end. Just as their world would soon reach it's end.
Or had.
Or is.
No one really knew, and no one really cared...
EPISODE 1
"Shut up you two and get to work!"
Had milo and Brendan known this lab would cost them much more than their grade they wouldn't have stayed. No one could have foreseen their impending doom. They scribbled away at their data tables and began filling test tubes with various chemicals. The day was nice despite the outrageous news last night.
Connecticut had received a massive outbreak of sick people in the region that borders Massachusetts. These "sick people" desired nothing more than to attack other human beings. The doctors all said it was just a case of delirium but it was obvious to all that there was something more going on. Even during this perfect spring, the mood was down everywhere because of the epidemic.
"What a cliche" thought Milo when he first read the news. The sophomores discussed it thoroughly at their table in the morning but it seemed to worry none. It felt too stupid to be a real danger. That was their first mistake.
Jessica typed away at her computer in the library furiously. Its not easy dealing with Megan and Vanni's shenanigans. They tried to comfort her but she wasn't having it. Helen walked in a few minutes later and they talked about stupid kid problems that stupid kids should have.
Sofia, Joy and Gabby were in the locker room. They just finished 7th period gym and were changing to leave. They giggled about stupid boys and put on perfume and packed their bags. It was nothing out of the norm.
Andres and Jeffrey discussed doomsday scenarios based on the happenings in Connecticut. The cafeteria was busy with students. Some had developed a cough. A cough unlike most others. A cough that could not be missed. It's deep sound made it seem like the person's lung would pop out of their mouth any second. After every cough the person had to breath in with a raspy moan.
Milo and Brendan were arguing about the lyrics of some song. They weren't sure whether it went "lalalala" or "lalalalala". Ms Mahoney had no comment. Their vocal session continued for quite awhile when their lab partner decided to show up. Something was different about Luis that day. He had a tendency to be introverted to some extent, but today he spoke to no one.
Luis walked in slowly. Cautiously. Brendan wanted to tell this bitch how much he fucking smelled like shit. But he decided to hold it in.
He breathed in again, causing him to moan loudly. Something was different this time. Even Ms. Mahoney caught it. "Luis, you good?". He looked up furiously. He snarled at her then flipped a table over with such ease. He couldn't speak. He could only moan furiously as he charged at Milo. "What the fuck are you doing!?" Ms. Mahoney tried to et in his way but she was pushed to the wall with a simple swipe. Now weakened, Mahoney became the perfect target. Luis shifted his eyes to her and began to charge. Her head was throbbing and her vision was blurred. She felt the back of her head and felt a moist patch. Milo and Brendan acted quick. They threw and AP Biology book at his head, but it did nothing. Milo began to charge but he realized he could just swipe him away with his sudden superhuman strength. "Fuck fuck fuck. What do we do?" Brendan was panicking. Milo grabbed his arm and together they picked up a chair and rammed the legs into Luis.
The chair went right through his fragile body. Intestines and blood permeating the freshly cleaned floor. They all screamed. Milo sat on the floor and covered his mouth. His eyes filled with tears. "What the fuck? What the FUCK? Brendan backed away slowly. Ms Mahoney heard more moans and jumped to action. She ran to the door and locked it but a girl with bloodshot eyes broke through easily. Mahoney held the door furiously. "Boys get help! Do SOMETHING!" Brendan ran to cut through Mahoney's office when he felt the floor shake a little. He could hear screaming from the floor beneath him. " Oh fuck man what do we do?" Just as they began to run for help, the girl broke open and pounced on Ms. Mahoney.
The scream. The rip. The image. The speed and intensity in which it all happened was what hurt them the most. The inability to help. The girl's mouth covered in scarlet liquid. The chewing sound. The screaming which became fainter with every scream, yes still so loud in their minds. They knew her hunger would not be sated. They knew there was nothing to be done. So they ran. Tears in their eyes and drops of blood on their shoes, they knew nothing but to run.
Jessica, Megan and Vanni hid behind the librarian's counter. Helen was in the librarian's office and could not be seen. They were sure she was hiding behind the desk, though. The moaning started off small when the first one entered. Some people screamed and searched for an exit. Some were lucky. Others were not. The cries for help still ringed in Jessica's ears. They were all too shocked to cry though. They needed to get out. They needed to live. Vanni peeked his head over the counter. Jomaira's body was on the floor. Her blood leaking over the carpet. She crawled desperately to safety but one caught her leg and finished the job. Vanni sat down again and began to breath heavily. "Shut the fuck up vanni. Please. They are going to find us" Megan tried to get him to stop but nothing would calm him. His breathing became thick and rapid, tears swelling in his eyes, vision blurred he layed down and waited to die.
"Fuck this I'm getting out of here" whispered Jessica with a determination even she found to be foreign. She peeked over. It was a massacre. The stench was enough to make her puke, and now with those sights it was too much. Still she found her body moving towards the bookshelf hidden behind the counter. She found the heaviest one she could find and threw it towards the bookshelves at the end of the library. With sudden groans of interest the "sick" moved towards the source of sound. Live prey was always much more savory. When they were far enough away she tapped megan's shoulder and began to run. Helen saw them and followed. Vanni snapped out of his hopeless state and he soon started to sprint towards their only hope of survival.
Nhat, David and Ana were crawling across the cafeteria warily. Precision in each of their movements. They made no sound the whole way to green side exit. The jumped off the ground and ran towards the exit. Ana screamed but Helen quickly covered her mouth.
"Oh god what the fuck is happening?" Ana had no response. Her heart was still pounding. Sofia and Joy walked by and spotted them. Gaby was in their arms, limping. "what happened to her?" asked Vanni. "They got her leg. Badly." A volleyball shirt was wrapped around her arm, the wetness f it was evident. She was pale and her eyes were dry from crying from the pain.
"What are we waiting for can we leave?" Joy asked. "Look outside!" cried megan. The abundance of "sick" was overwhelming. "They can't get in so we're good for now".
A desperate banging came from behind them. "Fuck its Alfredo!" They ran to open the door for him but it was too late. They grabbed him and took him to the floor. The girls and Vanni ran away. They were in no particular danger, but they couldn't bear the screams. They made their stomachs turn with disgrace. Nhat ran up the stairs. He needed to get that knife from his bag. Even if it meant going alone.
Milo and Brendan ran down the flights of stairs. They had to find a way to get out of this hell. The walls were moist with blood. It seems the narrow stairwell provided no escape for an unlucky few. The corpses were nowhere to be found. Only the stench remained. When they reached the first floor, they cautiously swung open the door and proceeded to move to the guidance office. Alpert was there. Sick and moaning animalistically. Her eyes caught them and she began to charge. Her face was a fiery rage of hunger and desire. She tried to break the door open, but this one was made of a stronger material. Milo had his back to the door, holding her back. Brendan ran off to see if anyone was out there. He caught sight of Jessica and the others.
"Holy shit you guys are alive. Ms mahoney. And they hurt her. And i'm fucking. I can't. And alpert. She's. I don't even."
"Shut the fuck up I'm trying to think!" Jessica counted to three and they all ran as fast as they could away from the dreaded counselor. She raced furiously after them, her speed was lessened but she was still able to stay close behind. Gaby was losing a lot of blood and she wasn't able to move as quick as the others. She tripped and fell to the floor. Alpert took no time in jumping on top of her. Joy kicked her away and tried to grab Gaby. Alpert was intent on holding on even with the efforts of the whole group. They were able to free her and start running again, but it wasn't too long before Joy tripped. Alpert snarled menacingly like a dog with rabies. The others had already exited through the blue side and hadn't noticed her fall before it was too late. The doors had closed locking them out.
They found themselves in their own jam. A couple former students were huddling around them. They moaned and approached slowly, savoring the idea of trapping their prey in a corner. Among them was Jay and Aylin. Brendan was sickened by their deformed look. They all pitied their fate, doomed to be these psychotic animals for who knows how long.
Inside Joy was crawling away from Alpert she quickly tried to get up but the bestial counselor had already grabbed her pant leg and brought her right back down. Vanni panicked, there wasn't much time. He didn't know what to do. Jomaira's bloody corpse came to mind. He can't become that. He can't let that happen to him. He ran.
The "sick" drew closer. One finally decided to lunge at their prey. Milo was the first to get grabbed, then Megan. They screamed terrorized. They were being dragged away and all the others could do was hope they were strong enough to pull them back in. Megan's screeches filled the air. Brendan looked into her eyes. His heart raced. He felt her sweaty palms slipping out of his. God, or Buddha looked out for megan that day. Her pant leg ripped and she was freed. They backed to the corner and huddled together. Hopeless and miserable. Trembling furiously.
Inside the school Alpert closed in for the bite. Her teeth were moments away from sinking into the delicious flesh, when a knife stabbed the demon right brain. She instantly fell to ground, saliva running down her mouth. Alpert was dead. Joy got up, still shaking from the close call. "thanks Jeffrey" She blushed. "Thank Nhat he's the one who had the knife" She gave him a respectful nod then ran to the door to see if her friend had left her.
The "sick" were charging at them relentlessly. Sofia screamed and thrashed at the one biting David but it was no use. The blood splattered the floor and he was ripped to pieces. This served as a distraction for Andres to open the doors and get them inside.
Hours later they found themselves on fourth floor green. It seems few "sick" traveled there. When the night came the beats had a knack for locating them. The banged on the doors that were now boarded up. They moaned ferociously, desperately to get in. None of them could sleep, the adrenaline and the imminent danger were too much. They could only huddle around the candle they found in a drawer in the classroom. Brendan rustled through the books, Gaby fixed her hair. Jeff and Joy huddled together. Megan stared off. And at the final moment before the candle went out. She wept. For the first time today she processed all that was going on and she cried. But it was just one. The sign of a girl who's fought much too hard for a day. The sign she has barely any tears left to shed. The sign everything has gone to shit. Milo saw the single tear in her eye before the lights went out. He went to hug her and wrapped around each other, they stayed close for the night. They all did. They were all they had left.