Chapter Seven.
Jerry screamed and woke up. He was lying in the mud, next to a wrecked jeep.
He noticed that a heavy fog had set in. His head was bleeding, and his hair was matted
with dried blood. As he stood up he could see shapes moving all around him.
Moving towards him.
Twisted, inhuman shapes.
Jerry tried to make them out in the dense fog but all he could tell was that they were
moving. Jerry didn't want to stay and find out if they were friendly so he dashed across
the road. Suddenly, a small figure came into view, and Jerry stopped running.
It was about the size of a ten year old. Its skin was a sickly combination of green and grey.
It was vaugely humanoid from the neck down, but it was what was above that that shocked
Jerry.
It had no head. In its place was a huge mouth. The creature seemed to know where Jerry was
and ran at him. Jerry snapped out of his trance and ran. He didn't know where, he just ran.
Eventually he came to a supermarket, just as the creature pounced on him.
It grabbed Jerrys hair and pulled him down. Jerry kicked it but it had a firm grip on his hair.
More were closing in. The one on Jerry smelt like burnt meat. As the 3 other creatures
closed in on him Jerry stood up and ran for the door, with the things still on his back. The
one on his back was slowing him down, and he couldn't let them in the store so he turned
to face them. When they were just about touching him Jerry dove at the crowd of creatures.
The one on his back let go and the others went sprawling. Jerry ran inside the supermarket
and grabbed the arcade machine by the door. He pulled it to the door and tipped it over.
He then started blocking up all the windows by pushing the aisles he could move
against them. There was a back door so he locked that as well. When he had finaly secured
himself in the supermarket he walked to the front of the room. He was too tired to do anything
else so he collapsed in a heap, listning to the sounds of the monsters outside trying to get in.
When Jerry opened his eyes he was in a garden. Kids were playing around him. He picked up
a watering can and started watering rows of flowers. A small girl came up to him and handed him
a picture.
"This is for you Mr Roberts. It's the Sewer Man."
It was a picture of a large green monster ripping a small boy in half. The detail was excellent, and
Jerry could actually see the expression of pain on the boys face. The picture, drawn by a little girl,
was the single most frightning thing Jerry had ever seen.
The little girl giggled and ran off. All around him the children were laughing. A few pointed at him.
Jerry saw one pick up a small axe that looked like it was used for chopping wood.
The kids walked closer to Jerry. One girl laughed and pushed over a little boy. Jerry heard his head
crack on the concrete. The sound made Jerry sick. But still they advanced. One boy was pulling out
his own hair, and another was shoving handfulls of grass into his mouth. Jerry ran through them and
through the first door he came to.
He was in a school.
All around him kids were talking, laughing and smiling.
But as Jerry looked closer he could see changes taking place.
Somewhere in the background, a siren could be heard.
The walls started to bleed green slime. The floor moved under him and turned into what appeared
to be a metal walkway. But still the kids kept on talking.
There were three taller students to his right. One was smiling. Another was talking. The third was
laughing as blood poured out of his nose. Soon the whole corridor was the same. One kid grabbed
a small boy and started choking him. Jerry ran to stop him but was hit in the back of the head.
He looked up and saw four large students in football gear with various sporting equipment.
One had a baseball bat and was hitting other students with it. Another boy held a javelin.
Jerry tried to stand up but was kicked down again. He crawled across the floor while the students
laughed and kicked at him. Jerry finally made it to a room labeled "Teachers Lounge."
He pushed it open. The students stopped and watched him as he crawled inside.
"I told you this would happen!" shouted Jerry. "But who listened to me?"
"We couldn't just evacuate the school Bill. You are the janitor. I am the principal. I made the call."
Jerry walked to a mirror and looked in it. He saw an elderly man looking back at him. He must be inside
Bill, the schools janitor.
"Well now we have to get out. The kids will kill us all."
"NO!" screamed a hysterical woman. "They will get us!"
"July! Shut up and calm down! We need to think. Now, they only do this when that siren is rung.
So we just wait it out in here until it rings again."
"What if they break down the door?" asked a man who looked to Jerry like a physical education
teacher.
"They won't. We ae safe here. But, just in case...."
The principal looked around then went into his pocket with his large hands that had distinctive tattoos
of skulls on them.
He pulled out three cards. He placed them in places on a painting that hung on the wall.
There was a grinding sound and the wall opened to reveal a dark staircase leading down.
"That's it. I am not hiding. I am getting out of town!" yelled Bill. He ran to the window and opened it.
He climbed out and walked along the ledge until he came to a window. He looked in.
It was a classroom. The chairs were overturned. The tables were tipped over.
And in the middle was a small fire.
The room was full of students. Some where talking. Others staring at the fire. They had undergone
transformations.
A few had lost limbs. Some childrens skins were taking on a softish, greyish jelly-like appearence.
One kid had no head, and was propped up against the teachers desk. Inside a very fat kid grabbed
a stick and set it on fire. He raised it to the sky and plunged it into the eye of another boy that lay
at his feet. Bill almost lost his footing. There was a loud crash from another room and the siren went.
Bill quickly opened the classroom window and got inside. He ran out and down the corridor. He ran down
the flights of stairs until he came to a closet. He opened it a pulled out a shotgun.
Mark emerged from his hiding place. He had seen Bill the janitor running. Mark had seen the other kids.
They were changing. He was not, which he thought was lucky as he had seen the kids kill other students
when they changed. Bill was his next door neighbour.
He ran downstairs and yelled out to him.
"Bill! What the hell is going on ......" He stopped when he saw the gun.
"Mark. You haven't changed into one of them yet. I am going to kill them Mark. I advise you to
hide. I am your friend Mark. I have known you since you were a baby. I have to do this."
Bill opened his janitors office and let Mark in. Mark didn't want to turn into one of them so he went inside.
Mark locked the door from the inside and barred the door.
He then curled up in Bills bed and listened.
Bill went from class to class, killing the students. He knew they were no longer studenst. Some weren't
even human anymore. He did two floors before he ran out of ammo. The other students didn't attack him.
They just smiled at him as he killed them. Bill knew he only had a small amount of time before the siren
would ring so he ran for the bottom floor to get Mark and his car keys. He made it to the 1st floor before it
rang.
Just as it did, every door in the school burst open. Kids poured out of the remaining classrooms and headed
for Bill. Back in Bills office Mark started crying as the walls began moaning in some inhuman tongue.
Bill wasn't very fit and made it to the staircase just as the wave of students reached the first floor.
He jumped the stairs and landed on his knee. He heard it shatter. He cried out in pain. His plan was to reach
his office but the door was gone.
He could hear the kids running to get him.
There was one more door. It looked old and rusty,and was made out of metal. He limped to it and fell inside
just as the kids reached him.
The first ones grabbed his legs. Bill went to his pocket and got his last shell and loaded his gun. They started
to drag him out so he fired at them. They released their grip and Bill slammed the door shut.
It was pitch black. He reached out for a lightswitch but found none. He knew there was none though.
He was in an alternate school.
Two oil lamps burst into flames, lighting the room.
Before him were two turnstiles. They looked like they would rotate to obstruct anybody getting in
but they were open. Bill walked through them and into the next room. As he did he accidently bumped
a button and the two turnstiles started rotating. Eventually they came to stop. They blocked the way out.
Bill walked into the next room. There was a fire in the middle. Pictures of religious symbols surrounded the
room. Chains that looked rusted with blood instead of age hung from above. There was a voice and Bill
was knocked to the ground.
"Well, well, well. Bill, you found my secret place. But no worry. He is coming. And nobody can stop him!"
Jerry screamed as two large hands reached out and wrapped around his throat. Before the life was strangled
out of him he saw the tattoos of skulls that were on each hand.
The teachers were getting worried. They had heard gunshots a few minutes ago. But now, silence.
The principal had gone to investigate. They were all happy when he returned safely but with bad news.
"Bill went mad and shot the students. He is coming for us now. Quick, into the secret staircase!"
The teachers all ran down into the darkness. The principal did not. He waited for a while until the
screams started. He began to laugh as the teachers were savagely killed by the creature that lived
below the school. He had summoned it to aid the master. No-one could stop him now.
The master would reward him for this massacre.
He calmly walked out the door and headed for the town.
He had to gather the rest.
It was time.
Back in Bills office Mark had fallen asleep. The room returned to normal but he kept on sleeping. None of
the students knew he was there, hiding from them.
Back in the supermarket Jerry awoke. "The school!" he said as he got up. He quickly made himself something
to eat from the canned good section, as it was the only section that hadn't started rotting yet.
He took a knife and walked to the window. He checked to make sure the coast was clear, then walked out of
the supermarket and headed for the school.
Jerry screamed and woke up. He was lying in the mud, next to a wrecked jeep.
He noticed that a heavy fog had set in. His head was bleeding, and his hair was matted
with dried blood. As he stood up he could see shapes moving all around him.
Moving towards him.
Twisted, inhuman shapes.
Jerry tried to make them out in the dense fog but all he could tell was that they were
moving. Jerry didn't want to stay and find out if they were friendly so he dashed across
the road. Suddenly, a small figure came into view, and Jerry stopped running.
It was about the size of a ten year old. Its skin was a sickly combination of green and grey.
It was vaugely humanoid from the neck down, but it was what was above that that shocked
Jerry.
It had no head. In its place was a huge mouth. The creature seemed to know where Jerry was
and ran at him. Jerry snapped out of his trance and ran. He didn't know where, he just ran.
Eventually he came to a supermarket, just as the creature pounced on him.
It grabbed Jerrys hair and pulled him down. Jerry kicked it but it had a firm grip on his hair.
More were closing in. The one on Jerry smelt like burnt meat. As the 3 other creatures
closed in on him Jerry stood up and ran for the door, with the things still on his back. The
one on his back was slowing him down, and he couldn't let them in the store so he turned
to face them. When they were just about touching him Jerry dove at the crowd of creatures.
The one on his back let go and the others went sprawling. Jerry ran inside the supermarket
and grabbed the arcade machine by the door. He pulled it to the door and tipped it over.
He then started blocking up all the windows by pushing the aisles he could move
against them. There was a back door so he locked that as well. When he had finaly secured
himself in the supermarket he walked to the front of the room. He was too tired to do anything
else so he collapsed in a heap, listning to the sounds of the monsters outside trying to get in.
When Jerry opened his eyes he was in a garden. Kids were playing around him. He picked up
a watering can and started watering rows of flowers. A small girl came up to him and handed him
a picture.
"This is for you Mr Roberts. It's the Sewer Man."
It was a picture of a large green monster ripping a small boy in half. The detail was excellent, and
Jerry could actually see the expression of pain on the boys face. The picture, drawn by a little girl,
was the single most frightning thing Jerry had ever seen.
The little girl giggled and ran off. All around him the children were laughing. A few pointed at him.
Jerry saw one pick up a small axe that looked like it was used for chopping wood.
The kids walked closer to Jerry. One girl laughed and pushed over a little boy. Jerry heard his head
crack on the concrete. The sound made Jerry sick. But still they advanced. One boy was pulling out
his own hair, and another was shoving handfulls of grass into his mouth. Jerry ran through them and
through the first door he came to.
He was in a school.
All around him kids were talking, laughing and smiling.
But as Jerry looked closer he could see changes taking place.
Somewhere in the background, a siren could be heard.
The walls started to bleed green slime. The floor moved under him and turned into what appeared
to be a metal walkway. But still the kids kept on talking.
There were three taller students to his right. One was smiling. Another was talking. The third was
laughing as blood poured out of his nose. Soon the whole corridor was the same. One kid grabbed
a small boy and started choking him. Jerry ran to stop him but was hit in the back of the head.
He looked up and saw four large students in football gear with various sporting equipment.
One had a baseball bat and was hitting other students with it. Another boy held a javelin.
Jerry tried to stand up but was kicked down again. He crawled across the floor while the students
laughed and kicked at him. Jerry finally made it to a room labeled "Teachers Lounge."
He pushed it open. The students stopped and watched him as he crawled inside.
"I told you this would happen!" shouted Jerry. "But who listened to me?"
"We couldn't just evacuate the school Bill. You are the janitor. I am the principal. I made the call."
Jerry walked to a mirror and looked in it. He saw an elderly man looking back at him. He must be inside
Bill, the schools janitor.
"Well now we have to get out. The kids will kill us all."
"NO!" screamed a hysterical woman. "They will get us!"
"July! Shut up and calm down! We need to think. Now, they only do this when that siren is rung.
So we just wait it out in here until it rings again."
"What if they break down the door?" asked a man who looked to Jerry like a physical education
teacher.
"They won't. We ae safe here. But, just in case...."
The principal looked around then went into his pocket with his large hands that had distinctive tattoos
of skulls on them.
He pulled out three cards. He placed them in places on a painting that hung on the wall.
There was a grinding sound and the wall opened to reveal a dark staircase leading down.
"That's it. I am not hiding. I am getting out of town!" yelled Bill. He ran to the window and opened it.
He climbed out and walked along the ledge until he came to a window. He looked in.
It was a classroom. The chairs were overturned. The tables were tipped over.
And in the middle was a small fire.
The room was full of students. Some where talking. Others staring at the fire. They had undergone
transformations.
A few had lost limbs. Some childrens skins were taking on a softish, greyish jelly-like appearence.
One kid had no head, and was propped up against the teachers desk. Inside a very fat kid grabbed
a stick and set it on fire. He raised it to the sky and plunged it into the eye of another boy that lay
at his feet. Bill almost lost his footing. There was a loud crash from another room and the siren went.
Bill quickly opened the classroom window and got inside. He ran out and down the corridor. He ran down
the flights of stairs until he came to a closet. He opened it a pulled out a shotgun.
Mark emerged from his hiding place. He had seen Bill the janitor running. Mark had seen the other kids.
They were changing. He was not, which he thought was lucky as he had seen the kids kill other students
when they changed. Bill was his next door neighbour.
He ran downstairs and yelled out to him.
"Bill! What the hell is going on ......" He stopped when he saw the gun.
"Mark. You haven't changed into one of them yet. I am going to kill them Mark. I advise you to
hide. I am your friend Mark. I have known you since you were a baby. I have to do this."
Bill opened his janitors office and let Mark in. Mark didn't want to turn into one of them so he went inside.
Mark locked the door from the inside and barred the door.
He then curled up in Bills bed and listened.
Bill went from class to class, killing the students. He knew they were no longer studenst. Some weren't
even human anymore. He did two floors before he ran out of ammo. The other students didn't attack him.
They just smiled at him as he killed them. Bill knew he only had a small amount of time before the siren
would ring so he ran for the bottom floor to get Mark and his car keys. He made it to the 1st floor before it
rang.
Just as it did, every door in the school burst open. Kids poured out of the remaining classrooms and headed
for Bill. Back in Bills office Mark started crying as the walls began moaning in some inhuman tongue.
Bill wasn't very fit and made it to the staircase just as the wave of students reached the first floor.
He jumped the stairs and landed on his knee. He heard it shatter. He cried out in pain. His plan was to reach
his office but the door was gone.
He could hear the kids running to get him.
There was one more door. It looked old and rusty,and was made out of metal. He limped to it and fell inside
just as the kids reached him.
The first ones grabbed his legs. Bill went to his pocket and got his last shell and loaded his gun. They started
to drag him out so he fired at them. They released their grip and Bill slammed the door shut.
It was pitch black. He reached out for a lightswitch but found none. He knew there was none though.
He was in an alternate school.
Two oil lamps burst into flames, lighting the room.
Before him were two turnstiles. They looked like they would rotate to obstruct anybody getting in
but they were open. Bill walked through them and into the next room. As he did he accidently bumped
a button and the two turnstiles started rotating. Eventually they came to stop. They blocked the way out.
Bill walked into the next room. There was a fire in the middle. Pictures of religious symbols surrounded the
room. Chains that looked rusted with blood instead of age hung from above. There was a voice and Bill
was knocked to the ground.
"Well, well, well. Bill, you found my secret place. But no worry. He is coming. And nobody can stop him!"
Jerry screamed as two large hands reached out and wrapped around his throat. Before the life was strangled
out of him he saw the tattoos of skulls that were on each hand.
The teachers were getting worried. They had heard gunshots a few minutes ago. But now, silence.
The principal had gone to investigate. They were all happy when he returned safely but with bad news.
"Bill went mad and shot the students. He is coming for us now. Quick, into the secret staircase!"
The teachers all ran down into the darkness. The principal did not. He waited for a while until the
screams started. He began to laugh as the teachers were savagely killed by the creature that lived
below the school. He had summoned it to aid the master. No-one could stop him now.
The master would reward him for this massacre.
He calmly walked out the door and headed for the town.
He had to gather the rest.
It was time.
Back in Bills office Mark had fallen asleep. The room returned to normal but he kept on sleeping. None of
the students knew he was there, hiding from them.
Back in the supermarket Jerry awoke. "The school!" he said as he got up. He quickly made himself something
to eat from the canned good section, as it was the only section that hadn't started rotting yet.
He took a knife and walked to the window. He checked to make sure the coast was clear, then walked out of
the supermarket and headed for the school.