Carlos Oliveira
After finishing his third smoke he heard it. A loud crash followed by some muffled noises.
"Another victim of this madness." he thought
Quietly he continued towards the Amp theater. Walking on the balls of his feet not making a sound when suddenly a woman came running around the corner straight for him. He raised the 9 but lowered it again when he noticed it was Lina,....his ex.
"Oh my God Nath help!!" she screamed as she fell into his arms.
"Lina are you O.K.?" Nathan asked.
"Nath w-whats going on h-here? Please don't l-leave me." she stammered.
Your the one who left me. he thought bitterly.
"Your O.K. now Li. Everything is gonna be O.K. shhhhh." Nathan cooed, trying to bring her under control. Lina was a grade-A bitch but had whipped him good enough to cheat on him and not even cry when she got caught. She acted like it was no big deal but to Nath it had been. It was his first relationship in a new school and he had fallen for her big time, but now,......now he wasn't sure what to do. It felt good having her holding him again but at the same time wrong.
"Lina we have to get outta here." stated Nath
"Where!?! Their everywhere Nath." she sobbed
"I know but we have to go. There may still be people in here and I think w...." he started.
"Fuck them!! I wanna go home Nath,..Take me home." again she clung to him and cried.
Again he was reminded of his father when he thought about leaving. His father would never leave anyone behind and neither would he.
"No. I have to see if anyone else is around." he stated
"W-what? Fuck you Nath! I'm leaving,...you can stay here and die for all I care. Go! Save your little loser friends!" she spat as she tore away and down the hall.
Those words stung him again. Those were the words she had used when justifying her cheating on him. "Well that's what you get for talking to losers Nath. Next time you'll pay more attention to me won't you?"that's what she had said and now those words cut him again.
"Their not losers,....their people just like us." he said quietly to himself.
"Aaaaaarrrrrhhhhh!!!!!!!" came a piercing scream from where Lina had gone.
Nath took off at full speed and slid around the corner using the wall to stop himself. In front of him lay the remains of what he could only assume had been Lina. Her body was ripped and torn open. Blood covered the floor. Nathan never had a weak stomach, but this time it was close to coming up.
"God,...no." he whispered and was answered by a low hissing sound from above.
He slowly looked up and saw her murderer. At first it seemed human but after realizing he was staring at the ceiling he knew it wasn't. It was horrifying. Nathan stepped back as it dropped to the floor in front of him.
"What the hell are you?" he asked
"Screeech!!" was all the answer he needed.
Taking aim and backing up Nath fired 2 rounds into the things body, neither stopping it or slowing it. He turned and ran hearing it right behind him.
"Not gonna make it,..gonna die." he thought as he ran straight for the Amp theater doors. A plan formed in his head as he felt it bearing down on him. Nathan ran straight to the door placing his feet on it and kicking off to the left rolling to his back firing 4 quick shots into the things body, 2 piercing it's chest and the other 2 smacking wetly into it's head blowing it clear away and into the wall with a wet smack. Breathing heavy Nath stayed there and caught his breath. After what seemed like an eternity of waiting he stood and walked over to the creature. "Mother fucker!" he cursed bitterly and fired another round into it's cranium. He walked to the Amp theater door and pushed it open.......empty. He walked to the stand in the front and took out his clips and placed the extra round in his pocket with the other and slapped in a fresh clip. Counting them seemed to calm him,..."2 full clips, one in the 9, and 2 extra rounds, 26 rounds total and a partridge in a pear tree." he laughed to himself. Staring around he realized that only three weeks ago he had accepted being voted student body President right in this very spot. He stood there dressed to the "nines" as he liked to say, and spoke with calm authority to everyone there and told them he was honored and that the only thing keeping him from being the best President this school ever had was,.....The fact that he was going to Win! The state championship for Warren High and nothing was gonna stop that. With those words the school had erupted into a full blown chant of "Nathan Law, Nathan Law" He didn't dislike the attention but he believed that no one man or woman should be so revered but their school was hardcore into Wrestling and having Canada's #1 wrestling for their high school was the best thing to happen for them and they weren't afraid to show it.
Nathan lit a smoke and holstered the 9 taking a large drag and started blowing smoke rings. It was a relaxing little distraction, one that he welcomed. After seeing Lina's body desecrated like that he needed it. He felt a pang of sorrow for her but he didn't let his resolve falter. He was going to make it out, and take whoever he could find with him. He'd finish his smoke and go searching for more survivors. Where there was one there where surely more.
City of the Dead
"Calm down, calm down" Paul yelled to the bat-wielding girl.
She relented and lowered her weapon.
"See, that's more like it, now, what's your name?" Paul asked gently.
"Samantha, Samantha Winsor, Sam for short, who are you guys?" She asked.
"Well, that long haired weakling is Jarred, that skater guy is John, that skanky girl over there is Vanessa" Paul said sarcastically.
"Shut up Paul" Vanessa yelled.
"And this handsome devil you see before you is Paul" He said with confidence.
Sam stood speechless, she didn't know what to say, she was so relieved to see other survivors, and even Paul's lighthearted humor had put her a little more at ease. For a while, there was a moment of silence, no one said anything until...
"What were you doing in the ceiling?" John casually asked.
"What do you think I was doing? I've been running and hiding from these....zombies" Sam said with a smidgen of irritation.
"Well, we should get going, we still need to find a safe way out of here, and that thing we saw in the hall is probably still lurking around" Jarred said.
"What thing?" Vanessa asked.
"Yeah, what thing?" Sam added.
As if on cue, the slamming of a door reverberated throughout the hall. In a horrifying twist of irony, the monster from the security monitors entered the hallway.
"Holy shit" Jarred said, gripping his shotgun for dear life.
The monster slowly walked towards them, shaking the ground with each colossal step.
"RUN!!!" Jarred yelled
Everyone turned and ran down the hall as fast as their legs could carry them. The trembling footsteps behind them started speeding up. The leather clad demon was running down the hall towards them.
"OH FUCK!!!!!" Paul screamed.
They had made it to the end of the hall, the only method of escape was the elevator, but with the time it took for the doors to open, them all to board and be on their way down, the monster would be well upon them. Jarred and Paul both looked at each other as if their thoughts were synchronized. They knew what had to be done.
"Hey guys, get on the elevator, we'll hold it off" Paul screamed at Sam, Vanessa, and John.
"No, are you crazy, that's suicide" Vanessa said with surprise.
"Don't worry, it will be okay, head to the Amp theater, we'll meet you there, go NOW!!!!" Jarred yelled.
"Here!!" Paul said throwing her a handgun "We'll catch up with you later"
She didn't know what to say, they were putting their lives in jeopardy for her and the others, she wished them luck, and ran into the elevator with John and Sam. As the doors closed on Paul and Jarred, she knew that she might never see them again, and a tear rolled down her cheek.
"Fire!!" Jarred said taking aim at the beast's abdomen.
Deafening blasts roared as Jarred and Paul opened fire on the hideous creature. Through the monitors they only caught a glimpse of it, but up close, they could make out every terrifying detail. A huge stitched gash went across from where its right eye was supposed to be. And the purple tentacles that wrapped around its broad shoulders, were slightly pulsating. It was truly one of the strangest things Jarred or Paul had ever seen.
The shots hit the monster in the upper body, only managing to knock it back a few steps. It opened its mouth, let out a low growl, and in a split second, charged after Paul.
"GET DOWN!!!" Jarred yelled.
Paul's face turned to complete terror as the monster reared its mighty fist, Paul and Jarred both ran behind the beast as it's fist shattered the floor where they were standing.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS THING???!!!!!" Paul yelled taking aim once more.
They began another assault, hitting it in the back as it dug its fist from the gaping hole it had just made in the floor. The buckshot tore through the monster's leather coat, A violet fluid oozed from the wounds.
Jarred began reloading the shotgun when it came for them again, it had caught Jarred off-guard and landed a direct punch to his gut, sending him to the floor.
"COME ON, BRING IT" Paul yelled jumping in front of his injured friend, unloading blast after blast into the creature's disfigured upper body, and then something happened. The monster bellowed in pain and fell to the floor, a pool of purple blood spreading around it's body. They had won.
"HA, THAT'S WHAT YOU GET, THAT WILL SHOW YOU NOT TO MESS WITH US" Paul yelled, adrenaline still pumping through his veins.
Jarred slowly raised up from the floor, trying to regain his breath. His eyes watered and his stomach burned, but all together he didn't think he was too badly damaged. Paul kneeled down by him.
"Hey man, are you okay, that thing sure did mess you up?" Paul asked.
"I'll be okay..." Jarred panted, still reeling from the blow. "Damn...Felt like a fuckin'...truck hit me or something"
Paul got up and walked over to the corpse of the monster, inspecting it closely. It was lying on its stomach, bullet holes lining its gargantuan hulk. Paul saw something that got his attention, he looked closer and saw that their was a small logo on the monster's jacket.
"Blair?" He read. "I wonder if that means Blair pharmaceuticals" He thought to himself. "But why would a creature like this have a Blair logo on it?" A new question arose, did Blair have something to do with this whole mess?
Jarred stumbled over to Paul who was still looking at the fallen monster.
"This thing doesn't look like it's an accident, it must have been sent here, look" Paul said pointing out the insignia.
"What the hell?" Jarred asked. "Do you think Blair is somehow connected with this whole thing?"
"I haven't a clue, but lets find the others, let them know that this...soldier thing is dead" Paul said.
Paul stepped over the dead beast and pushed the button for the elevator, Jarred was holding his side, obviously in pain, but generally okay. In a couple of seconds the doors opened. Paul went to step in, when to his complete surprise, the monster they thought dead, was beginning to get up from the floor.
"Oh my god, it's unstoppable" Paul thought to himself.
Jarred painfully ran past the recovering monster and got in the elevator. Paul began pushing the button for the first floor rapidly.
"Come on, come on, oh dear god, close" He said out loud.
The doors finally closed.
BAMMM!!!
The elevator shook as a massive dent deformed the thick metal doors, and then the elevator went down. Unless the monster could operate elevators as well (which wouldn't be too surprising), they were fairly safe.
"Hey Paul, why do you think that thing is here, I mean, if it was sent by Blair, what is it's purpose?" Jarred asked still holding his side.
"I don't know, there are a lot of questions that have to be answered, but I don't really want to be the one who answers them, lets just head to the Amp theater, get the others and leave this nightmare"
Jarred was seriously starting to fear for his life, zombies he could handle, but eight foot, monster soldiers of destruction were a little out of his league, they may have been lucky this time, but luck never lasts, and with a situation like this, it doesn't last long...
Shadow
*Vanessa, Sam and John stood by the elevator door on the first floor*
Vanessa: Where are they, they're taking too long.
John: Something must've happened, I've gotta help them.
*John took out his shotgun*
John: I'll be back, here take this just incase.
*he threw Sam a handgun and some ammo.*
Sam: Nice...he takes the shotgun and leaves us with this thing.
Just as john went to press the button, a "Ding" was heard. The doors opened, Jarred and Paul stood inside...Jarred was injured.
John: You're back!? What took you?
Vanessa: Huh? Jarred you're hurt, what happened, are you alright?!
Jarred: Yeah, it's nothing...I'm fine. But...that thing...its...
Paul: *interrupting Jarred*It's unbelievable. We're lucky to be alive.
Paul and Jarred explained what had happened and what they discovered.
John: So, Blair is behind all of this?
Paul: Maybe, we can't say for sure...but they very well could be.
Vanessa: Well, if it's still alive, why are we standing around here for?
John: Yeah, she's right...it could be right behind that door for all we know.
They all looked at the elevator door, and then at each other. They all moved further down the hall and continued the conversation.
Sam: So...where to know?
Jarred: We should head to the Amp theater, there should be survivors there.
Vanessa: Right, good idea, lets go then.
John: Where was it again...?
Paul: Its on the 2nd floor, isn't it?
John: Thought so...
Sam: Isn't there any other way up?
Jarred: The stairs are probably boarded up.
John thought about Brian...he would already be dead if it wasn't for him, and he just let him die. He ran like a baby, and let those monsters tear him apart. He thought about Brian being another faceless corpse in the hallway.
John: Yeah...they're locked...believe me.
Paul: Well, then this is the only way.
Jarred: *looking at his injury*Well, lets go...we'll be in more danger if we just stand around.
Paul pushed the button again...he stepped into the elevator, the same one he just came out of to escape his death. Jarred stepped into the elevator followed by Vanessa.
Something popped into Johns mind. The cafeteria...his friends, they were still waiting for Brian and him to come back with weapons.
Vanessa: C'mon, hurry up, what're you doing?
John thought about it...did he really care? Did he really care if his friends got out of this? All that mattered to him was getting himself out alive. Why did he have to move here? If only his dad didn't die, none of this would never have happened. But wait...this wasn't him. This ordeal was beginning to change John. Usually the kindhearted person who would do anything for his friends...changed into this shadow of his old self. He didn't care about anything but himself, and didn't really care if he was the only one to make out alive.
John: No...I have to go back, I cant just leave them.
They all looked at john puzzled.
Sam: What the hell are you talking about?
John: My friends, they're still waiting for me in the cafeteria...they're think I'm coming back. And they have no idea about this new threat...this...beast. You guys go ahead. I'll go back to the cafeteria and look for survivors, you guys to the Amp theater.
Sam: You can't be serious...
Vanessa: You can't go alone...are you nuts?
John: No, I'm dead serious...I cant let what happened to Brian happen to anyone else, I just cant.
Paul: But getting your self killed wont do any good either.
John: Whatever...I'm going, I'll see you later...I hope.
John grabbed his shotgun with both hands and ran down the hall.
Jarred: Argh...we can't let him go alone, Sam go after him.
Sam: No way, you go...not like I care.
Paul shut the doors to the elevator.
Sam: Hey, what the fuck are you doing!?
Sam seriously started to doubt ever helping Jarred and the others out.
Sam: I cant believe this...how did I get into this?
She noticed she still had the handgun. She clipped it to her side and clutched the 4 clips she had in her hand. That 5 clips counting the one already loaded. She ran down the hall the way John went.
John walked down the hall...dead bodies filled the halls. It was like a test track, he weaved in and out of the trails made by dead bodies.
John: I cant believe this...((man this stinks...literally))
John heard footsteps from behind him down the hall. He turned around and cocked his shotgun ready to blast whatever crept around the corner to hell. He saw a figure turn the corner and pressed the trigger slightly, not enough to make it fire.
John: Huh? Sam?!
He lifted his finger off the trigger and let out a sigh. He had almost blasted Sam in half...why is she here?
John: Jesus, Sam I almost killed you, what the heck are you doing here?! I told you and the other to go.
Sam: Believe me I didn't want to come, they forced me...this is the only way to go. Don't get any funny ideas, not like I care what happens to your friends.
John almost got angry, but then he realized the situation they were in. I mean he wasn't entirely sure he was doing the right thing himself.
John: Uh...yeah, ok. Lets hurry to the cafeteria.
John walked ahead while Sam lurked around pretty far behind him. They wandered the transformed halls in search for the cafeteria.
John: I can't believe these are the same halls I walked through just weeks ago...
Sam: Amazing what a couple dead bodies will do, huh?
John: ...uh...yeah. I surprised we haven't run into anything yet.
Sam: Keep yelling and maybe you'll attract a whole mess of the undead.
John: ...*sigh*....
After walking in silence for a couple minutes they came to a sign...
______________________
| |
| CAFETERIA |
| |
| - - - - - - |
| - - - |
|_____________________|
Sam: Gee...you don't think the cafeteria is up ahead do you?
John: I'm not sure it just might be...
John didn't hear anything...what did that mean, was everyone already dead? Was it too late?
They ran around the corner into the cafeteria...a gruesome sight lay ahead of them...John fell to his knees.
There were dead corpses everywhere...some were even plastered against the walls and ceilings. The table where John and his friends sat...three people lay across the table, dead of course. One had a whole right through his chest. Another had to face. And the last one was nothing more than part of a torso and a foot. Another person was laying on the floor, staring up...only, its eyes were missing. And finally one last person was smashed into the wall with incredible force. The rest of the cafeteria held the same appearance...nobody was alive, nobody.
Sam: Gross...
Ignoring Sam's comment John got up and walked towards the cafeteria counter. Sam had her back against the wall across the room.
John: I cant believe...they're all dead...
"John..!?"
A muffled voice was heard from behind the counter. Sam lifted her back off the wall and john looked up trying to figure out where it was coming from.
"Is that you...?"
John: Who is it? Who's there?
"It is, its you."
A girl stumbled out from behind the counter.
John: H-heather..! Your alive?!
Heather: Everyone else is...gone. You and me are the only ones left! W-wheres Brian?
John: Ugh...
Heather: Him too...huh who's that?
John: That Sam, another survivor.
Heather: Oh thank god.
John: We found 3 other people too...we should get back to them.
Heather: I rather be anywhere than here...lets hurry out of here, I can't be here anymore.
They both walked towards Sam, who was getting impatient.
Sam: Can we go now?
John: Yeah, let's get out of here...
They all headed to the hallway back to the elevator.
John: Hey...what did this heather...?
Heather: It was some kind of...thing...it was wearing a leather trench coat type thing and it had to eye...it killed everyone so quick...
John: ((it was that guy...the same one...))How did you get away?
Heather: I was getting food at the vending machine when I heard a scream...I hid in the kitchen...I watched them all die John...
A clicking sound was heard from around the corner. Again John cocked his shotgun, while Sam pulled out her handgun. The clicking got faster and louder.
Heather: what is it?
They got ready...a figure came flying around the corner...it was a purplish monster dragging its giant claw on the floor leaving a gash in the floor.
BOOM! BOOM!
It was to fast, both Sam and john missed. The monster stopped...
BOOM! BOOM!
The monster dodge the bullets...again sweeping its claw along the floor.
John: I cant hit it...it's way to fast!
Heather: It's...getting close...!
It was very close now...it started to run in circles and slashed its claw violently.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Click...click...
John: Shoot...out of ammo...
While John was reloading, Sam kept firing.
She caught it a few times...but it did little to slow the creature down.
John: Ready.
The creature stood still, raised its claw...and headed straight for them. It went for Sam...then turned to John...back to...then to Heather...back to John again, and at last swiped at....Heather.
BOOM! BOOM!
Got it...finally...the creature fell in a screech of pain. It almost got back up...then fell back down.
John: Heather, are you alright?!
Heather: Y-yeah...its not that bad...
Sam: It didn't seem like it was trying to kill...strange...
John: Yeah...it wont do anymore killing now though...c'mon...
They again started to walk, shaken up by the ordeal. Heather stopped suddenly...
Heather: Something's wrong...I don't feel right...
John put his hand on her forehead...
John: Oh man...she's burning up...!
Sam: You don't think it had anything to with..
The whole hallway shook. A growl was heard...followed by footsteps...wasn't human. Each footstep came down with an earthquake like thud.
John: No...not now...
The had returned...it turned the corner. It looked at them...and started to sprint at them.
John: Run...!!!!
Sam: No kidding.
They all ran as fast as they could...but...
Heather: I cant keep going...something's...wrong...help....m...e...
Heather fainted...she fell atop a pile of bodies.
John: No...! Wait...keep going I'm going back!
Sam: Yeah right, you'll never make it, there's no way.((not that I care, in fact...yes go ahead, commit suicide.))
No...not again...the same thing...running...and leaving another fiend to die...he couldn't do it again. John stopped and fired blast after blast into the mammoth. It did little to slow it down. The beast quickly caught up to John...but, then stopped? It turned back to heather...it seemed to have noticed what John was trying to do...It turned and headed back. John kept firing. The beast swung its fist around, sending John sliding down the hall. Sam was already gone. John got up again. He shot again. The beast stumbled...and regained it balance.
John: No, get away from her!
It picked her up...and with a disturbing "squishy" sound it forced a tentacle straight through her face. It flung her around and smacked her against the wall. It turned to john again. John ran back to the elevator, the beast close behind. Sam was already there, waiting with the door open. John stumbled in...
John: Alright...that's enough...
John punched the 1F button.
Joker
As Ryan made his way down the endless halls of Warren High, the feeling he had of being watched... followed... stalked was closing in upon him like the shadows he no longer trusted. Maybe he was just being to paranoid. But he had clearly seen someone observing him and paranoia didn't often make one conjure up images. Particularly images that gave one a concussion.
Ryan's grip on his axe was becoming inversely proportional to his grip on reality and he knew it. "This stuff just doesn't happen", Ryan told himself. "Dead people just do not get up and start walking around, what the hell sort of illicit substances must I have been on to think so?"
But, no matter how much Ryan's natural defense mechanism of denial worked overtime, it still would not put his mind at rest. For one thing, the drugs he had taken didn't extend beyond aspirin. So far, he had seen more dead people than live ones. In fact, Ryan had not seen a confirmed living soul since he watched his classmates become eviscerated one by one. The cruel demons wearing people's clothing simply tore them apart with no remorse. Being isolated in such a situation tends to have an adverse effect on one's social skills, so Ryan just kept telling himself to keep his sanity. If he didn't, he'd certainly miss his chance to escape, decapitating his savior instead of greeting him... or her...
As Ryan rounded yet another corner, he could see, through the shadows, a faint twinkling of lights, beckoning him towards them.
"The exit!", Ryan almost shouted in a sudden rush of euphoria. "I'm out of here!"
The thought of attempting to search for survivors crossed Ryan's mind, but here he was. An exit. His salvation.
He wasn't much good to any survivors if he was dead. A fire axe isn't that much protection from these undead. To destroy them, one needs will. So far, Ryan had prevailed, but what would he do if he came across someone he really cared about? Would he be able to kill them?
His mind made up, Ryan jogged towards the exit when, all of a sudden, the twinkling disappeared, replaced with a large shadow. Ryan didn't merely distrust this shadow. He feared it.
About facing on the run, Ryan headed back into the school, being pursued by an unusual creature. Whatever it was, it was fast, effortlessly making its way in front of Ryan.
As Ryan stopped to face this creature, he tried to figure out just what the hell it was. It was a strange green biped with reptilian eyes, eyes with homicidal intent emanating with every blink. Long claws protruded from its upper appendages, clearly demonstrating its capability to perform the acts the eyes conveyed. It also had no discernable neck, making it far more difficult to decapitate, Ryan decided.
"All in all, one ugly mother fucker", Ryan said under his breath as his grip on the axe tightened even more.
Bringing his axe to a high arch, Ryan slammed the sharp blade down on the creature's head. The hunter's thick skull made the axe nearly rebound to its original position.
As the axe returned to its high arch, the hunter swung a large claw at Ryan's abdomen. Ryan could feel the very thin layer of air between him and the hunter's claw being disrupted, but the axe had a decent range over the claws of this murderous beast.
That sensation was soon ended when his head was one of the first things to return to terra firma . He could hear the hunter fast approaching and now he was completely defenseless. The shadows which had been so innocuous were now closing in on Ryan, forcing his mind into recession.
Ryan had just noticed the noise made by the hunter had stopped, almost as if it was either gone or dead. Ryan hoped and prayed that it was. It didn't matter which one, as long as he had a glimmer of hope to hold onto...
Ryan could feel a wet sensation on the side of his head. As the sensation became more pronounced, he could see why. Blood was very gradually seeping onto the floor... his blood.
It was there Ryan made two vows before he lost consciousness. One, if he woke up again (without the craving for flesh), he would look for other survivors. If he was saved, he felt that he owed it to the rest of the living to help them escape. They may not have necessarily been his friends, they were all dead now. But a life-or-death situation usually does wonders for people's tolerance of others.
Two, if he made it through this ordeal alive, he'd deck the janitor who saw fit to leave him this vulnerable by leaving the floor wet...