Chapter 6: A Lesson in Survival

September 23rd 8:00 am

Nothing worthy of recognition happened during the time I took to walk from the burned apartment building to my school. Normally, it would've taken about 30 minutes, but I stopped to eat and search a building for weapons. Needless to say, no weapons were found, though I did hear something inside that building. I only ate a small piece of bread to hold my appetite until I reached the school though, and 3 zombies were all I had to worry about during my trek. Once I reached school, I found lights on at the hallways.

This meant that there were people, or at least a person, still at the school. I found the door locked, so I grabbed my bat and started to crack the door. Then I just needed a kick to the door to knock it down. Then, I heard heavy breathing from around a corner. I didn't know what it was, though it seemed human. I still did not know, and I got out my shotgun, speaking to the unknown voice.

Who's there? If you're a regular person, come out. I'm not going to hurt you, I'm not one of them.

Then, a boy, about 12 years old, peered from around the corner. I recognized him instantly, it was a friend of mine from a class, Jacob was his name. He stepped from the corner, revealing that he was wearing a typical school uniform when he came to school, only to be cut off from the rest of the city by the zombies. He sighed, then saw my shotgun and smiled. He walked up to me.

''Marcello, how did you get a gun, and how did you get here?''

''Took it off of a dead S.T.A.R.S. member, he got killed by a monster, Nemesis is its name. I was tryign to find refuge somewhere. Anyway, do you have anything to protect against the zombies?''

''No, I don't. Im more worried about my mom. I hope she makes it through this. I just don't know what's going on here, Marcello. We cant go out there, too many of those things, and we cant stay here.''

''Yes we can, Jacob. We cant stay for days, but one day at least. We have enough refrigerated school food, and it will take a long time for the zombies to break through the doors without this bat of mine.''

''Marcello… you just broke a hole for them to come into.''

''Well…Can you shoot a gun?''

''No! I don't even know how you were able to make it to here without getting killed!''

I sighed. I knew he couldn't guard the door then, he would just get himself in danger.

''Ok then, Jacob. I guess we're stuck together here until we are both ready to leave.''

''Marcello, do you have any idea what is happening?If you do, I want to hear all of it.''

It was a long story. I told him we could discuss it over lunch later, since I'm starving, and he is probably hungry as well.

''But first, we need to block the doors. Help me push the chairs and desks in front of the doors.''

It took half an hour to block all the doors in the school, and we then both went to the lunchroom. We took some uncooked chicken and cooked it. Of course, we didn't know how to cook well, but still well enough for us to be able to eat it. We sat down at a random table, and I brought us milk. We began eating, and after a minute, he spoke after so much silence.

''So how exactly did you get here, and what are we going to do? Have you planned how you plan to escape this godforsaken city?

''Yes. My father works at Umbrella's research facility. He told me that we might be able to reach the facility at the far end of the city, then take the tunnels below to the Arklay Mountains. There, we can find some way to escape. Oh yes, how I got here. It was not easy, I assure you, and I was nearly killed. Zombies stormed my house, but my father and me managed to escape. Crawling out of one hole and into another, we went to the roof of a building to scout the area. There, I took out 2 of the monstrosities. Another one, Nemesis, killed my father.''

''I'm sorry to hear that. Your dad works at Umbrella, he must know something about what is going on.''

''I knew a bit of it, before he told me. I found a paper in his office, and found that Umbrella was creating creatures in the Arklay mountain facilities, as well as the underground research facilities in the city. The day of the outbreak, I forced him into telling me the truth. They were trying to find a cure for the Ebola Virus in Africa, but the leader of the operation, decided to experiment with a modified version of Ebola. The T-virus. Antarctican and European facilities all helped in the modification and experimentation of the virus. They captured living people and turned them slowly into monsters.

Eventually, the G-virus was created. The creator was assassinated by other members of Umbrella, and he injected himself with part of the G-virus. He went to the sewers behind the umbrella building and killed the assassins, shattering the T-virus and causing it to get into part of the water supply of the city. Within hours, the city was in chaos. The infected began to infect the uninfected, until the city was in ruins.''

''I guess its good that we aren't infected then, right?''

''Indeed. So, are you going to come with me to the facility or try to find a way out by yourself?''

''I'm coming with you. You have a gun, and seem to have a natural skill in surviving-''

Before he finished, banging was heard on the front door. We looked at each other, then to the door. The banging repeated for a few seconds, then 1 of the glass windows shattered. I grabbed my shotgun, and walked toward the door. Then I looked back to Jacob.

''Stay here, you don't have any guns. Shout to me if you need help.''

I ran to the door, then as a stepped out into the hallway, I heard a flying object behind me. I looked behind, and it was my bat, which I managed to grab before it fell, which I forgot to get. I grinned, then walked out into the school hallways. Lights were on still, and 2 sets of footsteps could be heard. They were far, and I sneakily moved through the halls to try and surprise them. Moving into the hallway just a corner away from the footsteps, I positioned myself behind the corner and held my shotgun. Then, I ran around the corner, ready to blast the creatures away.

To my surprise though, there was nothing there. It was at that point that I noticed a sound above me. I looked up, and there was nothing. Then, I saw the wall right above me blur, and I aimed my shotgun up. Then, the blur ended. In its place was one of the 5 creatures I saw on my father's sheets- a drain deimos. As I fired, I heard a thud behind me as the other deimos fell from the ceiling and jumped on me. I dodged it, but my shotgun was knocked out of my hands. The drain deimos above me fell, and I found myself flanked. Making a split-second decision, I grabbed my bat from my belt and ran to the opposite end of the room.

They followed, and as one attempted to lunge at me, I struck it to the ground. Then, I failed to notice the door behind me, and it slammed open. I fell down to the ground as a third deimos came from behind me. I fell to the ground, as the knocked down deimos got up again. I knew that this was the end. One of them ran up to me and as I was about to get up, bit me in the shoulder. I yelled in pain, and the deimos began sucking my blood, numbing my arm. And then suddenly, I heard footsteps behind the deimos'. I looked, and it was Jacob. He took the shotgun and shot the deimos, knocking it back away from me a few feet.

I got up quickly, then took the bat and slammed one of the other drain deimos' in the face. I jumped out of the way and Jacob fired another shot into a drain deimos. I saw that all 3 were knocked out, though not killed. I ran towards him, and we ran back to the lunchroom, pushing tables in front of the door. I stumbled over to the table, clutching at my wound and rubbing my numb right arm. I sat down at the table, looking at Jacob.

''Thanks. When we grab some food and get out of this place, I'm traveling with you, you're good with a gun.''

''I agree with you. Still, I think you need something better than a bat to take out these things.''

''That's why we're stopping at the Wal-Mart, Jacob. There are weapons, food items, and other needs in there. First of all, we need to go to the clinic to get something to heal this wound.''

''Wait, didn't you say that whoever gets bitten by one of the infected creatures… becomes infected?''

My eyes widened as I realized that. I've been infected with the t-virus, and there is probably no cure yet invented. In a matter of hours, or a day with luck, I will become one of the many zombies that have plagued the city. Then I thought, maybe I might become something else. I didn't care much, since either way, I would be turned into one of the monstrosities. Then I remembered the papers I read about the drain deimos, I remembered its most peculiar feature. I remembered: ''The Drain Deimos is unable to pass the T-virus to its victims, since jaws are unable to inject viruses into people. It only sucks blood from it. I sighed, knowing I wasn't going to turn into one of those creatures, and turned to Jacob.

''I did say that. Except this creature cant inject the T-virus into its victims. I know, I read some papers on it.''

Proceeding with a bat in my hand and the shotgun in Andrea's, we moved towards the office and entered the clinic. We didn't meet any more creatures until later, and after going to the clinic, I took a bandage with alcohol and applied it to my wound. It stung a bit, but not too much. After my wound being healed and the bleeding stopped by a bandage, I left the school with Andrea, heading towards the Wal-Mart still a bit far off. Normally in school, I learn lessons in academics. But today, I learned a lesson in survival.