This was not how I wanted my day to go. When I woke up this morning, I was expecting yet another day of school. Boring, simplistic, and normal. But no, that wasn't what was to happen. Instead, I get to deal with fucking zombies. Great. I took a deep sigh and closed my eyes, sinking into the seat I had collapsed in moments ago. I had led a group of students to the teachers' lounge, but what now? The door was barricaded, which was good, and we weren't making any noise. The screams from the main building attracted most of the dead away from us. The silver lining, I guess.
I took a gulp to try to wet my dry mouth and finally raised my head and opened my eyes, observing the group. I was startled at the sight of Busujima-san sitting next to me. When did she get so close? I took a deep breath and stood up.
"...So they're all over the world, huh?" Takashi and the rest of the group were looking at the TV in the room.
"But how? When I was surfing the web this morning, it was business as usual…" Hirano's face was pale.
"I can't believe that it only took a few hours for the world to come to this." Miyamoto-san held a fist clenched to her chest as she took a step back in shock. She went to Hisashi and hugged his arm to her chest. "Don't you feel the same? But there must be someplace that's safe, right? And soon, things will be back to normal!"
"Keep dreaming."
"False." Saya and I spoke simultaneously, and Takashi glared at us.
"Do you have to be so blunt about it?"
"This is a pandemic. What am I supposed to say?" Saya glared right back, hands firmly placed on her hips.
"A pandemic?" Marikawa-sensei startled, and Saya nodded.
"It's when an epidemic of infectious disease spreads. So, the same disease that's infected people here is spreading throughout the world."
"Like influenza?"
"Exactly, and just like influenza, this isn't just going to disappear," I spoke up. "Think about it, the entire world is engulfed by a disease that works fast and spreads fast. Now, in normal situations, the disease would die off because of how fast it kills the host, it wouldn't have time to infect more."
"But that's not the case this time." Saya continued, shooting me an impressed look. "This time, the host comes back as a zombie and continues to infect. Because of that, this won't be dying off for a very long time. So this is less like influenza, and more like the Spanish Flu of 1918. Over 600 million people were infected by it, and 50 million people died from it. Think about recently when people were worried about that new type of influenza."
"Isn't this more like the Black Death of the 14th century?" Marikawa-sensei chimed in. Saya tilted her head down in thought.
"Europe's population went down by a third during that. They stopped because they killed so many that not enough people were able to spread." Saya said.
"And as Jason-san said earlier, that won't be the case this time. There won't be any reason for it to stop spreading." Saeko slid off the desk she was sitting on.
"But it's so hot outside! Maybe their flesh will start decomposing and they won't be able to move!"
"That would take too long, Marikawa-sensei. But none of that matters right now, we can debate how long this will last once we are in a more secure location. Besides, who says these will decompose anyway, according to our science the zombie virus shouldn't even be possible. Who knows what else this disease is defying." I spoke up once again, ending the debate. We were taking too long.
"So where do we suggest we go?" Saeko made direct eye contact with me, and I felt she was challenging me somehow. I shrugged it off.
"Personally, I want a place away from civilization, but I know you have families to worry about. So, I think we stick together and try to retrieve our respective families. Then we high-tail it out of the city. How does everyone else feel?"
"That sounds like a plan. My Mom was probably at work when this began and my Dad is out of the country. Mom works at the elementary over in Shintoko… god, things must be worse over there than they are here. Zombies are bad enough, but zombie children?" Takeshi shuddered. I grimaced. Yeah, that wouldn't be fun. I noticed the look on Saeko's face she shared the sentiment.
"Okay, everyone else, where are your families? Can we get to them?" I looked around. Saeko spoke up.
"My father is out of the country right now." I noticed she didn't mention her mother but didn't comment. Probably for the best that I didn't.
"My parents are out of the country too, over in the U.S." Kohta shrugged.
"My dad is a police officer, my mom is probably at home," Rei spoke up as well.
"My parents are likely already aware of the crisis and taking people in."
"That's right, your dad is like a retainer, isn't he? He also has the mansion." Takeshi looked toward Saya. She nodded, pinking slightly at the mention of her upper-class status.
"That's right, he is. As a Takagi, I have a duty to my family and those within our branch. Eventually, I'll need to go there, by myself if I have to." Saya spoke, her voice wavering only slighting when she mentioned going at it alone.
"I don't think that'll be necessary. The Takagi estate is likely fortified right?" She nodded. "Then it would be a good place to hold up as a temporary base. Unfortunately, once we arrive I doubt I'd be willing to stay."
"Why not?" Busujima-san asked, speaking up for the first time since she's been with us. I let out a small, mirthless chuckle.
"Takagi-san, correct me if I'm wrong, but your estate will likely become a refuge camp for survivors, right?" Saya frowned, before nodding slowly.
"My parents aren't the kind of people who'd turn away those in need, so I suppose you're right."
"Then it's for that exact reason I wouldn't want to stay. Too many people. The more people you have in a crisis situation like this, the more likely something is going to go wrong. It's also a hot spot for activity. That many sources of noise and body heat are likely to attract hundreds of Them." I shrugged. "If it was up to me, I'd likely take people in, distribute supplies to those who need them first, then set up small groups, ensuring those with fighting experience or combat experience are assigned two to every 3 at the very least. Then send them out in isolated groups, stealth missions essentially. Unfortunately, I'm aware that civilians are unlikely to be willing to abandon a fortified location once they've arrived, especially after whatever trauma they may have faced." The group was staring at me and I flushed slightly. Whoops.
"You thought of all of that already? Damn." Takashi said and I snorted, before glancing out the window. It was evening, and the sun setting.
"I don't know about you, but I'd rather not be in the school when night sets in. Any plans?" Shizuka-sensei's face lit up before she went over to a cabinet and pulled out some keys.
"These are the keys to the bus we use for field trips and field studies! It'll be able to take all of us!" She beamed and I felt a smile creep onto my face at her bouncy attitude.
"Sounds like a plan. The fastest way to the buses is through the front door. Is everyone ready?" Komura-san spoke up. Our faces determined, we all nodded, and I felt myself slip back into my combat mindset, throwing off flashes of hands, needles, and scalpels. Throwing off the feeling of ants crawling across my body and phantom withdrawal.
"Let's go."
"Make sure you avoid fights unless it's necessary," Saeko said, as we watched over the hoard of Them wandering through the parking lot.
"Remember, they're sensitive to sound, and they're strong enough to rip you to shreds, so don't get caught," Saya spoke up. I was mentally cataloging what we knew, and I suspected the reason They were so strong was that the virus was overriding the body's natural limits, which are to prevent muscle tear.
The five of us rushed through the building, taking down any of Them that we came across silently and efficiently. Suddenly, we heard a scream and saw another group of students cornered, one of which I recognized. Takuzo, who I 'rescued' from some bullies earlier in the year. They were picking on him for his Christain faith, which I couldn't understand. Plip plip. Two shots from Hirano took down two of Them, then Saeko jumped from the higher platform we were on and took down another two. Komuro took down one on the stairs and Rei-san took down the last one with her makeshift spear. The seven of us descended to the other group.
"Was anyone bitten yet?" Saeko asked, her calm voice soothing their nerves ever so slightly. One of the girls stuttered.
"What? N-no, none of us." Rei smiled.
"We're clear, you're going to be okay."
"We're getting out of here. Do any of you want to come with us?" Komuro-san asked and the group of 5 nodded their heads, looking shaken. I felt sympathy for their plight, before we all continued down the stairs, coming to the hallway that led out to the buses. It was jammed with Them, and we paused.
"Man, there are a bunch of them," Komuro mumbled, and I nodded in agreement.
"From what I can tell, the only thing they can react to is sound. They can't see us, so there's no point in hiding from them." Saya spoke up, with a hint of a haughty attitude backing up her words. Komuro rolled his eyes.
"Why don't you go down there and prove your theory?" He snarked, and Saya scoffed, although her eyes betrayed her hesitation at the thought.
"Even if we keep going through the school, once we get attacked we're going to get stuck," Busujima-san whispered.
"We have to go through the gate, we don't have any other choices," Rei spoke up, her voice hard.
"Someone needs to go and confirm Takagi's theory. Does anyone want to volunteer?" Silence. No one seemed very excited at the idea. Komura sighed.
"I'll go. I'll do it."
"No! You stay, I'll do it." Rei protested.
"I think I should go ahead first," Saeko volunteered. The three of them began arguing over who would go, and I rolled my eyes, grabbed the metal pole from one of the students we were walking with, shooting a stern look at his protest, and sheathing my bokken at my side through a belt loop. I walked calmly down the stairs, and into the hoard of Them. I took a sharp inhale, before roughly shoving one with the metal pole. No reaction. I smiled and continued to stroll through Them, before leaning back on one foot and hurling the metal pole in the opposite direction we were heading, it flying through the hair like a javelin before colliding with a locker on the other end of the wing of the school.
A loud clang echoed, and all of Them lurched in the direction of the sound. I deftly sidestepped any of them, occasionally nudging one away with my bokken if they got too close. After a minute, the hallway was clear, and I smirked, before turning back to the group. Takagi-san marched up to me and slapped me.
"What the hell were you thinking! If you missed, that would have alerted every one of Them to our location!" she whispered, shouted at me, and stifled a laugh, raising my hands in mock surrender.
"But I didn't miss, and now we have a clear shot outside." I looked over her head at the rest of the group. "Ready?" They all nodded, and we snuck outside and began to slowly slip past the hoard outside. We made it to the buses, and Shizuka-sensei began to start up the bus, whining about how different it was from her car. I let out a sigh of relief, only for a scream to echo from the stairs descending to the parking lot, and I turned to see another group of students, led by… Mr. Shido. The scream came from a kid who had fallen and twisted his ankle. Shido's group had already run ahead and wasn't able to witness what I did. I watched in distaste as Mr. Shido kicked him in the face, crunching up his glasses and blinding him with the glass shards, his screams alerted the horde outside, and Shido followed after his group, allowing the kid to be devoured.
They arrived outside our bus and Shido gestured to the students. I noticed Rei glaring at Shido with a venom I've only ever seen in… victims. I suddenly felt a tightness in my chest and turned, walked to the door, arriving just as Shido was about to climb on, and kicked him roughly in his face, sending him back on his ass and feeling the satisfying crunch of his nose breaking under toe.
"W-what the fuck!" Shido yelled, and I watched as the horde slowly approached the bus, shambling in reaction to his screams. I snarled.
"Piece of shits like you have no place in a group of survivors. Sacrificing another human needlessly like that… karma will eat you alive. Or rather, They will." I turned away, reaching over and slamming the bus door shut, my eyes cold. The rest of the students stared at me, shocked before the blond kid with the mohawk I remembered picking on Hirano marched up to me.
"The fuck! Let him back in, he saved us!" I glared at him, my eyes likely a frozen waste and my expression cold as ice. He backed down, and I turned to Shizuka.
"Drive." She gulped, and just like that, we were off. We zoomed past and over Them, bodies flinging off of the bus and we all braced ourselves as the bus crashed through the gates, before racing away from the school.
It was silent before a small chuckle sounded through the bus, which evolved into a full-blown laugh. Rei was cackling.
"Oh! I knew that bastard would get what was coming to him one day! Ha!" She laughed. Some of Shido's group looked at her like she was insane, and Komuro placed a hand on her shoulder, attempting to calm her. It worked, albeit slightly. She was now merely grinning happily. A girl in Shido's group marched up to me, brushing past… What was his name? Hamura? Sounds right. She was very attractive, having a strawberry red hair color in a short cut, a hairband keeping her hair back. She has a pair of earrings in each ear and a second earring in her left ear.
"Blondie! Bastard! What the fuck were you thinking? Why'd you kick Shido-sensei off the bus!" She crossed her arms under her chest, lifting them slightly to accentuate them. I ignored it. I looked over the rest of the bus.
"Shido-sensei got one of you killed, deliberately. He sacrificed one of your fellow students, in the same manner, I kicked him off the bus, with a kick to the face. He was vile, and I'm sure Rei-san could tell you more of his crimes." I nodded to her, and her face lit up, an evil grin stretching across her lips.
"Shido-sensei," she spit out sensei like it was a swear, "is the son of a prominent politician, Ichirou Shido. Ichirou Shido was under investigation by my father, who suspected him of embezzlement, human and drug trafficking, and other crimes, which was where he suspected many of his funds were coming from. Ichirou Shido told our beloved sensei," again, spat with venom, "to flunk me, to humiliate my father and tear him apart. He did so cheerfully. He also has allowed multiple accounts of bullying and sexual assault to occur at the school, hiding their actions. Isn't that right, Hamura?" Hamura paled, and suddenly there were two bokkens at his throat, one from me, and one from Busujima-san.
"Would you like to explain?" Busujima-san asked sweetly, and he gulped.
"I-I never did anything like sexual assault! I swear! I bullied people, but that's because Shido-sensei implied I would get better grades if I did, I swear!" I shouted, and I stared him in the eyes for a moment, before nodding.
"He's telling the truth." I lowered my bokken before glancing at Busujima-san, who also lowered hers. Finally, I collapsed in an empty seat, Busujima-san sliding in next to me. We were near the front, with Shido's group in the back and the five we saved on the stairwell in between. It was crowded. I let out a sigh and leaned back into my seat. What an exciting day.