Chapter 1 : Upside Down

Outside, a from of life I could barely identify as an human was walking, or more limping, in the direction of a small group of students. About half of the students where outside. The creature grabbed a student with it's bare hands, and literally... took a bite out of him... I couldn't possibly turn my eyes away from the scene. I wasn't able. I was frozen in this position. Then, as a handful of these fearsome things came near the students, I turned around quickly to see if everybody I knew were inside. Kevin was there. So was his girlfriend. But what about Josie? Next to me stood a horrified Johnathan. He had his eyes locked on something outside. Or rather someone. I turned to see what he was looking at like this, and saw Josie, outside, surrounded by these mindless creatures.

''God-damned...'' I whispered to myself.

Then, without any further thinking, I dove outside, busting through the door like if it hadn't been there. I looked around. No one of these creatures were in my direct vicinity, but many were a little further, after the remaining students. I ran past the few monsters who had stayed behind. I saw Josie, backing up from a monster that seemed to want her for supper. She tripped over her feet, and fell down on the floor, on her back. The thing closed onto her.

''Stay the fuck away from her!'' I yelled in a strong voice.

The thing didn't even turned around. Without any hesitation, I ran to Josie, and grabbed her by the arms. I lifted her and placed her back on her feet. She almost lost foot again, but I grabbed her.

''I think... I got a sprain...''

I didn't added anything. I just took her arm, passed it over my shoulder, and helped her walk back to the door. Fortunately, none of the monsters had time to notice us. I pushed Josie through the door and followed her as Mitchell, another of my friends, shut the door solidly. I helped Josie to get to the nearest wall, and she sat against it, breathing heavily. A silence occured.

''Now what the fuck are we gonna do?'' Asked Tom, one of Johnathan's friends.

''We're all gonna die...'' cried a small, fat and, obviously, scared to death guy. It was Phil, the school's biggest nerd.

''Aren't you able to think of anything else than yourself, asshole?''

''Shut the fuck up y'all!'' Barked Johnathan, furious.

''No, you shut up!'' Responded another student I didn't knew.

''Hey, calm down... We already got enough shit on our plates without you messing around like kids.'' I said, to Johnathan in particular.

''And who for fuck's sake talked to you?''

''Shut up, Johnathan!''

I turned around to see that it was Josie who'd said that. She looked at me, smiled a bit, and sat back slowly, a sharp pain reminding her of her sprain.

''Look... We got to lock down the school, and find some stuff to block all the windows and doors. And...'' I started, trying to do something good.

''What, you're in charge, now?'' Asked Johnathan, frustrated.

''Those who wish to follow me, come this side. We'll get some stuff from the janitor's warehouse, and get shit started...''

At first, nobody came. Then, Kevin and Jen got on my side. Mitchell followed.

''I'm with you...'' Josie said, unable to move from her position.

Then, faster than I though, the fifty-something survivors went my way one by one. At a point, Kate, Tom's girlfriend, got to me side. Then, Tom looked at his friend Johnathan, had then turned back to me. He started walking my way.

''What the fuck man? You're letting me down?''

''No man... But Kate wants to go to the other side... And I don't believe you can keep anybody else than you alive... Sorry dude...''

He got with his girlfriend. Johnathan was alone in his corner. He nodded, furious, and walked to our side. I went to the warehouse, and opened it.

''Here...'' I said handing everybody a hammer, a few bolts, and, for a few more fortunate people, a nail gun. Then, I gave then wood plank, that were stacked nearby, as well as thin metal sheets.

I asked myself what the hell were nail guns and wood planks doing here. The, I saw two black lunch bags beside the tools. Some construction worker must've been renovating at that place, and ran off during the attack. And, most likely, got killed...

When I finished handing tools to everybody, I went back to the main hall, and saw Josie, still seated next to the door, watching the gruesome scene of walking death outside.

''You want me to get you to some place else?''

''Yeah... Thanks...''

I got to her and grabbed her arm once more. As we walked to the other room, she seemed more energized. I helped her sitting back to a wall, in the nearest classroom.

I grabbed a metal sheet, and nailed it to the wall several times, covering the window, After I blocked the second one with a large piece of plywood, I turned back to Josie.

''Better?''

''Yeah... It hurts less than just five minutes ago. With a bit of luck, I'll walk again within an hour.''

''Don't rush yourself. Take your time, relax. There's nothing that can't wait...''

''I hope so... I gotta go check onto the others... I'll be back...''

''No... Matt... please... stay with me a little longer. I'm scared...''

Her eyes filled with water. She tried to contain it. She didn't wanted to fall apart in front of me. She looked very affected by this whole deal. We ere all, each one of us, but she was more. Maybe because of what she had experienced outside. I walked back to her, and sat next to her, my back to the wall.

''Thanks...''

''That's nothing...I needed a break.''

''No... I mean thanks, for outside... I mean, I can't understand why the others just stood thee, watching, while you immediately jumped outside to get me, thought we don't even know each other...''

''I just happened to be looking at the right time, at the right place.''

I knew I could have done better as an answer, but the moment was already passed by the time I realized it. At the start of the conversation, our eyes were evading each other. But at that moment, my vision locked on her eyes, and so did she.

Lost inside her eyes, I realized I had never seen how beautiful they were. Sometimes of a grayish pale green, then, a second later, they seemed in a deep green, like an emerald. I was about to add something else, when the door opened and Jen busted in, a worried look on her face.

''Matt... There is something fucking freaky in the kitchen. Come check it...''

I got up reluctantly.

''I'll be back soon'' I said to Josie.

She made a small smile, and nodded. I walked with Jen to the kitchen. She didn't told me what was wrong. It was best for me to see it with me own eyes.

I made a step in the kitchen, and saw Kevin, a large steel pipe in his hand, facing the industrial freezer.

''Hey, Kev, what's up?''

''We got something inside there...'' He said, pointing at the freezer.

Suddenly, the freezer's door rumbled violently. Whatever was in there was trying to get out. And it wasn't looking very peaceable.

''Kev... You open the door...''

He handed me his steep pipe, and went for the door's handle. He placed his hand on it, and turned to see me. I shook my head in approval, and he pulled the door open. He ducked out of the way. A human silhouette was walking slowly, like a drunk man, towards us, in the cloud of white vapor. I swung the pipe with all my strength, hitting him in the core. He stumbled back a bit, but immediately kept gaining ground.

''Fuck...'' I muttered.

I swung the pipe again, aiming for the head this time. I missed him, and the pipe just scratched him on the side of the head. I had to calm down, or I would freak out and miss my shot again. I steadied my feet on the floor, and tightened my grip on the pipe. I swung it again. This time, it smashed right into the monster's left temple. Blood dripped from the wound I had caused him, and he stumbled back a bit. I was about to hit him again, when he finally collapsed on the floor, in a puddle of his own blood.

–

''Matt! Yelled Mitchell, running inside the room.''

''Yeah?'' I said, out of breath.

''The students that went down during the battle outside... they got back up...''

We all went for the closest window, to see that not much corpses were laying on the front parking. They had gotten back life. Well, not exactly life, but something somehow related to it.

''Damn... If those can get back up on their feet, the one in the freezer can too...'' I realized.

With the help of Mitchell, I dragged the corpse to a second floor window. Then, we lifted it upwards, and let him fall down the open window. It got knocked on a cement bench, and it's brain splattered on the asphalt. Soon, dozens of these mindless creatures went by and actually started to eat the corpse.

Around eight o'clock, everything was clear, and all of the first floor entrances were barricaded, and nailed down. I climbed on the cafeteria's stage, and grabbed the microphone that had been left in the middle of it.

''Thanks to you all, the school can now be called safe. All of the first floor doors and windows have been barricaded, bolted up, and nailed down. We don't know when rescue is gonna come, so we might as well get at our ease. Also, we found that breaking the ''zombie's'' head with something hard is a sure way to bring him down for good. But, for additional precaution, it is recommended to throw all bodies out the upper floors' windows, in case we missed the brains...''

''But how are we gonna sleep?'' asked Phil.

''I was getting to that... There are a considerable supply of sleeping bags in the camping project's room. We'll have enough, since we are only about fifty... Get yourself one, and find a classroom to sleep in. There is enough room for everybody to be alone, but you may want to team up with your friends, for safety. ''

I had a standing ovation. Well, not that much, since most of the people were already standing, too nervous to sit down, but still, I had an ovation. Then, one by one, we all got a sleeping bag. That would be our fortune bed for a while. Hopefully not too long...

I went up to my room, pulling off my shirt, which was stained deep red with the blood of the zombie I had killed. Kevin and Jen had taken a room, and I didn't wanted to disturb them. So I sat alone on a school chair, starring at the door as if something fearsome would break through at any moment and attack me.

The, a faint noise came from the door. A few knocks, very light, as if the person wasn't really sure of what he or she was doing. I went to the door, placed my hand on the handle, and turned it silently. I pulled it open in one fast move, revealing a very frightened Josie.

''Oh... Sorry Josie... I thought it was something else...''

''Yeah... It's good...''

''So, what are you doing here'' I asked, my voice as kind as it could possibly get.

''Well, I couldn't fall asleep, so I started wandering around...''

''Don't stand there in front of my door, come in...''

''You sure I'm not disturbing you?''

''No... Not at all... I wasn't able to sleep neither...''

''Yeah... Must be normal in that situation...''

''Probably... So, you're doing okay?''

''Yeah... My leg's okay... For the rest, I'm doing just like everybody else... You?''

''Same as you...''

''How many do you think it will take to get rescued?''

''To honest, I don't know... Might be tomorrow, might be in two months...''

''Or might be never.''

''Don't say that. We're gonna make it through this. A helicopter or a plane is sure gonna pass around here at some point.''

''Yeah...''

A few more minutes passed. We talked of normal stuff. At a point, the conversation almost looked normal. I stretched on my chair and took a quick glance at my watch. It was eleven thirty.

''Shit... I gotta go sleep before I fall on the floor...''

''Yeah... I'm gonna go.''

''Thanks for coming seeing me. Come back sometime...''

''Sure''

I caught a light of fear in Josie's eyes. Not normal fear. True fear. She seemed deeply terrorized of going back to sleep alone in her room. She walked slowly in the dark corridor, looking sad.

''Josie?''

''What?'' she asked, turning around instantly.

''If you want, I can go get your sleeping bag in your room, and we can stay in mine...''

Then, she ah unplanned reaction.

''Well... You know... It's pretty dark out here... I don't want you to get hurt trying to help me... You've done more than enough for me today...''

''Well... I ain't got other sleeping bag but...''

''We could...''

She cut herself out, nearly placing a hand on her mouth.

''No, keep talking...''

''We could... sleep... in the same...''

''Come in... Before you catch a cold'' I said with a warm smile.

I slid inside the bag. Josie slipped in nervously after me. She was behind me. I could feel her breath on the back of my head. She got closer, due to the lack of space in the single place bag. I felt her body touching mine. Then, I felt her arms around me. She instantly removed them.

''Sorry... Old reflexes...''

If it'd been less dark in the bag, I could have seen her turning bright red. I turned around in the bed, and faced her. Our eyes locked.

''You can let your reflexes come... They don't bother me...''

I smiled. She smiled back. A very simple, true smile. Our heads leaned closer one to another. My eyes were unconditionally locked into her pale green stare. Slowly, like she was afraid of something, she passed her arms around me once more. She lowered her head on my chest. I held her within my arms.

''We are gonna make it out of here...'' I whispered to her ear.

We both needed bodily contact, but I felt it was more than just that...

Alright, there will be some romance further, but don't worry, there will be some violence for sure. Hope you liked, and, whether you did or not, leave me a review. Thanks...