Chapter 2 : Hope
I woke from a long dreamless sleep. The first thing I felt was the contact of Josie's body next to mine. I opened my eyes, and all I could see was Josie's face, close to mine. I could feel her breath on my face. I couldn't help but smile. She smiled back. We were inside the sleeping bag, hidden from the outside world. I was about to say something when a loud thud was heard.
''Matt?'' asked a voice I could identify as Mitchell's.
''Yeah...'' I answered, popping my head out of the bag.
''Damn... We though you were gone... It eight o'clock... None of us were able to sleep...''
Josie popped out of the bag too.
''Yeah... That's why he was able to sleep...'' Said Kevin, arriving from behind.
I nodded and got on my feet. I grabbed my shirt, reluctant to put it back on, as it was stained with dry blood. I did put it back on, since I had not other choice. Josie got up. I looked around, looking for Johnathan, but he was nowhere to be seen. Which was a good thing...
We walked to the cafeteria, and I once more climbed on the stage.
''What are we gonna do now?'' Kate, Tom's girlfriend, asked.
''We don't know how long we will need to be here, but in any case, we will need supplies. Food and weapons, basically. I propose we search the school and take back here anything that can be used as a weapon. And any food that we find...''
Most people approved. I got down the stage. Jen volunteered to cook. Kevin went to help her. They entered the kitchen, to come back twenty minutes later, their hands full of plates of pancakes. It was a good idea, since the eggs and milk wouldn't stay fresh forever. That would keep the non-perishable goods for later, when we'd really need them.
After we all ate a few pancakes, the students started exploring the school in small groups. I saw Kev, Mitchell and Jen going for the gym. I was about to ask them, but Josie's voice stopped me.
''Hey Matt... Can I... come with you?''
''For sure...''
''So... were do we go?''
''If you were a plate of food, which you are obviously not, were would you be?''
She laughed a bit. I smiled. She was so beautiful when she laughed.
''...The teachers' lounge...''
''Bingo...''
We got to the said room. I pushed to door, and waited to be sure nothing was inside the room. No sound came to my ears. I stepped in, Josie on my toes. In the middle of the room, a long table in light wood, surrounded by cheap looking chairs. In a corner, a small folding table stood, a microwave oven on it. Beside the table was a small-sized fridge. I walked to the fridge, and pulled it open. Inside, nothing was left, of course. Too bad we were Friday... Nobody had filled it. Next to it, a coffee machine had been placed. It was empty, but I was pretty sure I had seen some coffee in the kitchen.
We got out. Next to the door we had just gotten out by, another door, more impressive, in light wood, fairly large and high, was standing. A small metallic sign bolted next to it read ''Principals office''
''Let's go see what the principal had inside his office...''
We stepped in. It was a simple, well organized and functional office. Books were neatly pilled inside a row of bookcases and a still turned on computer was on the desk. In a shadowy corner of the room, some kind of shadow moved, at about on feet of the ground. It swung back and forth in a slow motion. I made a few steps forward, and recognized what it was. The principal. A large rope was tied around his neck, and he hung by the open door of the principals assistant's office. A chair was overturned near there.
''Damn...'' I said, breathless.
Josie looked shook up. Before I could actually realize what had happened, a shadow moved in the adjacent office. The assistant principals one. A person, a woman, walked out of the office, heading for us.
''Miss?''
All I had for answer was a sinister moan.
''It's a zombie...''
I looked around for a weapon. But there was none to be found. I made a step forward, and placed my hands on the nearest bookshelf. I pulled it with all of my strength. I fell down, knocking the zombie down. It tried to crawl it's way out of under the bookshelf. I picked up a thick book on the floor, and smashed it onto it's head. He stopped moving.
I pulled it out of there, and dragged it the body to the window. I opened it, and lifted the monster.
''Ehhh...''
The freshly reanimated corpse tried to bite my hand. I pushed him down the window before he could do so.
''Matt... You okay?'' asked Josie, a look of concern in her eyes.
''Yeah... A bit shook up, but it didn't touched me.''
She hugged me tightly. So tightly I could feel her pain. In another situation, with another girl, I would have found it a bit rough, but with Josie, it was so sweet, so passionate.
''Matt... Tell me you're not going to let me down...''
''I swear I'll always be by your side... No matter what happens... You can count on me...''
''Matt...''
She pulled me even closer to her. She lowered her head on my shoulder, and started crying softly. I didn't knew much what to do. She seemed so lonely. Josie was the type of girl that had dozens of friends. In fact, nearly everybody was her friend. But that kind of friends tend to let you down at the first hint of danger, abandoning everybody for their own interest. In the end, Josie did not had that much friends. I placed my hand in her hair, and tried to reassure her. I felt her hair playing down my neck.
''We are gonna make it out of here... Together we will... I promise...''
''What... why proves me you are not gonna... run off... like the rest of my friends?'' she asked, her eyes looking at the tiled floor below us.
I placed my hands on her cheeks, and lifted her head softly, so that she'd look at me in the face.
''Josie... I'm not going to let you down because... you're important to me and... I love you...''
Her eyes, previously almost dried, filled with a new wave of tears. But they were happy tears. I felt water in my eye. This time, I left the tear run down my cheeks, smiling to Josie. I had finally said what I had wanted to say since I had met her.
Time seemed to slow down. Josie had a great look of surprise on her face. I couldn't say for sure if it was a good or a bad surprise. Then, suddenly, before I could ever realize what was happening, I felt Josie's lips pressing violently against mine. Her arms wrapped around me. Her tongue slightly touched mine. I felt something no other girl had made me feel. I feeling of freedom, of invincibility, took control of me. Passion made my heart go crazy. My heart beat raised significantly. Then, she back up, her face turning to bright red. She tried to explain herself, to apologize.
''Sorry Matt... It was uncontrollable...''
I didn't answer. I passed my hand around her, and kissed her as violently as she had kissed me. Our tongues met a first time, than a second time. My hand lowered to her hips. We stayed like this for a long moment, blocked in time by this passionate and desperate kiss. I felt her smell. She was so sweet, so delicate, but so strong at the same time. It was straight disconnected from reality. But I loved her, that was what I knew. And she seemed to share my feelings.
In a dark corner of the room, Johnathan was standing. From his covered view point, he had seen the entire scene. His entire body shook like a dead leaf. He lifted his fist, whispering silent curses.
''You are gonna pay...''
How is it to this point? Leave me a review, please... From the next chapter, I'll try and squeeze some more action scenes in it. Don't worry, these will come... Thanks for reading, and hopefully, reviewing.