Chapter 4: Samantha's School

The car was still moving. Driving down those empty London roads. There wasn't a person in sight and Allen was glad of this. He was driving the car, and doing it successfully, but he was driving as though he were a robot. His eyes didn't move off the road, his arms only moved where they had to go, his entire body didn't flinch or twitch at any time. Peter was worried about him. Allen had been like this ever since they had left Gloria with the infected. It only happened 10 minutes before, and Allen was still in shock. Peter kept nervously glancing at him, half hoping Allen wouldn't see his worry but also half hoping he would see and react because then it would be something from him. The roads they were on were pretty clear. There were a few cars parked at the side of the road, but there were no infected and no people. Peter just assumed everyone had already left, and those that hadn't were barricaded in their houses. Over the top of all the buildings Peter could see smoke rising up from somewhere in the distance. Something was on fire, and he guessed that no one would be in a rush to put it out. He thought about whatever it was that was on fire, and in his mind it was a small building. People were running past it. They didn't care that the building was burning; they only cared about getting away from the infected. The fire would be just left to consume the building without anyone or anything to stop it. Things had gotten out of control, though he already knew this but the extent of it had not hit him until now.

Allen turned a corner. The street he was now on was different to one they had just come off. On one side of the road there were several cars that had been smashed and broken. Smoke was rising from one but there was no fire. Allen stopped the car at the beginning of the street.

"The school is just down there." Allen said in a slow and weak voice.

Peter looked at him, surprised that Allen had even been able to speak. He slowly turned his head to look back at the street.

"I don't like the look of this street." Peter replied to him.

Allen paused.

"This is the quickest route. Whatever happened here happened a while ago. It is safe enough." Allen said, with some of his voice finding him again.

Peter didn't reply, he just merely nodded in agreement. Allen took his foot off the brake pedal and pushed on the accelerator pedal. The car began to slowly move forward. Peter looked around, through all the windows of the car to make sure nothing was coming. Allen turned around a car that was flipped on its side and then drove in a straight line towards the school. He reached the front gate without anything going wrong.

"The gate is open." Allen said.

Peter turned his head towards the main gate to the school. Allen was right, it was open, though from the way Allen said it, it seemed like the gate shouldn't be. Allen turned into the gate and drove down the driveway. Peter immediately began to take in all of his surroundings. He saw that there were thirteen cars parked up. He noticed that the school was comprised of two separate buildings, presumably one for Key Stage 1 and one for Key Stage 2. Allen stopped the car near all the other cars. He reversed and turned the car around. He then parked the car in an open space so they could get back quickly if need be. Both Peter and Allen had one last look round before they got out.

"Let's go." Peter had said quietly.

They both grabbed their weapons and opened the doors. Samantha was 8 years old, meaning she was in Key Stage 2. Allen directed Peter to the building that was closest to the gates. They both headed in its direction.

There were three steps leading up to a door. The door was painted bright red. Allen grabbed the handle and slowly pulled the door open. There was a corridor to the left, a flight of stairs going down in front of them, and a door to their right. Allen slowly walked towards the door, and saw that it was open just a crack. He signalled to Peter to get ready in case anything jumped out at them. Peter raised the table leg he was using as a weapon. Allen gently put his table leg against the door and slowly pushed. When he could see far enough he realised no one was in there. He swung the door open. There were two chairs and two small desks inside the room. There was paper littered all over the desks and the chairs were facing the wall.

"Office staff. Never around when you need them," Peter joked.

Allen gave him a scowl and Peter took the smile off his face. He then turned around and looked down the corridor. There were three doors along the corridor, one on each side and one at the end. All three were closed. Allen stood at the top of the stairs and Peter joined him. They both raised their weapons and descended down the steps.

The steps led to a large hall. The roof of the hall was higher than where they were stood. There was nothing in there so they quickly proceeded onwards. What they didn't realise was there was actually a cupboard in the hall and inside the cupboard there was a small boy hiding. The small boy had found the door open and then hidden inside when he heard screaming from somewhere outside the school. Allen and Peter walked down another corridor. This one had windows all along it. It connected two parts of one of the buildings. There was a view of the play ground to right and a view of a small path that led behind the school to their left. Allen and Peter both looked out at the play ground. They could both imagine all the children that would play there on a normal day, and then they were both saddened by the fact that it was quite possible that no children would ever play there again. Peter, who was stood to the right of Allen, walked behind Allen and gently put his hand on his shoulder to tell him that they should move on. They carried on walking down the corridor to the end.

They arrived in a cloak room. To their left were two classrooms and to their right were two classrooms. The classrooms to their right had signs saying "5A" and "5B", and the classrooms to their right had signs saying "6A" and "6B".

"Sammie is in year 4, which is the next floor down." Allen whispered.

Peter nodded his head. They turned a corner where there were some stairs. There were two flights of stairs. Allen went first with Peter close behind him. Half way between the stairs it doubled back for the second flight. They turned the corner and proceeded down. They opened the door at the bottom and entered a cloak room that was almost identical to the one they had just come from.

They door they arrived next to was "4A".

"Sammie is in 4B," Allen pointed out.

Peter nodded. Allen stepped forward to the other door. Peter stood facing the other direction whilst Allen knocked.

"Helen it's me, Allen," Allen said to the door.

He waited a minute but nothing happened.

"Helen, open up," Allen said louder.

He turned the handle and gently pushed on the door. It opened with ease. This scared him and, throwing caution to the wind, he threw open the door.

There was no one inside. Allen panicked. He raced into the room looking for something. Anything. Peter walked in and surveyed the room.

"The computer," Peter pointed out.

Allen stopped and looked at the computer on the teacher's desk. It was turned on and there was something written on the screen.

"Allen I'm sorry but we all had to go. I wanted to stay and wait for you but the other teachers said they were going. I tried to hold Sammie but they took her and wouldn't let her go. They said it was in her best interest to go with them so I had to go. I just had to. I couldn't let our Sammie be on her own. I was scared for her. The other teachers had agreed that they were going to go to a train station. They thought that because everyone was going to the ferries and planes that no one would be using the trains and they could take a train to somewhere out in the country. I am really sorry honey. You beloved wife, Helen."

Allen collapsed into the chair. The state in which he was in the car before is the state in which he now returned to. Peter saw his face go black and expressionless.

"Allen," Peter said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "They are still alive, we will go and find them."

Allen didn't respond. Peter crouched down. He looked straight into Allen's eyes. Allen was miles away.

"Allen??" Peter asked softly for a respond.

Peter heard a bang from outside, and then a child screaming.

"Allen, we have to go now," Peter said, with a sense of urgency.

Allen still didn't respond. The screaming stopped. Peter stood up and turned to face the door. He waited. 28 seconds later an infected man was standing in the door. Peter tightened his grip on the table leg. The infected man ran forward.

Peter ran forward too. The infected was heading straight for him. Peter stopped, swung his table leg behind him, and then swung it as hard as he could at the infected. The corner of the table leg connected with the infected man's head. The infected man fell to the floor, his head gashed open. Peter felt a sudden surge of anger. He started to bash the infected man on the floor. He bashed the man's head 17 times before he stopped. Blood covered his shirt and hands. Peter dropped the table leg and fell to his knees. His breathing became deep and raspy. He let the tears flow out of his eyes. His muscles on his arms tensed. He opened his eyes slightly. Through the tears he saw a boy in the doorway with his eyes closed. He found a clean part of his shirt and wiped his eyes. He stood up.

"Hi there, son," Peter said, meaning son as the child was a boy and not in any relation to him.

Peter saw then saw something that horrified him. There was a bite mark on the child's arm. Peter looked at the child's face. He stumbled and fell to the floor. He then retched. No vomit came out of his mouth. Only blood. The child opened its eyes for the first time. His pupils were red. He was infected.