sunshine // joel miller

Introduction

He gags once more, and as his mouth opens, Francesca can't help but let out a shocked gasp, small tendrils appearing, like some form of fungus was growing from his mouth. Whatever it was, it looks alive. She backs up against the door, hand reaching for the handle out of pure fear. She didn't completely understand what was happening, she didn't know how something like that was possible. A large part of her was hoping this was some fucked up prank - Halloween not too far away.

He takes a haphazard step towards her, and she stares into his eyes as a cold look turns into a murderous one, and before she can even think of something to say, or do, he lets out an ear-pinching screech, hurling himself over the desk and running towards her.

Francesca lets out a scream, running out of the way of his attack and throwing herself to the floor out of the way. She watches with cloudy vision as his body hurls itself into the wall, and cringes as he screeches once again. She backs herself up, clambering to her feet as her heart pounds, small pants leaving her mouth. She was close to a panic attack, her mind clouded as her thoughts rushed all at once, fight or flight kicking into full gear, life or death clear on the cards.

She holds her hand against the wall for support as his head tilts, eyes locked onto her again, and he lunges for her.

"Smettila!" Francesca cries, quickly running out of the way, but this time he didn't throw himself into the wall, instead cutting her off and pouncing.

He pushed her backwards, her lower back hitting the desk. The burning sensation on her lower back made her let out a painful groan. Her hands shot out before she could even think, holding onto the mans shoulders as the tendrils in his mouth tried to reach her.

"Cazzo!" She yelled, as she pushed as hard as she could, she moved her hand up, her thumb going into his eye socket as the man screeched. The second of pain gave her the opportunity to move away and sprint out of the door, slamming it behind her in hopes of giving her a couple of seconds to get away. At this point tears were streaming down her face, beyond petrified as she bolted down the school corridors looking for her sister.

"Giulia!" She yells down the empty halls - the once bustling school now looking abandoned as her loud steps echo through the hallway. A distant scream is heard, the noise powering Francesca on, "Giulia!"

She finally finds the girl with a couple of her friends, running over as the group looks at her in concern. She instantly grabs her sister's hands, yanking her towards the exit, "Giulia dobbiamo andare, adesso!" She screams as more and more distant shouts are heard. The shouts make Giulia's friends look around, fear growing.

"What's going on?" Ben, one of Giulia's friends asks, "What was that?"

"You have to run, something is happening!" Fran stresses to him as Giulia looks at her sister in concern, her sister had never talked to her friends, let alone with such conviction. She quickly trying to calm her down, but Fran isn't having it, "Ora, idiota! Ora!"

The two run out of the exit doors, racing down the steps as they watch the carnage around them unfold. There was a reason the school was close to empty, something was clearly happening to the people who resided in the big city. The principal wasn't the only one acting weird, numerous people were running around and losing their minds as they charged at civilians with murderous intent. People were running in every direction, cars swerving onto sidewalks, car alarms screeching through the air as the girls stared out in shock.