Chosen to Survive (ONC2024)

Chapter 6

Zoe's POV

The sun is setting, casting long shadows across the schoolyard where Zack and I lean against the cold, brick wall, trying to make sense of everything that's happened. The air is filled with the usual sounds of students leaving, but there's an underlying tension that neither of us can shake.

Suddenly, Lily comes running towards us, her face pale, eyes wide with fear. She's gasping for breath, each word punctuated with a sharp intake of air. "Zoe, Zack...it's Jess...she's not herself."

Before we can ask more, Jess appears at the end of the hallway, her walk deliberate, her gaze fixed on us with an intensity that sends chills down my spine. "What the hell is up with her?" Zack whispers, but I'm too fixated on Jess's unnerving approach to answer.

Jess's pace quickens, and it's clear she's coming for me. "Zoe, watch out!" Lily shouts, stepping in front of me, but Jess's reaction is immediate and terrifying. She screams, a sound that's more animal than human, and lunges at me with a ferocity that's paralyzing.

Lily tries to hold her back, and one of her friends joins in, attempting to restrain Jess, but it's like she's possessed by a strength that's not her own. She thrashes wildly, knocking them aside with a horrifying ease.

"Run!" Zack yells, grabbing my arm, pulling me away from the chaos. Lily follows, her eyes filled with tears, confusion, and fear. We sprint away from the school, not daring to look back, the sounds of Jess's enraged screams echoing behind us.

As we put distance between us and the school, the reality of what just happened begins to sink in. Jess, someone we've known for years, had just tried to attack me. And the look in her eyes...it was like she didn't even know us.

"We have to find out what's happening," I pant, my lungs burning from the exertion and fear. "This...this isn't normal."

Zack nods, his face set in a grim line. "First Mr. Henderson, now this. There's something wrong here, something really fucking wrong."

Lily, still trying to catch her breath, looks back towards the school, her expression haunted. "What if it's too late? What if we can't fix this?"

"We have to try," I say, though I'm not as confident as I sound. The events at this school have shaken me to my core. The once familiar halls now seem dark, and our friend...I don't even know if Jess is still Jess anymore.

As we walk away from Crestwood High, the weight of the evening's events settles over us like a shroud. The setting sun dips below the horizon, and with it, any sense of normalcy we had left. Ahead of us lies a path filled with uncertainty and fear, but turning back isn't an option. Not anymore.

"We'll figure this out," Zack says, his voice steady, determined. "Together."

Jess's POV

This hunger, it's consuming me, driving every thought, every action. Zoe's escape, it's infuriating. That bitch needs to be killed and I want to be the one to end her pathetic life. But she's out there, free, while I'm bound to this... thirst.

I find Oakley, or rather, the Master through him, in the shadows of the school. "Zoe escaped," I tell him, my voice a mix of anger and desperation.

The Master, using Oakley's voice, responds with a calm that only fuels my rage. "Patience, there will be other opportunities. For now, you must feed. Your hunger grows too strong."

He's right. The hunger is all I can think about now. It's an itch under my skin, a constant ache in my veins. "I need to feed," I admit, the words tasting like ash in my mouth.

"Go, then. Find someone. Sate your hunger," the Master commands. There's no room for disobedience, not that I could resist even if I wanted to. This need is too strong.

I leave, wandering the streets of Crestwood Heights under the cover of night. The town is quiet, too quiet. Every shadow seems to whisper, every breeze feels like a caress against my too-sensitive skin.

Then I see him, a lone figure walking down an alley. My heart, or what's left of it, races. The hunger sharpens, focusing my senses. I approach, silent as the night itself.

"Hey," I call out, my voice sweet, inviting. He turns, and I see the flicker of interest, of attraction. It's so easy, too easy.

We talk for a moment, meaningless chatter. I feign interest, laugh at his jokes. But inside, there's only the hunger, screaming, clawing its way to the surface.

"I'm really hungry," I whisper, leaning in. He smiles, unsuspecting, caught in my web.

The next moments are a blur. The hunger takes over, guiding my actions with a precision born of primal instinct. When it's over, I leave him, blood dripping down my chin.

The hunger is sated, for now. But it's a fleeting relief. It'll come back; it always does. I return to the shadows, to the Master. I have no remorse for what I did, I know it will happen again, driven by a thirst that never fully fades.

Oakley's POV

The silence in the library is oppressive, a stark contrast to the turmoil raging within me. Since the entity, which I've come to know as the Master, took control, I've been a passenger in my own body, forced to witness actions and speak words that aren't mine.

In a rare moment of solitude, I muster the courage to confront the Master. "What happened to Jess?" I ask, my voice echoing in the empty space, sounding foreign even to my own ears.

The Master's reply is immediate, a cold presence that fills my mind. "Jess is gone. The essence you knew as Jess no longer exists. What remains is merely a vessel for our will."

The finality in the Master's tone sends a shiver down my spine. "And what about me? Am I to share the same fate?" I press on, desperate for even a sliver of hope.

"No, Oakley. Your fate is different. You are... special. I have plans for you," the Master assures me, its confidence unsettling.

I try to process this, to understand why I've been 'chosen.' "Why me? What makes me different?" I question, struggling against the despair that threatens to engulf me.

The Master's presence in my mind intensifies, a pressure that's almost comforting in its familiarity. "You possess qualities that are... unique. Your connection to the others, your intellect. You are more useful to me as you are."

I recoil at the implication, the horror of my situation becoming painfully clear. I'm to be a puppet, an instrument of whatever dark purpose the Master has in store for Crestwood Heights and beyond.

"Is there no way to fight this? To break free?" I ask, though part of me already knows the answer.

The Master's laughter, if it can be called that, fills my consciousness. "There is no escape, Oakley. You are bound to me, as I am to you. Together, we will achieve great things."

I'm left reeling, the weight of my reality crashing down on me. I'm trapped, a prisoner within my own body, forced to serve the whims of an entity whose power seems limitless.

As the conversation ends, the Master recedes into the background of my mind, always there, always watching. I'm alone again, but not truly alone. The realization that I'm merely a tool, a means to an end, is crushing.

I wander the library, my steps aimless, my thoughts a whirlwind of fear, confusion, and a growing sense of resolve. If there's no escape, then maybe there's a way to fight from within, to sabotage the Master's plans in whatever small ways I can.

As I settle back into my chair, pretending to resume my work, I know that the battle for my soul, for everyone's soul, and for Crestwood itself is just beginning. The Master may have plans for me, but I'm not ready to give up. Not yet.

1,300 words