If Tomorrow Never Comes- A zombie novel

Chapter 11

The silent hallway greeted the two as they cautiously entered the school; it was hot and muggy - assaulting their nostrils with a mixture of human musk and putrid rotting flesh. "Oh god. It's ripe in here." Oliver gagged. He wanted to run back out into the parking lot to get some fresh air but he fought down his churning stomach and quietly closed the door.

"Smells the way my old high school used to... minus the dead stench. I never thought I'd say it but I actually prefer the smell of sweaty gym socks." Max wondered if their world ever would return to a place where schools would be filled with living vibrant children again and sweaty gym socks?

"Do you ever miss it?- Oliver looked over at Max-"Being a kid I mean. Not really having any responsibilities."

The last time Oliver had stepped in a school was eight years ago when he decided school wasn't for him and dropped out.

"Does it matter?" Max paused, "I don't miss it - better off being an adult now. At least you can defend yourself." He trailed off, thinking about his youngest sister and how he couldn't save her. Had she been older maybe she would have been able to help save herself and their mom.

"I was just trying to lighten up the mood, Mr. Kill-joy." Oliver mumbled. And although Max was in a sour mood a smile crept across his lips. Oliver started down the hall, gun drawn. Max fell in behind him, gun at the ready, watching their backs.

"We do this fast and quick... and quiet. Check the rooms, look for your sister then get out."

"But couldn't we cover more ground faster if we split up?" Max just wanted- needed to find his sister. Even if she were - no, he wouldn't let his mind go there. Skylar would be alive and waiting for him. She might be a little ticked off that he let the soldiers take her but she would be alive.

"No, it's better we stick together. It's safer and strategically a smarter thing to do." Oliver might not have been good at many things in his short life on Earth. But he tried to be the best person that he could.

He sucked trying to learn how to play the piano. He didn't learn how to tie his own shoes until he was in the fourth grade. He single handily lost a basketball game for his middle school by running in the opposite direction with the basketball and scoring a point for the other team. And he just barely had made the grade to even enter basic training for the Army. But he had found his calling and he made a pretty good solider.... minus driving that Humvee into a brick wall. He wasn't going to let Max go off on his own and get killed.

"Besides, all these dark corners all over the place and I was the only one who thought to bring a flashlight." He reached into his combat belt and pulled out his military issued light. He flipped it then caught it with a smirk.

Max rolled his eyes but smiled. "Lead the way." He gestured with his right hand.

The hallway was long with two rows of lockers, one on the left and the other on the right. There were classrooms intermittently placed between the lockers, most of them with their doors closed. They each took turns, one guarding while the other peered into the rectangle window of the classroom doors - all of them clear. Moving on, they searched the teachers lounge, then made their way to the office. Max pulled on the door handle expecting it to open but it wouldn't.

"It's locked." Brows furrowed "Why would someone take the time to lock up an office?"

Oliver shrugged. "Someone could be in there." He knocked on the door. No reply came. He raised the butt of his flashlight and smashed the glass window.

"What if one of those things are in there? You just alerted them." Max hissed.

"Didn't I knock? It would have come stumbling to the door."

Oliver reached inside and unlocked the door. "Hello? It's okay, U.S. Army looking for survivors. Come out if you need help." The two men waited for a reply but they never got one.

They walked deeper into the office, the flashlight leading the way. Past the secretary's desk they stopped in front of the glass door with gold bold lettering; PRINCIPAL. Oliver placed his hand on the knob as Max turned scanning the area that they had just left, making sure nothing sneaked up on them. Oliver opened the door to the office then quickly shut it. He had enough time to turn away from the door before throwing up. His stomach finally claiming victory to the wrestling match that had started back at the makeshift guard house.

Oliver pulled himself back together as he wiped at his mouth. He looked up at Max. "You okay? What happened?" Oliver didn't reply, just motioned for Max to have a look for himself.

He moved towards the door, placing his hand on the knob, he hesitantly turned back towards the soldier. What if his sister was in there? Max opened the door. His eyes adjusted to the dark room and fell on a hunched over figure. It was a lurker, eating a small child. Max fought back the bile that rose in his throat. It was the first time he'd seen a kid being eaten. The dead thing stopped eating and turned towards Max; its face covered in blood and fleshy bits. It slowly rose to its feet. Max took out his utility knife and plunged it deep into the lurker's head. It fell to the floor with a thump.

Max removed his knife and walked over to the child. It started to moan and slowly reach out for him. Max started to cry, forcing himself to swallow his sobs. Visions of his baby sister, Hannah, flashed in his mind. Her in that state. A cold dead thing. And no one who loved her to put her down. He placed his foot on the child's neck, then stabbed it in the head as well. "I hope you find peace, kid."

Max ran his arm over his eyes, removing the tears and collected himself before exiting the room.

"I never seen one of them eat a kid before." Oliver admitted. It was sobering to see. Yeah the dead had reanimated and were eating anything with a pulse. Yet some how the human brain blocked out the fact that those things wouldn't have some sense of morality and not eat children.

"Yeah..." Max wanted to put the whole event behind him. - "let's just finish looking for Skylar." He wiped the knife on one of the fabric covered chairs in the main room before exiting the office.

They made their way to the second floor in silence both lost in their own thoughts. "Look, I know, safety in numbers and all that but I just want to get done." Oliver agreed though it was against his better judgment. "Fine, just don't do anything stupid man."

They both nodded before walking in separate directions; Oliver took the classrooms on the far end of the school near the other stairwell and Max took the side of the school near the stairwell that they had just exited. "Good Lord." Oliver muttered as he walked passed the open gymnasium doors. A horde of a hundred or so lurkers flooded out the doors after him.

"Run." Oliver shouted to Max before he disappeared, the horde obstructing his view.

"OLIVER." Max yelled. Slowly, parts of the horde averted their attention towards Max. "Oh shit." He ran back to the stairwell and attempted to pull the doors shut but they wouldn't budge. Cursing under his breath, Max ran to the main floor. Lurkers stumbled down the stairs behind him.

"Oliver." He yelled as he made his way to the other stairwell but the only thing that responded were snarls. Reaching the back door, Max ripped it open, slamming it behind him right as the horde approached; bodies slamming themselves against the doors, snarling in feral hunger.

Max slumped against the door to catch his breath and to gather his thoughts. He opened his eyes and pushed himself off of the door. Slowly he made his way back around to the front of the school. "Max."- Britney ran up to him and began to frown as she looked behind him -"Where's Oliver?"

"He...he's still in there. I don't think he made it." Max's voice broke as he said those words.

"Good lord. What happened?"

"I just don't want to talk about it."

"You don't get to make that call. What happened?" She stared him in the eyes. "Did you see him... did you see it happen?"

"It was a horde of them. They swallowed him up like a tsunami. Just like Andy said."

"Poor guy." Britney placed her hands onto her knees as if she was the one who had just escaped a horde. Her and Max stood there, staring at the back door silently hoping Oliver somehow would walk out unscathed.