Modified

One

High school lock downs last maybe ten, twenty minutes at the most. Typically there are students hidden behind cabinets, desks, drawers, shelves, even feet up in bathroom stalls in order to avoid being seen or caught. Classroom doors are locked and all lights are turned out, making it impossible to leave or enter. Most of the time these were drills, routinely planned lock downs, in order to prepare us for what were to happen if we were actually in such a situation as to need a lock down. However, this lock down was different. The classrooms had been transformed into bedrooms which were inhabited by students of all shapes and sizes, grades 9 through 12. The hallways decorated with colorful posters and papers, to remind us that life was still okay inside the safe confides of the school, even if the outside was grim and hopeless. The gyms were made into large meeting places where the remaining twelve hundred or so students could mingle and talk like they would have before. Quite a few classes went on, but mostly just science classes based on evolution and some religious classes were allowed to be held for the more religious students and teachers. We basically lost half the schools population when the topic was put forth that we wouldn't be coming off of lock down, teachers and students fled from the building at a mass number. We've been on lock down for approximately 17 months and 3 weeks. Like most lock downs this begun to keep bad things out, but also to keep us in. The people who remained here did so for refuge and safety, not because they were prisoners. Since we'd been here the question was always looming as to who would run this new kind of colony. We had the schools principle, but the mass number of students had decided it was better to elect a sort of council to run things smoothly. Voting went on for a couple of days and the principle, Mr. Trevino, counted the ballets. There were 5 spots forming a sort of baseless triangle of people; a leader who had final decision, two informers who were to be educated and studious and the remaining two studied the people and their wants and needs, this way we got balanced and educated decisions that benefited the people, while keeping them safe at the same time. I came runner up for leader, thus putting me as a second level. My job was to study the outside world and find ways for us to remain safe and comfortable at the same time. All of my information and thoughts are to be recorded into books to document and file this valuable time, for histories sake. I couldn't say I was happy here in the least, not even with my position being so high ranked and admired. Truth is, people didn't admire me. Let's face it, we are located in Texas and people here are hell strung on religion, specifically Christianity. I myself am a lady of science, I believe what can be proved and what I see with my eyes. That is why I was voted into this position. People hated me for showing them the truth and keeping them safe. They resented me because my findings and speculations went against what they were taught by their god fearing parents, so because I was hated I didn't come out unless it was for council meetings and to present valuable findings. The school ran on two generators and we had an ample supply of gasoline to keep things going for awhile. I checked levels everyday, took inventory and made sure everything was in order. My bedroom was my own choice and I made sure it was that way. I called the old agriculture room mine, the room where I had spent most of my time as a Freshman, it had the most windows and the most doors to the outside life. I was the most vulnerable place to strike and I knew it. I loved it and I loved being here, I loved how things were and the way I did what I pleased, but as I said, I don't enjoy my time here. I was a bird trapped in a sad cage. I belonged outside, I belonged in the open air without limits, without pressure and doing what I wanted to, not cooped up in here regretting my life choices. The worst part of it all was as the human race was slowly depleting, I was doomed to stare at the ceiling of my room and think of the only thing that mattered, how to see him. The United States, and the whole world from what I could tell, was ending for the current human race. They were slowly dying and transforming, this was all due to a new species of human; a super race of carnivorous beasts who look just like a regular human, but are faster, smarter and basically just better at survival and the hunt overall. Their eyes tend to appear bloodshot, with sharp teeth that were good for cutting flesh and chewing bone. Their jaw strength was impeccable and easily tripled that of an average human. They could jump much higher, much greater distances and were relatively quiet. This new species began here, in this high school. A very well known group of incredibly intelligent students had been developing a new form of antibody that would target every kind of virus, keeping them at bay for the whole life span of any normal human. Which in turn improved the overall health and ultimately the life span of the whole human race. However, little did anyone but a few people know that it would do this, and so, so much more. It affected humans and caused a positive reaction at first, for when the first batch was done all the unaware high school students injected the antibody into their veins like one would inject heroin. They exposed themselves to loads of viruses, contracting none of them, to a lot of peoples surprise, not even a virus as vicious as HIV. This became a hit, the students were famously recognized world wide and batches of the antibody were administered to millions of humans daily. Four months later reports were brought in saying that the high school students, after resuming their daily studies at their local high school, went missing. They were no where to be found. That's when everyone went on lock down. People were spotted eating people everywhere, the sides of highways, in neighborhoods, in schools. It became a national emergency and soon after government officials who had received the vaccine were seen eating the president, showing that things had truly gone to hell. The head developer of this antibody was Cameron Avery, senior at the time and the love of my life. I have only seen him a couple of times since he went missing, which urged me to go outside more and more. He was out there, with all my other friends and I was in here. Trapped and helpless, leading a dying species, wasting my racing intellect on something that I would never benefit from. I laid back in bed, the soft rays of morning had been dusted with small particles dancing around the air like tiny woodland fairies, glowing in the kind warmth. My mind and emotions seemed to numb over time, no affection was to be found within these walls because the only affection I longed for was locked outside.  I hummed as I shifted my head to mirror the ceiling, studying the textures and patterns. The senior classes had written on ceiling tiles, telling the stories of their years here and how they would spend the rest of their lives. Some of them were quite amusing, might I add, bright colors burned my eyes for staring to long so I sighed and raised from my bed. Today was the first raid we've ever sent out, the first time that these high school doors have opened up to let people out and come back in without quarantining them. We had gone through almost half of our supplies and we needed more, we were fearful that we would run out before we noticed. The run party consisted of me, of course, and my best friends that still called the inside of these walls their home, Dani and Theo. I had known both for quite some time and had went through my high school life with their complete support and back up. Kiera was going to come but then Hunter decided it wasn't safe for her, with the baby and all, which I'll admit even though I don't like kids, kids here had it bad enough so there was no need to cause one to lose their mother. I dug through my bedside drawer to find my small box labeled "Medicine" and took a couple buds out of the compartment using my grinder to break them up into small, workable pieces. I shoved them into the bowl making sure to get in as much as I could fit. Today was a big deal for me, I would try to find him, reunite with him. I needed him, and I missed him desperately. I missed the way he towered over me in the same way that a Great Dane towers over a Chihuahua. I missed the way how even though he was so much bigger and better then me in every way, he was still so gentle and kind to me. I was his princess, and as awfully awkward as it sounds, he was my king. I missed the way his lips danced along the skin on my neck, leaving tiny marks here and there. I snickered and snorted to myself when I realized that those marks would now be much more painful, with those sharp teeth and all. I continued to think of how he would be now that he had changed. My snicker faded to a frown when I realized how his stunning eyes would now be bloodshot and blurred. He was their leader. He was the first to inject the antibody, so he was the first to turn which gave him the upper hand seeing as he was able to get used to the affects faster then everyone else. He stood unopposed, and if it were to come to a situation where he was opposed, he'd kill to defend his position. He led them, and he did so well. He kept them fed, gave them laws, set strict standards. It was like a pure bred race of human, with strict breed standards and requirements. He was fearless, and he was feared because of it, which in my mind is a deadly mix. They mated, but they didn't take life mates like we did, they didn't marry per say. They were more just there to continue and grow the populace. A female would stay pregnant for 3 months and the children grew quickly. We'd seen many, many generations grow so far, where as we'd had maybe two. I noticed that Cameron took no children, for he didn't want to share his power with anyone. I will admit, as sensible a decision as it was, was probably not just made for power.  I took the lighter from my candle stand, sparking the bowl like a bomb fuse, taking a few long hits. As usual I zeroed them out, letting out a couple muffled coughs. As I was taking my fourth hit, bowl half dead, I heard a knock at the door. I quickly set down the lit bowl on the bedside table, waving away a bit of the smoke. "Who is it, you all should be asleep right now." I heard a faint familiar laugh from the other side. "Let me in ya loser." I coughed once more, relaxing my nerves a bit. "Its open come in on your own ya lazy oaf." I heard him sigh, walk in and lock the door behind him. "If you keep leaving this door unlocked while you sleep during the day you are bound to die. You're too careless, Amanda, you and I both know they've been in here before, we've seen them with our own eyes. Things happen and your luck is bound to run out." He waved a thick cloud of smoke from his face. I smirked and dragged myself out of bed, which was a small cot constructed of blankets and two desks, uncomfortable yes, but if its all you've got you learn to love it. "I'm counting on that, not gonna lie. I wait for the day that I can get outta here, no matter how I do it, and today is the day!" I hummed happily, spinning in circles around the room. "Well you need to hurry up, are you ready? Dani is getting antsy." I nodded, grabbing my knife from the bookshelf, stashing it in the holster that connected to my hip. "Where is she at? We're leaving through the garage door, I thought I'd already established that?" Theo bit his lip and pointed to the door. "I left her out there because I didn't think we'd take long." I widened my eyes at him, fear striking my expression. Rushing to the door I grasped the handle roughly, quickly unlocking it and pulling her in, shutting the door once more with a loud thud, locking it behind me. "Here you are, complaining about how I leave my door unlocked and yet you have the audacity to literally LOCK her outside of my room in the least safe wing of the building so that you can talk to me in private. Not to mention its day light outside and they are out there, shame on you Theo, she would have died." Theo scoffed and shrugged at me. Dani laughed and placed a singular hand on my shoulder. "Calm down, Amanda. I was fine. Might I just add though, that I can smell your stash from down the hall. You've been hitting it a lot lately, is this becoming an addiction? Do you need help Amanda, I can help you." I honestly couldn't take her seriously so I smirked and burst out laughing. "Are you guys ready or not, it's almost time and I'm not gonna lie, I'm freaking out a little bit." Dani had a sort of fear to her voice that wasn't exactly just fear, it was more of a twisted anxiety. "About that.." I bit my lip before beginning to explain to them my minor change in plans. "I have decided that you two will go for supplies alone." Their eyes widened and fear engulfed their frames, their postures shifted and their faces transformed into that of a sad scowl. "And what will you be doing? Leaving us alone like that like you hate us, god I thought we were friends." Theo had a way of always turning things against me since everything started, like he was always freaking out about everything and hadn't quite grasped the fact that one day he might have to survive for himself. So in turn he just clung to me with every living breath he had and wouldn't let me go if it meant his death, or so I thought. I sighed and raised a hand to hush his seemingly endless guilt tripping. "Theo, I'll be out there too, just not with you. I'm going to look for Cameron. I'm finding him today you guys I swear it. If I don't do it I'm afraid I will be unhappy forever and I swear I will do anything in my power to stop that from happening. I need him, you both know it. It's getting to the point where basic function has become difficult. I can't think anymore without fearing I'm abandoning him by being in here without him, while hes stuck out there running from the moon. He needs me just as much as I need him." Theo nearly hit me when I spoke those forsaken words. "You'll find him, by then me and Dani will both be dead by the way, and when you find him, he will kill you too. Everyone here will die because they don't have you to defend them and keep them safe and so we can say bye-bye to the human race because Amanda thinks that her ex-boyfriend still needs her, even though the only thing he needs is her flesh being ripped into shreds by his little man-eating colony of monsters." I clenched my fists and Dani noticed so she rubbed my shoulder. I calmed down after a few seconds of intense glaring at him and continued what I was saying. "Anyway, you two will go into town, scavenge through a couple of shops and I will try to find him, if I fail, I will be back during the night when It's safest. You guys should be back by then too, so you will be able to let me in. If I'm not back you will know what happened." Theo cursed under his breath and went back to arguing with my plan. "Dani and I can't defend ourselves without you, Amanda. You're the only one with knowledge enough to scare them away and that is why you were coming in the first place, don't you remember? They'll kill us if we go by ourselves and you know it." I hissed at him fiercely, warning him to quit. "Why do you never trust my knowledge? Why must you always point out falsities and minor smudges you think will matter. They know we need supplies, so they wont attack you, simple. They'd rather have their food source alive and ample rather than dead and gone, I assure you. Especially if Dani is with you, since she is a girl she's the only way to produce more of us." Theo grabbed my shirt collar, rolling his eyes at me. "Amanda you've never grown out of this boy phase and I think it's about time. Your friends are dying and you're putting the ones you have left at risk to chase a dead boy in desperate hopes that he wont eat you alive. Well I've got a news flash sweetie, he's different now. We've seen him kill before and we know he will do it without hesitation. I'm not risking my life for this. I can lead this colony on my own if that's the case." Theo stormed out of the room, stomping down the hall. "Ugh he is pissed what am I gonna do?" I sighed, leaning back on the wall. "I trust your leadership, Amanda. You've been second in command and somehow still first in command this whole time. We need you. But you and I both know if I go alone they will kill me. I've read your journals, studied your notes. If I know one thing, it's that everyone who had died has been alone." I nodded at that because it was true, we'd seen it countless times. "That's right. I'll try to grab some supplies Dani, but I don't even know if I'll be back so there really isn't any use." I pressed my head back against the wall, sighing softly. "What do you mean when you say that? I feel there's a deeper meaning than death, Amanda." Her eyes studied me quizzically. "If I find him, I'm not leaving him again Dani. I couldn't do that to him. Monster or not, I love him, with every fiber of my being. He completes me and I don't think I could bare losing him again." Dani smiled at me weakly, placing a soft hand on my shoulder. "We all knew Cameron, it's not like we don't miss him too. I would go with you if I didn't think this was so crazy." I chuckled, brushing her arm off. "I meant it, Dani. I'm gonna find him." I let my eyes travel along the room to the windows, studying the outside life. "I'm not trying to tell you how to live your life and make your choices Amanda, but please consider us, your people, your friends. Without you we'd all be dead by now. We need you, we need your leadership, we need your brains. We need your care for us. Without it, honestly we'd be nowhere. The council is corrupt and you're the only one making choices that benefit the community. Without you we will die, and frankly, I like living." I rolled my eyes, ruffled her hair and smiled. "Dani, y'know sometimes you lead me to forget that you're two years older than I am, and that there was once a time where you threatened to beat me up if I made a mistake. YOU can lead this, you know everything I do, and being a senior you trump everyone on that council. You've got it, if there was anyone better suited to that job than I was, it's you." She shook her head quickly. "Please come back man, I hate these people, I can't lead them they suck." I laughed at this and pointed at the door for her to leave. "I'm not makin' any promises, but I sure will think about it." Dani walked towards the door, standing in the door frame looking at me. "You're one crazy lady, you know that?" I nodded at her, throwing the key to the garage up in the air, catching it with a swift hand. "See ya later, Amanda." I watched her open the door before I waved bye. "Good bye Dani, take care of everyone please." She frowned and began closing the door, sighing hesitantly. "That good-bye feels like a permanent one." I smiled at her and nodded. "I'm hoping it is." The door shut and locked finally, she boarded boards to the door to keep the creatures from having any access to the rest of the school. I studied the walls of the room one last time, taking images to keep in my mind. The ceiling, the walls, the board, the books, everything. I walked to the metal garage door, laying my head against the cool silver surface, yawning widely. My hand drifted up to the lock, placing the key into the hole, twisting slowly. I heard a quiet click as the latch opened and the garage door clacked and clicked, metal hitting metal. I grabbed the rope that held the door shut, wrapping it up in my hands. Before opening the door, I walked to the white board, grabbing the black expo marker, removing the cap. I studied the dirtied board and took some cleaner, spraying a few spritz of it on, wiping it with a rag. I picked the marker up to the board and began to scrawl, in big block like letters; "Life goes on, this isn't the end for any of you." at the bottom of that I signed it with small and curly letters, spelling out the simple phrase; "Amanda was here." followed by the date and the time which was now 10 AM. I stepped back and admired my handy work, fixing a couple things with my hand and drawing over others with the marker. Once I was pleased I set the marker down and took a mental image of this too. This and those journals up in the library would be my legacy, for today I wiped the books clean of Amanda. For today, I no longer existed. I walked back to the garage door and began to pull it up, humming softly. I was once a caged bird, trapped behind these walls, and now, I was free, able to fly as I pleased. "I'm going to find you, I swear it on my life Cameron Avery. I swear that I will not abandon you again for as long as I live." As I opened the door I purred at the warm rays of sun and I breathed in the deep scents of the outside world. "You've already found me, Amanda."