INFECTED

Chapter 21

Oh shit! I think that car belongs to the principal. Well, it's useless anyway, now that she turned into one of them. Rest in peace principal Wagner, and sorry for your car.

The monster growled again and I can see it changing its direction and was now running towards the car.

"It's distracted, let's go!" I said in a low voice as I heard a crashing and shattering sound behind me. I looked back to see what was happening and it was the monster repeatedly punching the car and was attempting to devour it.

We crawled all the way on the other side of the car where we're hiding and Troy unexpectedly opened the car door and told us to get inside. We did not waste our time wondering and slowly went inside while the monster was busy attacking the principal's car.

All of us were panting heavily and from every breath, I can tell that none of us aren't terrified at all. Inside this hot and suffocating car, we are all nothing but scared students.

"How did you open this car?" I asked that made Troy, who was sitting on the driver's seat, turned his attention to me.

"I found a car key inside the clinic yesterday, maybe it belongs to one of the nurses but it's out of gas, I tried starting the engine earlier this morning but it's useless," Troy explained and all of us went quiet but I can still hear a growling, crashing, and shattering noise outside.

"So if it's out of gas, our only hope now is that bus," Aaron said, who was seating on the front, as we stared at each other's faces.

The front window of the car was covered with an insulator outside, I think it prevents heatwaves from getting inside but it's blocking our sight from the monster and we can't tell what it is doing now.

"So how the hell are we able to get to the school bus without getting spotted by that huge ass monster outside?" Aaron asked but we remained silent. We were all trying to think of a way but I have totally got nothing.

"The only way of getting out of here alive is to kill that monster outside," Troy said as we turned our gaze to him. His face was too serious trying to get rid of the fear that clouded all over him, "but we don't have enough weapons for us to fight that monster so we need to find another way."

He's right, all we have right now is a crowbar, a baseball bat, and a wrench. I don't think that's enough for us to kill that monster at all, not even close.

"Wait, yesterday while all of you were busy accomplishing the plan of luring the monsters to the auditorium, Alexis told us something, it was about the mutaphoid's weakness," Kellie said trying to remember something that made all of us got intrigued, "he told us that a mutaphoid has a substance inside its body that is completely flammable. That means, when it gets contact with fire it will flare up burning its internal organs then leading to its death. He even told us that it is possible that those infected's weakness is fire."

So that's why Alexis' plan was luring the monsters inside the auditorium then burning them. Why didn't he told us about this? It would've been easier for us to fight those monsters if only he told us about the weakness of those monsters.

"But Alexis told us that he's not sure if it will work to those infected that have mutated," Kellie added that left us confused.

"Mutated?" Aaron asked full of curiosity.

"Yes, he told us that he has a theory and just like a mutaphoid, when an infected will die and when it gets contact with any living organism, even a plant could make it get back to life but this time it will mutate and will copy every cell of that living organism that it gets contact with," Kellie explained and even though it was just a theory made by Alexis I think it's totally on point and everything is starting to make sense to me.

"Wait, I can't seem to catch up. Everything you just told us is just... it's making my head hurt," Aaron groaned massaging his forehead trying to sink in all of those things Kellie has just said.

"I think what she's trying to say is, for example, Melissa," I said making Aaron's gaze turn to me, "after you killed her you left a rose on her lap right? And base on Alexis' theory, the virus inside Melissa's body might have absorbed the rose and copied its cells and that must be the reason why she came back to life and have mutated. That explains the red petals and the thorny vines that started to develop on her body. And I know that it's just a theory but I think it's real."

"Wow, that guy sure is incredible at observing things," Aaron said in amusement.

"So if that theory is true then it lowers the possibility of killing that monster out there with fire," Troy said that made all of us turn quiet.

Well, Kellie did say that Alexis is not sure if those who have mutated can be easily killed with fire but we have no other options. We have no weapons that can kill that monster outside so we really need to think of something.

"What if we'll just wait until that monster leaves?" Kellie asked.

"I don't have a problem with that plan but I just want to remind you that the four of you have been scratched and we don't have enough time left so we really need to get out of here as soon as possible so that we could find Lei's dad to get a cure," Troy said as his face was filled with concern.

He's right, all of us were scratched except for him. It's only a matter of time until we turn into one of them. But the question is, how the hell are we going to get out of this school alive?

"I've got an idea," Aaron said while staring blankly on the window.

I don't know why but I have a bad feeling about his idea just by looking at his facial expression. Aaron glanced on the black wristwatch on his hand and took a deep sigh.

"It's almost noon, I'm almost turning into one of them," Aaron said looking at me with his eyes filled with sadness, "I'll lure that monster far away from here so that you guys can get out of here."

"What? No! We came back all the way here for you and now you're telling us that we'll just leave you here. No, that's not gonna happen. We will all get out of here before noon," I said opposing his stupid plan.

"Do you have any better plan then?" He asked.

I took a deep sigh and stared at everyone's faces while they were waiting for an answer. "That monster is so huge and I think it can't run faster we can."

"What are you trying to say?" Troy asked.

"The school bus is just a few steps away from here and that monster won't notice us unless we make a noise. So we will remove our shoes and will tiptoe all the to the school bus without making any noise," all of them remained silent.

"But with just one tackle from that monster, that school bus will surely tumble on the ground."

"Then let's lure it first using your phone," I suggested.

"Ugh, I hate to say this but I have totally nothing in mind and I think we should give that plan a shot," Aaron said like he had no other choice. Well, there are really no other options.

"Fine, I'll go to the main building to place that phone somewhere that it can still be heard from here while the rest of you should wait here until I came back," Troy commanded and even if we don't want to, all of us just agreed.

Aaron gave his phone to Troy and was about to get out of the car but I immediately held his arms to stop him and he stated at me with his glistening eyes.

"Be careful." That's the only thing that I've said and he just flashed me his sweetest smile and finally opened the car door to get out. As quick as he closed the door shut was as quick that the door opened again. I thought that he forgot something but he just told us that all of us should go outside.

"Why? What happened?" Aaron asked.

"Just see for yourself," Troy shut the door and the rest of us went out of the car to see what he's talking about.

As I stepped outside, a cold breeze brushed through my skin releasing a weird sensation all over me. But the thing that made me wonder was the whereabouts of the monster. It always terrifies me when I lost sight of a monster because it could be anywhere hiding and ready to attack you anytime when you let your guard down.

This is not a good sign at all, I'm sure of it.

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