Infection

Chapter 7

"Z...zombies?"

He nodded stiffly and jerked his head in the direction of our Maths classroom.

"The one that got into our classroom... I watched as it killed my friends. Their blood stains that window. I thought they were gone but then..." His shoulders shake and his face is a mask of pain. "Beck staggered out."

"He survived?"

"I thought so too. That is until, he heard someone crying next door. No one human could've done what he did to that person. I'll leave that part to your imagination."

He turns away, but not before I see a tear trickle down his cheek. I also look away awkwardly.

There's silence for a minute, while Fern's sobbing subdues.

When I say there's silence, I mean that while our group is quiet, the zombies sure aren't.

Their hellish screams tear through the school and they seem to be getting louder. Almost as if more and more people are joining their masses.

I wonder what's happening to the rest of the city, I wonder dully. In all the zombie movies I've seen, which aren't very many as I'm a wuss, follow a basic story line.

The "survivors" hear of a refugee camp, they head to that camp only to find someone infected got through too. Chaos arrives but somehow they stumble out alive.

I guess all that would happen, except that we would get out in one piece.

My limbs numb after a while and my bones creak every time I move them slightly. All the time, the cries of the undead ring through the school. We needed to get out of here. Now.

"Can any of you guys drive?" I say, desperately hoping someone says yes.

Ree fiddles with her nose ring, then looks across at me.

"I haven't got my licence yet but I think I'm your best shot."

A wave of nervousness rushes through the group, but we all nod like clockwork. I can practically hear everyone's brains ticking.

"The nearest car park is the teachers," Dean says. I open my mouth to disagree, but he continues.

"I know, I know, the public one is closest but it's also a narrow path. Think of how many zombies would be crowded around in there. If we go across the east walkway, then through the library we can have our pick of cars."

I'm in a state of shock that something other than utter rubbish came out of Deans mouth. Then I slap him across the back.

"Asswipe, you may be the next fucking Einstein!" I exclaim.

He rubs his back then looks at me with an icy glare.

"Don't get your hopes up, Ratchet-face."

Our bantering is interrupted by the sound of growling, our heads all shoot up and Dean's hits the metal of the bottom of the bench.

I stop myself laughing my head off when I realise what situation we're in.

Something warm and thick drips onto my cheek. Gently tapping my fingers on the liquid, I look down at it. Blood. With a sudden crazy thought, I realise this day I've basically been living in The Evil Within. That distracts me from the thought that some festering blood is dripping steadily on my cheek.

Through the cracks in the bench, I can see a rotten foot pressed on the seat.

A blood-thirsty creature is, literally, right above our heads. With a heavy thump, it lands on the ground right next to us.