Goddammit! What time is it?
I turn my head to face the clock on my nightstand and- shit! Is it 10:47 already? How the hell did I oversleep? And where the hell is mom? She usually wakes me up if I'm still sleeping.
I stumble out of bed and began to put on some clothes. I guess I don't have time to shower anymore. I don't think that anyone would notice.
I burst out of my room and headed to the kitchen while putting on my shirt. "Hey Mom, you here?"
Looking around the kitchen for any signs of life, I noticed a note posted on the door of the refrigerator:
"Ric,
I'm sorry that I had to leave a bit earlier than usual. There seems to be a problem in the hospital. Be sure to eat breakfast. There's still some bread on the counter.
,Mom"
Well, that explains why the apartment felt empty. I left the note on top of the counter before grabbing and stuffing some bread on my mouth. No need for a proper breakfast now. It's almost lunchtime at school anyway. After swallowing the bread, I grabbed the carton of milk from the fridge and began drinking it as I make my way out of the apartment.
Since the school bus doesn't run anymore after class, I began to run to the direction of the school as soon as I exited the apartment.
I decided to take the shortcut to school by going through the alley behind some shops. Usually it's really dark in these alleys at night, but right now, with the sun shining so brightly, it doesn't look as intimidating as it used to be.
The alley was a little bit narrow. It could probably fit two people standing by each other's shoulder so hopefully, on the way, I don't run into some people or find that a car had blocked the other side of the alley.
Just as I was about to behind what loos like a butcher's shop, I noticed someone's back popping out behind a dumpster. It looked like he was eating something judging by the slurping and crunching sound that he was making.
I slowed down a bit as I was about to reach the dumpster so I wouldn't disturb whatever the bum was doing. Just as I was about to get past him, the bum quickly turned to lock his eyes at me.
I stopped on my tracks as I stared right back at him in the eye. He had tattered clothes and long, gray hair, but what was weird about him was his blood-splattered face and clothes and his sunken, bloodshot eyes. On his hand was what seems to be a rat; blood was still pouring out from the stump where it's head used to be.
The bum began to growl and reach out to me as he slowly stood up, but loses his balance and falls flat on his stomach. Somehow, I managed to gather my strength to run away from the scene because somehow, my legs began to move on it's own.
I was out of breath by the time I had reached the other side of the school. The school was already in front of me. I look back behind my shoulder, expecting the bum to be right behind me. Thank God he wasn't. I made a mental note never to use that alleyway as a shortcut ever again, unless I want to give myself a heart attack.
Seriously, what just happened back there? What was wrong with that guy? Why was he eating that rat? Why was his eyes all red?
No! Stop thinking about that guy. All I need to worry about is getting in school without being seen.
Guess I have to get through the cafeteria. The entrance is usually locked. The gym's backdoor is usually unlocked, but then there could be class ongoing in there.
Surely enough, the rear entrance of the cafeteria was unlocked. As I went past the counter, the lady behind it called out:
"Hey, shouldn't you be in class right now?"
I look back at her, "Err-I was late." My lips cracked into a smile as I scratched my head.
"Well, if you're trying not to get detention for being late," the lady said, "Then I suggest that you get the hell out of here. Teachers in the teacher's lounge usually come here every now and then."
"Uh- thanks, I guess?" I said, unable to think of another way to respond back to her.
I stopped by the vending machine beside the cafeteria door entrance. I guess it wouldn't hurt to buy a single can of soda, well, probably except my blood sugar level. Before I could drop my coin on the coin slot, I heard the sound of doors slamming open outside. What the hell was that? Did some teacher burst out of their classroom?
I proceeded to choose my drink and was about to grab it from the slot under it when the same lady behind the counter called out for me again: "Hey, what the hell are you still doing here?"
"Just getting myself a soda." I said, showing her the can I had just got.
"You really want to get caught, do you?"
"Err-no. I'll be on my way." I said before heading to the door. I can still feel the eyes of the lady on me as I was about to turn the handle.
Just as I got out of the cafeteria, a scream echoed throughout the hallway. It did sound like it was pretty far away, like at the other side of the hallway, but man, could this day get any weirder?
Just as I was about to get up the stairs, I looked behind me and saw three figures running towards the stairs, to me! Oh shit, teachers! I jumped off the stairs and ran back to the cafeteria.
The sound of footsteps became louder and louder until it stopped just in front of the cafeteria entrance. Then I heard someone say:
"Reiner, what about Alex?"
Wait, that voice sounds familiar. I'm pretty sure whoever outside wasn't a teacher.
"I'll go get Alex. You, on the other hand, head to the cafeteria and barricade it." It was a male voice, but I have no idea who it was.
"No! I'm going with you!"
"Chloe, I'm not saying that you're dead weight, but if something were to ever happen to you, I have no idea how I am going to forgive myself."
Chloe, Chloe, Chlo- Oh, that Marshall kid's sister? Now I know who's outside, though I still don't recognize the guy she's with.
Then I heard footsteps approaching towards me fast.
Before I could react, the door burst open. I felt the force of the door push me and the next thing I realized, I was lying on my back, groaning in pain.
"Oh shit, I am so sorry." Chloe said before reaching out her hand to help me up.
"No, I'm fine." I say after I was back on my feet. "Hey, you're Marshall's sister right? Chloe, am I right?"
"Yes," she said before walking past me, " But now's not the time for introductions." She began to walk-no, run towards the lady on the counter.
"Hey, uh, can you tell me what's going on?" I asked her, trying to catch up to her.
"We've got to lock the cafeteria down." she told the cafeteria lady, completely ignoring my questions, "Someone just got attacked near the entrance and now all the teachers are going crazy."
"Wait, hold on a second, miss," the lady said, "Give me one reason why I should believe you. You're probably just pulling a prank on us, but let me tell you now that this isn't funny."
"No, this is not a joke. I'm telling you. There was this guy who somehow got into the school, then he began biting the teachers, and now the teachers are attacking each other, and-"
"Excuse me, but does this guy you're talking about have red eyes, as if he had some kind of eye infection?" I asked Chloe. She turns to look at me; her eyes wide open in surprise.
"I don't know. I didn't see his eyes. Do you have any idea what's going on?" she asked me as she grabbed my shirt.
"No, no, let go of me!" I said, " I just saw this bum in the alley. He had this bloodshot eyes and he was chowing on a rat."
"What?" Chloe said.
"Okay, can someone tell me what the hell is go-" the lady said, but was interrupted by the sound of the alarms going off all around the school.
"What the hell?" the lady said.
"Hey, is there a fire or something?" the cook, who was in the kitchen the whole time, came out, wiping out sweat from his face.
"Well, if there is a fire, the principal would be announcing it over the radio." Chloe said, "Now do you believe me that something is wrong?"
"I'll lock the door." I ran to the cafeteria entrance, to lock the door, but then I heard an ear-piercing scream from a girl, then gasps and screams, before the sound of several, fast, heavy footsteps. I locked the door, but it doesn't seem like anyone was thinking of going to the cafeteria.
Then-
CRASH!!!
I heard the windows crash on the hallway, then more screams followed by several growls and gurgling sounds.
Then-
CRASH!
This time, it was from the window of the cafeteria. I turned around just to see a guy running towards me.
I managed to grab his jacket, but the force of him charging towards me threw both of us to the ground. I pushed him away, but then he lunges at me again. I raised my legs and kicked him in the chest. He stumbles backwards and falls on his back as I scramble back to my feet and began to ran towards the counter.
"Guys, don;'t you have a weapon or something?" I shouted. Both the lady and the cook behind the counter were frozen in place, unable to react or comprehend what just happened.
Then, before reaching the counter, I felt something grab me from behind, before I lost my balance. I felt my head hit one of the tables before hitting the floor. I heard the guy growl behind me as his grip on my shoulder tightened.
Without thinking, I swung my elbow behind me, hitting the guy on the jaw. I turned around to kick him on the chest again, but he managed to grab one of my foot.
Then I saw a fire extinguisher flew above me, hitting the guy on the face, followed by Chloe jumping over me before grabbing the fire extinguisher and began to bash the guys head in. The room was filled with the sickening sound of bones breaking and brains spilling out.
Then the lights went out. The alarm were no longer making any sound.
After a few seconds, realizing that the guy was already dead, Chloe, now covered with the blood of the guy she had just killed, threw the fire extinguisher aside, before dropping to the ground.
Then she falls to her knees, vomiting on the floor.
"Hey, you okay?" I said as I got up, holding the part where I had hit my head.
"Yeah," Chloe said, still coughing, "Let's just get to locking up this place." She got up before heading to the windows. "Hey, aren't you both gonna help us?" Chloe called out to the two people behind the counter. They looked confused before rushing to lock the windows.
As we began carrying the tables to block the windows, Chloe turned to me, "Hey, are you sure you can handle this?"
"Huh? Why?"
"You did hit your head pretty bad back there."
"No, I can handle it."
"You know," Chloe said, "I haven't caught your name."
"Err- it's Rico."
"So, Rico, how did you know my name? I didn't know I was that famous around school."
"Well, I knew your brother." I said.
"Well, that explains why." she said before we continued carrying the table.
"Kids, just let us handle this." the lady, whose name I think was Katherine based on the name tag she was wearing, said.
"No, it's fine." Chloe said, cracking a smile on her face. Even though she just smashed the a guy's head in with a fire extinguisher, she still doesn't look traumatized.
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