*Beep *Beep *Beep

I woke up turning off the annoying alarm and swiftly getting out of bed to take a shower.

After that, I just put on jeans, white shirt with flowers and my sporty shoes. I threw my backpack on my back and went up the stairs with Andy on the couch just reading something on his phone. I shook my head with a smile watching him laugh at something. I went into the kitchen to see a note on the fridge but some was torn off with the pieces on the ground. I looked at the pieces, the ink streaked against the paper making it impossible to read it. I looked up on the fridge to where the bigger piece of the paper was and I can only read:

“Hey Ashlie and Andy. We’re gonna be out

a while longer with Sai. We need you both

to be good and not be scared. Daddy and

I should be home soon. Ashlie watch your

Brother and I need you both to do me a

Favor and ------------------------------

And What???? I picked up the papers and tried to read them but it was streaked all the words couldn’t be detected. How did this paper even get ripped like this???? Nothing makes sense to me… Andy came in curious of all the frustration sounds I made and tilted his head towards me.

“What’s wrong?” He said in a very confused tone. I looked over at him. The soft light made his hair color look like a brighter brown and the shade a very dark brown with a hint of red. I could see a lot of our mom in him, but he mostly had my dad’s looks and personality. Seeing him from this distance made him look about my height but if we stood together he was a foot taller than I was.

“It’s nothing really… Our parents will just be gone a while longer. Sai is still having troubles with the vet...Haha…” Awkwardly laugh as I looked at his unconvinced eyes following my eyes.

“Whatever you say...By the way you look good with that shirt” He says with a wave of his hand walking out to get ready to head out soon. I stayed quiet knowing I would get too awkward for that anyways. I grabbed the last of my items and ate a banana in four bites to run out with Andy to the bus stop.

“That’s weird...Usually everyone's light is on by now.” Andy points out as I realized he was right. Usually the kids run towards another house to get a ride to school. Some of the people would get in their car to go to work but nobody was outside but us… It was starting to give me chills as I tried thinking of what exactly was going on… Everything today has been just strange…

As we stood at the bus stop for a good ten minutes before the bus finally pulled up to us. When we got on nobody else but the bus driver and one kid was on. Okay this is totally weird now. Dakota’s stop came and he got on with this worried look I’ve hoped not to see.

“What’s going on?” I asked as he sat down next to me. His eyes looked into mine with fear.

“My mom didn’t want me to go to school today...But I wanted to see you… Something's not right, they wouldn’t tell me anything…” Looking down at his hands he couldn’t look me in the eyes. A heavy weight dropped on me as I looked at the window outside the lifeless world. What’s going on?

The bus stopped and we all got up, there were only six of us on the bus… We all went inside where it was almost empty. I saw Sally and Chase in the distance flirting like usual, but I couldn’t help the shaking my body was causing.

“Hey, If you want me to stay in your class, I will. I’ll protect you” Dakota said with a shaky tone as he forced a hug on me. I nodded and looked at him.

“Let’s go to your class. 2nd block I wanna go to mine with Riley and Liz” I said softly. He nodded and grabbed my hand walking towards his class. The classroom was empty but had two other kids inside. The teacher was watching something with a serious look on their face to care I was there. I sat behind Dakota and he turned towards me.

“I’ll protect you, don't worry. Here” He handed me his jacket that was so warm to touch. I nodded and smiled leaning against the desk to get warm not realizing how cold I was. The teacher got up and came to the front of the class, his glasses reflected the light toward me as his head turned.

“We’re not going to be doing anything today because of how little people there are today. So do whatever as long as you’re quiet” He said swiftly sitting back watching whatever again. Dakota got up and pushed a chair right next to mine and started to play a game on his laptop. I just leaned on his shoulder watching him play. Every now and then his muscles tense so much it’s hard to lean on him but it made me stop shaking after awhile. The bell rang making me jump. Dakota got up to lend me a hand to take me to my next class.

“Want me to stay?” He asked me to open the doors for me.

“I got it.” I replied feeling better.

“Okay. Text me if you need me and I’ll be right next to you to protect you” He promised. I smiled and nodded as he forced a kiss with his big lips before going into my class. Riley and Liz were the only people in the classroom, Liz was texting, while Riley was watching the news.

“Thank god, Alex should be here soon now” Liz said to Riley.

“OH GOD” Riley yelped as he jumped up watching the news. Liz shot up looking over his shoulder, I ran up to Riley to see a cop shooting a guy but he kept walking towards the cop. The cop finally started hitting the guy with a billy club, but the guy started to bite the cop as he slipped. The cop screamed for help finally another cop shot the guy in the head and it was finally down. The cop got up and his whole shoulder was covered in blood…

“Oh my god!” Liz cried as she watched more of the guys come after the cops. “People are just eating each other…”

I looked over at Liz and saw her crying way more as the cops were getting pinned down and bitten. Flesh was being torn, blood sprayed onto the road. Did my parents know of this? I grabbed my phone texting Dakota I needed him.

Him = “Coming”

Me = “Thank you”

Him = “I’ll be there in a bit, the teacher won’t let us out.”

Me = “Ok just hurry and be safe”

Him = “You know I’ll be safe”

I rolled my eyes as the teacher came in. She looked over at the door and back at us.

“Does everyone know what’s going on?” She asked as we all exchange looks. Liz was still crying in fear, Riley just sat there in silence, and I was shaking so much Dakota’s hoodie didn’t help.

“Well apparently there is an outbreak the scientists found an items and as they studied them a toxic chemical mixed with the items they had melted forming something that affects the brain where they turn to have only animal instinct” She explained in a confusing way.

“How did they get affected if the chemical was a liquid? How exactly did it affect us?”

“Well I guess they were trying out this formula for a cure for a disease, but the toxic chemical mixed into this cure and formed a new outbreak giving the person animal instincts to eat, but it’s bad to the point it’s like a sport now.” She explained a better understanding.

“How can we get it?” Liz asked not crying anymore.

“They say from bites, I think it stays in your system like your saliva and blood carry that out break.” She shifted her way towards the door to where we only saw her red curly hair all messy like she didn’t brush her hair.

“Attention teachers, I need you to not panic, but keep all your doors locked and if you’re at a window, shut the blinds. Students don’t panic. We’re going on a lock...NOO” The speakers echoed filling fear inside my body. No Dakota! You better be safe. Please oh please be alright…

“Umm. Okay Riley you’re gonna keep watch of everyone. You two stay in this classroom! Keep the doors locked! STAY!” She snapped with a glare as she eyed us. She opened the door slowly, slipping through the door to close the door and she was gone… Fear ran inside me like a wildfire as I heard growling. I ran up to the door to look out the window that I could barely see through with my height, but I managed to look out to see maybe 6 people walking towards where the teacher went off.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOO” A screamed echoed just outside my door making the 6 people run after it. These weren’t people… Shivering I held Dakota’s jacket up to my nose breathing in the sweet scent I loved. Please, Please stay with me… Tears flowed down my face imaging him getting bitten by that thing only to turn into one and be in so much pain. Please, Please stay alive, I won’t forgive you if you die.

“Alex you better get over here” Liz growled with a cry in her voice. I watched as the things faded into the hallway as the teachers scream became more painful and brutal. My heart stopped as I saw two shadows making their way here. Liz smiled and opened the door. The shadow people came in revealing a blond hair guy with brown eyes along with the guy I wanted to see… With a bright smile I jumped on him giving him a big hug starting to cry more as his warm hands laid on my back forcing me to be closer to his body. Embarrassment hit me realizing I was crying in front of him for the first time. My cheeks turned hot, I backed up covering up my face and turning around. He laughed and hugged me from behind making my heart want to explode with embarrassment.

“You’re such a dork, I love you” He hugged, kissing my neck making my blood boil and my face turn more red. I felt a stare down the spine of my back making me really uncomfortable. I looked over to see Alex glaring at us.

“We gotta get going” He snapped forcing everyone to follow or to be killed… We all started to walk out with Alex. Looking around my heart started to beat way more and I started to shake again, Dakota seemed to notice because he slipped his hand with mine and pushed me more with the group in a protective way. We heard the growling but otherwise everything was quiet. Way to quiet. Alex pointed towards the front of the school where he planned the escape. Something from the corner of my eye caught my attention. I looked to the side to see nothing, but then black hair at the corner of the hallway came out telling me someone was watching us. I nudged Dakota pointing with my head what I see and he seemed to catch on as he pulled me behind him. A face peeked out, curly hair. The skin seemed tan from this distance.

“SALLY” Liz shouted making everyone tense up. Alex put his hand on her mouth.

“Shut up Liz” He snapped. Sally heard and ran towards us with Chase. The growling came fast telling us they were coming.

“Crap. RUN FOLLOW ME” Alex snapped running towards the exit but it was blocked by more of the infected people. Alex growled but ran towards the bathroom that happened to be the girls and we all sprinted inside. Alex slammed the door and locked it. Slamming of the bodies hit the door making banging sounds. There was a window at the end of the bathroom, the kind of windows that are foggy that you can barely see out of, but enough to give the light. Chase held onto Sally very close to his side. His black hair looked like Sally’s just short, with his brown eyes, He was snow compared to Sally’s skin that touched his. Sally removed her grip from Chase heading towards the window, as she headed towards the window I saw blood on the ground with a body reaching out to her leg.