*Same old annoying alarm noises*
...
I was sitting on my bed with my phone in my hands, looking at it as it kept ringing.
"Woke up before the alarm sounded off... Guess I'm a little on edge after all huh."
The shutters on my windows were half closed, what little sunlight that invaded the desolate room was not doing the room any favors either. I stretch and close my phone, then head towards the bathroom to wash up.
After splashing some water on my face I look at myself in the mirror.
"Huh, I should be looking much worse knowing what is going to happen in a few hours."
I return to the living room and open my computer, sitting on the chair in the process.
DayZ
"Seven AM, going to leave earlier today. It would be really lame if I got caught by the outbreak while I was heading to school. Shame that the stores only open after ten here, I had second thoughts about buying a solar power bank… But ehh, not that I have any money left. Oh well, what's done is done"
I spin my chair around till I'm looking at what I prepared last night.
"Bag" I get up, reach for the bag and then open it. Doing a last check to make sure I was not missing anything.
"Extra clothes, check. Swiss knife, check. Map, check. Compass, check. Flashlight, check. Screwdriver, check. Bandages, check. Food for today, check. Yacht keys... One can always dream."
Closing the bag, I throw it around my shoulder, take my keys and walk next to the tower of my computer.
"My friend, I'm afraid that's all the time we got left." I then unplug the computer, open the case and take out the hard drives, go to the sink, open it and throw them in. About twenty seconds later I picked them back up, thoroughly soaked, and walked to the front door of my apartment, opening it.
"Last time that I see this place."
I shake my head and turn to glance at my 'house'.
Today my future is going to change to running from zombies...
I walk out my apartment and follow the street towards the school. To make my future a fait accompli, I also threw my apartment keys to the first trash bin I ran into, then threw the hard drives in a different trash bin.
I then stood over the bin for a few seconds.
"A moment of silence for my two terabyte 'homework' folder."
I let out a small chuckle and hurry on my way. To be honest, I didn't feel safe on the streets right now. I wanted to reach the school as fast as possible.
"Won't it be ironic if I end up being the undead that is banging on the school gates?"
Apparently my brain did not appreciate the joke, as I got the sudden urge to start jogging, so I can reach the school faster. So all it really took for me to be in front of the school gates was fifteen minutes, half of my usual commute time.
After reaching my class and leaving my bag on the desk's side that was facing the wall, I sat down. I then spent several seconds staring outside, thinking what exactly I could say if anybody asked why I put all that crap inside my bag.
Parkour might explain the change of clothes and bandages, but the amount of food inside along with the swiss knife and flashlight seems more reasonable if I was going camping or something. So...parkour camping? Or I can say that I was aiming to do a marathon, a very long marathon.
I then turn my sight back towards the class, looking at the kids that were chatting among themselves.
Wonder if any of them will survive.
That was all I was able to think before the bell rang, with the teacher coming in a few minutes later ,causing the class to quiet down.
Sorry, teach. But today my eyes will be stuck on the gate. I don't even care if it gets me expelled today. It's not like I will be staying in this school either way.
As the class went on, all I did was indeed stare at the front gate.
I will not only have to find a way to be out of class to check where Takashi will be at while Teshima gets bit, but I must also be able to get back in my class before the panic starts. As I really don't want to be in the hallway when every single student in this school will have the bright idea to run in a panic like a headless chicken.
The first class passed normally. Nobody appeared at the gates and nothing seemed to be out of place.
Walking out of the class I passed by the vent, giving it a quick glance. Making sure it was still unbolted before returning back to class for the next period.
The whole thing is supposed to happen in the middle of a class... but I don't know which one. The undead guy on the gate was dressed like a businessman, so he probably got attacked on his way to work and ended up here. If he was attacked after he was in his office, he would probably have stayed there as a zombie as he would not be smart or mobile enough to wander outside. Other than by falling outside a window or something. Yet, other than looking like he just pulled nine all-nighters straight he didn't look hurt, the giant chunk of his back missing excluded of course.
And with that thought, the bell rang again, signaling the second lesson's start.
If it's going to happen, then just happen dammit, waiting for it is not doing any good for my mental health.
As the second lesson was in session, I could not help but start thinking what I could have done more. If I should change some fates beside the main cast.
Maybe...I should have learned how to drive a boat. Better chance of escaping people by sea rather than land, add that japan is a frigging island. Hm, Most boats do have a steering wheel though, and I do know some basics from playing video games. Like that the throttle can look like the one that planes got and...well that's all I actually know, can you hot-wire a boat?
A loud thud jerked me out of my thoughts, the noise actually came from right in front of me, from the window beside me. Looking at it, I saw that it had some chalk dust on it. Looking down, I saw chalk, broken in pieces.
I turn my head to see the teacher glaring at me.
Great, just, great. This is exactly what I need right now
The teacher must have been bored of doing his lesson because he asked me to stand up and go to him, before he started an annoying monologue about… I don't know, I didn't really care about it to actually sit and listen to what the teacher had to say to be honest.
Between the teacher's loud monologue, the smirking students and my own state of mind, I had just about enough.
"I need to go to the bathroom."
That's all I said as I walked out of the class.
That… might not have been my best idea, but I'll make it work. I can still keep a watch on the front gate from somewhere else. If the dead man appears I don't think the teacher will have a lot of time for chewing me out before the panic starts.
With that thought in mind, I headed towards a hallway with a clear view of the front gates, that was also near the stairs I usually see Takashi at...
About thirty minutes passed with my eyes locked at the front gate. I had long since stopped thinking, as it was only going to give me a headache in the end…
Until, something happened… not the zombies sneaking on my ass, thankfully. Loud footsteps coming from my right. I turned my head to see Saya walking with her usual pissed off attitude. She just stormed passed me while stomping her feet, I think she didn't even realise I was there.
Wonder what set her off this time.
I then turned to my left, looking at her as she stomped away.
She would pester Takashi that he was skipping class, yet completely ignore me. I guess she only bothers people she likes huh.
And a few seconds later, it hit me.
Wait, didn't Saya also skip class to speak to Takashi in the anime? And the way she just stormed off now… she looked like she just had an argument.
SHIT!
I spring myself off the wall and break into a sprint towards where I just saw Saya walk away from… the stairs.
Stopping at the top of the stairs, I see none other than Takashi. Staring at the gate. And...I knew what he was looking at, I knew this scene by heart. The scene that has become etched into my head and only got reinforced by the time I spent panicking over what's to come...
'It' has begun.
I looked at the gate myself, for a final confirmation.
The dead. They are at the gates.
I did a full U-turn and started running to my class as fast as I could. While I knew I had time before the panic started, as Takashi had enough time to rush to Rei. I just felt that I need to be fast, very fast.
Reaching my class I slam the door open, startling some of the students that were seated near the door. The teacher looked at me with the scowl of the century, and some students started giggling again. Ignoring everything, I move quickly to the back of the class, grabbing my desk and pulling it further towards the back, pretty much shoving it into the corner of the classroom.
The teacher narrowed his eyes as he looked at me.
"We will have a chat once the class is over" Was all he said before he continued his lesson.
No we won't...
It was weird, but all the anxiety I have felt up to this moment since waking up today had vanished.
While I was busy preparing myself, a loud door opening "Greywald - san, please follow me to the teachers office! We need to discuss your latest behaviour!" Kyoko Hayashi sensei sudently screamed for me, after that abrupt entry.
Shouldn't she be at the gate? Now that I think about it. I did not see her there. Did my behaviour influnce the script?
While I was thinking if I should offer an excuse or just ignore her, the speakers in my classroom crackled alive.
The panic is going to start any minute now.
I looked at the speaker that was installed on the ceiling, near the front exit of the class.
A voice, probably a teacher's, started ordering the students to evacuate, only to be suddenly cut off. Then, the speaker once again went live. Only this time, it was broadcasting the teacher's last moments as he began to panic in the AV room, shouting for help. Until he let out a scream, and then silence.
Looking back at the teacher, I see him frozen in place, the chalk on his desk slowly rolling towards a free fall.
So, this is the class I was actually in.
Was all I managed to think as the chalk hit the ground, smashing into bits, acting as the signal for everybody to go bat shit crazy.
You know in the anime you never think about it, but the sudden change from dead silence to everybody screaming at once is deafening. Like the school itself had started screaming along with the students. Morbid as it is, I couldn't think of it as anything else but the ringing of a lunch bell for the zombies.
Pandemonium ensued in the class as the students and the teacher alike started running towards the door, smashing into each other. Each one trying to scream louder than the one next to them.
Kyoko Hayashi sensei also seems to have left me alone aftar that announcement. Well, I hope she lives. At least she survived longer than in the show.
And just like that, the class was empty. Only me, myself and I… and the screams from beyond the wall.
I slowly got up from my desk, picked up my bag, strapped it on my back as well as I could, then headed to the opened door, and closed it.
I turn around and look at the class.
I will check if I can find anything of use here while the sea of death passes outside my front door.
I go over some of the bigger bags, hoping to find something that might be of use…
Sadly, most of the bags had nothing interesting inside, aside from one that had a cell phone which I picked up and turned to a silent, non vibration mode.
Taking out the battery to remove the SIM might lock it behind a password, so I should just keep it like this, in case I need loud distraction later.
I pocket the extra cell phone, then grab the nearest chair and head to the door, opening it slowly.
I peek outside at both directions of the hallway. Seeing the hallway empty, with no blood splatters or bodies littering the floor I opened the door completely and then, with chair in hand I went to the vent. I place the chair under the vent, take the screwdriver out of the side pocket of my bag and unscrew the last screw that was holding the vent cover. With nothing holding it in place, the vent once more fell to the side, hanging by the last bolt. Reaching inside I grab the handle of the bat I painstakingly hid.
All this to hide a bat...why can't I be in America? Sneak myself a minigun and rocket launcher...
Bat in hand, I looked around me before pulling it out of the vent completely, then stepped down the chair. With the screwdriver back in the side pocket I once more scan my surroundings. I could still hear screams all around me. but they seemed different now, they were not the screams of panic. They were screams of fear...
The hallway was still empty, clean. Yet when I looked outside the window I saw a massacre in full display. People getting thrown to the ground, pinned down by groups of walking corpses, fresh blood being splattered all over the place. While the ones still alive used others as bait so they could escape. Worst of all were the people that died, only for them to come back and bite whoever was unlucky enough to care for them.
I let a huge breath out of my nose and walk towards the end of the hallway then look over the corner.
The hallway I was looking at now had a staircase in the middle, linking the floors together. Next to the staircase, I could see a student on his knees, next to another student who was on the floor. I could only see half of the body of the one that was on the floor, with the rest of it probably being on the staircase, which I could not see from the angle I was looking from.
I did not need to see the other half though, the pink line of flesh I could see going from the fallen student's stomach to the mouth of the one that was kneeling on top of him was enough to make me understand what I was looking at.
I was prepared to see some gruesome stuff from here on out, but I guess the first time is never easy. The fact that the first gruesome thing I wind up seeing is a corpse chewing on somebody's guts ain't helping either.
Good thing I haven't eaten anything yet. My stomach would be throwing one hell of a party right now if I did… Still how should I call these things anyway? I have been jumping around names until now… Maybe I should just call them 'them' like the cast?...Hmm, nahh, too weird to use...I will stick with corpses, for now at least.
Hitting myself in the forehead with my knuckles, I try to focus on my next plan of action.
When Takashi was on the roof, it was already crawling with corpses. Meaning the corpses must have already overrun all the lower floors to also be up there.
And seeing how the staircase is being used as a dining table right now. It could mean that that has already happened. The reason why the hallway I'm in is clean is because nobody had a reason to run here, or didn't manage to, for now anyway.
I go over the corner and walk towards the snacking student, his chewing getting louder as I get closer...
After I closed in enough to still be out of leaping range but have a clear view of the stairs I stopped.
The stairs are clear, only these two are here. I guess the one on the floor tried to climb back up and got caught. Or he was running down and bumped into the one that is now snaking on him, seeing that his legs point towards the stairs and he's belly up.
No matter, now that I got only two potential walking corpses here, it's the best time to check if a hit to the head is enough to stop them for good. Or if it'll just get them pissed off and turn me into a lunchbox.
With that in mind, I lift my bat slightly and grab the handle with both hands as I silently side-step towards the kneeling corpse. Once I was within swinging range of the corpse, I lifted my bat higher to the side of my head. And with a slight turn of my upper body, I swung down...
With a rather loud thud, the bat makes contact with the head of the chewing corpse, sending it sideways and then flat against the wall, smashing its head from both sides.
The body stays like that for a few seconds before sliding forward, falling down and stopping once and for all.
I turn my head and look at the second body that was on the floor.
No time to celebrate yet, this guy will probably get up as well.
I take a few steps back and wait. All while looking around me to make sure the sound did not attract anything. A few moments later, the second body started twitching, and then rose to a sitting position.
Alright, now to test out just how smart these things are...I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm letting this one get up...I must be going mental, because I'm not freaking out right now.
Using my bat I give it a quick poke in the back of the head and quickly take a big step back.
Nothing, no reaction. Just like Saya theorized.
That experiment over with, I started my next one.
I lift my foot and then bring it back down on the floor with enough strength to make an audible sound, then walk a few feet away so I'm not in the way.
The sitting corpse reacts to the sound as it lethargically turns its head to where I was a few seconds ago. It then slowly starts stumbling to a standing position and shambles to where I had struck the floor,then passes it and bumps into the window.
And they are either blind, or insanely stupid. It just moved past where the sound originated and into the window beyond it. Meaning it just picked the direction the sound came from and followed it until it found an obstacle to hit into… or bite into.
There were more things I wanted to test out, but I didn't want to push my luck. Not now at least.
I silently walk close to the zombie that was now making out with the window and take a swing at the back of its head with only one hand, my good one.
The impact of the bat causes the window to crack and the zombie to stumble backward onto its own guts that were on the floor, causing it to slip and fall down. It then started shambling about on the floor.
Not dead, but it does seem to have trouble getting up.
I jerk forward and bring the bat down to the dead guy's head, causing a splatter of blood to appear on the floor and him to finally stop moving.
I still don't understand how they could track Takashi and his team later in the anime. They were actively chasing them in some cases. Maybe they can actually sense heat like Kohta theorized? So after linking a sound with a heat source they will go after the heat source with a fervour instead?
Scratching my head, I turn to the stairs, to see that trouble has arrived. The sound of my bat smashing against the second corpse must have attracted some of the corpses from downstairs.
They are dumb enough to get easily tricked, yet they are smart enough to understand that a sound came from a floor above them, to find the stairs and then climb them without falling over… ughhh...or they were already on the lower part of the stairs..
I sigh in my head and move away from the stairs. Then begin walking down the clear hallway, with each of my steps making splashing noises.
Must have been the blood I stepped on as my shoes were starting to get rather noisy as I walked.
Right. Time to change footwear.
Still standing, I take my shoes off using my feet, bend over, grab them and throw them in the direction from which I came from causing any corpse that was heading towards my way to turn around.
I continued walking with only my socks for a bit until I was far enough from where I threw my shoes to feel safe. After taking a look around, I take off my bag, unzip it and take the plastic bag that had my boots in them along with my gloves.
Boots over stuffy shoes any day.
I take the boots out of the plastic bag and wear them. After folding the plastic bag I put it back in, closing the bag and strapping it back on my back.
Then I put on the gloves and test my grip on the bat.
Not bad. Now to figure out what to do next.
I glanced at the window to see the sun was still out, going strong. Then continue walking straight in the hallway.
Takashi and Rei will stay up on the roof until the sun begins to set. Meaning that I need to find a way to survive until then, as the group will not meet until sunset. I could try to find Saeko or Kohta. Both are still alive wandering the school right now, with Saeko probably going ham on any poor meatbag that approaches her and Kohta being needled by Saya.
Now, the only time Saeko was shown before the group met up, she was going down a staircase, meaning she's either on the first or second floor right now. She then would end up in the nurse's office that is on the first floor, so she probably went from the second floor to the first. Saya and Kohta are also running around from what looked like probably the second or third floor.
While I was in thought I heard moaning coming from in front of me. Two corpses were shambling towards me, or towards my direction at least.
I narrow my eyes and put my back against the wall on the side, while holding my bat from each corner with one hand so I can use it as a shield if one of them lunged at me.
As the two corpses shambled passed me, they didn't even seem to realize that I was there.
After they moved away, I got off the wall and started walking.
This is not good, I'm going to get surrounded if I let these two walk and find more of these things ahead of me.
Realization in mind, I stop in my tracks and turn around, then walk to the two shambling corpses in front of me…
Using both hands, I take a swing on the side of the head of the one that was near the wall causing its head to be smashed between the bat and the wall, making it fall down with a thud.
The second one, hearing the sound, moans and turns around to me, only to be met with a sideways swing from a bat to the side of its face before it could completely turn around.
Stumbling, it moves a few feet forward and then falls down. Moments later, it puts its hands in a push up motion as it tries to get up. I walk up to it and stomp my foot on its back, causing it to fall flat again, and in a quick motion, I raise my bat and swing it with a golf swing-like motion on the downed corpse, blood once again painting the floor red.
Well, I suppose this verifies that they are more brittle than a normal human, or I swing like a truck like the rest of the cast.
That over with, I turn back and head down the hallway again.
Turning over the corner after the hallway ended, I found another flight of stairs. To my surprise, they were empty, or more precisely the corpses there were all dead , like dead-dead.
Closing in on the staircase I hit the floor with my foot trying to make sure that they are actually dead and won't try to surprise jump scare me. None of them reacted, but still just in case, I took a long way around them.
I head on the stair's railing and lean on over it, looking down in the process.
If Saeko had passed through here, then I'm too late. In the anime the first floor is like a dance floor full of dead people in the early hours.
I give an annoyed sigh.
I can't risk it, I will have to go through them just to check 'if' Saeko went on the first floor or not.
I leave the bat on the floor and lean on the railing even more, trying to look up this time.
"Nope, can't see jackshit."
Can't see anything from here, but I don't have much of a choice, I need to pick my poison. This hallway leads to a dead end, going down is just stupid, going back is pointless as the stairs there had corpses, moving ones. So the only way to go is, up.
I push myself back, pick up the bat and start going up the empty stairs.
Thankfully I met no resistance going up the stairs. While blood and guts were splattered all over the place, that was all there was here. Nothing that would like to check how warm my insides were , are around.
I reached the top of the staircase and checked both directions of the hallway.
The third floor had some unwelcome guests scattered around.
Most of the corpses are kneeling down and seem to be occupied with eating, so I should be able to walk past them.
I was about to move to the right side, as it seemed to have less of them, when on the window of the opposite building, I saw two figures.
Pink hair on a face that is probably frowning and a chubby guy probably looking depressed.
I smile to myself and turn to look at the hallway that would make me cross paths with them,the left one…
My smile disappeared when I realized which part of the hallway I had to go through.
Of course, it had to be the one that had more of them… But I can't miss this chance. I might not get another one.
Steeling myself, I take a deep breath and start moving down the corpse filled hallway, which was made a lot worse by the fact that it also had moving ones…
So, I kept sidestepping to a corpse free wall, waiting for the ones that got too close to pass by before continuing.
I am a ninja, I am a ninja, I am a ninja. If I get spotted I am a dead ninja.
Everything was going fine and I was about to be out of the corpse-filled hallway. Until a corpse had the sudden urge to just do a full turn around and walk right into me.
The moment it was too close for comfort I didn't even think. I jumped back hitting my back against the window, and swung...In the worst direction I could have.
The bat impacted the thing's head and the thing's head impacted the nearby lockers as the impact of the bat made it turn around once more and end up in a lunging fall into the lockers, in other words, a lot of noise.
I just dun an fucked up.
In a split second, before the corpses could realise that the dinner bell had just rang, I bent my body forward, so their arms won't be able to easily get a hold of me, and break into a sprint. Thankfully, there were only a couple of them left between me and the end of this damn infested hallway.
I picked the first route I saw to be obstacle-free at that moment and started running. A few steps later, I see one of them blocking my way. It was far enough for me to change direction, so I just ran past it after swerving to the left.
Problem is, I was now running next to the wall on my left so I could only swerve to the right. Which would be a bad idea unless I wanted to end up running into one of these things. Before long, another one was blocking my way, this time I was unable to swerve past it. So I held my bat on each side with my hands and smashed it sideways under its armpit. Ducking my head and using my forearm to push its arm away from me so it could not grab me as it stumbled to the right.
With that one now out of the way, there was only one of them left in front of me. My bat was already in a position for a swing, so I grabbed the handle with both my arms and swung for the things head. Causing it to fly to the left and land face first into the windowed wall.
With the hallway in front of me now hostile free, I stop running and quickly look back. Every single one of them was now walking towards me. I then turn my head forward and start walking silently, turning over the next corner a few moments later.
In this hallway there were not as many of the walking corpses. But the few that were here, were heading towards my direction as well.
Undeterred, I continued walking forward silently. Side stepping out of the way of any of the shambling corpses, until I could see Kohta waving at me, with Saya behind him, giving Kohta the stink eye.
Saya and Kohta must have heard the commotion too. Lucky for me, that made them wait instead of picking up speed.
Heading towards the two I raise my bat and wave at them. After reaching them I speak up.
"Good to see you're still alive commando." I say in a low tone.
"Y...yea...glad to see you're also still alive from…whatever this is."
I then turned my sight to Saya, who was now eyeing me, still with a frown. I sigh and look around.
The ones behind me were flocking to where I had my little accident, so we were safe from them, for now at least. And, from what I could see, there weren't any hungry corpses in front of us either.
"Ummm this...is Takagi" Kohta says, introducing me to the scowling pinkette.
"Did you get bit?" She says with a sharp tone.
That is the first thing she tells me? Not even a goddamn 'Hi, nice to meet you person I yelled at yesterday'. Not that I expected anything else from her to be honest.
"Actually, that's a good question." I answer as I start checking myself for bites or any other wounds.
In the heat of the moment, it could be possible that I got bit, but did not feel it.
After checking myself. It thankfully did not seem to be the case.
"No bites" I look back up at the two of the main cast...
The three of us then spent a couple of awkward seconds looking at each other before deciding to move out.
"Wait, You… aren't you the idiot who was spacing out on the stairs yesterday, the one blocking my way? " Saya speaks up as we start moving, her eyes narrowed.
Me and my big mouth...
"Yeah… that would be me." I scratch the back of my head while letting out a dry laugh.
"...Ughhh" Was all she said as she shook her head and walked past me...Me and Kohta following behind her.
Deja-vu… Maybe going on the first floor and hoping to find Saeko before becoming somebody's lunch was a better idea after all.
"So they only react to sounds?" Kohta asks in a low tone.
"Yep, they are blind and seem to ignore physical contact with inanimate objects, they might be able to sense heat though. As from what I saw, they seem to realize when they have grabbed a human and they are also able to home in on a running person after getting their initial 'lock on' too... even if that 'lock on' doesn't seem to last very long. As they lose interest pretty fast, and get distracted even faster. I'm just hypothesizing about that though, I didn't have much of a chance to test it out, nor do I have a death wish to experiment how long it will take them till they would lose interest in chasing me, especially when I'm in a closed space." I say as I look back at Kohta.
"I see, that would explain why we were able to just walk around them then." Kohta nods while he keeps speaking quietly.
"Also kind of obvious but, these things are, well, dead" I say with a deadpan look on my face.
"Huh, dead? Don't be ridiculous, if they are dead then why are they still walking around?" Saya butts in with a sharp and rather loud voice.
"I don't know, but you have seen them? I might not be that particularly versed in human biology, but what I do know is that you can't be considered to be very alive if you're chewing your own ripped off arm, half of your back is missing and you are dragging your own guts on the floor. Also Takagi, could you pleeaaase... talk just a biiiit more quietly?" I turn my head to Saya with a pleading look.
I tried to be as polite and non provocative as I could. And obviously, I failed. This is Saya we're talking about after all.
Saya frowns, puffs her cheeks and answers with a rather loud voice, again.
"And who are you to tell me what to do? And why did you have us stop in this classroom in the first place?"
Right now we were in an empty classroom, as I asked the other two for a 'stop' after I saw them trying to hide behind a couple of lockers when they spotted a couple of corpses 'staring' at our direction. I could have explained how the corpses act right then and there. But I had the strong feeling that Saya would not be able to help herself and would end up with some loud, snarky remark after my explanation.
So, planning ahead for that, I picked an empty classroom in hopes of somewhat soundproofing Saya's outbursts, as she kept speaking loud enough to make every single deadhead turn our direction.
"Ughhh...forget it, I am not here to antagonize you. Kohta and I will check the door. And if it's clear I will signal with my hand so we can move out. We should try to keep the noise and chatter to the minimum after we get out of this room." I say and get up from the chair.
"And who made you the boss anyway?" Saya 'asks' as she silently looked away from me.
Ignoring Saya, I started moving towards the class door.
God, she might seem cute and all with her tsundere act in the anime. But the fact that all I get from her is tsun and no dere is making me want to start chewing a desk. I had to deal with one too many corpses already, because she was being too loud.
Uhhh, focus, got to keep myself focused. She might act like a total stuck up bitch right now, but she is not a bad person, I hope. And, I also have to make sure Kohta won't end up dead before he gets his custom-made nail gun thingy.
Going to the door, I cleared my mind and slowly opened and peeked through the door.
Right side has two of them standing up and three on their knees munching on some unlucky bastard.
Left side has only three, but all of them are on their feet. Normally, I would take the right side as going around the eating ones is much easier, but I don't want to risk it with the other two with me.
I move back to the classroom, motion Kohta to wait, pick a random pencil case, stuff it up with clutter, close it and then move back to the door. Then hurl the case at some lockers on the right side. While the noise caused the prone zombies to get up and move to the lockers, it also caused the trio on the left to start moving towards the right corridor as well.
As they shambled past the door, I motioned to Kohta to move out. He gets up from his chair and starts moving, followed by an annoyed, yet silent Saya.
After getting out and stealthily walking to the left, the three of us started moving down the hallway with me in the front, Saya in the middle and Kohta bringing up the rear.
"Kohta, if possible keep a lookout behind us. I don't want us to end up surrounded in the wrong moment." I say to him in a hushed tone.
Kohta gapes at me like a fish before he proceeds to simply nod. Saya just kept quiet.
Got to get Kohta his gun, he's being way too meek like this.
"Say Alexander, what's with the get up?" I hear Kohta ask.
"The bag, shoes and gloves?" I answer without stopping to look back.
"I had a tight schedule today, I was planning to leave right after school and only return tomorrow morning so I packed for it" I responded without waiting for Kohta's input.
"You're going somewhere?" He asks right after.
"Yea a part-time job" I answered once again.
"You have a job?" Kohta returns with another question.
God damn it dude, stop being so curious. Now I have to make up even more things on the go.
"Yep" Then, an idea hit me.
"I was helping a friend of the shop owner we met a couple of days ago, you remember him right?" I answered back, hoping that if the gun range owner came into play, it would make Kohta stop asking questions, as him being there with me yesterday was not very legal. Not that being legal mattered in any way right now. But both of them have yet to realize the weight of the situation from what I see.
I just hope that this won't come back and bite me in the ass.
"Ohhhhh I see" Kohta was about to open his mouth again when...
"Will you two shut up already!" Saya butts in, again, with a loud voice.
Saya, you just got brownie points for this. Even if you were not actually aiming to help here.
Thankfully Saya's loud voice did not attract anything other than a couple of corpses that were already behind us. So other than the occasional corpse that got wind of us 'somehow' and had to meet the wrong end of my bat, or fall in love with a nearby wall, we moved through the hallways with relative ease.
What should I do now? I got Saya and Kohta with me, so I could just go straight to the classroom I got the screwdriver from and arm Kohta up. Although that means that he might also run out of ammo sooner... As in the anime he gets his gun at sunset, and we have about an hour before the sky changes color at all.
We could go straight to the faculty room and wait for the rest of the team. With the car and bus keys there, these two will probably agree to go with me if I tell them that I can drive. But then, I won't be sure if the group will meet up at all. Hmm, Saeko and Shizuka, I know they are heading towards that room as well, so all we have to do in order to meet them is wait. That only leaves Rei and Takashi out...
No, no I must make sure Takashi joins up with the group. Bad thoughts, bad Alexander, bad.
So, I guess we'll just go get Kohta his gun and then run around until sunset. Worst case, I'll have to let the whole thing with Saya getting attacked and going into shock happen. Although I hope to avoid having her go through with that harrowing experience… Anyway, Takashi was aiming to leave the school with Rei, so we could find him if we keep an eye on the front gate after teaming up with Saeko and Shizuka.
With thought, I decided that the best next move is to arm Kohta. As right now I'm the only one that's actually doing any fighting, with Saya and Kohta either staying behind me or trying to find a place to hide, from blind corpses. Bad habits die hard I guess.
"We should go to the workshop class, it should have tools and materials that will let us reinforce what we have, or make something better, as I don't know how long this bat will hold if we keep going like this." I say while turning my head back looking at the two.
"There's one on the second floor." Saya speaks up as she pushes her glasses with her middle finger.
"Alright then, second floor for starters." I nod and turn to look forward again.
As we kept moving, I noticed a group of corpses huddled together at the end of the hallway. The sound of moaning, chewing and bones being snapped being audible in the otherwise silent hallway.
I have three good reasons for why I don't want to go down that way, and one is making my own bones protest.
I stop abruptly and raise my arm without looking back, my hand in a stop motion. But apparently I was not the only one that was not looking, as Kohta bumped into Saya's back.
"Watch it Fatso!"
Saya's voice rang like an alarm in my head…
"Shit." Was all I managed to say as I saw the whole group of corpses at the far end of the hallway get up.
I then looked behind us, to see that corpses that were following us were also closing in on us as well.
I didn't even have time to be mad at Kohta for not telling me that we were being followed. If we didn't act fast, we would end up surrounded, and there were way too many of them to fight off.
The stairs are not too far, if we run we can make it there before the group in the front can cut us off.
"Stairs, now." Is all I say as I start running. Taking the hint, the other two pick up speed and start running behind me.
Good, we will make it to the stairs before they do, they are too far away.
Right before we reached the staircase though, I saw a corpse walking out the corner that the stairs were located at, then another, and another. And seconds later, corpses started pouring out of the staircase.
Are you for real?!
I stop running and bend my body backwards to balance out the momentum of my sprint, my boots slide across the floor for a bit before finally stopping.
Saya, not being able to stop as fast, ended up being in front of the group now as she stopped a few meters ahead of me. And...We were now surrounded.
"Do something!" Saya shouts without looking back.
Too many of them to fight, and we can't evade them. Come on think, Think damn it!
Kohta walked past me and stood next to Saya as he stared at the group of the approaching corpses.
"Why are there so many of them here?" Kohta asked as he kept looking at the now giant group that was slowly making its way to us.
"Instead of asking stupid questions, how about you start thinking of how we can get out of here?!" Saya puts her hands on her hips and turns to Kohta as she shouts. While that was happening, I was looking at what little 'free' space we had left as the corpses closed in from both directions...
My eyes then fell to a classroom door that was a few meters away from the larger group.
We don't have much of a choice left do we?
Idea in mind, I start running towards the large group while pointing at the door.
"Door, get to the door next to the large group, now!"
"That's not going to help, idiot! We'll just be trapped in there!" Saya shouts while following me.
"I got a plan." I say as I go to the class door, swing it open and look inside.
Good, it's empty.
"Inside, now." I turn to the two.
Saya lets out an annoyed sigh and runs inside, Kohta following behind her shortly after.
"Great, now what genius?" Saya then turns to me, her arms folded.
"...Now you stay quiet." I say as I slam the door shut before they can speak back.
With me still outside.
I looked to my right seeing the large group of shambling corpses was only a couple of meters away from me. The group on my left had fewer corpses and was still further away, but still too many to take head-on in such a closed off space.
They had also shambled past the door of the classroom that was next to the one I just left the other two in, so no dodging them that way. The only thing left between me and them was a corridor of concrete wall and some lockers on one side, and a windowed wall on the other.
You had to try and act like a badass didn't you? Now, you'll die for it.
I moved away from the door, where the two were hiding in, backing away from the large group until I was standing in the middle of the two groups.
Too high to jump out of the window, too many to fight, and one of them will surely get me if I just stand still. I can't use the phone as a distraction either, that would pretty much kill Kohta and Saya by attracting everything here. Not that it matters, no matter where I'll throw the damn thing I'll still have corpses 'behind' me.
Turning my head I saw that some corpses from the larger group are starting to bang on the door of the classroom that Saya and Kohta were in. The sound of their banging also caused the other corpses to start flocking outside the door.
"Oh for fuck sake!"
I shout as I run to the nearby set of lockers.
And kick them.
"Stay away from that fucking door shit for brains, I'm not fucking dead yet!" I scream as loud as I can while kicking the while I was pretty much committing suicide, I noticed that the lockers kept making small movements after each kick.
They're not bolted down?
I ran to the side of the lockers that were closer to the smaller group, grab the edge and put my foot in front of them so it can act as the fulcrum for the lockers, then push them to the right.
It felt like I was watching the lockers topple in slow motion...until. A loud crash.
Loud enough for the corpses that were banging at the door to stop, and turn towards me once again. But, the now toppled lockers gave me an idea.
I look behind me and see the small group that was still closing in on me. I then went behind the next set of lockers while still facing the smaller group, and gave them a strong push, then kept on pushing until they were near the smaller group.
The screeching was actually loud enough to also make some of the corpses that were shambling next to the windows change their direction slightly towards the lockers.
I get in position to topple them over as well.
I could just go to the other side of the wall and wait until most of them moved towards the lockers...but.
I stared intensely as the corpses got closer.
I got a better idea
Once some of them have gotten close enough, I push the lockers to the left, making them fall over. Crushing a couple of corpses underneath them.
With the bodies under it, the lockers were now about shin-high on my side, and knee/thigh height on the other. After getting on the wobbling lockers, I look at what remained of the small group that was now slowly trying to get on the lockers.
This could work.
Bat in hand, I walk forward and take a swing with both hands at the first, and only corpse that managed to get on the lockers.
The corpse takes a spin and falls back, causing two other corpses to get struck under its falling body. Seeing the opening I grab the bat in a reverse grip and start running towards the small opening. Jumping off the lockers and over the corpses that were on the ground. The moment I landed, I eyed the last nearby corpses of the group to my right.
Not wasting time, I took a quick jump forward ,rolling away from its extended hands. Turning back to look at all the chaos after I got back on my feet.
Ok, let's make sure they leave that door alone.
Not wanting to take any chances, I head to a distant locker and topple it over as well, making sure that the two groups would wander away from the classroom and the staircase.
After watching them for some seconds and making sure that they had lost interest in the door, I turned around and ran. My face was sporting a shit-eating grin and I was feeling like a total badass, even if I didn't actually smash any heads in.
My food better still be in one piece after that roll.
After packing some distance from the group of corpses I spent some time checking the classrooms until I found an empty one, then headed inside so I could get my bearings…
I find a nearby chair, grab it and turn it towards the door before finally sitting on it. Then, I let out a huge sigh.
Holy crap… I need to stop trying to act cool in front of pretty girls, lest I join the dead before my time.
After taking a break for a couple of minutes, I start thinking about my current situation.
So much for teaming up, now I'm by myself again. Still, Kohta and Saya should be fine, and since I gave them the idea about using tools to make or reinforce stuff, I can at least have high hopes that they will go to that classroom and Kohta can go commando mode.
I then look outside the window.
The sun is starting to set too. If I remember correctly, in the second episode where the sun was starting to set, the inside of the school's hallways were starting to get flooded with corpses. Meaning it will be much harder for me to move around as time goes by. Now the group stays in the faculty room between episode two and three. But, I don't know for how long they really stay there, as both episodes are during sunset. I could try to go there and meet the whole group along the way.
Also, out of the two, I think at least Kohta will probably be worried about whether I survived or not. So he should at least mention me. Hmm Ok, for now, I should aim for the faculty room. Judging by the color of the sky, the rest of the group should be heading there soon too...
After taking a needed break, I get up and head to the door, opening it slowly. Looking outside, I could see a couple more corpses shambling about, but nothing I couldn't sidestep over. So, Bat in hand, I exit the class and start heading towards the staircase in order to go on the second floor.
I should check the class where Saya and Kohta were, doubt they are still there though. But I have to make sure.
Setting my route so I end up by the staircase near the toppled lockers I start walking down the hallways. Going over the same path I used when I was searching for an empty classroom, I noticed that the corpses around here have increased in number as well.
I was right about one thing it seems, as time passed, more and more corpses seem to be roaming the hallways. I want to get out of this fricking school… fast.
Thankfully, I made it to the toppled lockers without finding the hallway clogged with brain munching corpses. The place was empty, with only a couple roaming corpses that seemed to be going off in their own direction. And the ones that ended up under the lockers, as I could see moving feet extending from under it.
I slowly walk past the downed lockers without touching them, not wanting to attract any attention, and make my way to the classroom door, to find it open.
It has been opened, not broken, that's a good sign.
Walking inside, I find it empty.
No bodies, at least they didn't get killed here, meaning my diversion worked at least.
I then looked outside, to see that the sky had started to take a heavy shade of yellow.
Alright, let's head to the faculty room.
I exit the class and head down the stairs to the second floor, heading towards my next destination.
The hallways of the second floor were in worse condition than the third, more guts, more blood, more corpses, more of everything really.
I move away from the staircase looking at the hallway in both directions.
Not good… too many of them, I will have to go up and...
I was about to move, when I heard a scream coming out from the left hallway.
Reacting to the sound, a bunch of the corpses on the right hallway started going towards the left. In other words, towards me.
Crap, I'm getting surrounded here, as much as I want to help, I got to head back up.
I turn around and start running up the stairs.
A tall man was standing there. Striped suit, glasses and a face I instantly wanted to cave in.
Shido.
The sudden urge to just lunge at the guy right now, was pretty high. Knowing that he'll be responsible for a bunch of avoidable deaths , possibly including Saya's parents...It honestly made the prospect of destroying his knees, really tempting.
"Who might you be?" Shido turns his oily stare to me.
"Alexander Greywald." I was trying my best to not let my voice give away what I really wanted to do right now. Even if Shido is a bastard, which he undoubtedly is. If I attack him here, there will be multiple problems for me.
First being that all the students here will probably come after me. To them, Shido is helping them stay alive.
The second, and most important one, is that if Shido doesn't make it to the bus, then the main cast will not leave the bus later. Meaning they won't get to Rika's house, so they won't get the guns and Humvee. And let me tell you, finding guns with actual stomping power in Japan, is like looking for Mew in Pokemon Yellow. Jokes aside, worst of all is that they might end up getting stuck in that giant traffic jam that will attract a whole battalion of corpses during the night.
"I see. You're the transfer student, I am Koichi Shido homeroom teacher of 3-A. You were quite fortunate to run into us, seeing as you are all by yourself" Shido smiles at me with his usual shit-eating grin plastered on his face.
Fortunate, my ass.
"Yes, surviving alone in a situation like this was not easy. Also, we should leave soon, the ones from the floor below us are climbing up the stairs as well." I answer as I walk away from the teacher, checking the two hallways to our left and right.
The right one was pretty much clogged, no way to go over there, so the only way to go was left.
"Wait? You said us? But I only see you here, teacher?" I asked fearing the response.
"Yes, me and a student decided to scout ahead while the rest of our group is in a classroom ahead. They are a bit frighten at the moment and making some noise. So we left them there while we checked ahead. But I guess that from the screen a few moments ago, it's just us left. " he said with a compassionate sounding voice. But i knew him. I think he left the people in the classroom in case their crying got louder and send the student all alone to scout.
You know what. Fuck it. While this might fuck me over, I think it's time I did not live life by a script. I thought to myself and gathering my nerves I put my hand over Shido's mouth and pushed him down the stairs.
He did not have much time to scream as he got rapidly overwhelmed by the zombies. Looking over the railing, to make sure he dies, I watch his eyes wide open as he stared at me with hatred as he died. But thank god he did not scream my name or something like that.
Damn, this is it. I just killed a big part of the plot. Hope it does not affect the future too much. But things were fucked anyway with zombies that will evolve. Though the evolution might also be cannon since we did not see much of the story after the author died.
Since I can guess most of the people that the group compose of, based on the people that Shindo got to the bus with. I did not feel much about killing him. While he was a despicable person, it seams that the Starsector memories made me more composed and accustomed to death.
I walk for a bit and hear a sniffle from one of the closed classrooms. Opening it I came face to face with a group of people: I see Fumiko Taniuchi, Misuzu Ichijou, Toshimi Niki, Miku Yuuki, Yamada, Kurokami, Miura and to my surprise Kyoko Hayashi sensei.
I do not see Tsunoda between them, this leads me to believe that Koichi Shido left with him. He was the strongest physically, and this group looked bigger than I expected, but quite weak.
They looked surprise to see me. Before I could say anything, Kurokami asked:
"Who are you? Where is Shido-sensei?"
Faced with this question I could only lie through my teeth:
"Koichi Shido? I saw him being eaten by zombies at the bottom of the stairs."
"What about Tsunoda?" Miku asked.
"No idea, though I heard another scream before seeing Shido-sensei"
I saw some of the students preparing to argue, but Kyoko-sensei silenced them. And told that now it's not the time to argue and we need to stay together to survive.
"With the lower floor blocked we will have to find some other way. Come on everybody we will have to find another way out of the school." All the students gave a unified 'Yes' and followed Kyoko, who started going towards the left hallway.
Having no other options, I follow behind the group.
God, I can't believe I'm stuck with them while The Group gets together right under me.
"Hey, did you really survive all this time by yourself?" I turn my head to the voice to see tMiku Yuuki talking to me.
"Yes, and no. I was with two other people, Kohta Hirano and Saya Takagi, but we got separated." I answered back at the student who was walking next to me.
And then, I heard a snicker from the front part of the group.
"That fat ass? Ha, I'm surprised he's still alive, figured he would be the first one to die since he's like a patty with legs. But hey, he can probably become one hell of a bait, these things will be eating, for days" It was none other than Miura who had opened his mouth. Kurokami, next to him started snickering to his statement.
"Maybe you all should shut it for a bit, noise attracts them and right now you're all sounding like screaming donkeys"
In retrospect, that was a bad idea. I knew it was a bad idea. The whole planet knew it was a bad idea. But, I just couldn't resist...
My comment was followed by a sudden silence, Miura turned to me, veins popping on his forehead.
But choose to remain silent as Kyoko-sensei said "Now let's not start infighting everybody, we need to stay together"
And after the little 'show', I was left walking by myself.
"There should be a second staircase here." After a couple of minutes, Kyoko-sensei spoke up.
"I will go check the stairs" Miura speaks up with a nod, and moves towards the stairs.
I looked behind us to see the corpses that were slowly closing in on us, attracted by the group's idle chatter.
Miura comes back after a bit, giving the all-clear, and the students start going down the stairs one by one.
While that was happening, I turned towards the Kurokami.
I suppose he's not thinking straight at the moment, but is that guy crazy? Leaning against a closed door like that?
"Hey man, you better get away from that door, you don't know what's on the other side."
"Piss off." Kurokami hisses in a low voice.
"Look, just get away from the door." I responded to Kurokami who was now glaring at me.
"I said. Piss Off!" Kurokami now started shouting.
"Just get away from that door, I think I see a shadow looming behind the glass." I answer to Kurokami in a cautious tone, trying to calm him down.
Yet...it did the complete opposite.
"Will you shut it! Door this, Door that! There is nothing behind this fucking door!" The student keeps shouting as he flings the door open in a blind rage.
Before I was even able to react, the shadow I mentioned lunged out. It grabbed the student and forced him on the ground. The guy's screams of anger quickly turned into screams of panic.
I acted as fast as I could, using my bat and hitting the side of the corpse's head.
Kurokami screamed in fear. So I pulled him up, and yelled at him and the rest of the group that was staring back at us to run and i will distract the zombies.
While I stared at the group running, i contemplated my luck, but I soon shake my head and open my eyes to look straight ahead, I see a pair of bloody shoeless feet closing in on me.
Among the approaching corpses, and my own mental state...
"Aaaarrrhh! I am NOT dying here! NOT like this!"
I quickly roll away from the oncoming corpses using the momentum of my kick. I finish the backwards roll on my feet. Then with a glance at the window, I see Takashi and the rest of his team moving towards the bus.
The mere idea that I was going to be left behind made my blood boil. I quickly started jumping down the stairs until I was on the first floor.
Ignoring the corpses that infested the hallways, I just bolted through them. Whatever arm reached for me either found air, or didn't manage to get a grip on me.
While on the first floor, running through the hallway that linked to the exit, I looked through the windows and saw Kyoko-sensei group walking towards the bus.
As I was nearing the exit, I was still going at full speed. Not having time to stop I used a corpse that had its back turned to me as a break. Smashing into it so that I could come to a stop, and allow me to change the direction of my sprint towards the exit.
The moment I saw the bus, the world around me blurred, the only thing I could see was the bus with people still a couple of meters away from the door.
I bend my body, grab my bat in reverse grip and break into a dead run, my feet stomping on the ground. The sound of moaning did not even reach my ears as I passed the corpses that turned their attention to me.
As I kept sprinting across the field I saw Takuzo, Naomi, Momo Kawamoto and 2 other students getting overwhelmed.
While still running I decided to change my route a little bit and hit a zombie that was about to catch Takuzo.
And yell at them to run, as the zombies change target to me, due to my yelling.
Takuzo, Naomi, Momo manage to escape, but the last 2 students were not so lucky.
Though their screams allow me a little room to try and evade the horde.
As I hit one more zombie close to me, I resume my running, as the last person running.
No, Not gonna happen. I will not be left behind!
Still sprinting, I take a deep breath and bellow out.
"MOOOVEEE!"
My shout made the people in the bus turn their heads towards me. I would really like to see the expressions on certain people right now. What I hoped for, is that my shout would distract everybody in the bus so I could close in.
And well… I long since decided that I would not be stopping normally.
I could see the uproar on the bus. But the important part was, the plan worked. And a few seconds were enough for me to reach the bus.
I jumped in, almost hitting a seat with my forehead . Shaking my head, I look around me before getting up. I then toss my bat on an empty seat next to me before closing the bus door.
In the meantime, I heard Takashi shout.
"Miss Shizuka, Drive!"
Shizuka, who was just staring along with everybody else, snaps out of it and stomps on the pedal. I could hear her mumbling to herself as she went ham on the corpses in the school field, until she finally busted through the front door.
I was still standing near the door while the bus was shaking, thinking of what to do.
I walk towards the chair with my bat and leave my bag on it.
"Alexander?" Hearing my name, I turn my head around. Following the direction of the sound I see Kohta, who was sitting on an outside seat, with Saya sitting next to him, staring outside.
"Hey. Told you I had a plan."
Saya turns her head to my statement shifting her eyes towards me as she opens her mouth.
Oh god, even after I saved her ass she is going to dish me out?
Yet, she said nothing. She just stared at me for a couple of seconds, before quickly turning her head back towards the window.
That, was weird.
I shrug and turn my attention back to Kohta.
"You're...ok?" He asks me with a worried expression.
"Uhh, I'm fine. Is there something on my face?" I start lightly patting my face before turning my head towards the rest of the group. Yet, everybody was just staring at me. Rei, Takashi, Saeko and even the students that were with Kyoko, although their expressions looked a bit amazed.
Standing there for a few seconds, and seeing that the expressions did not change, I pulled my phone out of my pocket. Opened it and used the front facing camera to look at my face on the screen.
Seeing my reflection, I realize why some students looked like they're about to piss their pants.
All of my face is covered in blood and my clothes look like I just had a wrestling match with a bear, and lost.
Well, I look like total shit.
"Well, uhh."
I turn my head away from the phone and look around at the group.
"Is there a chance any of you got a wet handkerchief? I think I might have some blood on my face."