Night of the Living Bacteria [Old version]

Chapter Twenty (Part Two)

(Ashley POV)

I run through the halls, the awful sound of the gurgling monster behind me. Sliding across the floors, polished with wax and slime, tearing towards the glass. Once I reach it, I just have to say one sentence. Just one thing and the bacteria will be gone. I stop over the glass, the pentacle outlined in gold, glowing in the moonlight. The bacteria followed close behind, stepping onto the glass. Its razor-sharp teeth gleamed in the moonlight as it stepped closer. Without wasting another second, I call out the spell. "Converte! Ad redigendum hoc non pulvis quondam iterum!"

 The pentacle below glows purple, this one beginning to glow golden, I watch until it becomes too bright to keep my eyes open. When the glowing dies down, I open one of my eyes cautiously. It's grown three times in size. It's staring down at me. I whip around, running away. I can get out one of the doors and run into the woods. I still have the advantage of hiding, but it'll be harder to outrun it. I think, turning down multiple different halls, pushing the door open, revealing the empty field. I don't hesitate, I keep running, afraid to look back. I make it into the woods, pausing for a moment. It's just started looking around the first field. I have a little time, but I need to get underground as fast as I can. I think, jogging to the trapdoor and opening it. I climb down, securing it with the wood and metal slabs underneath. I lean against the old wooden ladder. "What have I done? It's more powerful than before." I pause, standing up straight and walking down the lit path. "I need to tell the others. We can't go home yet." When I reach the main room, I call the others over.

"Did it work?" Jayden asks.

"No. It grew three times bigger. Magic won't work."

"So, then what do we do?" Olivia asks.

"We wait. We wait another week. I can't do that again." I say.

"We need to do something sooner."

"Fine." I sigh. "In two days, we'll kill the thing for good."

"And, if we don't kill it?" Jayden questions. 

"You already know the answer." I stare him in his eyes. "It kills us."

He stays silent for a while after that.

                                                                                   ###

It's been a day. Tomorrow at this time, we'll go out to kill the bacteria once and for all. I hope. I think, writing another sentence down in a notebook. The three of us decided that we would hide these in our old dorms in case we don't make it. I finish writing the last entry.

Dear reader,

If you find yourself reading this, it means I, Ashley, did not survive. So, in these pages that you've read, are the documentations of trial and error with human lives, of how to kill a magically-created bacteria-virus. I hope that nobody ever reads this, or has read this, but if you have, you're in for a wild ride. One slip up and the entire project comes crashing down. This was not intentionally created, but it also was created due to a lack of knowledge of the situation. Along with the notebook, there are books in the library that document the first person to have discovered this, all of it. Her name was Michelle. She died along with the rest of her school. We are returning those to their respectful places today. Also, hidden with this notebook, under a loose floorboard in the cafe in the G.T. dorm, is a pistol. It has five bullets. Five bullets to use to protect yourself. And, I swear, upon my ghost, this is NOT a story. My entire school lost its lives to this. Look up the class of 2001 if you don't believe me. There isn't anything there, is there? Everyone disappeared in October. The only three survivors were the only ones who weren't in their dorms that night. Us three. We decided to come down here, thinking something terrible was going to happen. We were right. So, dear reader, if you're reading this, whoever you are, don't discover any spellbooks. If you do, don't cast any. It'll most likely kill everyone. Don't make the same mistake we did. Ashley, Over and Out.

I didn't notice the tears streaking down my face as I wrote the last three words. I closed the notebook, wiping my face. Some teacher was smart to bring a small hand pistol to school. And, we were even luckier to have found it.

"Guys, you done writing?" I ask willing my voice not to waver.

"Yeah."

"Mhm."

"Let's go. Get this done now, that way we have tomorrow to focus on killing the bacteria." I clutch the notebook to my chest, Jayden grabs the "library" books and the yearbook. He shoves a small pocketbook into his jacket. Olivia stands up and shuts a large, leather-bound notebook, and grabs the pistol. I notice her hand tremble with the weight of a weapon in her palms. We walk down a Tunnel, Jayden stepping forward to unhinge the grate and toss the reinforcements to the side.

"We should take these off now. We won't need them tomorrow, either way." He explains. We climb out one at a time, opening the doors to our dorms. I step inside of mine, digging through my bookbag and grabbing the pocketknife I have, using it to loosen a wooden board, lifting it, and shining a flashlight into the hole. That's big enough. I think, sliding the notebook into the hole and placing the board over it, pounding it back into place slightly. Sighing, I let myself cry, alone in the room that, once upon a time, was mine. Truly mine. Wiping my eyes with the sleeve of the oversized sweatshirt I'm wearing, I carve words into the wood. Just three, and a number: Room 411, Save Yourself

I place the knife in my pocket, standing up and grabbing my jacket. I close and lock the door, whispering a few words to the air before turning around and walking into the café. I loosen a board for Olivia, who's standing by the table, staring at the gun with a blank expression. I pick it up and put it under the board. Then I pound it back into place, just like I did in my dorm, no the dorm. Then I crouch and write something with the knife. Protection, 5 bullets. I stand up and face Olivia.

"Whatever happens tomorrow, remember, we tried our best." She smiles and looks away. "We're gonna make it." I lie.

 I'm not sure if we will. 

But, I guess we have a chance. 

A/N-The final chapters will be out very soon, I have a week off after this Thursday so I'll be able to update more. Anyways, see y'all next chapter! --Laura S.