When I Die

Ch.1

Perry

12:01

12:02

12:03

12:04

The minutes passed by fast as I impatiently tapped my foot.

Why was this teacher such a drag? She spoke slow and with little to no enthusiasm. Teachers want us to learn but don't put in the effort. What a joke. 

"Perry." I snapped out of my thoughts to see my best friend, Samantha, standing next to my desk. Looking around I realized the classroom was empty and the teacher was sitting at her desk reviewing assignments. 

"What's up?" I stood and slugged my bag onto my back. I followed her out of the classroom and into the crowded hallway as she rambled about some boy she's been flirting with.

Each week, its another boy or even girl. Sam just loved the attention. I, on the other hand, couldn't care either way. I'd have conversations and be polite, but I didn't care if I was the center of it all or not. 

"Are you even listening?" Sam tugged on my arm and I nodded, "He sounds like a tool." 

Sam groaned, "I just told you about how he bought me flowers and asked me to the movies."

"Exactly. He sounds like a tool." I winked and she rolled her bright blue eyes. I was jealous of her beach blonde hair and blue eyes. The natural tan she had just added to that jealousy. 

I had shit brown hair with trash can colored eyes. You know, that really ugly deep green? I was also as pale as a ghost. We were opposites but they say those attract. 

"All students return back to class. Restricted movement is now in place." A loud recorded message began to blast over the intercom. 

Me and Sam looked at each other in sync, "Skip?" 

The two of us flashed a devious grin and raced to the girls bathroom on the second floor. No one took these restricted movement practices seriously. We usually skipped and hid in the bathroom. 

After we made it into the bathroom and locked the door, we threw our bags on the floor and got comfy. For the next hour, this would be our hangout. 

"Didn't we just have a drill a few days ago?" Sam asked, looking concerned. 

"Yeah but you know how they do these things. Couple times a week once a year." I shrugged and sat on one of the sinks. It was a little annoying how often we did them.

I watched Sam pace back and forth while scrolling on her little iPhone. Times like this I wish I was allowed to have a phone. 

Yeah I know. 18 years old, and I don't have a phone. My parents believe in all that 'government is watching you" bullshit. 

"Perry," Sam covered her mouth and walked over to me, eyes wide. "Look." She handed me her phone and I started scrolling.

There were tons of news articles about an outbreak. Some sort of virus is what it looked like.

"So what? Its just like the flu." I didn't think much of it and handed her the phone.

"Keep reading." She said and crossed her arms. I read a few more paragraphs and couldn't help but laugh.

"This is fake. Some 'Walking Dead' fan probably made this up." No way we were about to be living in 'Zombieland'.

"Per, This is real. The CVC posted about it. They don't just post anything." Sam legitimately looked afraid. She wasn't afraid of anything. 

"Call your parents." I told her. If this was serious, her parents would know. Sam's mother, Cheryl, was a politician for our small city. Her father, Jeffery, was a neurologist researcher. She's spoiled, as you can tell. 

"Okay. That's a good idea." She pressed a few keys on her phone and held it up to her ear. I could very faintly hear the phone ringing. 

"Mom?" Sam spoke softly a few seconds later. 

"Mom, is this real?" Her mother and her talked for a minute before she hung up. 

"The signal went dead." Sam's eyes were watery. Why was she being so dramatic? 

"Students, Stay in your classroom. Lock and barricade the doors. Do not let anyone in." This time our principals voice rang over the intercom. He sounded panicked. 

Okay, well, maybe this was a little real. I quickly walked over to the bathroom door and put my ear up to the door. It was silent on the other side. I couldn't hear the squeak of sneakers or the chatter of students. 

I doubt the school doors were locked. My car was parked around the back of the building. 

"What did your mom say?" I asked in a hushed tone. I didn't want anyone to know we were in here. 

"She's coming to get me. We are going to our cabin on the coast." Sam looked away. Code for guilt. She couldn't bring me or my family with. 

"She should be here any minute then, right?" I asked and she nodded. "Okay. Lets go then." I grabbed my bag and Sam followed behind me. 

I slowly and quietly unlocked the door and pulled it towards me. The hinges, for once, didn't make a sound. 

I took a small step in the hall way and looked both up and down the hall. No one was there and it was still dead silent. We crept down the east corridor and to the front of the building.

Our school was split into sections for the middle school and high school. The high school took over the east, west, and northeast halls of the school and the middle school had the rest. 

The east corridor lead right up to the front door. Which is where we were. Hiding behind an open door in disbelief at the site in front of us. The front doors had bloody handprints and there was a missing shoe outside of them. 

"She's here." Sam nodded to the SUV sitting idle outside the double doors.

I gave Sam a quick hug and told her I loved her. Who knows when I will see her again? 

I waited until she was through the doors and in the safety of her moms vehicle before I turned and began running to the back of the building. Senior parking was in the lot behind the school. Any other day, I wouldn't have cared. Today? I cursed our school faculty. 

I turned down hallway after hallway until I reached the stairs and quickly sprinted down them. I wanted to be home with my family. If this got any worse, I wanted to be with them when it did. 

I heard an ear-piercing screech behind me and my heart began racing. I looked over my shoulder to see a girl pinned to the ground with what looked to be the principal on top of her. Something began to pool under the girl as she stopped screaming.

"Oh my god." I placed a shaky hand over my mouth as reality struck. He just killed her.

As a small breath left my mouth his head snapped towards me. Once again, I heard that screech.

Adrenaline kicked in and I raced down the rest of the stairs and to the doors. Except, Unlike the front doors, these were locked. 

The screeches got louder and I couldn't run.