"THE AWAKENING :- Amidst the Undead."

Chapter 6

A/n:- Hey guys, I kinda edited the previous chapters so there are a few additions to them, I suggest you to read them or you can just continue reading as there weren't any major changes.
Thank you for your patience!
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Armed with baseball bats and a few other for defense, we left the gym room and ventured towards the back of the school, walking through the overgrown grass and tangled plants. Surprisingly, we hadn't encountered any of the creatures so far, perhaps because this part of the school was the less visited part. However, we didn't let our guard down.

Walking beside me, Ethan matched my pace and broke the silence. "Hey, I never got your name."

"Jade." I replied, my eyes scanning our surroundings.

"Jade." he murmured softly, as if contemplating something. He quickly shook off his reverie and continued, "I'm Ethan."

"Yeah, I know." I replied.

"Really? Are you one of my many admirers or—"

"Jake was talking to you, and I overheard him." I replied before he could carry on.

Ethan chuckled, "I was just kidding."

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Ethan asked in a serious tone.

"Yeah, sure." I replied.

As he was about to ask but Carol's voice interrupted us, announcing our arrival.

"Guess I'll have to wait." Ethan said in disappointment, and I nodded.

Upon reaching our destination, we found no sign of the creatures. No doors or gates led to the outside. Ethan fetched a wooden stool, positioning it next to the wall. Mia was the first to climb. She peeked over the wall and signaled that it was safe on the other side. One by one, we ascended the stool and leaped to the other side.

The jeep was not far off. We quickly piled in, and Ethan revved the engine. He fiddled with the radio, searching for any helpful information, while the rest of us used our phones to check the news and contact family.

I suddenly realized I hadn't heard from my parents. Panicking, I pulled my phone out of my backpack and fumbled to turn it on. It buzzed with numerous texts and calls from friends and cousins, all warning of the ongoing epidemic. But there was nothing from my parents.

I texted and called them, but it went straight to voicemail. My mind raced with worry.
I looked over to Carol and she was on phone talking to someone. I moved a bit closer to her and heard the word dad. She was talking to her parents!

 She ended the call after a few exchange of words.

"Your parents are alright. Both of our parents along with their co-workers moved to another laboratory with high security to work on finding a cure." Carol informed me. A sense of relief washed over me, but I couldn't help feeling a pang of sadness that they hadn't reached out to check on me.

Ignoring those emotions, I smiled at Carol, who understood the facade I put up. But she didn't question further. Meanwhile, the radio broadcasted news about the virus spreading to other cities, hinting at the possibility of a pandemic.

Ethan interrupted our thoughts, asking, "So, where to first?" We pondered and concluded that Owen's house was the closest among us. Ethan started driving, guided by Owen.

"Anyone here know how to fight or any form of self-defence?" Jake suddenly asked.

We all nodded, except Mia, who shyly looked down, playing with her hands.

"No need to be embarrassed, Mia. Owen and I learned self-defense because of Jade; otherwise, I wouldn't have," Carol reassured her.

"And I'd always lose when sparring with Jade." Owen added his voice depressed.

A chuckle escaped me. My parents had insisted I take self-defense classes, and it appeared their foresight was paying off. Carol had joined those classes to spend more time with me, and Owen had been roped in by Carol.

As we ventured towards the main road, the devastation of the situation became evident. Crushed cars, shattered stores, lifeless bodies, and the relentless undead roamed as if they own the world, hunting for their next meal. We were stepping into a world that had irrevocably changed.