Doomsday

Chapter 1

I glanced at my watch for the millionth time but yet, the night wasn't over for another hour and a half. I still have to take my classmates prom photos and deal with the annoying girls that want to retake their picture about fifteen times. This is the last thing I wanted to be doing with my Saturday night . I'd do anything to go home and sleep, maybe watch some soap operas and fantasize what it would be like to be in their position.
Prom night. The worst night of the entire school year, in my opinion. The place where it is socially acceptable to grind on each other and try to dance to repetitive music with the same sickening bass line. It's nauseating. Not to mention the smell. Oh lord, the smell. It's a collective aroma of sweat and a mixture of perfume and cologne. The only reason I had the audacity to come tonight is because I need extra credit in my photography class. I've missed too many days to make up, my teacher compromised and told me to be tonight's photographer and I'll pass the class with flying colors. Other than that, I have no intention of coming willingly. This dance is way unnecessarily overpriced and you don't get what you pay for.
A rather large hand grasped my shoulder. I look over in disgust; I hate it when people touch me. "Willow, be a doll and take a picture of us." Said Luis, one of the varsity basketball players, with an arm over a tiny brunette girl wearing a short, skimpy red dress. His breath reeked of alcohol.
I rolled my eyes. "Stand over there." I point to the center of the dark gray backdrop. There was a small piece of white electrical tape on the ground in the shape of an X to signify the center. They completely missed it.
They stumble over, giggling like maniacs. Luis has always been the obnoxious one from the team, always making misogynistic jokes and justifying it as being "dark humor". He's also been with almost all the girls from the volleyball team. It feels as though he has a new girlfriend every week.
"Smile." I say, with a sigh, and snap a few photos. The pair walked off after I give them a thumbs up, tripping over each other. Pathetic.
The obnoxiously loud music and despicable dancing came to a screeching halt. I knew what was coming. It was time to announce who is named Prom King and Queen. Oh, who can forget the plastic crowns and phony titles. The whole thing is absolutely, positively stupid. I don't understand why people try so hard to obtain a sense of importance that lasts for about a week or less, depending on how you're naked socially.
"Ladies and gentlemen! I hope you've had a wonderful night tonight. Quick thank you to Mrs. Hardy for making that delicious raspberry and peach punch! I'll admit I've had a couple myself. What can I say, I can't help myself. I've had about—" Our principal was interrupted by someone on the dancefloor.
"Just get on with it!"
Principal Shepherd has a tendency to ramble at events like these. He cleared his throat. "Right, right. So anyway, I know you've been waiting for this all night long, so let's get right to it." He opens a holographic envelope containing the results. He pulled out a little card, "Alrighty, without further ado, tonight's Prom King of 2019 is . . ." A recording of a drumroll played, then abruptly stopped. "Andrew Kennedy!" There was a loud applause along with some cheering and whistling. I never understood why they didn't just get one of the guys from drumline to do it, would've sounded better.
I rolled my eyes. Of course this guy would get named Prom King, he's known and loved by almost everyone. The typical jock who flirts with the majority of the girls at school, blindsided by his chiseled features and probably end up being one-night stands and getting dumped the next day. The biggest asshat in the universe, if I do say so myself.
Andrew stepped on stage to receive his crown. He bends down so the principal places the plastic crown on his head and turns to the crowd, flashing his stupidly perfect smile.
"Congratulations, Andrew. And now, the moment you ladies have all been waiting for . . . tonight's Prom Queen of this year is . . ." The tension in the room increases. Lots of girls have dreamt of this moment. They got ready for tonight, fingers crossed, with the hopes of maybe getting crowned Prom Queen, but we all know damn well who is going to end up with the dumb piece of plastic, "Mackenzie Leonard!" The cheers and applause grew louder. No surprise there.
There was a long pause.
"Mackenzie?"
Everyone looked around, murmuring and searching for the girl who was supposed to be crowned Prom Queen, confused about where she must have gone.
Mackenzie has won every single year, she has never missed her big moment on stage. This wasn't like her. Something felt off.
The gym doors swing open. Everyone, including myself, turned to see who it was. It was Mackenzie in her pastel blue dress splattered in what looked like blood. Her curled hair was a rat's nest and the dark makeup around her eyes, along with her nude lipstick, were smeared. Mackenzie had no shoes and muddy feet. She looked like a disaster. She had scratches and deep cuts all along her long legs and arms. Blood trailed down her arms all the way down to her fingertips. Some of her acrylic nails were missing, along with her actual nails. What happened to this girl?
"Mackenzie, what happened? Are you okay?" One of her friends asked, a dash of worry in her tone.
She made no movement, nor did she make a sound. She just stood there, like a statue.
"Mackenzie?" Another friend asked. "Are you alright?"
She began to limp towards the crowd of people questioning her, breathing very heavily and wheezing as if she was struggling to breathe. She dragged her bare feet on the gym floor, squeaking with every other step she took. I was starting to get freaked out by her weird behavior. Mackenzie would never dare to act like this. Although I hated her guts, this wasn't normal for a snobby girl that came from money with elegance and class. I had a bad feeling about this.
Mackenzie was in the middle of the dance floor, still ignoring the worried questions. Everyone looked at her, puzzled, asking her if she was alright. Did her boyfriend dump her right before they announced the results? That wouldn't explain the red stains on her dress and the cuts on her skin.
As she slowly looks around the room, her eyes suddenly lock. She stared at my classmate from my AP Government class, Abby Lloyd. She cocks her head to the side and releases an eerie scream. Mackenzie lunges and clings onto Abby, biting into her neck, ripping out her skin and arteries. The poor girl let out a blood curdling scream that sent chills down my spine and formed goosebumps on my skin.
Everyone screamed and began panicking.
My stomach dropped. My heart began to pound like a bass drum.
Abby falls lump on the ground, blood squirting from her neck and staining her perfectly curled ginger hair. Mackenzie dropped down to her knees and began clawing at her stomach, using her acrylic nails to tear open my classmates belly, exposing her innards and devouring them.
As my eyes widen in horror, I make a run for it. I ran out the gym doors and quickly stopped in my tracks as the sight in front of me was horrifying. The main school building was on fire, cars were crashing into each other, people behaved the same way as Mackenzie, biting and chasing other people, ripping out their innards. The world has gone completely mad and we weren't even aware.
I look back and see students now biting each other, they looked like wild animals. Mackenzie was nowhere to be found in the sea of formally dressed panicees. Their horrified screams formed a lump in my throat.
What was going on?
To my left, I heard a deep growl. I slowly turned my head. My PE teacher, who was supposed to be chaperoning this dance, was bloodied and looked like he was about to pounce. I wanted to run to my car but my feet were glued to the ground, I couldn't bring myself to move.
My teacher lunged. I finally found something in me to get the hell out of there. My fight or flight kicked into overdrive.
I made a mad dash to my car, scrambling to take out my keys, but my hands were trembling ferociously, I dropped them.
"Shit! Shit! Shit!"
Suddenly, an aggressive pair of hands grabbed my shoulders and threw me to the ground, pouncing onto me. His face was even uglier up close. His cheek was torn off, leaving his teeth exposed, and one of his eyes were dangling out of its socket. It was
truly a nauseating sight.
"Get off of me!" I cried. I squirmed under him, kicking my legs. He snapped his jaws at me. "Help! Help me, please!"
After struggling for a few seconds, someone pulled him off me and threw him to the side. The one and only Andrew Kennedy stood before me with a large rock in his hands. He lifted the rock over his head and proceeded to forcefully smash my PE teacher's head over and over again.
"Whoa! What the fuck! You just fucking killed him!" I exclaimed. He had blood splattered all over his tuxedo and a concerned look on his face. He dropped the rock and offered me a hand up.
"He was going to kill you if I didn't." He responded.
I refused and got up. I looked over to the lifeless body, the remains of his brain spilled out of his broken skull. The smell of rotting flesh hit my nostrils like a freight train. It was probably the worst thing I've ever smelled in my life.
I felt the bile rise in my throat, "I think I'm going to be sick," I said. I turned around, placed a hand on my car, and vomited.
I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and stood up straight. "You okay?"
"I just saw you smash Mr. Cohen's head in, how do you think I'm feeling?" I asked, sarcastically.
I shakily picked up my keys, unlocked my car, and got in.
"Can I get a ride?" He asked, slightly smirking.
As much as I hated his guts, I couldn't just leave him out there for someone or something to come pounce on him too. I sighed, "Get in."