Survival

Chapter 9: 𝘼 𝙒𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙈𝙤𝙫𝙚

(Andy)

They all followed EJ's lead as they had made a clear path to safety. Andy fought with grit, her hands covered in blood and her arnis stick starting to falter. Andy knew she was strong, months of Citizen Army training, but she wasn't in her head. She was scared. Her physical strength was overcome by her prevalent fear. 

Andy's heart raced as they hurried down the corridor, EJ leading the way with a fierce determination. The path to the speech lab had been grueling, the air thick with the stench of decay and the relentless moans of the undead echoing through the building. They had fought valiantly, clearing a path through the zombies that seemed to multiply with every passing minute.

As they reached the doorway leading to the speech lab, a chilling realization struck—they were not alone. A massive horde of zombies encircled them, their grotesque forms pressing in from all sides. Panic threatened to overtake them as Andy herself, Ren, JC, and VJ desperately called out for Bill, the only one still visible amidst the sea of ravenous undead. But their cries were drowned out by the guttural growls and moans of the approaching horde.

"We need to move, now!" Andy shouted, urgency lacing her voice as she scanned their surroundings for an escape route. With no time to spare, they darted down the hallway, their arnis sticks poised for defense. Three rooms flashed by before they spotted it—a small, nondescript door that promised safety.

Andy stumbled, a zombie lunging at her from the horde. Panic flared anew as the creature's rotting hands clawed for a grip. JC reacted instinctively, swinging her arnis stick with deadly precision, knocking the zombie away just in time. The close call left them shaken, reminding them of the perilous reality they faced.

Gathering themselves once more, they secured the safe room, barricading the door against any further intrusion. In the dim light, Andy could see the weariness etched on their faces, but also a fierce determination to survive. They were a team, bound together by their will to endure in this nightmarish ordeal.

As they huddled together, the distant sounds of the horde still audible through the walls, Andy couldn't help but wonder how they would make it through the night. 

"They don't know we're here!" VJ exclaimed. "Lee... I have to get to him."

"This is the best move right now. If we tried getting through that horde we'd all be infected by now." Ren exclaimed. Andy nodded agreeing with her. "They can't hear us. A few minutes from now they'll go back to not knowing where we are. We go out, stay quiet, and get to the speech lab." Ren suggested.

"Thank you for saving me, JC." Andy said thankfully. "It's no problem." JC said genuine. Andy was guilty. She had to rely on other people for her safety to be ensured. She put other people's lives at risks all because she wasn't brave and strong enough to defend herself. She took down a few, but she always needed help. Back there, when they were still at the third floor holding their own as Joseph went ahead to open the speech lab door. Andy fought with JC and Ren, she couldn't kill one on her own. Andy's mind was filled with not only embarrassment, but guilt. 

Andy looked around the room to see the state. It was dimly lit, only lit by a half broken light bulb. Andy stood up heading towards the barred window.  She looked to see moonlight shining through the window. She looked up admiring it. Andy was always the somber person who focused on the pretty things in life. She smiled, but that smile had shifted into a frown as she realized that this moonlight had to shine upon this grim horror.

Andy looked down to see the horrors continue outside the school. The courtyard, once bustling with students and teachers, was now a battlefield strewn with overturned tables, abandoned backpacks, and ominous shadows. Patches of moonlight illuminated the ghastly figures that staggered across the grounds, their movements jerky and unnatural. Andy's breath caught as she recognized some of them as her former classmates, now transformed into grotesque caricatures of themselves.