Left to survive.

Broken Plans...

"Guys, I think we should also leave the school. There's nothing much here, and how long can we stay?" Grace's eyes were filled with worry as she voiced her concern.

Sophia and Avery held her hands, trying to comfort her. "It's okay, we're together, and we'll get out together. Nothing will happen to any of us. Stop worrying," Sophia said firmly.

Avery agreed, adding, "Yes, when this all started, we were together, so we'll end it together. But it's true, we can't stay here; our food supply is low, and my poor back hurts from sleeping on this cold floor."

"I understood the rest, but nobody cares about your back," Sophia quipped, trying to lighten the mood.

Grace stepped between them, her worry still evident. "I'm feeling worried, and you guys can't stop fighting," she said. Avery and Sophia laughed, easing the tension. Grace continued, "We should start making a plan to leave this place."

"That's a good idea. Wait, I'll get a book and a pencil," Avery said, heading to the bags near the door. It took her a moment to find them, giving Sophia time to speak to Grace.

"I think we should tell the others, like the girls only," Sophia suggested.

"But if we tell the girls, they'll tell the boys, and we can't take that many people. How?" Grace replied, concerned.

Avery returned with a book and a pencil. "Actually, guys, I overheard those idiots who went outside. There are keys to the buses in the staff room on the ground floor. If we get those, we can take a bus."

"That's a good plan, but what about the zombies?" Sophia asked. "It's not like they'll see us and be like, 'Oh, hi! Here are the keys. You can escape now!'"

"We can distract the zombies by throwing things outside, but how will we know when to throw?" Grace wondered aloud.

"We can talk on the phone, but we only have one," Sophia pointed out.

Avery suggested, "We should tell the others so we can form a chain with enough distance to give signals to each other."

They gathered the class and shared their plan. The students agreed, though one boy asked, "What will we do after that?"

Grace answered, "We'll find all the food and resources we can, fill our water bottles, and then try to reach the buses. The keys are in the staff room below."

The class agreed and started to prepare. Sophia instructed, "If anything happens or anyone is in danger, find a place to hide as soon as possible. Split into groups of two or three, no more."

Avery and Arthur took the lead, while Sophia and Grace stayed at the back to distract the zombies. Avery told Arthur, "Tell the others to stand close enough to signal each other but not trip over one another."

Arthur nodded and passed on the message. He looked at Grace, who he liked but knew was taken, and said, "Be safe."

"She's with me, so don't worry," Sophia assured him, giving a determined nod.

Sophia turned to Avery, who was busy packing supplies. She told Arthur, "Take care of Avery. If something happens to her, you're dead," giving him a death glare. Arthur gulped and assured her that nothing would happen, then they all stood in front of the door in a line, ready to leave.

Slowly, Avery opened the door and stepped out carefully, making sure no zombies were nearby. She descended to the first floor and saw no zombies. But when she reached the ground floor, she saw many zombies. She signaled Arthur to pass the message along and made a butterfly motion with her hands, indicating many zombies. Arthur passed the signal, and it soon reached Sophia, who relayed it to Grace. Grace threw a bottle out the window, drawing the zombies outside.