Echoes Of The Undying

Chapter 14: Strength in Numbers (Extended)

The Horizon Shadow Class was still huddled together in the main hall of Serenity Vale High School. The tension from their recent encounter had eased slightly, but the weight of their situation still hung over them. Despite this, there was an undercurrent of resilience, and even humor, among the group.

Max was pacing at the front, still playing the role of the leader. "Okay, so let’s review what happened today. We encountered... what was it? A zombie the size of a small car? That’s a new one."

Randy snorted. "More like a tank with legs. I swear that thing had it out for me personally."

"Maybe you remind them of their ex" Olga said, while laughing loudly, Max chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, Randy, I’m sure the zombie was targeting you specifically."

Jarezza, who had been leaning against a wall, chimed in, "Well, it did seem like it was chasing after him. You sure you didn’t provoke it somehow?"

Randy grinned, shrugging. "What can I say? I’ve got that effect on things."

Olga rolled her eyes, but a small smile played on her lips. "Let’s just be glad we all made it back in one piece. Though, I have to admit, the sight of you running from that thing was pretty hilarious."

"Hey, I wasn’t running, I was strategically retreating," Randy defended himself, crossing his arms.

Farhanah, sitting nearby, laughed softly. "Sure, Randy, whatever helps you sleep at night."

Max turned to the rest of the group. "Alright, jokes aside, we need to plan our next move. We’re running low on supplies, especially food and medical stuff. We need to stock up if we’re going to make it through this."

Olga nodded, her expression serious. "We should go to the mall again. It's risky, but there’s no other place with the amount of supplies we need."

Mae, who had been quietly listening, spoke up, "We’ll have to be extra careful this time. Last time we barely made it out, and that was before the big zombie showed up."

Filbert added, "And we need to make sure we’re well-armed. That thing was tough. I’m not sure our usual weapons will be enough if we run into another one."

Affendy, always the pragmatist, suggested, "Maybe we should split into smaller groups to cover more ground, but stay close enough to help each other out if something goes wrong."

Rendy, who had been unusually quiet, finally spoke. "We need to be prepared for anything. We can’t let our guard down, not even for a second."

Max nodded, taking in everyone’s input. "Alright, here’s the plan. We’ll head out at first light, in two teams. One will focus on gathering food, the other on getting medical supplies. We stick together, we move fast, and we don’t take unnecessary risks."

Olga cracked her knuckles, a determined look on her face. "Sounds good to me. Let’s show those zombies that we’re not easy prey."

Vivie, always the optimist, added with a grin, "And maybe we’ll even find some snacks that aren’t completely stale."

Mae smiled at that. "I could really go for some chocolate right about now."

Jarezza chuckled. "If we find any, it’s mine. I’m calling dibs."

Randy shook his head, laughing. "Not if I find it first."

The banter lightened the mood, and for a moment, it was easy to forget the danger lurking outside the school walls. As they prepared for the next day, gathering their weapons and checking their gear, the camaraderie among the Horizon Shadow Class grew stronger.

The group knew they would face challenges ahead, but they also knew they could count on each other to make it through whatever horrors the world threw their way.

As the night settled in and the students began to doing their work, Mary stood watch at one of the windows, her thoughts racing. She couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride for her classmates. They were survivors, every last one of them, and together, they were unstoppable.

"Facing the Horizon, Conquering the Shadows," she murmured to herself, feeling the weight of their class slogan more than ever. They had survived this long, and they would keep surviving, no matter what.

The night passed with an eerie silence, the calm before the storm. The real fight was just beginning.