Age of zombies

[5] Déjà Vu

After the scene outside died down, we all backed away from the window and flopped back into our usual spots around the dorm. The atmosphere was tense, the kind of uneasy quiet that made you want to say something just to fill the silence. But no one really knew what to say. We were all thinking the same thing, though: This shit felt way too familiar.

"Dude," Kenji said, running a hand through his hair, "this is just like what our parents went through with C-Virus. Remember how they used to talk about it? The lockdowns, the fking panic?"

I nodded. "Yeah, my mom used to tell me stories about it. People buying up all the toilet paper like it was gold or some shit. This feels the same, except... worse."

"Way worse," Malcolm added, grabbing his phone again. "This time it's not just some virus that makes you cough. People are going full zombie, or at least that's what it looks like."

Raul sat down at his desk, pulling up the school's Discord server on his laptop. "You guys seen this? The Discord's blowing up with messages. People are freaking out. Everyone's trying to figure out what the hell is going on."

I grabbed my own phone and logged into the server. He wasn't kidding. The chat was going nuts, new messages popping up every second. Some were just people panicking, others were sharing photos of the military convoys, and a few were posting memes like they thought this was all just a big joke.

@AnimeLover9000: Bro wtf are they blocking us in for? We're not criminals 😱
@DoomsdayPrepper: Bet this is some gov cover-up. Watch, they'll start calling it "for your safety" and next thing you know, we're in quarantine camps.
@WeebMaster420: Yoooo is this like Resident Evil? Where's the Umbrella Corp?! 🧟‍♂️💀
@HistoryBuff2020: This is just like 2020 all over again. But worse.
@BigChungus87: Bet those jocks think they can fight the military lmao. 😂

I snorted at the last one, showing it to Kenji. "Hey, this guy gets it."

Kenji laughed. "Dude, BigChungus87 knows what's up."

Malcolm, eyes glued to his phone, shook his head. "I still can't believe we're living through this. My dad used to talk about how C-Virus changed everything, how it was like the whole world hit pause. And now, here we are. Except this time, there's fking soldiers outside."

"Yeah, except C-Virus didn't come with barricades and rifles," Ethan added, glancing over at us. "This is next level."

Kenji leaned back in his chair, scrolling through Discord. "Everyone's just guessing, though. No one actually knows what the hell is going on. It's all just a bunch of 'I heard this' or 'I saw that.'"

Raul nodded, still typing away at his laptop. "There's a ton of photos, though. People are posting pictures of the barricades, the soldiers. It's all over social media, too. X is blowing up."

"Yeah, but what's the point of guessing if no one has any real info?" I said, rubbing the back of my neck. "It's all just making people more paranoid."

"Dude, people were paranoid before this even started," Malcolm said, leaning forward. "Remember all the conspiracy shit about vaccines and 5G during C-Virus? This is just more fuel for the fire. People love to panic."

Ethan shook his head. "You can't blame them, though. Look at what's happening. We're stuck here with zero answers and a fucking military garrison outside. What are we supposed to think?"

Raul clicked a few more times and then turned his laptop toward us. "Check this out. Someone posted a photo of the barricades from a better angle." The image showed a wide shot of the campus entrance, now completely blocked off by metal barriers, military trucks, and soldiers standing guard with rifles in hand. A few students were in the background, looking lost, some trying to talk to the soldiers, but clearly not getting anywhere.

@NerdKing22: Shit's locked down, man. No one's getting in or out. 😬
@GamerGirl2021: WTF are we supposed to do?! This isn't just a drill, right?
@BioNerd2019: My roommate says this virus thing is airborne. We're already fked if it's on campus. 😷
@Survivor69: Stock up on food and stay inside, y'all. This is gonna get bad. 🍜

Kenji let out a low whistle. "Airborne? If that's true, we're screwed."

I frowned, leaning forward. "Nah, that doesn't make sense. If it was airborne, they'd be handing out masks and hazmat suits, not just setting up barricades."

"True," Raul said. "But it doesn't mean it's not dangerous. Whatever it is, the fact that they're locking us in here means it's serious."

"Serious enough to bring in the fucking military," Malcolm added, still scrolling through the Discord.

A new message popped up in the chat, this one catching everyone's attention:

@CampusSecurity: ATTENTION: All students must remain indoors. Follow all instructions from local authorities. Do not attempt to leave the campus. Further updates will be provided. 🔴

"Guess that settles it," I muttered, feeling the weight of the message sink in. "We're on full lockdown."

Kenji leaned back, folding his arms. "What do you think they're not telling us? Like, why the sudden need for all this?"

"No idea," Raul said, shaking his head. "But the fact that they're keeping us in the dark? It's not good."

Ethan groaned, tossing his phone down on the couch. "We're stuck here, man. No answers, no nothing. Just sitting ducks waiting for whatever's next."

"Welcome to college life," Malcolm muttered, a bitter laugh escaping his lips. "We're always waiting for the next fuck-up."

I glanced around the room, the reality of the situation settling in. It was just like our parents' stories about C-Virus, except this time, it felt like we were living in some kind of dystopian nightmare. The Discord server kept buzzing with messages, photos, and rumors, but none of it changed the fact that we were trapped here, and no one had a fking clue what was going on.

"We'll figure it out," Raul said, trying to keep the calm voice of reason. "We just have to stay put and see what happens next."

"Yeah," I muttered, though I wasn't sure if I believed it. "Let's just hope we don't end up as one of those TikTok 'before the apocalypse' videos."

Q: How would you react on social media in this situation?