Age of zombies

[9] The descent

I surveyed the campus from the window again, trying to spot any movement. The soldier who had been patrolling our area all night was gone. No sign of him. The barricades were still in place, but the path directly below us looked clear. There was a tree close enough to the building, and I figured if we could just get down to it, we'd have a decent chance of slipping away without being noticed.

"Guys," I said, my voice low, "the soldier's gone. We've got an opening."

Kenji peered out the window beside me, nodding. "That tree's our best bet. We're three floors up, but if we can make it down, we might be able to get out without anyone seeing us."

Malcolm, who had been pacing, looked skeptical. "We're just gonna... climb out the window? What if someone spots us?"

"We don't have a choice, man," I said, feeling the urgency rise in my chest. "We can't stay here. If something goes wrong, we're stuck. It's now or never."

Raul, always the pragmatist, started pulling at the curtains. "We need something to climb down with. These should work as a makeshift rope."

We quickly yanked down the curtains, stripping the bed sheets off our beds and tying them together as best we could. It wasn't perfect, but it would have to do. We knotted the fabric together as tightly as possible, testing the strength with a few sharp tugs.

"I'll go first," I said, grabbing the curtain rope and tying it around the heavy desk in the room. "If this thing holds, we can all get down."

Kenji stepped aside, letting me take the lead. "Don't die, Senpai."

I gave him a quick grin, but the reality of the situation was hitting me hard. I swung one leg out of the window, gripping the makeshift rope with sweaty hands. The ground looked a lot farther away than I'd expected, but I wasn't about to back out now.

"Here goes nothing," I muttered under my breath and started my descent.

The rope held, thank God. I lowered myself slowly, my hands burning as the fabric dug into my palms. The tree was just a few feet away, and I managed to grab a branch and steady myself as I reached the ground.

I looked up and waved. "I'm good. Your turn."

Raul went next, climbing down steadily, his movements controlled and methodical. He made it down without any issues, landing lightly beside me.

Kenji followed, descending a bit faster than he should have, but he made it too, hopping off the last few feet and landing on the grass. "Hell yeah," he said, grinning. "That wasn't so bad."

Ethan went after him, shaking a little as he made his way down the rope. He hesitated when he was halfway, glancing down nervously. "Are you sure this thing's gonna hold?"

"It's been fine so far," Raul called up. "Just keep going. You're almost there."

Ethan took a deep breath and kept climbing down, his legs shaking as he reached the bottom and let go. "Thank fuck for that," he muttered, wiping his forehead. "I thought I was gonna fall."

We all turned to look at Malcolm, who was the last one left. He gripped the curtain rope tightly, his face tense. "I don't like this, man. I've got a bad feeling."

"It'll be fine," I said, though I wasn't as sure anymore. "Just take it slow."

Malcolm hesitated for a moment, then climbed out the window and started his descent. He was moving slower than the rest of us, taking extra care with each step. I watched, my stomach in knots.

Halfway down, there was a horrible ripping sound.

The rope snapped.

"Shit!" Malcolm shouted as he fell, hitting the ground hard with a sickening crunch.

"Fk!" I rushed over to him as he groaned in pain, clutching his leg. His face was twisted in agony, but he was still conscious.

Kenji crouched down beside him. "Malcolm, you good? Can you move?"

Malcolm gritted his teeth, wincing as he tried to sit up. "I'm... I'm fine. I think. Fk, my leg hurts like hell."

I glanced at Raul, who was already examining Malcolm's leg. "No breaks, I think. But he's not walking normally anytime soon."

Malcolm grimaced, pushing himself up slowly. He could stand, but barely. His leg was stiff, and when he tried to take a step, he winced again, hobbling awkwardly. "Great. Now I'm the fking dead weight."

"Hey, at least you're alive," Ethan said, trying to lighten the mood, though we all knew this was bad. Malcolm could still move, but he was limping. If we needed to run, he wouldn't be able to keep up.

Kenji helped him to his feet, slinging one of Malcolm's arms over his shoulder. "Don't worry, man. We'll get through this. We just have to move slower."

Malcolm let out a bitter laugh. "Slower's not exactly what we need right now."

I scanned the area again, my nerves on edge. The sound of the rope snapping still echoed in my head. "We have to get out of here before someone notices us. Let's move."

We all helped Malcolm as we started making our way toward the trees, every step feeling heavier than the last. The adrenaline was keeping us moving, but I couldn't shake the feeling that we were running out of time. Whatever was happening on this campus—whatever was coming—was closing in on us.

Q: Would you try this method of escape or something else?