Age of zombies

[18] First kill

Ethan and I stood there for a moment, watching Raul disappear into the darkness, his figure swallowed by the night. I took a deep breath, trying to shake off the sick feeling that had settled in my gut. I had no time to dwell on it. There was someone else I needed to save.

I turned to Ethan, my voice firm. "There's someone else. Someone I need to get to."

Ethan looked at me, confused. "Who?"

"Her name is Yabe," I said, my heart racing as I said her name. "She's a nursing student. I know where her dorm is. We need to go."

Ethan nodded, still catching his breath but not arguing. "Lead the way, man. Let's go."

We set off through the campus, keeping our flashlights low as we navigated through the darkened buildings. The place was a ghost town, the occasional groans of zombies echoing in the distance, but we didn't see any immediate threats. It was unsettling, though, the eerie quiet that had fallen over everything. The weight of what had happened with Raul and Malcolm still lingered, but I pushed it to the back of my mind. I couldn't think about that right now.

All I could think about was Yabe.

When we reached the entrance to her dorm, the gate was broken—ripped open, probably by some of the students who had tried to flee earlier. The building itself was dark, the power still out, and I could feel the tension rising in my chest as we made our way inside. The air was thick with dust and fear, and every sound seemed magnified in the stillness.

"She's on the fourth floor," I whispered to Ethan, leading him toward the fire stairs.

We climbed in silence, each step feeling heavier than the last. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest as we made our way up. My flashlight flickered, casting long, shifting shadows on the walls, but there was no sign of any movement.

When we finally reached the fourth floor, I paused outside Yabe's room, my hand hovering over the door. I felt a lump in my throat, my nerves on edge, but I had to push through it. I had to know she was okay.

I knocked softly, calling out her name. "Yabe... it's me, Jake. Are you in there?"

For a moment, there was nothing but silence. My heart sank as I wondered if we were too late, if she was already gone or worse. But then, I heard it—soft footsteps from inside the room. The door creaked open just a crack, and I held my breath.

When the door finally opened wider, I saw her—Yabe. Her long white hair was messy, her face pale and tear-streaked, but she was alive. The moment she saw me, her eyes filled with tears, and before I could say anything, she threw herself into my arms.

"Senpai..." she whispered, her voice trembling as she clung to me. "You came..."

I wrapped my arms around her, holding her tightly. "I'm here, Kohai," I whispered back, feeling a flood of relief wash over me. "I told you I'd protect you."

Her body was shaking, and I could feel her tears against my chest as she buried her face in my shoulder. For a moment, everything else faded away—the fear, the chaos, the death that had surrounded us for the past few hours. All that mattered was that she was safe, at least for now.

"I was so scared," Yabe whispered, her voice cracking. "I didn't know if you were okay... if anyone was okay..."

"I know," I said, rubbing her back gently, trying to comfort her. "It's been... bad. But we're here now, and we need to move. We can't stay here."

Yabe pulled back slightly, her tear-filled eyes meeting mine. "Where are we going?"

"We don't have a plan yet," I admitted, glancing over at Ethan, who was keeping watch by the door. "But we're not staying here. The dorms aren't safe anymore. We need to find somewhere else, somewhere more secure."