Better off Undead

Chapter 43: Terror in the Night

The moment he saw the full mass of the creatures wandering by, Jay had turned and lit down the hall at full tilt. For a moment he hardly even saw anything beyond a blur of motion as his brain focused on only a single thought: escape. Then something caught in the corner of his vision and he attempted to stop, skidding to an awkward halt. He slipped a little, going off balance, and his upper body bent down close to the floor. He used this position to push off with his hands, using that force to assist in his course correction. On his right he had seen an open doorway and that became his new destination. Reaching it, he stuck his head through the open portal and confirmed that he was looking into an empty classroom before turning back for the others.

"This way! Quick!"

He stood by the door and held it as everyone hurried inside. The undead were only moments behind, but were thrown off by the sudden change in direction and many were unable to control their momentum as they turned to follow after the group. They stumbled and rolled, occasionally causing still others to trip. Those farthest behind were having an easier time of turning and the very moment Jay slammed the door shut it began echoing with the horrible thump of bodies slamming up against it. The entire door shook under the barrage and Jay pressed his back up against it as though hoping he alone could hold it against the storm.

"The desks!" Aliyah shouted. Following her own words she ran over to the teacher's desk, a big heavy beast of a desk, and began shoving it towards the door. Amber and Mac hurried over to help, and meanwhile Eli and the rest gathered up the student desks. They piled everything up in front of the door and then stood back. The thumping was a little muffled, but it did not slow down in the slightest.

"I don't think that's gonna hold them forever," said Eli.

"It better," said Aliyah, looking around. "We don't really have any options left.

Eli followed her gaze. She was right. The room had no other doors in it. One wall had windows, but the windows were completely sealed, with no normal means of opening. They would have to shatter the windows by hand in order to escape that way, and that would mean going back out into the dark night full of werewolves.

"What... the HELL... were those... those... things?" Daina demanded, pointing to the door.

"They... they looked like zombies," Amber said.

"Yeah, except for the whole red glowing eyes thing," added Aliyah.

"And the running thing," spat Daina, exasperated. "Don't forget the whole running thing."

"Maybe they're some kind of evolved zombie," offered Jay.

Aliyah looked doubtful. "Evolved?"

Jay shrugged. "Sure, why not? First they start out slow and shambling, then they evolve and get all red-eyed and fast. Then maybe next they'll get smart and be able to talk and act human."

"That doesn't make any sense," snapped Daina.

Jay raised his hands defensively. "What? I don't know. I'm just theorizing here. I'm no expert."

Everyone turned to look at Eli, who had not really been paying attention to the conversation. "What?" he asked.

"Care to weigh in on this?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. It could be anything. The reason given for why zombies shamble is rigor mortis. But that doesn't set in usually for at least twenty-four hours. Maybe they're just fresher zombies?"

Jay was shaking his head, but his eyes were staring off into the distance, thoughtfully. "No, I've seen fresh zombies. They are faster, now that you mention it, but they're not like that."