Survival

Chapter 2

Adrenaline pounded through my veins. We had to run. But to where? How would we escape them? Should we go back and fight to save the other? No. No, that would be foolish. We're unarmed, the only thing we could fight them with would our fists. Our P.E. uniforms greatly expose our flesh, leaving plenty out to feast upon.

I turned to look at my friends. Wendy and David were both frozen in shock and terror, unable to comprehend the scene. Joan's expression was blank . . . sad, even. Possibly from the fact that he wasn't over there and knew that we would hold him back if he tried to go. I seemed to be the only one who seemed in control of myself.

"Run." I whispered.

David turned to me, his expression full of panic. It broke my heart to see someone look so scared. "Where would we go?" He asked. He had a point. In the middle of a zombie outbreak, where could we run for safety? What was stable enough to last us until we got some basic supplies? Or at least a weapon? Then where would we go? Even assuming we could get home, I doubt it would even be safe enough.

I hurriedly looked around, forcing myself not to look at the slowly closing distance between us and the zombies. Then I spotted it. In the middle of the unused football field was an abandoned building made from cement with only a large iron door for an entrance. I don't know what it was or what it used to be, but it seemed to be our best bet. "Over there!" I shouted. There wasn't any hesitation from any of us as we bolted towards the center of the football field.

Despite all of us being incredibly different, we all had one thing in common --- we were all terribly slow runners. Whenever we'd race at school, we'd typically be in the back of the crowd. Yet, luckily for us, it's common knowledge that zombies can't run. They either limp, or crawl, or drag their rotting body across the ground. Meaning as long we run strategically, we'd be perfectly fine. But, in moments of panic, we can't always trust ourselves to make strategic decisions.

With each step on the ground, I could feel my heart hammering harder and harder against my rib cage. It wasn't just my excessive lack of stamina, no. What could it be then? Fear? Panic? Neither of them really seemed to match the feeling as well as I wanted it to. Was it worry? Yes, that felt like a perfect match. I mean, I'm just a girl in seventh grade! How am I supposed to live? And my friends . . . god forbid anything happens to them and I can't do anything to stop it. And my family! My little sister is only seven, she won't last an hour. My father is in a wheelchair, limiting his options when it comes to saving himself. And I guess my mother could be able to hold her own, but for how long? Not knowing where any of them are and being unable to contact them (my phone being back in the locker room) is already absolute torture! If this is my panic levels within the first few minutes, it won't be the zombies that'll end me.

I faltered to stop as I made it to the building. I propped myself up against it, wheezing. My heart felt ready to burst out of my body. I had to force myself not to drop to my knees, knowing that, once I did, it'd be difficult and time consuming to force myself back up again.

Everyone else in the group was already there. "Is everyone alright?" I asked between gasps of air. All three of them nodded. They all looked unbelievably exhausted as well, red-faced and struggling to stay up. Since we never felt the need to train for such an event, our stamina was incredibly low. Wendy looked in the direction of the hoard, still getting closer and closer to us. "Why us?" She groaned weakly.

"Because we're the only ones in sight alive?" David proposed.

My throat tightened. Were we? I quickly glanced around and recognized that he was absolutely right. Hopefully it was just because everyone else ran away much faster then us and ran different ways. But now that I really look at the horde, it did seem to be double in its size from before. Wendy seemed to notice this too as tears began gathering in the corners of her eyes.