D E A D H E A D

Chapter 2

Taylor woke up to a thump in the hallway. He got off of the couch that he and Violet were sleeping on then went into the hallway to investigate. He found nothing. He went to the bathroom to splash some water on his face in the hope to wake up. When he walked out of the bathroom Coach Anderson suddenly lunged at him grunting. His cocoa brown skin had green spots and you could see every vein and bone in his body. Taylor pinned him up to the wall.

"Coach Anderson?" Taylor asked. "What happen to you?"

"All dead," Coach grunted.

"Wait, who's dead? They all can't be dead!"

"All dead," Coach repeated. Taylor rushed Coach down to the Fallout Shelter and laid him down on the bed. Then he went to wake everyone up and told them what happen. Oscar, Taylor, Nelson, and Isabella went down to the shelter to check up on Coach. On their way down Isabella went into the nurse's office to get a thermometer. When they got the shelter Isabella checked Coach's temperature.

"His heart is beating like a drum," Isabella said. "But, he doesn't have a fever, or a cough, or anything like a normal sick person."

"That's not a normal sick person," Oscar said. "He needs a hospital."

"We don't know if the hospital is still there," Isabella said. "Coach Anderson, can you hear me? Can you tell me what you saw?" Coach didn't respond. "Coach stay with me! You have to help us."

"Did he say anything to you?" Oscar asked Taylor. Taylor hesitated. "He said something didn't he." Taylor didn't answer. "What did he say?" Oscar asked.

"He spoke, I just couldn't understand him," Taylor said.

"Your lying," Oscar said.

"I'm not lying," Taylor said

"Stop!" Nelson snapped. "Whatever he said we can handle."

"Look, I don't want anyone in this place to panic." Taylor acclaimed. Nelson pulled Taylor to the corner of the room away from everyone else.

"I'm not the panicking type," Nelson said.

"He said everyone is dead," Taylor told Nelson. Nelson didn't respond. Brooke runs into the shelter with a student that looks sick as Coach Anderson.

"Damn," Oscar said.

"There are more student like this upstairs," Brooke said while laying the student down on one of the beds. Oscar, Taylor, Brooke, Isabella, and Nelson joined the rest of the group to help bring the rest of the sick student down into the fallout shelter.

"What could have happened to them out there?" Madelynn asked.

"Looks like staying inside was the smart move," Hudson remarked.

"For how long is it smart?" Madelynn asked.

Isabella chimed in and said, "Until somebody comes and finds us."

"They smell like they've been eating trash," Violet said.

"Maybe they have," Zora said.

"What would bring them back here?" Madelynn asked.

"Might be the only place left," Isabella answered.

"Do you really think that?" Madelynn asked.

"The explosion was huge," Isabella said annoyingly said because Madelynn questioned her logic.

"Who do you think you are trying to scare everyone?" Jason asked.

"I'm someone who likes to understand reality than play pretend." Isabella snapped.

"Oh really now!" Jason said walking towards Isabella with his chest poked out.

"You don't scare me, punk!"

"Everyone calm down!" Violet yelled. "Just relax, everything is gonna be a-okay."

"Do you actually think nobody is left?" Madelynn asked Isabella.

"Everyone listen!" Nelson shouted to get everyone's attention. "There's no way anybody could know that."

"How long do you think we'll be here until someone comes searching for us?" Madelynn asked.

"They're most likely devoting most of their resources to the fire," Peter said. "It would be complicated to put out because of all the hazardous materials. And, there's probably a high body count to content with. So, with all that being said it will likely take them a few days at the least before anyone starts looking for us, or maybe even more."

"Well on that note I'm going upstairs to see if anyone else comes," Taylor said.

"I'll join you!" Violet said. When the couple gets up the stairs Violet has something to say. "I don't like it down there."

"Why?" Taylor asked.

"Because we don't know what's wrong with them. For all, we know it could be contagious. And, to add onto that it feels like a tomb down there."

"Yeah, you're right. I don't like it down there either."

"What if this is a terrorist attack? If so that would be awful to know that someone did this on purpose." 

Meanwhile in the Fallout Shelter...

"Alright, guys!" Jason clapped. "Tomorrow we're gonna decide what we do next. But, for now, let's all just go upstairs and find somewhere to get some shut-eye."

"Who's gonna to watch after everyone down here?" Madelynn asked.

"Any volunteers?" Jason asked. Brooke, Nelson, and Hudson raised their hands. "Okay then! Brooke, Nelson, and Hudson you stay down here and watch after the sick kids. Everyone else, head upstairs." Everyone did what they were told. When everyone walked out of the shelter Nelson shut the heavy door. The group of twelve plus the sick student and Coach fell asleep.