ContamiNation

Escape

Chris, Giev, and I ran down a side street and around a bridge pole. We stopped to catch a breath behind a car collision. Lucky for us no one—security, police, teachers, or infected—was nearby. I couldn't believe what we were doing. This rush of adrenaline, the fear of being caught, the freedom of being out and no rules applying; it felt like I was finally living.

I felt bad, just the tiniest bit, about what I'd done to get out of there.

I had found Lilly and told her anything I could—truth mixed with lies—and then stole Cassie's backpack. She was one of those dumbasses who never wore anything practical. Even her bag was a tiny useless thing. It was half the size of my cat, Thumpy—granted he was 27 pounds but still.

I threw out anything heavy and everything I didn't need. Put my stuff in her backpack and rolled up my bag until it fit in the smallest pocket of hers. At least her taste wasn't too bad. A simple black bag with gray lining, the only thing I didn't like was the metal thing on it that said "Kendal and Kylie", God, why is everyone obsessed with those two no-good, brain-dead, useless, armpit-cabbages? As soon as I get a moment to myself I'm taking Phil's hunting knife and cutting it off, even if I have to cut off the material to do it.

After I'd switched out the items I dragged the bag over to the girls' washrooms stayed there for a bit, I didn't want to get caught with her bag knowing her tendency to over react and go crazy as though there was something important in there. There wasn't, I know because I went through her stuff.

I waited until Chris's distraction. He paid off a grade 9er to get a panic attack and start trying to escape; then paid another kid to attack a teacher. We didn't know which doors would become available.

After a door opened I walked behind a group picking up more bags and walked calmly to the exit. I struggling with the backpacks by the time Chris got back to me and nearly gave me a heart attack.

He ran from behind me, grabbed half the bags, and yelled run run run run.

I tried but only after Giev took half of mine again—leaving me with only a quarter of the weight—was I able to run and keep up with them. Phil was waiting for us by the car collision.

"Empty them."

The four of us un-zipped the bags dumping the contents; pencil cases, paper, homework, binders, typical school supplies. One kid had a lighter. Oh, pads. I snatched those. Phil and Chris shared a look.

"What? I'm going to deal with it sooner or later and I rather not be bleeding everywhere. It's the freaking Zombie apocalypse." I snapped at him. They didn't say anything. I muttered under my breath, boys.

We collected what we needed, a few of the bigger bags, and left everything else. The most important things were the phones and portable chargers. We'd need to find a good place to hole up and charge everything before the power goes out.

I had an idea. "Guys, what's your plan?"

Silence, until Chris said "Ransack places?" Of course Chris would think of that. "We just needed to get out of there."

"Ok well what if we go back to the school?" Groans, "Look, guys, here me out. They've got a shit ton of stuff, food included and I know I live close there too. We go to the school, plug in everything, jump into the empty houses, fill up every bathtub, bottle and dish with clean water and steal weapons from the corner stores. We can figure out the rest later. And on the way we can raid or 'ransack'"—I looked at Chris—"places for anything else."

Phil the survivalist nodded along with me. "Sounds like a good plan. I live north of the school so I'll hit up my house while you do the rest."

Giev turned to Phil, "What are you gonna do?"

"I have hunting weapons at home; my dad is really into that shit."

I looked around us for a good car. "Guys, which one of you can hot wire a car?"

"I can." Chris, of course, "but I don't think we'll need to, people forget things in a panic, maybe someone left their keys in."

Giev pointed at a sweet looking, not-to-bashed-up convertible, "That one, maybe?"

The other two guys and I all shook our heads. "That one," I pointed at a police van. "Space for stuff, radios, and probably armored."

"And probably occupied," Giev countered.

"Well it's the best one so far." I continued, "In terms of safety and getting away with going back into the zone; guns, too, hopefully."

Phil got up, "Well, should we go get our ride."

By the time we're set to go we realize that none of us have a valid driver's license. We quickly forget about because we are stealing a cop car and it's the end of the world. The biggest problem was figuring out how to not crash.

Phil appoints himself as the driver and gets to work figuring out the car. The police guys who were in here before us left the keys in. Probably thought no one would be dumb enough the steal their car.

I was proven wrong when a man in a police uniform walked out from behind a car pileup and headed our way.

Giev was in the back with me while Chris sat shotgun. The two in the front were busy with figuring out the radio frequencies when Giev said from beside me, "What—who is that?"

I waited, watching, before wondering aloud, "Infected."

"Shit, shit, shit," He turned to the guys in the front, "Gun it!"

"What"—Chris started but his gaze went behind us, to the Zombie cop. "Phil. Drive now." Phil started to say something about not knowing exactly how to drive.

I cut in. "Do you want to die? There's a freaking zombie cop behind us!"

Phil finally managed to get the van going and jerkily went forward a few feet.

"Reverse dumbass," I said exasperated.

"I'm not gonna kill a man."

"Then actually drive. Faster." I twist back to see the zombie running at us. Hair falling out, skin scratched up, lips bitten to the gums, holes in the cheeks, "Flippin' hell."

The van jerked again and slammed through a gap in the cars. Giev and I in the back were thrown into the back doors. He looked at me in a way I didn't like.

I flung up a finger, "Don't—don't say whatever you were going to say."

We struggled back up, pulled down two seats, and held on tight. I wondered about asking Phil if he knew where he was going. I decided against it. I've probably bugged them enough as it was. I used to hang with the guys all the time but now I'm awkward around them, I feel misplaced, like I don't belong anymore. So, I lean back against the seat and decide to stay out of their way.