9
The following morning I went to school just like James told me to. The neighbourhood was quiet as I walked to school. People were still shocked about the string of deaths that occurred overnight in such a quiet suburban paradise.
Nobody is ready for death – especially if it comes like a thief in the night. Life is a fleeting moment that needs to be cherished.
I passed Mister Black’s house on my way to school. He sat on his porch reading the newspaper as always. He was a retired navy-something that spent most of his mornings reading the paper. I never really understood why anyone who could sleep in late didn’t. It made no sense to me.
I waved at him as I passed and he waved back from behind his paper. I didn’t know much about Mister Black, except that his wife passed away a few years back. She came down with some exotic flu while they were on their anniversary trip to South America.
Sometimes I felt sorry for him. He must have felt responsible for her death since he booked the trip and everything.
He coughed violently, making me look up with worry. I watched as he reached for his asthma inhaler in his robe pocket and inhaled a few puffs. I kept staring back over my shoulder at him as I walked – trying to see whether he would survive his asthma attack and then I accidentally bumped into a fellow student on his way to school.
Immediately upon impact with his body, I turned my head and faced him. It was Michael. He gave me a stern look and said, “Watch where you’re going.”
Michael had always been a bit of a prick – he loved to hear the sound of his own voice and was under the impression the world revolved around him. I usually stayed clear from him and his friends and never made much eye contact, but noticed he seemed off. His forehead was glistening with sweat and his skin was pale – almost like someone who had the flu.
“Hey.” I asked concerned, “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine.” He said bluntly and walked off.
Like I said – a prick.
I glanced over at James’s house as I passed, half expecting Richard to come out. I still could not believe he was gone. One moment he was alive and the next he was dead – well, as dead as one could be after being killed twice.
I wonder how long we would have stayed friends if he didn’t try to eat my mother. Oh, well. No use in dwelling on the past. What’s done is done. Who is dead is dead.
The rest of the walk to school was a brisk one – like every day. When the building came into sight so did the sea of students loitering outside the building. Everyone had such dread on their faces. Why were we being forced to go to school? Nobody liked school except the brainy nerds. If I were president I would make school optional.
A girl parking her bike in the bike stand to my left coughed twice and wiped her forehead. I noticed that her forehead seemed sweaty. Another one? Was there a bug going round? I hope not. I hate getting sick.
Needless to say, I steered off into the other direction and avoided contamination from the sickly girl. I entered the school building and walked over to my locker. Some of the students stepped aside and stared at me. Some of them pointed and whispered. The events of yesterday were still fresh in everyone’s mind.
I stepped over a red stain in the middle of the hallway which was a cruel reminder of the massacre that happened. Why did the janitor not clean it thoroughly? It was typical of that lazy bum of a janitor.
I took a deep breath and tried to ignore the fact that I could feel everyone’s eyes piercing into my flesh. I unlocked my locker and as I opened it, I heard a familiar voice behind me.
“Zac.” Michelle said softly.
It was the first time I actually felt my heart stop – as if it needed to catch its breath. That warm fuzzy feeling you get when you are really excited, or are just about to go downhill on a rollercoaster ride – that feeling took over every part of my body as I turned to face her.
She was breathtakingly beautiful with her striking eyes and hair flowing down like waterfalls. I still could not understand why she would want to be seen talking to me.
“Hi.” I said with a foolish smile.
“I didn’t think I’d see you here today.” She said.
I was mesmerized by her succulent lips as she spoke. What I would not give to taste one kiss from her lips.
I snapped out of my daze and foolishly ran my fingers through my hair.
“Why?” I asked, “It’s not like I committed a crime. I stopped two mentally unstable bullies.”
Wait, what? Did that just come out of my mouth? Was that the best way I could describe what happened? What was wrong with me? She clearly had an effect on my brain.
“The way you reacted was pretty amazing.” Michelle said with a smile.
I smiled back at her, not knowing what to say. We stood staring and smiling at each other for a moment and then she broke the silence.
“Can I walk you to your class?” She asked.
I was completely flabbergasted. Walk? With me?
“Sure.” I said.
“What class are you going to?” Michelle asked.
“Yes please.” I said.
What the hell was that? “Yes please”? That made no sense. What was wrong with me? My head felt all mumbled and confused and my tongue felt too heavy to say the words I wanted to say.
Michelle giggled and shifted her backpack on her shoulder.
“I mean biology.” I quickly said.
Nice save. I think I salvaged some dignity.
Michelle then did something I never expected – she hooked her arm into mine and escorted me down the hallway. It felt nice. I felt like part of the high school society for once. It did not matter that most of the students still stared at me and whispered. I was in heaven. I had the most beautiful girl in the school by my side.
Someone to my left coughed in our direction, but I hardly noticed them. All I could think of was the fact that Michelle was walking with me.
As we walked I glanced at her from the corner of my eye – trying not to be conspicuous about the fact that I still could not believe what was happening. Michelle seemed proud to be walking down the hallway with me. She was smiling – not a smirk about being the most beautiful girl, but a smile about being happy – or even in love.
Perhaps I could take her out for coffee or a movie some time? I doubt that she would say no. She was clearly into me for some reason. Maybe she was an adrenaline junkie and I was her new fix? I did not really care what her motive was.
We got to the classroom door and she stopped.
“Here we are.” She said with a smile.
She unhooked her arm from mine and it felt almost like I lost a fraction of my body heat.
“Thank you.” I said and smiled.
“So, I’ll see you later?” She asked.
“Definitely.” I said, “I was thinking that if you weren’t doing anything that we could go out some evening?”
“That would be great.” She said
My heart was racing and my chest felt too small for my lungs to get sufficient oxygen. I could not believe the words came out correctly from my mouth and that she agreed to go out with me! Could this be happening? I just did not want to wake up in my bed having it all be a dream. That would suck royally.
“Great.” I gasped.
Why did I gasp? Now she is going to think I am a freak. One moment I am confident and the next I am a gasping freak.
She smiled and walked away. She even looked back over her shoulder and smiled. She clearly did not think I was a freak – or she had a thing for freaks?
I should really stop putting myself down like this.
Life was good.
10
“Life is not good.” Mr Gibson said.
He was our biology teacher and was always preaching about how there was no real meaning to life except it all being chance. It was per chance that humans evolved. It was per chance that the universe existed.
He paced up and down in front of the blackboard with his hands
behind his back and his glasses on the tip of his nose.
“Life is a series of mistakes and chances.” Mr Gibson continued, “There is no reason for all of it. There is no reason apes evolved into humans. It just happened.”
Somewhere in the back of the class someone coughed and sniffed.
“Whoever is sick; please desist from making those noises.” Mr Gibson insisted, “Try and keep your germs to yourself.”
The person coughed once more and then was silent. I looked at the faces around me in search of the person who coughed, but could not find the culprit. He or she was clearly hiding their cough from the teacher from hell.
Mr Gibson continued with his negative explanation about life as I drifted away into my thoughts about Michelle. She was so lovely. She was picturesque. Were we a couple? Maybe calling ourselves a couple was jumping the gun. She was just intrigued with me – not in love with me.
I heard a panicking voice behind me and I snapped back to reality.
“Hey, are you okay?” Someone behind me asked worried.
I looked over my shoulder and saw a girl standing next to a boy whom rested his head on his arms. The boy was panting heavily. The girl laid her hand on his back.
“You’re cold.” She said.
The girl looked up at the teacher and said, “I think we need help over here.”
Mr Gibson sighed at the interruption and walked over.
“What does he want?” Mr Gibson asked annoyed.
“I think he’s struggling to breathe.” The girl said.
The girl stepped aside as Mr Gibson approached. He stopped and looked down at the boy.
“What’s wrong?” Mr Gibson asked.
The boy did not respond. He kept his head burrowed in his folded arms, breathing heavily. His breathing increased rapidly and he started shaking from head to toe. Something was definitely wrong. I stood up and assessed the situation as well as the classroom. There were four windows to my left, the classroom door to my right, a Bunsen burner at the front of the class and jars of foetuses on a shelf in the back.
“Mr Gibson.” I said cautiously, “Be careful.”
“Trust me.” Mr Gibson said.
Mr Gibson looked up and flashed a proud smirk at me.
“I am always careful around sick people.” Mr Gibson said, “Sit down and be quiet or I will give you an ‘F’ for flunked.”
What an ass. Whatever was coming, he deserved it.
Mr Gibson turned his attention to the boy again.
“Boy.” He insisted.
“Timothy.” Someone corrected Mr Gibson.
How could he not know the names of his students?
“Whatever.” Mr Gibson said, “Timothy, get up. If you are sick you have to go to the nurse’s office.”
Timothy’s breathing stopped all together and then, so did the shaking. He was motionless. Mr Gibson reached out and shook Timothy by the shoulder. Timothy shook like a rag doll.
“Is he dead?” Someone gasped.
“I hope not.” Mr Gibson said sceptically, “I don’t want a decaying boy in my classroom.”
Timothy’s head moved and then he looked up at Mr Gibson. His eyes were as dark as night and he grinned a mouth full of black teeth. Mr Gibson retracted his arm and with a swift movement, Timothy jumped up from his seat and pounced onto Mr Gibson.
Mr Gibson as well as the rest of the students screamed as Timothy wrestled him to the ground and took a giant bite out of his neck. I cringed when I saw the flesh tear away like elastic and snap while Timothy munched away.
I was torn between stopping the undead and letting the teacher get what was coming to him. It was only when I saw the other students running for the door that I realized what was happening. I glanced up and saw that a girl got tackled by another infected student as soon as she stepped out of the classroom. Screams echoed out in the hallway. Timothy was not an isolated incident.
My breathing slowed down to a steady pace and my sights transfixed upon Timothy chomping away on the teacher from hell. Timothy stopped abruptly and looked up at me like an animal protecting its food.
He growled at me and it was clear that he was no longer human. Mr Gibson started
Zac Zombie: Slayer of the undead Page 8
