Meet Me At The End Of The World

Chapter Twenty

Without any natural light, attempting to navigate the hallways is providing difficult. I clench a knife in one hand as I use the other arm to support Simon and pray that we're not too late for Honey and Val.

Neither of us speak because we know what will happen if we do. Even the smallest of sounds could echo through these deselect hallways attracting the attention of the undead.

Suddenly, something catches hold of my elbow. I turn to stab it only to find Val standing there with a panicked expression. Honey comes sprinting down the hall behind them with a wild expression and her gun in hand. She spins and fires three shots into the dark. Three sounds of splatting blood reach our ears as a sign that each bullet made a home in some part of the undead.

Honey then beckons us to follow her down another hall towards the computer science classrooms. We all follow, both Val and I supporting Simon who appears to be unable to keep his legs beneath him. His face is contorted in pain and it's evident from the way his eyes are fixed on my pocket that he's longing for the pills despite only just having some.

We barrel into the classroom and Honey slams the door closed behind us. She pushes a desk over the door before turning back to us.

"The entire school is surrounded." She informs us. There is no escape from this.

"Could we fight our way through?" I suggest but she shakes her head in dismay.

"No. There are too many of them." She states. Simon opens his mouth and instantly we all know that something horrendous is about to come out.

"You could use me as bait." He suggests and instantly I wish that someone would just hit him in attempt to knock some sense or at lease a filter into him.

"Shut up Simon." Is Honey's only response as she begins to pace back and forth.

"I'm only slowing you all down." Simon continues as if he never heard Honey.

"Simon..." She warns with a dangerous expression.

"Survival of the fittest." He adds.

"I SAID SHUT UP!"

Instantly, Val covers Honey's mouth with their hand in order to prevent anymore extremely loud sounds escaping and I glance around nervously. The sound of hands clawing against the wooden door outside sounds throughout the classroom sending a jolt of fear through me.

"Our supplies is located in the English corridor." Val states after a moment of silence. "Honey and I will attempt to bring as much of it as we can. Danny, you and Simon need to retreat to the office block where Miss Day's husband worked. We'll meet up there and plan our next move."

Their plan holds many floors but it's all that we have and is much better then anything else we could come up with.

"Don't die." I order both Val and Honey and they both nod.

"You two don't die either." Val orders and I nod. Simon doesn't but thats just the way he is. Honey would usually press on the matter but chooses not to today since there are more pressing matters at hand.

"Ready?" I ask as I loop Simon's arm around my shoulders and hook my other arm around his waist for extra support.

"Ready." Both Honey and Val confirm, Simon once again remain still and silent. We nod to one another once more before Honey begins to move the table away from the door.

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With the hallways now full and Simon slowing us down, I've chosen to take the air vents. I have to admit, this is something that appears much easier in films.

The vents are a maze of metal tunnels that are filled with suffocating dust and hold hardly any space to move. Most buildings hold some sort of vent entrance on the outside so I pray that soon we'll arrive at one of those.

Constantly, I glance over my shoulder to check up on Simon to find him struggling more then ever. His skin is coated in sweat and his face is pale. I long to remove any pain that he may be in yet I lack the ability to.

"How are you holding up?" I whisper in hope that the undead are unable to access the schools ventilation system.

"Just peachy." Simon gasps in a sarcastic manner. I don't hold the sarcasm against him though since it's obvious that he's in a great amount of pain.

"Not long left Simon." I assure him, praying that it is the truth. "Not long left."

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The vent on the outside of the building pops off with a clang of metal and tumbles to the floor a mere meter bellow. I poke my head out and glance around until I'm certain the coast is clear before slowly adjusting my position until I can easily slip out. Getting Simon out of the vent proves challenging yet with many profanities being hissed and much struggling, we're both safely on the ground.

"Where to now?" Simon whispers as we both glance around in hope to find the office building Val mentioned.

"Over there." I say as I point to a not too far away building. Simon nods and we both begin to walk. Well, I walk while he limps, each movement forcing a harsh breath escaping his lungs.

Suddenly, a deep groaning sounds from nearby and a group of undead turn the corner to reveal themselves. Instantly, panic floods into my veins and my breath cones short.

"Simon, run." I break into a spirit and I can hear Simon racing behind me yet within a few seconds of running comes the thump and scrape of Simon falling. I turn to find him sprawlled out on the ground and I pray that the closing in undead mistake him for a dead body.

I remove my knife from my belt and wave it around in front of me in preparation yet much to my surprise, something collides with me from behind. I tumble to the ground, my knife flying somewhere else.

Turning to lay on my back, I find an undead soldier collapsing onto me, it's mouth gaping open, desperate for its rotting stumps of teeth and sink into my skin and tear my body to shreds. I attempt to shove it off of me yet for something dead and rotting, it holds great strength.

Suddenly, black blood sprays my face and the undead monsters body jerks oddly before collapsing on top of me. I instantly shove it off in disgust and sit bolt up to find Simon kneeling before me. My knife sits between us coated in the same blood which also coats Simon's hand. He's trembling and his skin has turned a deathly pale.

"Simon..."

"We... We need to move." He says, his voice shaking. I nod in agreement and assist him to standing again. Then, we begin to progress towards the building again.