A Heavy Decision

Leo found himself in a hushed conversation with Principal Voorhees in a secluded corner of the stage. The teachers began to examine the sick students, giving Leo and the Principal enough space to talk privately. The gravity of the situation weighed heavily on them both, their expressions etched with concern and a growing sense of urgency.

"Principal, what's our plan here? We can't let this... whatever it is, spread any further," Leo said, his voice low and tense.

Voorhees, his usual composure now laced with strain, nodded gravely. "There's a contingency plan for situations like these, though I never imagined we'd have to use it," he began, his voice barely above a whisper. "There's a lockdown switch in my office. Activating it would seal the school completely – no one in or out."

He pulled out a key from his jacket pocket and shoved it into Leo's hands. "Listen, you're smaller than me and faster. If things get out of control, go to my office and open the desk. There should be a latch that raises the top of the desk. Insert the key and turn it 4 clicks clockwise. Once you hit the fourth click, the school should enter a total lockdown."

Leo's heart sank at the mention of a total lockdown. The thought of trapping everyone inside, potentially with whatever was causing this disease, sent a chill down his spine. He thought of his classmates– ordinary students caught in an extraordinary nightmare.

"But what about the students? The staff?" Leo asked, his worry for their safety evident in his voice. "If we lockdown, we're also trapping them with... with whatever's causing this."

Voorhees sighed, the burden of leadership apparent in his weary eyes. "I know, Leo. It's a last resort, but if it comes down to containing this illness or letting it spread beyond our walls, we may have no choice."

Leo felt the weight of their words settle over him like a heavy shroud. The responsibility of such a decision was immense. The thought of taking 'drastic measures,' as the agent had put it, was now a stark reality.

He remembered the agent's stern warning – to contain the situation by any means necessary. But the thought of acting on such measures, of being a part of something so final and irreversible, was daunting.

"We'll have to make a call soon," Voorhees continued, his voice firm despite the uncertainty in his eyes. "This situation is escalating faster than we can manage."

Leo furrowed his brow, deep in thought, before speaking up with a resolution in his voice. "Principal, we should call off the rally. If we can get everyone back to their homerooms, it might give us a chance to manage this situation better."

Principal Voorhees looked at Leo, a hint of relief in his eyes. "That's a sensible plan, Leo. I was thinking the same thing. Keeping everyone separated and contained might slow down whatever is spreading."

As they were agreeing on this course of action, a sudden, distant scream pierced the air, breaking the tense silence. It was quickly followed by more screams – a cacophony of fear and panic echoing from the direction of the auditorium.

Both Leo and Principal Voorhees stiffened, their eyes meeting in a shared moment of dread. The sounds of chaos were growing louder, indicating that the situation was rapidly spiraling out of control.

"We need to act now," Voorhees said urgently, but his words were cut short as a wave of panic erupted from the direction of the auditorium. On stage, several of the sick students began to convulse and seize, their bodies contorting in alarming ways.

Without hesitation, Principal Voorhees dashed towards the chaos, calling out for the teachers to follow. His authoritative voice cut through the panic as he and the staff members rushed to aid the afflicted students.

Leo stood back, watching the scene unfold with a growing sense of helplessness. The auditorium, which had been filled with the buzz of excitement for the rally, was now a place of terror and confusion. The students in the audience recoiled in horror, their cheers turning to screams as they witnessed their classmates in distress.

In his hand, Leo fidgeted with the lockdown key, the metal cold and heavy against his skin. The responsibility of activating the lockdown weighed heavily on him. It was a drastic measure, one that would seal the fate of everyone inside the school, but the scenes unfolding before him made it clear that they were running out of options.

The screams and cries for help echoed through the halls, reaching Leo where he stood, frozen by the gravity of the situation. He knew that whatever was happening was beyond their understanding, and the safety of the entire school was at risk.

Voorhees and the teachers were doing their best to handle the situation on stage, but it was evident that the crisis was escalating beyond their control. The convulsions of the sick students were a grim sign of the severity of the illness spreading through Silvercrest Academy.

As the convulsing students abruptly stilled, Principal Voorhees and the teachers quickly moved in, concern etched on their faces. 

"Are you okay? Can you hear me?" Voorhees asked, kneeling beside one of the students, trying to assess their condition. The teachers echoed similar questions, their voices a mixture of worry and relief.

But their relief was short-lived. In a split second, the stillness broke as the students lashed out violently. The suddenness of their attack caught everyone off-guard.

"What the—!" exclaimed one of the teachers as a student grabbed her, their hands clawing with an inhuman ferocity.

Principal Voorhees tried to pull a student back, shouting, "Stop! Calm down!" But his words were lost in the chaos as he too was overwhelmed by the unexpected assault.

From his vantage point, Leo watched in horror, his mind racing. 'This can't be happening. They were just sick, and now... what's going on?' His thoughts were a whirlwind of confusion and fear.

'Did he know this was going to happen? Does the agency know what's going on?.' Leo began to question the agent as a deep sense of dread settled in his chest.

He clenched the lockdown key, feeling its cold metal against his skin. 'Is this what we have to do? Lockdown the school... trap everyone inside with... whatever they've become?' His heart pounded loudly in his ears, the weight of the impending decision paralyzing him.

Around him, the screams of the teachers and students filled the air, a chilling soundtrack to the nightmare unfolding. Teachers who had been caring and concerned seconds ago were now fighting for their lives against their own students.

"This isn't real... This can't be real..." he muttered in disbelief, as he watched a teacher struggling to fend off a student.

Leo's eyes were fixed on the scene, his body frozen in place. The screams, the cries for help, the sounds of struggle – it all blended into a horrifying cacophony that echoed through the halls of Silvercrest Academy.

The sight of his principal and teachers being attacked by students they had taught and cared for was a stark and brutal reminder of how quickly their world had descended into chaos. The reality of the situation was inescapable, and the decisions that lay ahead were daunting and fraught with peril.

"Leo!" A deep, loud voice pulled him back from this anxious thoughts.

He looked over to see Voorhees holding two students off of the ground with great strength. The students, feral now, were clawing at his arms. Leo could see his arms beginning to bleed as the claws dug into him.

Leo and Voorhees locked eyes for a brief second, but to Leo, it felt like eternity. "Do it!" 

Leo jumped into the crowd and ran faster than ever before.