Chapter 13: the beginning of the end

''Meimei?''

''Mm''

''Meimei.''

''Mm?''

''No matter what happens tomorrow... stick close to me okay?''

''why? is something wrong? what is going on tomorrow?''

''Don't ask questions. Just trust me and follow me. Okay?''

''Okay. whatever's gonna happen tomorrow I'll be by your side. I'll trust you''

''Mm.. yeah thanks. see you tomorrow''

''See you tomorrow. Sleep well''

after the phone call Hiori sighed as she flops down her bed, then she fell asleep just like that.

Hiori's phone rang, her eyes opened then a sigh followed.

Morning came already, there was nothing unusual about it. It's still the same mornings that comes everyday.

Nature sound can still be heard but in just a few hours this peaceful morning will be broken.

Wearing her school uniform she grabs the backpack beside the bed, on her shoulder was a black strapped cloth case that sometimes hits the back of her thighs when she walks.

Hiori went to the kitchen and saw her older sister after a long time. She seems like a stranger but not really. Haruka smiled showing a row of white teeth at Hiori

Haruka sat alone at the table with a plate of toast in front of her, she puts the toast on her mouth and took a bite then she said to Hiori who's just standing in front of her ''aren't you getting late?''

Hiori snapped out of it and looked at her phone ''I AM LATE!! SEE YOU LATER NEE-SAN!!''

''Mm. Bye~''

... ...

Arrived at the school gate barely making it, Hiori gasped as she catch her breath. She looked around then she spot a familiar face, Mumei who's standing not far from her looking to her way Hiori then waved her hands and smiled at her then she jogged her way to Mumei.

the two of them arrived at the classroom, one sweat dripping from the side of her face and the other is not so sweaty like the other.

as soon as they took their seats the bell rang loudly and teachers started to come one by one to their perspective class and started teaching.

... ...

It is currently 9:20

ten more minutes for the first subject to end, all her fellow classmate are either listening seriously or dozing off.

Hiori on the other hand is looking around the class or sometimes looking at window. She's getting more and more nervous as the clock ticks that her palms are literally wet.

Bell rang loudly then shriek from the outside followed

Hiori's ears twitched as she heard it but she is stayed on her seat.

Rui-sensei was already inside the classroom when someone stood up and walked to the window but she didn't reprimand him.

''woah, woah hey guys look! our fellow students are going crazy!''

The others got curious and went to the window to take a peek as well.

they were laughing at first then the longer they watched the cheery atmosphere seized.

Rui-sensei also went to take a look, her face paled. What she saw out there was something out of the movies. students are eating each other!

Rui-sensei immediately called the police but it didn't connect!

She called someone with worry ''come on pick it up...''

''Hello? Nee-san?''

''where are you right now?''

''im at the gym? sort of?... why?''

Rui-sensei sighed ''then go to the storage room and lock yourself there. move quickly!''

''um... Nee-san im already doing that~~ hehehe''

''were you cutting again? well no matter. anyways don't open the door no matter what you heard outside okay? I'll come to you soon.''

Rui hanged up the call and she said loudly ''someone close the door shut! and those who have their phone, call for help!''

everyone moved their asses and did what she said two students went to the door and locked it, feeling uneasy they pushed a table blocking it.

''Rui-sensei are we going to be fine?'' a student asked

''Don't worry someone will definitely help us. Right, call your parents as well''

two hours passed, no police siren can be heard but instead a snarling and growling followed by a pained screaming is.

someone stood up and said ''hey can we just go outside and run away?''

someone who's seated near the window answered ''you can try running, I definitely won't bet on it. ''it'' run really fast'' then she pointed outside.

''maybe we can outrun ''It''? we won't know until we try?''

''why don't you go outside and try it then?''

He sat back looking down.

Kaede who's looking at the window said ''hey are they like zombies? look they only attack who's not ''it'' yet''

''oh you're right... ''it'' is called zombies then''

''hey Kaede can you observe the zombies for a while and take note of what's attracting them? and what they look like?''

Kaede answered ''what do you think zombies look like? obviously they look dead and rotten.''

''yeah but like aren't the zombies outside are our fellow student?''

''...''

''right... then how can I describe them then..?'' Kaede asked

''just take note of what you see.''

''man... I can't see them well from up here.''

''use your phone dimwit''

''ah right...by the way who are you?''

''idiot it's been a week and you don't know your classmates?

''I can recognize my classmates by their face but I can't remember the names...'' Kaede pouted

''I'm... Haru'' he said sighing..

Hiori was just observing her classmates, everything went the same as ''before'' the only thing that changed is Haru. He didn't act as he did now ''before''

Mumei tugged her sleeves then she whispered ''did you know that this will happen? is that why you told me to stay close to you?''

''No that's not it, I just had a bad feeling last night. I didn't know this would happen.'' Hiori lied as easily as she breath. There's no point telling her the truth and if someone heard us then they might start to blame us instead..

''Mm. then what should we do now?''

''let's stay here first and observe how things goes. Then if an opportunity arise we can go outside. Did you try calling auntie?

''Yes I did but it won't connect.''

''everyone must've been doing the same''

''I think so too''

''then let's stop using our phones for now and conserve power then try again later''

Mumei nodded.

another hour passed the screaming outside stopped but replaced with snarlings. Kaede who was tasked by Haru to watch the zombies is tearing up.

Haru came to his side ''hey what's wrong?''

Kaede was so focused that he didn't blinked ''huh? nothing is wrong why?''

Haru pointed at his face ''you're crying''

''what?'' Kaede quickly wiped his face with his palm and it was indeed wet then he said ''im not crying! it was because I was too focused that I forgot to blink!''

Haru shrugged

Kaede showed Haru a photo that he took earlier ''anyways.. look here'' he enlarged the photo and it showed the zombie's body state ''here it doesn't looked like your usual zombies at the movies''

Haru sighed ''of course not. are we in a movie right now? let me borrow your phone for a bit''

Haru stared at this same photo, he zooms it in and out then he gave the phone back then he said ''the zombies body are not decaying but they are paler than usual...''

Kaede then said ''hey is there a possibility that it came from a poison?''

Haru pondered for a while ''hmm.. I think there is, I've read it somewhere that there is a combination of toxins that can make a normal person go in a zombie-like state when it is applied but... It's just too troublesome to do it in a big scale like this so its unlikely to happen''

then he continued

''and if it is from the toxins the zombie's body should have a rash-like on their body but look, instead of rashes it's just an open wound from the bites.''

''then a biohazard?''

Haru stared at Kaede in disbelief ''I just said that it's unlikely...''

''huh? but that was about toxins?''

''...''

Kaede realized how dumb his question was then he awkwardly laughed ''I meant like viruses and stuff! haha...ha''

''No no.. It's not like that. It may be from a type of virus but I don't know and if It's from a virus there is also a possibility that It's airborne...let's just hope it's not.''

Kaede shuddered at the thought of it being airborne ''yeah... geez just how long are we going to wait for help to arrive?!''

''Don't know I tried calling but the line is busy. other areas might be in the same situation like ours..''

Kaede sighed ''ah right I forgot to add, I think they might be blind. I saw a couple of students below they didn't made a sound and walked very quietly, the zombies didn't mind them until one slipped and made a sound then they become one of them.''

''blind... but sensitive to noise.. if we make none of us make a noise if we decided to go out then there might be a chance.''

''really? at what percent? Kaede asked

''it's fifty-fifty but it might go down depending on the situation and we don't know if they can smell our scents.''

''you're right, damn it!''

''oh and did you timed how quickly they become one of them?''

''Not really but it didn't take long, maybe under five minutes.''

''okay... thanks.''