1 The Coming Era

The familiar sound of an alarm clock woke Jun as he flopped his arm on his nightstand searching for the snooze button. He sat up and stretched before sliding out of bed to get dressed for school. 'School...' Jun let out a hefty sigh as he reluctantly put his dress shoes on and walked down stairs to the kitchen.

"Exciting day for you today isn't it. You've always wanted to be a scientist ever since you were little. Now you get to visit the research center I work at and see what it's like." Jun's mother smiled at him warmly before kissing his forehead. "Don't forget to pick your brother up after school." She ruffled his hair and hurried out of the house.

"Sure thing." He mumbled and rolled his eyes as he began his walk to school. Pretty soon the streets were flooded with students walking to school. Since he had plenty of time, Jun brought his ear buds up to his ears and put them in, playing music as walked.

"Jun!" A girl called out to him as she frantically ran to catch up to him. "Jun!" She nudged him and looked at him waiting for him to reply.

"Mira?" He looked as if he saw a ghost. "I thought you weren't coming back until next year!" Jun smiled and picked her up as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Well... I wanted to surprise you. Did it work?" She giggled and leaned down placing a kiss on his lips. He put her back on her feet and returned the kiss holding her even closer.

"Yes, you did surprise me. But today is the big field trip. Are you going?" He let her go and started walking again as he paused his music and laced his pinkie finger with hers swaying their hands as they walked.

"I'm going. It's going to be so much fun. I like seeing how you geek out over all that science-y stuff." She smiled and pointed out a bus in front of the school gates. "Well, looks like our chariot awaits." Mira steps into the bus and slides into a seat sitting by the window. Jun followed behind her and sat right next to her throwing an arm over her shoulder. Soon the bus was filled with students going on the trip. "This is kind of exciting." She whispered.

"Alright everyone, as you all know we're going to the research center. So please don't touch anything and listen to the guide. Once we get there we'll have to put on a mask and gloves. Any questions?" No one raised their hand so they departed from the school and began their drive to the research center.

After some time, they pulled into a secluded area with a gate. Once buzzed in the driver pulled through the gate and parked the bus. "Ok guys, everyone grab a mask and a pair of gloves." The teacher held out a box of the needed items. The students piled outside and followed the teacher inside the building. "Masks and gloves on." The teacher instructed as Jun's mother greeted them.

"Hello and welcome to the Pathogenic Research Center. My name is Lina Kim. I will be guide for today. If you would, please take one of these lab coats and put it on please." She motioned to the stack of neatly folded lab coats. Once everyone had their coat on, Lina took her key card and unlocked the double doors. "This way please." She held the door open for the students as they crowded in the hall. She lead them in front of a low temp room that housed some of the most deadly viruses. "This is where we keep some of the dangerous pathogens." Just as Lina was about to explain what the pathogens were, an explosion shook the building and researchers scattered like cockroaches. "Wait here a moment please. I need to see what's going on."

"Mom! Wait!" Jun shouted to his mother but she was already gone. The teacher tried to calm the students as debris and rubble started to fall from ceiling. No less than five minutes later screams could be heard bellowing down the hall. Before they knew it the ground was shaking from multiple heavy footsteps that sounded as if they were sprinting towards them.

"GO! GO! GO!" Two researchers covered in blood ran towards the group pointing at the double doors. "RUN!" The other tripped over her shoes as the sound of footsteps caught up with them. The researcher frantically took his key card and shoved his way through the student and unlocked the door. What came next would scar Jun for life. A heard of blood covered scientists emerged from the hallway. Some of them had their intestines wrapped around themselves, the others had bite marks and chunks of flesh taken from their bodies. Lina was the last to emerge from the hall. The students ran out of the door flooded into the bus as the dead gave chase. Jun looked out of the window and saw her. He saw his mother, carved up, bloody. Her arm was missing and a gaping hole now resided in her cheek. He turned around quickly and just stared into nothingness. Little did Jun know this was the arrival of the coming era. The era of the dead.