Zombie High

by Shawn Kass

  You take a minute to consider the fact that you will be going out on your own and try to weigh it against the idea of waiting and having others with you. It’s a hard choice, but you decide…

  If you go alone, turn to page …………………. 228 If you wait, turn to page …………………. 261

  Go for Food with Weapon

  With weapons in hand, you put your thoughts to the next task. Considering that you haven’t eaten since that pitiful excuse for a breakfast your mother gave you, you’re more than happy to make food your next priority. The girl upstairs in the teachers’ lounge recommended that you go to the cafeteria for food, and sure, she has a point, but you managed to acquire weapons on your own by going to the shop class instead of the gym, so you might have some alternative options. You know that the lunch your mom set out for you is still sitting in your locker, but you also recognize that it’s not going to be enough to feed multiple people, and certainly not enough if you are forced to hole up for any amount of time and wait for a rescue.

  Putting your mind to the next task of figuring out where you can get some food, you figure that the next best option besides the cafeteria is to go to the vending machines in the back hallway. That seems like quite a distance away. On top of that, you keep thinking about the multitude of zombie movies you’ve watched and books you’ve read and most of them point to the characters dying when they go out of their way for stuff. Perhaps going to the cafeteria won’t be so bad. It’s only a couple of hallways away.

  With that in mind, you grip your two-by-four a bit tighter and head out, making your way down the hall. The coast seems clear as you approach the intersection, and you know that the cafeteria is to the right, but something stops you. It might be that things seem too quiet, or that your ears picked up on something your conscious mind didn’t notice, but you pause at the intersection and wait for a few seconds.

  Just as you’re about to dismiss the ominous feeling and move on, you hear a door bang open from the gym and the sound of footsteps running heavily in your direction. Figuring that you haven’t seen any zombies running yet, you make the assumption that this must be another student or a staff member coming. Unsure, however, you tuck yourself in as close as you can to the wall and wait to see what happens.

  It only takes a couple of seconds and you spot a girl in one of the lower grades, either ninth or tenth - you can’t quite remember, running full tilt past you up the hall to your right. As she does so, she doesn’t seem to notice you, but you read the back of her sweatshirt and identify her by her last name, Bagdonas. In a time like this, what with the zombies everywhere, you can only think of one reason she would be running like that, and hiding around a corner probably isn’t going to be enough to keep you from being bitten.

  Peeking around the corner just to see what you’re dealing with, you find a horde of the undead shambling your way. Your choices are simple, either run to the right and help Bagdonas, or turn around and find someplace to hide between here and the shop class.

  If you choose to help Bagdonas, turn to page ……… 209 If you choose to run and hide, turn to page ……… 278

  Go to the Cafeteria with Band Kids

  Knowing that there probably isn’t anything you can do for Matt, not even if you did get to a first aid kit, you decide that you’re still hungry and you probably won’t do anyone much good if you don’t get some food in you soon. You also figure that while you have everyone with you, it will be easier to carry a bunch of food back, and there can still be at least one person who is a dedicated fighter in case you come across any unfriendliness. For those reasons, you decide that heading to the cafeteria next seems like the best idea.

  Telling the rest of the group your plan, they seem a bit reluctant, and Ryan even mentions that the first aid kit might come in handy if anyone gets hurt by something other than one of the infected, but without any better options on where to go, they end up following you to the cafeteria. Along the way, you find evidence that someone else has been roaming the halls as well because there are a couple of bodies lying on the ground here and there which you did not put down, and each of them looks to have had their heads bashed in with some sort of blunt instrument. As you pass the bodies, you catch a look on the others’ faces and say, “It’s better that we know someone else is out here with us. Otherwise, we would have to deal with these things ourselves.”

  Talking as you are, you walk directly into the intersection where you would normally turn to go to the cafeteria as if you are on autopilot. You would have kept going if it wasn’t for the fact that Bagdonas grabs your arm and points out the mess of zombies in the cafeteria. Backing away slowly, the four of you regroup at the corner of the intersection and try to assess what you might be up against. As it turns out, counting the creatures is too difficult both because there are so many of them and because they all keep moving around. Pulling back, you turn to look at the rest of the group, prepared to tell them that the vending machines in the back hall will probably be a better place to get food when you notice instead of there being three people behind you, now there are six.

  You quickly try to tell the others to turn around, but by the time they do the zombies are already on them. One zombie seems to jump on Ryan’s back as it sinks its teeth into his neck and a spurt of arterial spray hit not just the walls, but you as well. Chris at least has the opportunity to get to face his attacker but is still brought down by an attacking zombie who looks a lot like one of the teachers here at the school. The one who gets it the worst, however, is Bagdonas. Two zombies grab hold of her at the same time and begin to force the poor girl to the ground. One of them, with its hands on her neck, begins chewing off parts of her face starting with the cheeks and working its way around, while the other one settles itself on top of one of her legs while it lifts the other one up and takes a bite out her thigh.

  The two remaining zombies seem to consider joining in on the feast that has already been laid out before them, but eventually think better of it and decide that they do not want any would-be morsel, namely you, to escape their mealtime. Lifting your two-by-four, you crack the first one with what would have been a devastating blow to the head but find that instead of destroying the warped mush in its head that passes for a brain, it’s your board that breaks on impact. Realizing you’ll never generate the force you need with only half a stick of lumber, you throw the remaining piece in its face and reach for the hammer in your belt loop. As you try to yank on it, however, you find that it’s caught on something, and the handle won’t just slide out as you expected. Not realizing that it’s the belt loop which has somehow become twisted, you continue to yank on it hoping that it will somehow become free if you just pull harder.

  It’s this delay in your response and your clear lack of vigilance which becomes your downfall, and as the zombies bring you down and begin to dig their way into your abdomen, you realize that all of this could have been avoided if you were paying closer attention to your surroundings.

  The End

  Go to the Back and be Quiet

  History has always been one of the most boring classes and listening to Miss Millstone drone on about it, essentially reading the textbook to the class every day has done nothing to improve your feelings about it. It’s for that reason that you have been sleeping through as much of the course as possible this year and barely know anyone in the class. Next to you is Jeff, one of the guys you knew back in middle school but haven’t talked to very much over the past few years. With no one else you really know nearby, you opt to just stay seated and remain quiet.

  It doesn’t take long until the class begins to occupy themselves with whispered rumors and stories, and you find yourself leaning in to hear what they’re saying.

  “Hey, Sarah, what happened down there?” asks Jeff as he tries to get caught up.

  “Well, I was downstairs coming from Mr. Parks’ geometry class, and a crowd was all around the front door. My friend Jessica and I tried to squeeze our way in, but th
at’s when the principal showed up and told everyone to go to class. From what I heard, though, Mr. Tibbs went ape on some old guy after the geezer bit him or something.”

  Inserting himself into the conversation, Ben says, “I was in Mr. Tibbs’ room first hour. That guy is awesome.”

  “Well, if you were there, what did you see?” asks Jeff.

  “Okay, so like, Mr. Tibbs went out to the hall like he always does when the bell rings, and we all got our books and stuff and started to head out too. Anyway, some old guy came up to the doors and started knocking. From there, I’m not sure, I was a in a hurry to get here on time, but I heard he opened the door and the guy started trying to eat him or something. Mr. Tibbs defended himself, and …,” but the rest of Ben’s words are cut off by Miss Millstone.

  “Excuse me,” says Miss Millstone loudly from her stool in the front of the room. “This is a lockdown. You all shouldn’t be talking back there,” completely ignoring the fact that for as much as they were having a whispered conversation if there was someone out there looking for them, she just announced all herself to at least half the school.

  Ducking down sheepishly, Ben says, “Sorry, Miss Millstone,” before he leans back and rests his head against the wall saying, “She has no idea what an ‘inside’ voice is.”

  Realizing that none of them seem to know anything substantial, you figure that they aren’t about to make the connection you have that these old people are zombies, and without anyone else around that actually saw them, there’s no way any of them will believe you. Just then, you hear a thud at the door.

  Normally in a lockdown, no one is supposed to be in the hall, so this is more than a little unusual. Standing up from her stool, Miss Millstone walks over to the door and waits. A moment after she gets close to it, there are two more thumps on the door. To someone not listening for it, it might sound like someone knocking, but you could swear the thumps sound a little too squishy, and a little too wet, almost as if someone more like bumped into the door with their face.

  If you open the window and jump, turn to page ………. 37

  If you crawl further back and hide, turn to page ………. 51

  If you want to wait and sneak out, turn to page ………. 53

  About the Author

  Shawn Kass was born in Killeen, Texas. He attended a series of colleges while serving as a Staff Sergeant in the United States Air Force. He earned five degrees in subjects including Mathematics, Psychology, Education, and Secure Computer Systems

  Networking. While on active duty from 1997 to 2006, he was stationed stateside in Texas, California, Florida, Illinois, and Washington, D.C. While overseas, he served in several Middle East locations.

  Upon exiting the service, Shawn became a high school math and science teacher, educating students in Washington, D.C., England, and Michigan. He currently lives in Farmington Hills, MI with his wonderful wife and is currently teaching at a local high school.

  Visit him at: https://www.facebook.com/shawn.kass.1 or

  https://sites.google.com/site/secondchanceandtheallonsy /home for news on his next Allons-y book.

  Emails will be accepted at:

  secondchanceandtheallonsy@yahoo.com