Land Of The Dead

6 || Brothers.

Bulchewski High School.

Chloe’s POV.

“Wait!”

My trembling hand hovered over the backdoor handle. With a deep breath, I turned toward Edward. His blue eyes which always shone with love and confidence showed fear for the first time since I’ve known him. I swallowed and looked away from him.

The longer I stared into his eyes, the more guilt built up within me. I can’t afford to feel that, I can’t afford to let anyone stop me from going to Kira, not even him. I nodded my head and held the door handle. I pulled it open, and the door to the classroom directly opposite mine opened at that exact time.

Deborah, a junior student who came by often to ask for our board cleaner stood trembling with blood splattered all over. “Help…. Me..” Her lips read but I stood rooted in fear. She stretched out her hand and tried to take a step forward but was dragged back into the classroom.

Her wails filled the air and I broke down in sweat, that could be happening to Kira right now. I am wasting time being here, but why? I fought back the tears, why won’t my body move?

Whatever had dragged Deborah now stood across me. Its intestines were dangling from its stomach. Is it even possible to be alive after losing so much? It opened its mouth wide and snarled at me. The distance between us was at most ten steps. My leg took a step back as its snarls became louder.

It screamed and made a run for me but before it could get close to me, the door slammed shut in its face. A loud thud from it hitting the door resonates in our dead quiet class and I fall into Edward’s arms.

“Chloe for the love of God!” He shook me but I couldn’t bring myself to look at him.

“Kira..” A tear dropped and another, the knot that I’d been ignoring since this mess started was too big to ignore now. How could I be so weak right now, how can the fear of whatever was outside be stronger than the love I have for my sister?

“Listen to me.” His soft voice begged and I finally turned to him.

“Edward… I can’t leave her to become one of them… I can’t.”

Edward’s POV.

I nodded my head, my hold on her tightening, I didn’t care if the others saw. “How could you leave the one you love amid this chaos?” I whispered softly.

I ran straight to her the moment I smelt danger. How can I hold her back from doing the exact same thing? She looked away from me, her big green eyes were halo. I wanted to hug her and reassure her that Kira would be okay but I know I can’t do that.

The banging on the door had stopped, the thing must have seen someone else to go after. The area had gradually been getting empty, was everyone in this block already turned?

“Look, I am going to help you rescue your sister.” I looked from the door to her.

“Are you crazy? Why would you? How are you so sure she isn’t even dead already?” Mabel’s annoying high pitched voice opposed.

Chloe scoffed but didn’t reply to her, she must be too tired to. They were always at each other’s throats.

“Mabel you have always been nasty but how can you say that right now?” Caleb asked irritatedly.

She scoffed. “What’s wrong with what I said? Everyone out there is insane! We can barely protect ourselves and what, you think a kid would still be alive?”

“This bitch!” Rachel glared at her.

“W-what? B-bitch?” She flicked her hair. “Then you and Chloe can go out and die yourselves! Why should Edward risk his life for her, when I am here?” She whirled towards me angrily. “YOU should die for me!”

“That’s enough, Mabel,” I yelled. How did I end up with someone so thick-skulled?

“B-but babe!” She stomped her foot and I rolled my eyes with an exasperated sigh.

“Edward, brother, you know I’ll always have your back right?” Chris stood up with a boyish grin.

“Mine too!” Hunter and Michael chorused.

I couldn’t help the small smile that formed. We have been best friends since elementary school, no, we have been brothers since then. I steadied Chloe and took a peek out the windows, the place was deserted, at least this floor was.

“If this is where it started, it makes sense that it’s less crowded here, they must have gone towards somewhere where they can get more people,” I said to no one in particular.

“I don’t think the topmost floor would be too swarmed, they were running out of here not running up,” Rachel spoke up.

“Yes, so there’s a chance Kira is hiding somewhere up there.” Jordan approached me and I disregarded the jealousy I’ve always had for him.

“Right, so all we have to do is carefully go up there and search for her.” Chris clapped.

“Michael, Hunter, Chris, Chloe and I will go bring Kira while the rest of you stay here. It would be hard if all of us go so it’s better for just us five. And if help comes, don’t hesitate to leave, we will make our way out to safety too.”

I glanced at Chloe, she was staring out the window, her hands had finally stopped trembling but it looked like she was out of it. I sighed and turned toward my brothers. They looked about ready and I have to admit it reassured me. I smiled faintly, at least we were all athletic, we would be fine.

Chloe’s POV.

“What? T-That's..” Betty pushed her glasses up and turned to me. “It’s too risky!”

“Would you do nothing if you were in her shoes?” Caleb turned to her.

She didn’t say anything to that.

“Y-you guys are all seniors, shouldn’t one or two stay behind….” Mitch muttered.

“Wow, aren’t you the one that likes Chloe the most? She cried out for help, you ignored her and now that they want to help, you want them to stay back and do what? Protect you? Aren’t you a man yourself??” Liza slammed her fist on the table and glared at him.

“There’s no time for this,” I said and pushed myself away from the window. I turned towards the trio that was always with Edward.

“Thank you, all of you. I really, really appreciate you guys.”

I opened the front door slowly and stepped out into the biting cold. The scent of blood hung heavily in the air, it was rustic and metallic. I tried not to pay attention to the torn limbs lying around. There was no movement from the other four classes, had they all gone towards the other side of the school?

“It’s clear.” My voice sounded so foreign in my ears.

“Try to make your movements as little as possible, okay?” Edward turned towards us.

We made our way carefully towards the corner on the left, it led to the stairwell. Save for my beating heart, the rest of the floor was quiet. I stepped over a hand and another time over what should be someone’s kidney.

I forced the bile down my throat, I can’t afford to vomit. It would slow us down. A loud banging next to me made me jolt in fear. One of them was staring at me through the window. The doors to the class were locked and my heart palpated as I anxiously waited to see if it would pull open the door and sink its teeth into me.

“Chloe!” Chris whisper-yelled.

They were already at the corner of the stairwell. The thing kept banging itself but didn’t open the door, they can’t open doors? I released a sigh of relief and joined the others.

“Sorry… I thought it would come for me, I was going to lure it away.” I removed the tendrils that had escaped from my high ponytail.

They didn’t say anything, but Edward’s burning gaze said a lot. He was mad and if we made it out of this trip alive, he would most likely give me an earful.

“Don’t do that next time.” Michael sighed.

“Let’s go, we’re at the stairwell already.

I stopped right in my tracks as I took the first step. The thing locked eyes with me. Its lips were drawn in a mocking smile, or maybe it was a figment of my imagination.

“Chloe, get back here, we can make it back to the class in time.” Chris urged me but I didn’t budge, I couldn’t even if I wanted to.

I recognized this one, it was Mrs Darcy, the cleaner. A rash of spots had spread across her skin, one or two had swollen into fat blisters, the same went for her face. Another crop of blisters and boils blossomed from her knuckles and her fingers swelled up like bloated slugs, her nails had turned black and lost in a cushion of pulpy flesh. One finger was split open with pus oozing out of it.

The skin on her face erupted with pus. Pearly boils with yellow heads spread from one ear across her cheek. Her lips were fat, like sausages in a frying pan, the skin tightening then bursting, so that bright pink flesh bulged off of them. Her eyes swelled, the blood vessels in them showing dark red. Two lines of boils pushed out from beneath her eyelids, peeling them back and down.

They began to pop one by one, leaking blood and pus down her face. She tried to scream but her mouth was filled with swellings, lumps and ulcers, her tongue was a fat warty toad thing, that forced its way out from between her teeth. Her throat was completely blocked so that she could neither breathe nor speak. She no longer looked human.

Who am I kidding, she clearly wasn’t human. Her whole body was bulging and writhing. She ran towards me but I stayed rooted to the spot. My brain pleaded with me to move yet all I could do was watch and it came face to face with me.

I’m going to die, I’m going to die!