“I will get us killed for sure.” Jeremy muttered for the umpteenth time as he concentrated hard on the road. He bit down on his lips as he turned the steering wheel the way Adam had shown him. “Better you do it than for the zombies to get us,” Adam said in a muffled tone as he scooped out a handful of raisins from its bag and tossed them in his mouth. He munched it fast and turned to see Jeremy give him a sceptical look. Jeremy turned his head away fast when he saw that Adam was looking at him. “What?” Adam asked impatiently. “You wouldn’t tell me how you brought out so much food? I saw that you did not bring it out from the backpack," Jeremy said hesitantly. He kept his eyes on the road as he turned the steering wheel again. He turned his body in the direction he was turning the steering wheel, as if that would help him steer better. “You are not dead, are you?” Adam said shortly before he leaned over and used one hand to help Jeremy guide the car back onto the road. The ca
Adam felt like a newborn. As Jeremy stared at him with shock, Adam stepped out of the car. The iconic Cobb gate seemed to stare right back at him with interest as Adam took in the beautiful intricacies of the ivy draped elegantly over the gate structure like a lover embracing his beloved. Adam was surprised by how many details he could pick out. He could see the soldier ant weaving its way among the teeth of one of the gargoyles at the entrance. The soldier ant went on unbothered, as if daring the gargoyle to snap its opened mouth shut. Sounds from afar resounded in Adam’s ears, like he was standing right in the middle of those making the sounds. He could hear Jeremy’s heartbeat, though the boy was still in the car. That was how Adam knew that even though the university seemed deserted, there were people inside. The building smelled of life. “Smelled of life?” Adam was shocked by the weird feeling. He wondered how he had known what he knew. How does a building smell like li
“I think there is a misunderstanding here.” Adam ventured to say, minutes after the men kept marching them through halls without stopping. The men did not answer. The one that had the gun to Jeremy’s head simply corked the gun and sent Adam a meaningful look. Adam got the message, and he quickly shut his mouth as he sent Jeremy a reassured look. The boy looks terrified. Adam couldn’t blame him. He also couldn’t believe what was going on. What on earth were gunmen doing on a campus ranked as one of the safest in the world? Adam could remember the first time he had been in the school. It was when Nina and Lisa won the merit scholarship that the school offered. Adam’s family was still a bit well off back then, but even they couldn’t afford the rates of a school like UChicago. The twins had been on top of the world when they got selected for a full scholarship at the school. The whole family had come to see them off on their first day of school. Adam could remember the happi
Adam followed Carson down the hallway. He did not bother to look back since he would only be prodded by the butt of the gun anyway. Yet, all around him, he could see people dressed like Carson working on one thing or another. He saw a man pouring a green liquid into a vial while three others monitored its properties from a machine that was attached to the bottom of the vial. Adam would give anything to have an answer at that moment, and he knew that Carson could give him answers. All he needed to do was get to talk to the man alone at a place where the gunmen couldn’t threaten the old man. The question was where. Adam was jolted out of his thoughts when Jeremy gasped beside him and suddenly stopped moving. “Wha…” Adam didn’t need to complete his question as he looked to the side where Jeremy’s gaze was focused. The unmistakable snarls and growls reached his ears, even as he saw the nightmare that awaited them. In a big room with an embossed plaque atop it that reads “PPE ST
Adam was so dazed by what he saw that he didn’t protest when one of the men hit him with the butt of the gun when he was hesitating too long.As if it were by design, he fell right on top of the extended lever.Jeremy was ordered to lie right on top of him.By the time Adam understood what they meant, the jittery Jeremy was lying on top of him.His back was to Adam’s front.The switch was pressed again and the lever rose swiftly up the cubicle. Then it got sucked into the cubicle as suddenly as it had come out initially.As if they knew the routine already, the people in the cubicle moved away from the middle of the room.Adam and Jeremy got unceremoniously dumped into the middle of the room. The men who led them in left the room without a backward glance. Anger stirred in Adam at the brutal treatment. Jeremy shivered as he quickly stood up from where he landed. He held his bruised elbow as he looked straight at the agitated zombies despite Adam’s warning. The young lady in the
Adam was anticipating it. He was expecting the men to press the button that would make the lever materialise again. Instead, the one in the lead only gave him a deathly stare. Then he told the bleeding man to stop his noise. After which, he turned away and left. Followed by the two others.Adam could see the surprise on the faces of everyone there. Even the lady with the faraway look on her face turned her head to look at him again. The wonder they felt showed on their faces. Adam doubted that was the last he would hear of what he had done though. He could see that Jeremy was calming down as he ate the banana. Adam threw caution to the wind and he brought out two bags of raisin and roasted peanuts. “Have some” he said to the boy. Then he sat beside Jeremy and calmly ate the raisin as if he couldn’t see the look of surprise on the faces of those around. After a few seconds of silence, the lady who was facing the wall earlier turned to Adam and asked, “Can I have some?" A
Adam looked warily at the sleeping people around him. Lisa hurried out of the room immediately after one of the guards shouted at her to wrap up what she was doing, or they would do it for her. A few seconds later, the breeze that Adam had noted earlier in the cubicle turned colder. Then, within a twinkle of an eye, those around him started falling asleep. First, it was the injured man. Then, Clint. Ray simply hung his head and slept off. The couple hugged themselves to sleep. Then the green-eyed lady followed suit. Adam couldn’t believe what had happened. He was sure of one thing, though. The sleep was not natural. He was sure that it must have something to do with the chilly draft of air. He shook Jeremy lightly, but the latter simply mumbled in his sleep and slept off again. Adam knew he had to get out of the cubicle. He had to get out now! Though Lisa had informed him that he should wait, he knew he couldn’t wait any longer. Did Lisa know that they were drugging t
Adam quickly shut his eyes but it was a moment too late. The masked man’s eyes met with his before he shut his eyes. It was the same man who had almost caught him the first time. Adam was ready for all hell to let loose. He was ready to pull out the sword if they dared to come towards him. He would fight and do anything to save himself. Anything at all to ensure that he did not end up the way Ray had. He was so engrossed in hs anticipaton that it took him a while to realise that the men were filing out of the room. They were not coming towards him. The masked man had not said anything! Adam was sure now that the man had seen him the first time too. Why would he let him go? A high-pitched sound came from the zombies cubicle as Ray turned. Chunk of shredded flesh hanging out of its face and body, it rose in a distorted form. Knocking back some of the zombies. It launched itself hard against the reinforced glass. Its eyes were pinned on Adam’s from the other side. It hit