Surviving in HOTD

I pushed against the door, but it wouldn't budge. Something was blocking it from the other side. I gritted my teeth and shoved harder, feeling the resistance give way inch by inch. Finally, with a sickening squelch, the door swung open.

The body of a student sprawled across the threshold, his glassy eyes staring up at nothing. A massive chunk of flesh was missing from his neck, ragged edges of torn skin surrounding the wound. Blood pooled beneath him, sticky and dark.

"Fuck," I muttered, stepping over the corpse.

Miku retched behind me, the sound of her vomiting echoing in the empty hallway. I scanned our surroundings, my grip tightening on the bleach bottle.

Bodies littered the corridor. Some slumped against lockers, others face-down on the floor. Blood smeared the walls and pooled on the linoleum. The stench of death hung heavy in the air.

"Jesus," Miku whispered, wiping her mouth. "What happened here?"

We picked our way through the carnage, careful not to slip in the blood. The silence was oppressive, broken only by our footsteps and ragged breathing.

A figure stumbled into view at the end of the hall. It walked with an uneven gait, head lolling to one side.

"Hey!" Miku called out. "Are you okay?"

"Miku, don't-" I started, but it was too late.

The figure turned, and my blood ran cold. Its face was in ruin, one eye dangling from its socket. Chunks of flesh were missing from its cheeks and neck. It let out a low, guttural growl and lurched towards us.

"That's not human anymore," I said, stepping in front of Miku. "Stay back, or I'll use this."

I raised the bleach bottle, but the thing kept coming. Its jaw worked soundlessly, strings of saliva dripping from its mouth.

"I said stay back!" I shouted.

It lunged forward, arms outstretched. I uncapped the bleach and flung the contents at its face. The liquid splashed across its eyes and open wounds, but it didn't even flinch. It just kept coming.

"Fuck this," I growled, dropping the empty bottle.

I gripped the mop handle tightly, planted my feet, and swung with everything I had. The makeshift staff connected with a sickening crack. The thing's head snapped to the side, and its body followed, slamming into the wall.

It slid to the floor and didn't move again.

Miku's breathing was rapid and shallow behind me. "Is it... is it dead?"

I approached cautiously, nudging it with my foot. No response. "Yeah," I said. "It's dead."

"What was that thing?" Miku asked, her voice trembling.

I stared at the corpse, my mind racing. The bite marks, the mindless aggression, the resistance to pain... It all pointed to one impossible conclusion.

"I think," I said slowly, "we're dealing with zombies."

Miku let out a strangled laugh. "Zombies? Are you serious?"

I turned to face her. "You saw that thing. You heard the announcement. People eating each other? It fits."

She shook her head, eyes wide with disbelief. "But that's... that's impossible. Zombies aren't real."

"Neither is being reborn," I muttered under my breath.

"What?"

"Nothing," I said quickly. "Look, I know it sounds crazy, but we need to act as if it's true. It's the safest option right now."

Miku nodded slowly, her face pale. "Okay. So what do we do?"

I glanced down the hallway. More shuffling figures were appearing in the distance, drawn by the noise of our fight.

I glanced down at the corpse at our feet, an idea forming. Without a word, I knelt and yanked off one of its shoes. The thing's foot came with it, tearing off at the ankle with a wet snap. I tossed the appendage aside and hefted the shoe.

Miku's eyes widened. "What are you-"

I held up a hand, silencing her. The shambling figures at the end of the hall were getting closer. I took aim and hurled the shoe past them. It sailed over their heads, smacking against the far wall with a loud thud.

The effect was immediate. Most of the zombies turned, lurching towards the source of the noise. But three of them kept coming, their dead eyes locked on us.

"Interesting," I muttered.

"What's interesting about that?" Miku hissed. "They're still coming!"

I nodded, my mind working. "Yeah, but look. Most of them went for the noise, but these ones... They must be operating on something else. Smell, maybe. Or sight."

"So what?"

"So now we know something about how they work." I turned to her, lowering my voice. "My guess? Hearing's their main sense, but smell's probably a close second. Sight seems less important."

Miku swallowed hard, her eyes darting between me and the approaching zombies. "Great. You solved the zombie mystery. Now can we please get the fuck out of here?"

I held a finger to my lips, then took her hand. Slowly, carefully, we began to move away from the oncoming corpses. Our footsteps were nearly silent on the blood-slicked floor.

Once we'd put some distance between us and the zombies, I spoke again, keeping my voice low. "We need two things right now. Food and medicine."

Miku nodded. "Cafeteria's on the first floor. But that's probably crawling with those things."

"True. But the nurse's office is on the third floor. That's our best bet."

We made our way to the stairwell, pausing at the door. I pressed my ear against it, listening for any sounds of movement. Silence.

I pushed the door open, wincing at the slight creak of the hinges. The stairwell was clear, but the metallic scent of blood hung heavy in the air.

As we descended, I kept one eye on Miku. She was holding it together, but her face was pale, her breathing shallow.

If she was going to be my partner through this, I needed to know she wouldn't falter when it counted. And there was only one way to be sure.

We reached the third-floor landing. I held up a hand, stopping Miku before she could open the door.

"What?" she whispered.

I met her eyes. "Before we go out there, we need to be clear on something. If one of those things comes at us, we can't hesitate. We have to take it down. Fast and hard. You understand?"

She nodded, but I saw the flicker of doubt in her eyes.

"I mean it, Miku. No hesitation. No freezing up. If you can't do that, tell me now."

Her jaw clenched. "I can do it."

I held her gaze for a moment longer, then nodded. "Alright. Let's go."

I eased the door open, peering out into the hallway. It was quieter here, fewer bodies. But the smell of death was just as strong.

We crept forward, our footsteps muffled on the bloodstained linoleum. The fluorescent lights flickered overhead, casting eerie shadows that danced along the walls. Every few seconds, I glanced back at Miku. Her face was set in grim determination, but I could see the fear in her eyes.

As we rounded a corner, I spotted her. A lone female zombie, stumbling aimlessly down the corridor. Her uniform was torn and stained with blood, her long hair matted and tangled. She moved with that unnatural, jerky gait I was starting to recognize.

I held up a hand, stopping Miku in her tracks. She followed my gaze, her breath catching in her throat.

"Miku," I whispered, turning to face her. "You need to do this."

Her eyes widened. "What? No, I can't-"

I gripped her shoulders, leaning in close. "Yes, you can. You have to."

She shook her head, panic rising in her voice. "Kazuki, please. I'm not ready."

I softened my tone. "Listen to me. This world isn't going to wait until you're ready. You need to be able to protect yourself."

Miku's eyes darted between me and the zombie, which was slowly shuffling closer. "But... what if I mess up?"

"You won't," I said. "I'll be right here with you."

I moved behind her, placing one hand on her waist and the other on her arm. She leaned back into me, almost instinctively.

"Feel that?" I murmured in her ear. "That's me, supporting you. Guiding you. You're not alone in this."

Miku nodded, her breathing steadying slightly.

"Now," I continued, "take the mop handle. Hold it like a spear."

She gripped the makeshift weapon, her knuckles white.

"Good," I said. "Now, we're going to approach slowly. Remember, they react to sound. So we stay quiet."

We inched forward, my body still pressed against hers.

"When we get close," I whispered, "aim for the head. That's their weak point."

Miku nodded again.

We were about ten feet away when the zombie finally sensed us. It turned, letting out a low, guttural moan that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

Miku froze. "I can't," she whimpered. "I can't do it."

I tightened my grip on her waist. "Yes, you can. You're stronger than you know. I believe in you, Miku."

The zombie lurched towards us, arms outstretched.

"Now, Miku!" I urged. "Do it now!"

With a cry that was part fear and part rage, Miku surged forward. She thrust the mop handle out like a spear, driving it straight into the zombie's eye socket.

There was a sickening crunch as the improvised weapon penetrated the skull. The zombie went rigid, then collapsed in a heap.

Miku stood there, panting, still gripping the mop handle. I approached her slowly, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"You did it," I said softly. "I knew you could."

She turned to me, her eyes wide with a mix of shock and something else. Pride, maybe. Or exhilaration.

"I... I did it," she repeated, as if she couldn't quite believe it.

I nodded, giving her shoulder a squeeze. "You were amazing. Quick and decisive."

Miku's lips curved into a small, shaky smile. "Thank you, Kazuki. For... for being there."

I returned her smile. "Always," I said.