Chapter 3: Bonds Forged in Blood
April 28, 20XX
7:45 p.m.
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The school was eerily quiet as Blake slipped through a side entrance, his senses on high alert for any sign of danger. He moved cautiously, the faint sound of his footsteps echoing through the empty halls. The faint glow of the emergency lights cast long, flickering shadows on the walls, creating an atmosphere of tension and dread.
Blake made his way towards the gymnasium, where he knew the others would be. As he approached the doors, he could hear the muffled sounds of voices inside—students talking, some crying, others trying to stay calm. The reality of what was happening was starting to sink in, and fear was taking hold.
He pushed open the doors and stepped inside, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. Takashi and Rei were there, along with Saya, Kohta, and a few other students he recognized. They all looked at Blake with a mixture of relief and apprehension, as if they weren’t sure whether to be glad he was back or worried about what he might bring with him.
“We managed to secure the main entrance,” Takashi said, stepping forward. “But we can’t hold out here forever. There are too many of them out there.”
Blake nodded, his mind already working on their next move. “We need to fortify our position, gather supplies, and plan our next move. We’re not just trying to survive the night—we need to think long term.”
Blake stood in the gymnasium, the weight of the situation pressing down on him like a ton of bricks. His heart was still pounding from the run, and as he looked around at the others, he felt a mix of emotions—fear, anger, but most of all, the overwhelming responsibility to keep these people alive. The stress of the situation was starting to catch up to him, and for the first time since the outbreak began, he felt the cracks forming in his composed exterior.
“Shit,” he muttered under his breath, running a hand through his hair. Why the hell is this happening? He knew there was no point in asking, but the question gnawed at him. His father had always drilled into him the importance of being prepared for anything, but nothing could’ve prepared him for this.
As he tried to think of a plan, his thoughts were interrupted by Saya’s challenge. “And what makes you the leader? Just because you know how to fight doesn’t mean you can call the shots.”
Blake’s initial reaction was irritation, his fists clenching instinctively. But then he caught himself. Calm down, Blake. They’re scared, just like you. He took a deep breath and looked Saya in the eye. “I’m not trying to take over, Saya. But we need to work together if we’re going to make it through this. And right now, that means taking charge and making decisions.”
He could see the uncertainty in her eyes, and he knew that she, like everyone else, was struggling to cope with the chaos that had turned their world upside down. Hell, he wasn’t even sure he could do it. But what choice did they have?
Kohta’s voice broke the tense silence. “Blake’s right. We need to stick together. And we need weapons. I saw a few kendo sticks in the clubroom—those could help us defend ourselves.”
Blake nodded, feeling a small sense of relief. “Good idea. Takashi, Kohta, and I will go get them. The rest of you, stay here and start thinking about how we can reinforce this place. Make sure every entrance is secured.”
As they began to move, Blake noticed Rei’s worried expression. “Rei, you okay?” he asked, his voice softer than before.
She hesitated before nodding, but Blake could tell she was on the verge of breaking down. He placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to offer some comfort. “We’re gonna get through this, alright? We just need to stay sharp and look out for each other.”
Rei swallowed hard and nodded again, this time with more conviction. “Yeah… yeah, you’re right. Let’s do this.”
Blake forced a smile and turned to Takashi and Kohta. “Alright, let’s move. We’ll be back in a few minutes.”
As they left the gym, Blake’s mind raced. He was trying to focus on the task at hand, but the reality of the situation kept creeping in. This wasn’t some action movie where the hero could always come up with a perfect plan and save the day. People were going to die—maybe all of them, if he didn’t get his shit together.
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They made their way through the dark hallways, the only light coming from the emergency lights flickering overhead. The silence was oppressive, broken only by the distant moans of the infected outside. Blake’s nerves were frayed, and he found himself muttering under his breath. “Fuck, fuck, fuck… this can’t be real.”
Takashi glanced over at him, concern in his eyes. “You alright, Blake?”
Blake gave a short, humorless laugh. “Hell no, man. I’m freaking out. But what choice do we have? We just gotta keep moving, keep fighting, or we’re screwed.”
Takashi nodded, though Blake could see the tension in his posture. “Yeah, I know. I just… this is so messed up, you know? I never thought… I mean, what the hell are those things?”
Blake shook his head. “I don’t know, man. Zombies, maybe? I know it sounds crazy, but what else could they be?”
Kohta, who had been silent up until now, spoke up in a surprisingly calm voice. “It’s like something out of a video game… Resident Evil, maybe. But this is real. And if we’re going to survive, we need to treat it like it’s real.”
Blake looked at him, surprised by his composure. “You’re handling this pretty well, Kohta.”
Kohta adjusted his glasses and shrugged. “I’ve thought about stuff like this before… you know, in a hypothetical way. But I never expected it to actually happen. Now that it has, I guess I’m just… coping.”
Blake nodded. “Fair enough. Just stay sharp.”
They reached the kendo clubroom without incident, but Blake could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he pushed open the door. The room was dark, and the shadows seemed to stretch out towards them like claws. Blake gripped the handle of his makeshift weapon—a broken chair leg—tightly, his knuckles turning white.
“Stay close,” he whispered, moving inside with Takashi and Kohta following closely behind. They quickly located the kendo sticks, grabbing as many as they could carry.
As they turned to leave, Blake froze, his senses suddenly on high alert. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as he heard the faintest sound—breathing, ragged and wet. He slowly turned towards the source of the noise, his heart skipping a beat as he saw a figure slumped in the corner, its eyes clouded and lifeless.
“Shit,” Blake hissed, raising his weapon. The infected man’s head snapped up at the sound, and it let out a low, guttural growl before lurching to its feet.
“Get back!” Blake shouted, instinctively switching to English in his panic. “Get the fuck back!”
Takashi and Kohta jumped back as the infected man lunged at them, its mouth open wide, teeth snapping. Blake reacted without thinking, swinging the chair leg with all his strength. The impact was brutal, the sound of bone cracking echoing through the room as the infected man crumpled to the floor.
Blake stood there, breathing heavily, his hands shaking as he looked down at the lifeless body. He felt a wave of nausea rise up, but he forced it down. This was the new reality—kill or be killed. But that didn’t make it any easier.
“Blake… you okay?” Takashi asked, his voice tense.
Blake nodded, though his stomach churned. “Yeah… yeah, I’m fine. Let’s get out of here.”
They quickly left the room, moving through the hallways with renewed urgency. Blake couldn’t stop thinking about the infected man, about how close they had come to being overrun. This is real, he kept telling himself. This is fucking real.
By the time they returned to the gym, Blake felt like he was about to collapse from the stress. But he forced himself to stay strong, to keep it together for the others. They were depending on him, and he couldn’t let them down.
“Here,” he said, handing out the kendo sticks to the others. “It’s not much, but it’s better than nothing.”
As they took the weapons, Blake could see the fear in their eyes. They were all scared, just like him. But they were also determined to survive, and that gave him a sliver of hope.
“Alright,” Blake said, trying to sound confident. “We’ve got our weapons, and we’ve secured the gym. Now we need to figure out our next move.”
Saya, who had been watching him closely, spoke up. “You really think we can survive this?”
Blake met her gaze, his expression serious. “I don’t know. But I’m damn well gonna try. And I think we’ve got a better chance if we stick together.”
Saya nodded slowly, as if she was coming to a decision. “Alright. We’ll follow your lead… for now.”
Blake felt a surge of relief, but he didn’t let it show. Instead, he turned to the group, his mind already racing with ideas. “First things first, we need to secure more supplies. Food, water, anything we can find. We’ll take shifts guarding the entrances, and we’ll start looking for a way out of the city.”
He paused, looking around at the faces of his friends. They were tired, scared, and uncertain, but they were also strong. Stronger than they knew.
“We’re not just fighting for survival,” Blake continued. “We’re fighting for each other. We’ve gotta be smart, we’ve gotta be tough, and we’ve gotta look out for one another. That’s the only way we’re gonna make it.”
There was a moment of silence as everyone absorbed his words. Then, one by one, they nodded, their resolve hardening.
Blake allowed himself a small smile. This is just the beginning, he thought. We’ve got a long road ahead, but we’re gonna make it. We have to.
As the group began to organize and prepare for the long night ahead, Blake felt a sense of determination settle over him. The world had gone to hell, but as long as they stuck together, they had a fighting chance. And he wasn’t about to let that chance slip away.