Chapter 5: A Glimmer of Hope
29 April, 20XX
5:10 a.m.
----------------------------------------
The first light of dawn filtered through the small windows of the gymnasium, casting long shadows over the sleeping figures sprawled on the floor. Blake sat with his back against the cold wall, his eyes heavy with fatigue but too alert to let him sleep. The others were still resting, their breaths coming in soft, shallow rhythms, but Blake couldn’t shut his mind off. The events of the previous day kept replaying in his head—the chaos, the fear, the violence.
His fingers gripped the kendo stick tightly, his knuckles white. He hadn’t let go of it all night, holding onto it as if it was the only thing tethering him to reality. Every creak of the building, every distant moan from outside sent a jolt of adrenaline through his system, keeping him on edge.
“Blake,” a voice whispered, pulling him from his thoughts. He looked up to see Takashi standing over him, his expression tired but determined.
“Hey,” Blake replied, his voice low and rough from disuse. “You get any sleep?”
Takashi shook his head. “Not much. Figured I’d let you rest, but it looks like you’re as wired as I am.”
Blake gave a short, humorless laugh. “Yeah, sleep isn’t really an option right now. Too much shit going on up here.” He tapped the side of his head.
Takashi nodded, understanding all too well. “We should wake the others. We’ve got to figure out our next move.”
Blake sighed and pushed himself to his feet, wincing as his muscles protested. “Yeah, you’re right.” He took a moment to stretch out the stiffness from sitting too long before turning to the others. “Alright, everyone up. We’ve got work to do.”
The group began to stir, groggy and disoriented from the restless night. Rei was the first to sit up, rubbing her eyes and looking around at the others. “Is it morning already?” she asked, her voice thick with exhaustion.
“Yeah,” Blake said, running a hand through his hair. “And we’ve got to start planning. We can’t stay here forever.”
Saya, who had been sitting near the front entrance, adjusted her glasses and narrowed her eyes at Blake. “What do you suggest, Mr. Navy SEAL-in-training? Because right now, we’re sitting ducks.”
Blake ignored the slight jab, focusing on the task at hand. “First, we need to gather more supplies—food, water, medical stuff. And then we need to find a more secure location. This gym isn’t going to hold if we get overrun.”
Kohta, who had woken up and was now fidgeting with his glasses, spoke up. “There’s a gun shop not too far from here. I know the owner. If the place is still intact, we might be able to find something useful there.”
Blake’s eyes lit up at the mention of a gun shop. “Guns would definitely give us an edge. But it’s risky. We don’t know how bad it is out there.”
Takashi stepped forward, his expression resolute. “We don’t have much choice. We need weapons if we’re going to survive. I’ll go with you.”
Rei immediately looked concerned. “Takashi… be careful.”
Blake noticed the tension between them but didn’t comment. He understood that their connection ran deep, and the last thing he wanted was to complicate things further. “Alright,” Blake said, nodding to Takashi. “We’ll move fast, stay quiet, and avoid any unnecessary fights. The rest of you should stay here and reinforce the gym as best as you can.”
Saya, ever the strategist, spoke up. “We need to prepare for the possibility that the school might not hold. If the infected breach the gates, we’ll need a quick way out.”
Blake nodded. “Good thinking. Keep an eye on the vehicles in the parking lot. If we need to make a quick getaway, we should know what we can use.”
Shizuka Marikawa, the school nurse, who had been listening quietly, finally spoke up, her voice soft but steady. “I’ll gather what medical supplies we have left. We’ll need to be ready for any injuries.”
Blake appreciated her calm demeanor. Despite the chaos, she had managed to keep herself composed, which was more than he could say for most people. “Thanks, Shizuka. We’ll need you to be ready when we get back.”
As they started preparing for their respective tasks, the sound of distant gunshots echoed through the air, followed by the unmistakable moans of the infected. The tension in the room spiked, and Blake could feel the fear rising in his chest. But he pushed it down, focusing on the mission.
“Takashi, Kohta, let’s move,” Blake said, his voice firm. He glanced over at Saya, who was standing by the entrance. “We’ll be back soon. Keep everyone safe.”
Saya’s eyes met his, and for a moment, he saw something in them—fear, determination, and maybe a hint of something more. But she just nodded, her expression serious. “You too, Blake. Don’t do anything stupid.”
Blake smirked, trying to lighten the mood. “No promises.”
With that, the three of them headed out, leaving the relative safety of the gym behind. The hallways were eerily quiet, the only sound the soft shuffle of their footsteps. Blake’s grip tightened on his kendo stick, his senses on high alert as they made their way through the school.
As they reached the main entrance, Blake paused, scanning the area outside. The sun was just beginning to rise, casting long shadows over the empty courtyard. But the peace was deceptive—he knew the infected could be lurking anywhere.
“Stay close,” Blake whispered, his voice barely audible. “We move fast, we stay low, and we don’t engage unless we have to.”
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Takashi and Kohta nodded, their expressions grim. They had all seen what the infected were capable of, and none of them wanted to take any unnecessary risks.
They slipped out of the building, keeping close to the walls as they moved towards the gun shop Kohta had mentioned. The streets were eerily quiet, the usual sounds of morning traffic replaced by the distant groans of the infected and the occasional crack of gunfire.
Blake’s heart pounded in his chest as they moved, every nerve on edge. He had been in tense situations before—his father’s training had ensured that—but nothing like this. This wasn’t a drill, and there was no backup coming. They were on their own.
“Over here,” Kohta whispered, pointing to a narrow alley that led towards the gun shop. “We can cut through here and avoid the main streets.”
Blake nodded, following Kohta’s lead. The alley was dark and narrow, with debris scattered everywhere. The stench of decay hung in the air, making Blake’s stomach churn. He had to remind himself to breathe through his mouth to avoid the worst of it.
As they neared the end of the alley, Blake held up a hand, signaling them to stop. He peeked around the corner, his eyes narrowing as he took in the scene. The gun shop was just across the street, but the area was crawling with infected. They were stumbling around aimlessly, their moans echoing off the buildings.
“Shit,” Blake muttered under his breath. “This isn’t gonna be easy.”
Takashi looked over his shoulder. “What’s the plan?”
Blake took a deep breath, his mind racing. “We need to draw them away from the shop. I’ll create a distraction and lead them down the street. You two get inside, grab what you can, and meet me back here.”
Takashi frowned, clearly uncomfortable with the idea. “That’s too dangerous, Blake. You can’t take them all on by yourself.”
Blake smirked, his voice laced with dark humor. “Don’t worry, I’m not planning to. Just gonna give them something to chase while you guys do your thing.”
Kohta nodded, his expression serious. “Be careful.”
Blake nodded in return, gripping his kendo stick tightly. “You too. Let’s do this.”
He stepped out into the open, making sure to stay just out of reach of the infected. “Hey!” he shouted, switching to English out of habit. “Over here, you ugly bastards!”
The infected immediately turned towards the sound, their vacant eyes locking onto Blake as he waved his arms and backed away, drawing them towards him. “Come on, you slow-ass freaks, try to catch me!”
He turned and sprinted down the street, the infected stumbling after him in a chaotic mob. His heart pounded in his chest as he weaved through the debris, glancing over his shoulder to make sure they were following. He could see Takashi and Kohta slipping into the gun shop out of the corner of his eye, and he silently prayed they’d find what they needed quickly.
Blake led the infected down the street, ducking into another alley as soon as he was sure the path was clear. He could hear their guttural moans growing louder as they closed in, and he pushed himself to run faster, adrenaline pumping through his veins.
“Shit, shit, shit…” Blake muttered as he reached the end of the alley, skidding to a stop in front of a chain-link fence. He glanced around, searching for a way out, but the infected were closing in too fast.
His eyes landed on a dumpster pushed up against the fence, and without hesitation, he scrambled up onto it, using the height to jump over the fence. He landed hard on the other side, rolling to his feet and taking off again, his breath coming in ragged gasps.
He kept running, not daring to look back until he was sure he had put enough distance between himself and the horde. When he finally did glance over his shoulder, he saw that the infected had lost interest and were wandering aimlessly again, unable to keep up with his pace.
Blake slowed down, his legs burning from the exertion. He doubled over, hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. “Damn… that was close,” he muttered, still in English, his heart pounding in his chest.
After a few moments, he straightened up, glancing around to get his bearings. He needed to get back to the gun shop, make sure Takashi and Kohta were okay. He just hoped they had managed to grab what they needed before the infected could catch up.
Blake made his way back, keeping to the shadows and moving as quietly as possible. When he reached the gun shop, he found Takashi and Kohta waiting for him outside, their arms full of supplies.
“Did you get everything?” Blake asked, his voice still slightly breathless.
Kohta nodded, holding up a duffel bag stuffed with guns and ammunition. “Yeah, we got lucky. The place hadn’t been looted yet.”
Blake let out a sigh of relief. “Good. Let’s get the hell out of here.”
They made their way back to the school, moving quickly and carefully. Blake’s nerves were still on edge, but the sight of the duffel bag full of weapons gave him a renewed sense of hope. They were better equipped now, and that meant they had a fighting chance.
When they finally reached the gym, they found the others waiting anxiously. Rei was the first to rush over, her eyes wide with worry. “Takashi! Blake! Are you okay?”
“We’re fine,” Takashi assured her, though Blake could see the tension in his posture. “We got what we needed.”
Saya approached, her expression a mix of relief and curiosity. “You actually found guns?”
Blake grinned, lifting the duffel bag. “Hell yeah. We’re not going down without a fight.”
As they began unloading the supplies, Blake felt a sense of accomplishment. They had survived another day, and they were better prepared for whatever came next. But as he glanced around at the tired, scared faces of his friends, he knew this was just the beginning.
They still had a long way to go, and the danger was far from over.
----------------------------------------
The day stretched on as they worked to fortify their temporary shelter, gathering what resources they could and preparing for the inevitable. Blake couldn’t shake the feeling that the gym wouldn’t hold for long, but for now, it was the best they had.
As the sun began to set, casting long shadows over the school, Blake found himself standing near one of the windows, staring out at the darkening sky. The world outside was still and quiet, but he knew that the peace was only an illusion. The infected were out there, waiting.
“Blake,” a voice called, breaking him out of his thoughts. He turned to see Saya standing nearby, her expression serious.
“Yeah?” Blake asked, leaning against the wall.
Saya hesitated for a moment before speaking. “I’ve been thinking… we need to start planning for the long term. This school isn’t going to hold forever, and we can’t just keep running.”
Blake nodded, knowing she was right. “What do you suggest?”
Saya crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing in thought. “We need to find a place that’s more secure, someplace we can fortify and make a real stand. And we need to find more people—strength in numbers.”
Blake considered her words. It made sense, but it was easier said than done. “Where do you think we should go?”
Saya glanced out the window, her expression unreadable. “There’s a district on the outskirts of the city… it’s more suburban, fewer people, which means fewer infected. It might be worth checking out.”
Blake followed her gaze, thinking about the possibilities. It was a risk, but staying here was a risk too. “Alright. We’ll check it out tomorrow. But tonight, we need to be ready for anything.”
Saya nodded, her eyes meeting his. “We’re in this together, Blake. We’ll get through it.”
Blake gave her a small smile, feeling a spark of connection between them. “Yeah, we will.”
As the night fell, the group huddled together, preparing for another long night of survival. The darkness outside was filled with unseen dangers, but Blake felt a renewed sense of determination. They were better equipped, they had a plan, and most importantly, they had each other.
But as he sat there, listening to the distant moans of the infected, Blake knew that the road ahead was going to be a long and brutal one. And if they were going to survive, they would need to rely on each other more than ever.
The night was quiet, but it was a deceptive quiet—one that hinted at the storm to come. And as the group settled in for the night, Blake couldn’t shake the feeling that their time at the school was running out.