ENTER ZION MATTHEWS

“S-so what are we going to do?!” I asked, panicking now that Louis was unconscious.

Suddenly, students started to flood the halls in a fast manner. They all looked different somehow, like people but hollow. They started passing us, going in all directions. They seemed to be harmless, but we were getting crowded fast from them trying to leave.

“Shit someone pick up Louis before he gets trampled!” Elijah screamed.

Without a moment to spare, me and Ryan helped each other pick Louis up by his shoulders.

“What are we gonna do?” Ryan asked desperately.

“I know! Put him on my back!” I said, getting into the position to perform a piggyback ride. One person ran into me hitting me in the head, but they continued moving like nothing happened.

The same started to happen to all of us. We’re getting shoved and pushed around. It feels like we’re gonna drown in this crowd, it’s too many people!

“Zion, you sure you wanna be the one to carry him, I’m more than willing too.” Elijah asked, worrying if I’ll be able to handle it. “I don’t wanna berate you… but you’re the smallest one here, size wise.”

I let out a deep breath and lifted up, standing up with Louis on my back with his arms and legs wrapped around my body. I was also holding his arms as a support as well so he wouldn’t fall back. “Don’t worry, I got this.” I said, reassuring everyone.”

More and more people start to flood the hallways. This is all moving way too fast, we haven’t had a moment of rest…! What if a guard tries to catch us off guard in this mess?!

“We got to move! Follow me, and stay close to each other!” Elijah roared.

We started pushing our way through the crowd. It was hard for me to get through, especially with Louis on my back. But I have to keep going. I’m praying for you man… please be okay. We’ve all lost so much today… I don’t wanna lose you too.

“Stay together! It’s starting to become too much!”

I could hear Ryan screaming, but I could just barely see his shoulder. I’m starting to get cut off! “It’s… It’s too many people!” I cried out. As we were running I started to get overcrowded more, and more, eventually getting cut off altogether from everyone.

“Some- someone help! I need one of you!” I yelled out, hoping one of them heard. More, and more people started to flood around me and Louis in all directions, trapping us in a small circle, they started to bump into me on every side. It felt like some of them even elbowed me in my back and stomach. The endless entourage caused me to fall on the ground and drop Louis on the floor. He fell back and landed on the back of his head…!

“No… s-Stop! Where is… everyone…” I said holding my shoulder in pain from landing on it wrong. I turned to look at Louis on the floor and we were starting to get cut off from one another from people walking all over us. “...Louis!”

They were starting to overtake us, I could feel some of them starting to run into me more and more. Their feet kicked me as they walked, their legs feel like I'm getting hit with iron. “Not like this… please…”

“HE’S SIXTEEN! GET OFF OF THE MINOR!” A voice rang out in the distance.

I could hear some of the students start to cry out. Is that… Robbie?! He was fighting his way through the crowd to get to us, well, I wouldn’t really call it fighting, more like him hitting the shit out of everyone in his way. “I- we’re over here!”

Making his way to us he punched another person on the ground. He had a furious look on his face, combined with how red his eyes are right now, they probably think he’s a monster. “You guys can have Louis though, he’s eighteen!” Robbie yelled, dropping his intense face into a smile when he spotted us. “You guys! C'mon we got to get out of here!”

“Help me pick up Louis real quick! He’s over there past those people!” I said, pointing towards the encirclement they formed around him.

“I got you! Rush them with me!” He began running towards them, “Don’t be scared, they don’t fight back!” Hearing that gave me some confidence as I started to rush towards the crowd of people with him.

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Robbie shoved a bunch of them out of their way to get through, while I took a more practical approach. I jumped up, and staged dived my way to get through,

“Ah! I did it!”

“He’s right there!”

We dashed over to the middle. Robbie helped pick up and position Louis back on my back, but suddenly we started to hear the same loud ringing noise as before from the speakers.

“Attention all staff and security personnel. We have multiple violent entities causing harm to students. Find them and neutralize them.” A soft voice rang out once again from the speakers overhead.

“Neu- neutralize?! What the hell do they mean neutralize?!” I screamed, looking at Robbie with a scared look on my face. He gave me the same expression.

A look of even greater horror covered their faces as the loud, hideous tone of scraping sounds could be heard, echoing against the hard, white floor. The sound began increasing in volume by the second. A familiar presence will soon appear again.

“Are they… heading for us…?

“W-where are they coming from…?! Are we gonna-”

“Come on, we have to catch up to the others!” I said, not wanting to despair over the situation any more than we already have. If we don’t survive, Louis enduring all this pain would be for nothing…

Not wasting another second, we started running back the way we came. Robbie was in front to guide, and protect me and Louis from the onslaught of students. But no matter how many people we shove by, it feels like we’ve barely made any distance. I can’t spot any of the others, there’s just too many people. And I… I can hear the guards getting closer…!

“Z-Zion! Look!”

Stopping and looking up above the people, A trail of students were being flung up through the air, something was running towards them at a violent pace, so much so that it’s knocking away everything in its path. Causing a spectacle of destruction for the eye to gaze upon.

“What the hell is causing that?! What is that thing?!” Robbie screamed. His body began twitching in fear. His body itching him to run, yet he stood there, too scared to move even a toe.

“I think… I think it’s a guard! Dammit, turn this way!” I turned and ran in a different direction away from the incoming threat. Robbie followed, we pushed our way through the crowd more, and more violently.

All of these students need to get out of the way!

Suddenly I could hear the same onslaught of students getting thrown in the air, looking up, the guard was much closer than last time. I can hear the sounds of its legs so clear now, as if it’s about to be right in front of me at any second!

What do we do? It’s too close! If we run they’ll just knock into us like the students- “TURN BACK AROUND!”

“No Zion, that’s not the same one, it’s a second one!”

What?!

I turned facing a direction that I thought would be away from them but doing so only brought more horror to my eyes.

“W-what-”

Dozens of students were being flung in all directions. The security guards are coming at us from all sides.

We’re… We’re gonna be boxed in…!

“Robbie we’re trapped!” I screamed out in terror.

“Shit shit shit shit, nononono! We have to find a way out!” Robbie screamed, trying to find an opening from any side, but it was to no avail. “If we don’t find a way out… we’re dead!”

Maybe… Cmon! Something? Something?! There has to be something! I’m gonna die… I don’t wanna die! It’s not… it’s not supposed to go this way!

…Grandma… please save me….

“C'mon! We can still get-”

…

They’re here….

All of the people that were within close proximity to us were no more, bodies thrown and flung out of the way. We’re surrounded. There’s six of them. Six of these twisted creatures eying us down like food.

Me and Robbie aren’t moving. I don’t think either one of us can move. We’re frozen, scared.

They’re just standing there, staring back at us. Are they taunting us?

Could they escape, while also carrying the now, incapacitated Louis. This looming atmosphere of murderous intent caused a wave of despair and helplessness in the spirits of the two. This must be the feeling of being seen as prey. Hunger for a beast they cannot understand. An animal for their instincts.

The tension drowned out the sounds of the numerous students parading by.

This is it….

This is…

Robbie gathered whatever courage he had left, and let out what sounded to be a war-cry. He grabbed my arm and started to run, dragging my feet along causing me to jog along.

What was he hoping to achieve? There’s nowhere to run…

Tears started to fill my eyes. I started to move my legs more, running with him, holding on to Louis tightly with my other arm.

We’re marching to our graves…

“NOT YET! I DON’T WANNA FALL TO SUCH CREATURES!” His cry carried a hint of desperation, but also a sliver of hope in its wake.

I guess our plan is to try and run through a small gap between two of the guards. We’d just have to worry about pushing through more people.

Just a couple feet away from the gap and the guards have yet to react to our movements. We might actually have a chance!

“It's working, they haven’t reacted yet! We’re almost there-”

In an instant, a flash could be seen from the corner of my eye, and all that followed after was pain.

A large thumping sound echoed throughout the room, Sounds of torn flesh and cracking bones echoed through the area.

What… happened… to me…?

“ZION!” I could hear Robbie crying out in the distance. He ran over to me.

I’m… on the ground? Where’s… Louis…?

“Zion nonono please! GOD!” Robbie started to hold me tightly as tears came out of his eyes.

“What… happened… Rob?” I struggled to get out. He then got off me and what I laid my eyes on made the pain even more unbearable.

To Zion’s horror, his chest and stomach were covered with bruises and gashes all over, completely covering his torso. Blood was pouring out fast. If there was even an ounce of more force in that blow, it would have surely carved a hole through his body.

Before Zion or Robbie could get another word out, one of the guards rushed up in front of them, picking Zion up by the head. It delivered another fatal kick to the same spot as before, launching him flying into the air. The impact from the kick caused blood to spurt from his mouth as he flew.

“wh…at…”

Looking down I couldn’t even see Robbie anymore, only the vast gigantic crowd of students. I started falling down further and further. It started to get darker the further I fell. It was fast yet felt as if time had slowed down a little. I could see the railings of a large staircase as I descended.

I’m gonna die.