Zara didn't respond. She just looked past him, out the window, and watched the sky grow darker.
Behind them, the others stirred. Ava was back, sitting quietly near the wall, sipping from a water bottle someone had passed around. Her face was pale, but her attitude hadn't left.
"Okay, so are we just gonna vibe in this zombie-waiting room forever, or…?" she asked, breaking the silence.
Ryan snorted. "At least wait until my heart rate comes down from 'oh my God we're all gonna die.'"
"Mine never left that," someone muttered.
Liam stood up, rubbing his palms against his jeans. "What's the plan?"
Mason stepped forward, rolling his shoulders. "There's a reinforced storage room in the second building. If we make it there, we can actually lock ourselves in — not just barricade the door with chairs like we've been doing."
"And it's just across the courtyard?" Liam asked.
Mason nodded. "Straight shot. But open. No cover."
Everyone looked at each other.
Zara stepped forward. "We need to go now. Before the next—"
Before she could finish, the far-off sound of something heavy crashing echoed in the distance. Everyone froze.
"What was that?" Ryan whispered.
Mason looked back toward the window. "That was the next wave."
The group scrambled.
Bags slung over shoulders. Makeshift weapons in hand. Ava grabbed a metal desk leg. Liam found a broken chair leg. Ryan stuffed the school map into his pocket.
"We go in threes," Mason instructed. "Smaller group moves faster. Me, Zara, and Ryan take the lead. We get to the door. The rest follow thirty seconds after."
Zara blinked. "What? Why me?"
"You're quick. You don't freeze," Mason said. "And you've got a better swing than most of these guys."
Ryan grinned at her. "Guess all those years of field hockey paid off."
"Shut up," Zara muttered, but she was already moving.
The hallway was darker than before. The emergency lights were flickering now — the building's power was failing.
At the exit door, Mason paused. "Ready?"
Zara and Ryan nodded.
He yanked the door open.
The air hit them like a wall — humid, heavy, and loud.
Distant screams. Somewhere, glass shattered. Sirens howled from the street far beyond the school walls.
They ran.
Liam ended up going with Ava and the injured girl from earlier who looked pale.
They ran so fast that they couldn't see each other anymore.
"Wai..t st..op let me catch my breathe" Zara said while struggling to breathe. Mason and Ryan stopped for a while waiting for her to catch her breathe.
Until reality hit Zara
"Wait no no no this was a bad idea how are we gonna find the rest?? How are we gonna find LIAM..no no I need my Liam with me right now , let's go back" she said with a pale and worried look on her face.
Bro, get a grip. We'll find a way," Mason snapped, clearly irritated.
"What way huh?!" Ryan added
"We need to keep moving Yall should get a fucking grip..babies" Mason said.
Zara looked at him with hatred as she kept moving
"Something about this guy is just… off," Ryan thought to himself, narrowing his eyes at Mason.