Young Writers Society

((A warning to anyone just looking at this thread. We will be rating this at a mature level. Language and Gore will likely follow as is the genre. All Players will ensure that they adhere to the YWS rules.))

"Welcome to Clayton, the New York of North Carolina! This large urban city is filled with a populace to match the city size. Multiple skyscrapers stretch toward the sky with a maze of roads and buildings that stretch out in all directions. Five miles from the coast, come catch a few rays or spend your time traveling through our wonderful downtown shopping center. Don't miss our Pharaoh exhibit at the Museum of Natural History."

This is the greeting you would see in a pamphlet for Clayton, North Carolina. A large urban city with just about every store or attraction that one can imagine. Spring had begun and warm weather was on its way. Clayton High School was buzzing with excitement for the upcoming homecoming dance and the coveted titles of homecoming king and queen. The halls of the three story building were covered in hand made posters and banners to vote for one student or another. Students were sitting in class nearing the end of the day and boring lectures having made them into brain dead beings that were silently begging for the clock to turn faster so they could return to their homes. Sadly there was still one more period after this one.

Halfway through the class, an announcement came over the overhead. "Attention all students and faculty! We need an immediate evacuation of the school!" the voice of a man said in panic through the speaker. "There are....God what the fuck are these things! There is something in the halls attacking students! Everyone needs to evacuate and...Oh God! They're breaking through the glass! No! No Get off me! NOOOOAAGGHHHHH! AAAHHAHH!!!" hisssssssssssssssssss. *Click*.

Andy sighed as he listened to another lecture from Mr. Fenley. Once again the rather suave dressed man was giving a lecture while giving hungry glances toward the female students in the first few rows. Andy just kept his eyes gazing out the window into the courtyard below. Fenley's history class was one of the only ones that Andy actually found himself hating. Not because of the material or the course itself, but Mr. Fenley himself. The man was more interested in wooing the female students than teaching the class.

Andy just let him mind wander and he mentally practiced all of his movements for his martial exam that day. He needed to head straight to his grandfather's dojo after school so that he could receive his first dan in Ken-Jutsu. Andy turned his attention to the large speaker at the door of the room. His brow furrowing in concern as he heard the word "evacuation". As the man's voice became more panicked and fightened and then turned to static left the classrooms completely void of sound. Something was in the building, and they were coming. Andy immediately stood up to try and get everyone's attention to prevent a panic, but it was already too late.

A shrill scream came from somewhere out in the hall and it was like the starting gun to a horse race. Suddenly everyone was trying to clamor for the front door and started to push and shove to fit eight at a time. The panic had set in and it was going to get them all killed. Andy ran for the second door, luckily there were two in each classroom and bolted out into the hall. That's when he saw them.

A shambling form that was once a human being, drenched in blood from a massive gouge in his neck. His eyes were white and angled off in two different directions as he stumbled toward Andy. His hands grasping desperately at Andy for a hold.

Andy's reaction was purely instinct. He immediately brought his foot up and drove it into the bleeding student's chest and sent him careening back into a small group of the shuffling things. Andy ran to the door that was wedged with people and gave a hard tug on a student's arm. "One at a time damn it! Come on!" he roared as he started pointing them down the hall, away from the creatures coming toward them.

Bjorn

English class is so close to ending. I scribble the notes from the blackboard onto the pages of my notebook. I keep my eyes on the board when not writing, and on my notebook when writing. Ignoring looks from people is something I've become quite good at in the two years I've been here. Do I miss my home? In a way yes, it's my home. But I'm also glad I don't have to love with the pressing memories of my loss. And Mum is happier here, I can tell. She thrives from teaching, loving the attention her looks and accent get her.

"Any questions?" The English teacher, a stout woman with glasses, named Miss Cheshire, glances around the classroom.

One girl raises her hand and rattles off a question. She doesn't get an answer from the teacher, though, because static fills the room before a panicked voice urges a school evacuation. The notice ends with frantic screams, followed by loud static before shutting off. Our class is silent for a full minute before the teacher walks over to the classroom door. She opens it and sticks her head out.

Suddenly, her body starts to jerk, her screams muffled by the door. Her body shudders violently before falling backwards, her head missing. Blood spurts from her neck, pooling on the floor around her body. People in the class scream hysterically. Everyone leaps to their feet and rushes around the room, not sure if they should try the door guarded by our headless teacher, or try for the back door, leading into another hall. The decision is made within seconds as the front door bursts open, and give students hobble in, falling onto the English teacher, their hands digging into her flesh.

Students scream loudly, causing the students to look up and stare around with clouded eyes and blank expressions. Blood coats their faces and the fronts of their shirts. They looked bedraggled and totally out of it, groaning and hissing as they stand up and start shuffling toward the screaming students. They start to rush toward the back door, some people tripping over bags on the floor. The five students reach their fallen peers and grab at them, nails digging into their flesh, teeth knashing together loudly. I watch in frozen horror as they start to tear at their peers, biting them on flailing limbs. Screams fill the air, the smell of blood filling my nostrils quickly.

One of the bedraggled, bloody students stumbles closer to me. My eyes open wider, and I push myself back. The student's head snaps in my direction, and she lets out an animalistic hiss. Fear grips my chest as she shuffles closer. My body moves on its own accord, leaping from my chair and picking it up. I swing it hard, and it hits the student right across the face. She makes a small yelping noise as the leg connects with her skull. She falls to the ground, blood bubbling from the wound in her temple. I drop the chair, horror making me take a step back. The other students look in my direction and start to shuffle in my direction. There are more of them now, some with clear eyes still.

Finally free of my fear induced trance, I climb onto the desk behind me and spin around. I run across the wooden tops, heading for the door, my initial thoughts turning to my mother. I need to get to her, make sure she's safe. That's my priority. She has her junior history class right now, at the other end of the school. That's what I need to do. Get to Mum, and then we'll be safe.

Bursting out through the back door, I slam into another student and leap to my feet, fists up defensively. He looks up from the ground and our eyes meet. His mouth drops open slightly as he gazes up at me. I look around to gather my bearings and spin around to run off for the other end of the school. Students are running around, screaming. I dodge them and keep to the walls.

Other students covered in blood shuffle after the screaming students. I skid to a stop and press myself against a wall, trying to calm my breathing. One of the bloodies students shuffles passed me. A student beside him turns around and screams, and the bloodied student leaps on her. My eyes widen in shock. I was closer to him than the screaming student. How did he not notice me? It's interesting, none of the shuffling f students seem to notice me at all. Maybe movement triggers them. But I've been running down the hall.

Deciding the way is safe as it will get, I take off at a sprint, heading down the hall and through a door. I skirt silently around a group of students tearing up a teacher and burst through the back door of the room, making it to another hall. I race along the wall until I get to my mother's class and kick the door in.

Screams hit my ears full force as I run into the room. My eyes widen in terror at the sight of my mother and two kids fending off reaching hands.

"Mum!" I scream, dashing forward.

The second doot to the room bursts open, and a group of students rush in. They pause in the doorway, and get pushed in by other students rushing passed. I take note of them pushing the doors closed as I run toward my mother. There are about seven of the bloodied students surround her and the two kids with her. One of the bloodied students grabs a hold of the kid closest and pulls him off the table.

What am I doing? I'm just going to run over there with no means to defend my mother? Looking around, I grab a chair and throw it at the hissing students covered in blood. They turn around and start shuffling toward me. With a sort of growl, I pick up another chair and dart around the group shuffling forward, throwing the chair away from me. The students spin around in that direction, following the sound. So they go by sound. I suppose that would make a lot of sense.

A scream makes me spin around in alarm. The kid that had been pulled off Mum's desk is biting the other kid. She drops to the ground, squealing. The group of seven spins around and starts shuffling toward the screams. I rush forward, but I'm too late. The kid leaps off the screaming girl and latches onto Mum's arm. She screams as he bites deep into her flesh. I run right over to them and sucker punch the bastard in the face. He doesn't let go, so I grab a pen off Mum's desk and stab it through his eye. He falls to the ground, a gurgling mess.

Mum drops to her knees, sobbing in pain. "Bjorn," she says shakily. "Run."

"No, Mum, I'm not leaving you," I growl, ripping at my jacket to wrap around her arm.

A hissing sound makes me whip my head up in alarm. The seven students are shuffling forward. Mum shoves me away just as the students fall on her. My cry of alarm is drowned out by her howls of pain. I jump to my feet to save her, but someone grabs my arm and pulls me back.

"Mum, no!" I scream.

"You can't save her now!" A male voice yells at me. "Come on!"

The last I see of my mother is her sightless eyes gazing at me, mouth gaping open in a silent scream. A sort of numb calmness falls over me and I let the person holding my arm drag me away.

"Go! Go!" Andy ordered as he hurriedly got students out of the classroom. Feeling something grab the back of his shirt he whirled about, his arm outstretched for a spinning knuckle. He was shocked when the strike actually connected, the shambling student's jaw cracking from the force. He didn't dodge? Andy thought as he stepped back. That move was just to get people away from you, not actually hit anything.

Catching another student zombified student, drenched in blood, he manipulated the girl's body to use as a shield against the other shambling forms. The girl, her hair a bright green to match her punk rock outfit, slowly turned her heard toward Andy's arm that held her....and then she did the impossible. She turned her head so far that she was now staring at Andy from the back.

Andy quickly kicked the girl away from him trying to process how the girl had swiveled her head a full one eighty. Hurrying down the hall he called to the students ahead of him. "Emergency stairs! Head for the emergency stairs!"

One of the students had made it to a stairs and threw the door open releasing another horde into the halls. The zombie-like creatures began to drag people into the horde and devour them in bloody screams. "The roof! We can barricade the door! To the roof!" he cried making a break for the stairs. He stopped when he saw one of the few emergency phones in the hall. "Get everyone to the roof!" he ordered as he ran for the phone, practically ripping the small door of its hinges.

"Everyone listen up!" he yelled into the receiver. "The emergency stairs are filled with these things! Head to the roof! It's the only place left! Head to the roof!" He tore the phone from the box and drove it sideways into the mouth of one of the dead students. "Try biting me without teeth fucker!" He roared as he kicked the student away and pulled on the phone in its mouth, ripping out the things teeth. Smashing the thing's head against the wall he let it fall before he saw something that made his heart drop.

There was a girl screaming trying to help her mother against the creatures. She had already been bitten and now she was being devoured as the girl watched. Andy quickly rushed over grabbing her arm. "You can't save her now!" he yelled. "Come on!" He said dragging her from the room. Kicking another into a cement wall when it came to close

Lotus

Lotus looked around cautiously at the creatures lurking around in the halls. She gulped and followed the crowd, cringing at the screams that echoed in her mind. She looked behind her as a few kids got snatched up and their flesh eaten by what they knew as the undead. The sound of footsteps was everywhere.

Where are they coming from? Lotus was clueless. In fact, everyone was. Lotus felt a strong tug on her arm and she whipped her head around. A boy she hadn't recognized before was tugging her up the stairs to the room.

"Come on!" screams echoed in the halls. Lotus knew there was no way out of this. One moment or another, they're all fresh meat to these creatures. A kid in her class was tugged away and bit in the neck. The creatures' eyes were dark and his skin was tainted with purple, yellow, green, blue, and some other unnatural bruising colors. Their veins were bulging from their arms and forehead.

The boy screamed, falling to the floor. He clutched his torn skin, bloody flesh revealed. Blood gushed from the wound and he began to choke up blood. Multiple creatures moved toward him at the sound of his suffering screams and some came for the kids standing near the door. They all shuffled in, hurrying as fast as they could.

Lotus gulped, wiping away a bead of sweat that fell from her forehead. The hall was crowded and hot. The screams and body heat of the people dying or trying to escape accumulated within the hallway. With seconds passing by, more and more kids died.

With the girl in tow, Andy forced his way through the stairwell with the sea of students to the roof. His grip tight on the girl that he had saved. There was no trying to call this storm of panic, there was just trying to keep from getting trampled in the chaos.

Pushing through the door, Andy immediately turned to wave people through and keep an eye on the landing below. A few students at the back had been caught and were currently being devoured in bloody agony. The last of the students made it through and Andy closed the door and braced himself against it. "Get me something to brace this thing!" he ordered as students began to run about for things to make a barricade.

A collection of tiling shingles, boards from a refurbishing put on hold, and a few concrete blocks were piled up against the door and currently kept the mob of flesh eaters at bay. Andy was panting and took a small walk to the side of the building. The parking lot of the school was filled with these things. But the horror had only begun. Looking up to the city, fires and smoke signaled that this event wasn't just at the school. It was everywhere.

"What the hell is going on?" he said aloud.

Levi

"Who knows?" Levi huffed. He shook his head, crossing his arms. "We're dead meat, man." He snickered as if he found it funny.

In no way was the situation funny. Loud bangs again the door filled the air. Kids quivered and shook, pale. Blood ran from people's arms and legs. Their clothes were ripped to pieces and some just dropped to the floor. The injured stayed on one side of the roof, and the "healthy" stayed on the other.

Waves of smoke filtered through the air, causing everyone to cough. Some kid in the corner began having an asthma attack. Levi whipped his head around, confused at first.

"Err, this world is falling apart. How did this even start?" He turned to Andy who was rushing around.

Andy

"Like I'm supposed to know?" Andy snapped on the guy that had started talking to him. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. "Sorry. I know you're just wondering everything everyone else is."

Looking over the roof, Andy counted about fifty or sixty students. About half of them had some kind of injury while others seemed perfectly fine. Scared out of their minds, but fine. "We aren't gonna last three days up here. No food. No water." He looked to the injured students that were doing their best to keep away from one another. "And we don't know if anyone is carrying....whatever the hell this stuff is. Every one of those things has a bite mark of some kind."

Walking out to the middle of the roof he did his best to speak up over the roar. "Everyone! The first thing we need to do is check for bites!"

"And who do you suggest inspects for these wounds?" A smooth voice said. Stepping from a small crowd of students that were clamored around him, Mr. Fenley stepped forward with a grin. "Are you suggesting that these innocent young women expose themselves to you so that you can check them for these supposed bites?"

"I'm suggesting that we make sure that we are at least safe with the people up here and no in danger of anyone turning into one of those things," Andy responded in irritation. Of course he had to survive, Andy thought. "Guys check guys and girls check girls. I'll volunteer to get checked first."

Lotus

"Any girls come over here so we can get checked too."

The injured stayed in their little area, and some of them were bit. Girls went to one side of the room and boys went to the other. One by one, everyone was checked. Up and down, arms, neck, back, torso, waist, legs, and so on.

Lotus was one of the last to be checked. Although she was clear, something seemed slightly off about the coloring of a few scratches she got coming up on the roof.

Lotus hissed in pain as one of the other girls gentle slid her hand over the scratches. "They're just scratches. It's fine," she murmured, pulling her shirt back over her head.

Levi

Levi was also one of the last to be checked. He was all clear beside a few bruises here and there. As the checks continued on, a loud crash filled the air. Everyone's eyes darted to the area below where tons of these creatures poured out of the parking area.

The group then turned to a girl who stood on the side. She was one of the quiet ones who never really spoke. She turned to the group and tilted her head, "May God save you all," her voice was raspy and her eyes glossed over with tears. "He couldn't save me."

Levi gulped and rushed towards her, pushing past many injured and non-injured. He leaped forward to the side to try and grab her but it was to late.

She leaned back and fell backwards, off of the roof. Nobody heard any screams, or cries for help. All they heard was her body hitting the floor and the groaning of a large group heading towards her. Levi felt a sudden aroma of pain in his body and he held the side for support.

ANDY

Andy went with Levi getting completely undressed behind any kind of barrier that kept them mostly covered. He knew that he was clear of bites, he never gave any of them the chance, but he needed to show that no one was able to have a free pass card. Once he was clothed again he turned to Fenley and hissed, "You're next."

Fenley made no argument of the issue and allowed himself to be inspected. Andy knew that he was going to have trouble with him up here. There were at least twenty girls on the roof and a lot of them were scared out of their minds. Something that a predator like Fenley would be looking for.

Andy heard the girl's words of despair before rushing with Levi to try and stop her. Neither of them were fast enough. Standing at the roof's edge he sighed, "I can't say I blame her." He looked back over the group of students. Only two or three had bites and Andy asked them what they wanted to do. He wasn't surprised when they said that they would rather die as themselves and not become one of the undead. Walking with them to a more discreet side of the roof where he let them end their lives in dignity.

Fenley

While Andy was gone it was the perfect time to begin his worming into the hearts of the students that had survived. If they wished to survive they would need to repopulate somehow and you can't do that without good stock. Fenley began his walk about the roof top with a wide smile on his face. He would need a helper. Someone that would get the other students to agree with him.

Andy was too strong willed to be of any real use to him. He would have to deal with that later. But there was one that caught his eye. A foreign beauty with long blonde hair. She would be perfect. Walking to her, he put on his most sympathetic smile. "My dear young lady," he said in a smooth voice, like that of a snake, "You have such a strong spirit. I can see that in your eyes. I implore you to share your strength with your classmates. They are in need of someone that can lead them. In this world, we will need those with passion and determination, like you and I, to lead these poor souls to safety." His hungry eyes wandered over Bjorn's form, drinking up every inch and letting his imagination fill in the blanks.

Lotus

Lotus sat in the corner, alone. She curled up, pressing her legs to her chest and wrapping her arms around her legs for support. A few tears escaped her eyes but she quickly wiped them away, knowing that that time was not the time to cry. She had to be strong for herself.

She was all she had left. It was just herself...

Her parents had died in a car crash she was younger, and she lived with her grandparents for awhile. She was then staying with her friend, Cassie. But Cassie's gone now.

Cassie was attacked and taken away from her, just like everyone else.

Levi

Levi looked at Andy, sighing. "I guess they made the right choice. I mean, they wouldn't have made it far here anyway..."

He was still slightly dizzy so he decided to sit down, rubbing his temples to prevent the progressive headache from getting worse.

Bjorn

After being checked to see if I’d been bitten – which I stated quite clearly I haven’t been injured at all – I find a spot on the roof away from everyone. I sit down, hugging my knees to my chest, trying to fight off the feeling of heartache. I’m alone now. I’m truly alone. I don’t have anyone, my mother’s gone. I don’t have any friends, I don’t have any family either, no cousins or anyone. I feel empty, cold, I feel alone. I hate this feeling.

A girl falls off the roof after saying something about God. I don’t understand why people turn to religion in such dire times, you have to rely on yourself, not some mystical figure that doesn’t show itself! A part of me wants to follow the girl off the roof, but my survival instincts tell me not to be so silly. If I’ve made it this far, surely I can go further. And who knows, maybe the school is the only place with these infected people.

“My dear young lady,” a smooth voice says above me. I lift my gaze to find a man standing over me, a charming smile plastered to his face. “You have such a strong spirit. I can see that in your eyes. I implore you to share your strength with your classmates. They are in need of someone that can lead them. In this world, we will need those with passion and determination, like you and I, to lead these poor souls to safety.”

His words bring me from my melancholy. He’s right, determination and passion would be a great quality for a leader. And someone strong. A thinker, someone willing to help others before himself. But not me, I’m too selfish. Yet if people started banding together, we could create some form of order. His words fill me with determination to achieve this. But …

“Mr Fenley, right?” I ask, standing up to my meagre height.

“Please, call me James,” he flashes me his teeth. He makes me want to recoil in disgust.

“You have some wise words, but I don’t think you’re the right person for such a position,” I let my accent colour my voice, becoming thicker as my tone gets harsher. “And your smile doesn’t fool me. I know what you do, and I’m not some little girl you can wrap around your finger. So feel free too go manipulate someone over there.”

Mr Fenley’s face drops, and he narrows his eyes at me. “You’re making quite the mistake, Bjorn,” he says lowly.

“No,” I lift my chin as I walk passed him. “I’m making a good choice.”

I can feel his gaze on me as I walk away, and I try not to shudder. My eyes search the crowd of students until they land on someone familiar. My feet make their way over to Andy, and I tap him lightly on the shoulder. He turns around to look at me, a confused look on his face.

“First off, I want to say thank you for saving me … kind of,” I begin awkwardly. The guy sitting down beside Andy looks up at me curiously. “And I think … I think you would be a good person to create some form of order. We need someone to look to that is sensible enough to offer some kind of guidance, and Mr Fenley is not sensible enough.”

“I’m confused,” Andy says softly.

“Right,” I sigh. “Sorry, I think my grief is stopping me from thinking clearly.”

“Grief?” The kid next to Andy says.

“Think about it though,” I press. “I’d follow you, should you choose to lead. And if you get me a metal pole, I can defend myself. I don’t know anything about fighting, but I’m quick. We should find other people that are strong enough to fight maybe.”

Slowly, a smile grows on Andy’s face.

Andy

Andy walked back to Levi, rubbing the back of his neck. "They decided to end their lives before they turned," he said with a sad glance. "We need to find supplies. We won't survive here long without them."

Andy felt a light tap on his shoulder and turned toward the blonde girl that he had dragged up to the roof. He was a little confused at her suddenly appearing behind him. He listened quietly as Bjorn spoke her mind to him. But what she was saying was starting to sound a little like rambling. "I'm confused," he said softly.

She seemed rather adamant about him taking charge of the group. It was true that they needed some kind of leader to get through this, but he didn't feel like he would be a good choice. A smile slowly grows on his face as he responds. "You're...Bjorn right? You transferred here if I remember correctly. I...appreciate the vote of confidence. But...I don't think I would make much of a leader. I can keep myself alive and maybe a few more. But all these people? I'm not that good at politics."

"I will keep in mind the pole though," he chuckled a little as he looked out to the city again. "We need to get supplies. There is still a good amount of light left today, and there should be a fire escape that we can use to get down." He moved to the center of the roof to make a sort of announcement. "Everyone listen. We have no supplies and no weapons. We can't last three days up here without water..."

"An insightful observation," Mr. Fenley interupted. "Alas we don't have any means of getting to the cafeteria, save to make our way through the horde of dead in the halls of this once valued place of learning. What do you suggest?" he said coming close to him. "Young men like you always have a plan and can bring about our survival from this horrible situation."


The look that Fenley gave him was worrisome. It was like he was trying to find some gap in his defense by addressing his ego. Andy sighed as he hadn't gotten that far in his idea. "We could send a small group out to the nearby Wal-Mart to get food, water, and a few weapons. It won't be ideal but a small group might be able to slip passed them."

"But who will lead such a dangerous expedition?" Fenley asked. "Surely someone will have to lead the way so that everyone can make it back alive."

"My idea," Andy said gently. "I'll be the first to volunteer for the group." What am I doing?! I can't be expected to go out there and make it back. "Is anyone willing to go with me?" he looked around the crowd that had gathered. His heart sinking as he didn't see anyone even looking him in the eyes. All of them too afraid to leave their small semblance of safety.

Levi

Levi looked over at Andy, "I'll go." The dizziness seemed to have faded. He stood up, his legs a little wobbly at first.

Lotus perked up and chimed in, "If we let just one of them up here, we need to kill it. Fully. We take something repeatedly to it's head. The brain must be the only way to kill them. They seem to be dead already, therefore, it was a dysfunction in the brain. If we fully kill it, we can cover ourselves in their smell, such as lathering ourselves head to toe in those creatures' blood and guts. It may be the only chance of living we have." She looked around in search for something.

Levi looked back at Andy and Bjorn. "Bjorn, you said you're good with a pole? It's your time to shine." He searched along with Lotus.

Andy

"Without knowing how these things hunt I don't want to lure anything up here right now. We'll just have to make our way down as quietly as we can," Andy said. Looking around he noted a few students that must have been playing softball when everything went to hell, because one of them was holding a bat.

Andy walked over and gently held out his hand. "We could really use that bat while we are out there. Any chance I can convince you to part with it?" Andy asked. The student looked at him like he was crazy. There was no way that he was giving up his bat. But they were safe for now. So what harm could it bring? He held out the bat to Andy who took it with an appreciative nod.

Walking back to Levi, he held the bat out to him. "I have training in hand to hand combat. Until everyone can get a weapon I suggest you use this if they get too close."