In the cafeteria.
The aroma of noodles with tomato sauce was the only comfort in the cafeteria, a mix of beef stew and chicken soup that hung in the air. Alex sat at a table, methodically finishing a plate one of the cooks had prepared. I sat across from him, while George and Amy settled in next to me, their eyes filled with a silent curiosity.
It was the first time George and Amy had seen Alex up close without it being in the middle of a crisis, and the tension in the air was palpable. We knew our time at the high school was limited. Alex had a mission: to get me to my father. Everything we were doing now was to ensure the others were safe once we were gone.
"So, how was the operation?" Alex asked, his voice calm and deep, breaking the silence. "I only saw half the job, since I wasn't there for the rest."
"It was incredible," I replied, pride swelling in my chest. "We found almost a hundred of them, all piled up. It took us a little while, but in the end, we were able to neutralize all of them."
Alex nodded slowly, his gaze sweeping over the vast space of the cafeteria, now full of people sitting down to eat. "The containment plan worked perfectly. The food we found was also a success. That was a stroke of luck we couldn't afford to lose."
"And we found more people," George chimed in, excitement in his voice. "Some of the cooks and cleaning staff had been hiding in the pantries. They're helping ration food and organize some repairs now. They told us they have access to some emergency generators."
"That's great news," Alex said, a slight smile appearing at the corner of his lips. "You've done an exceptional job, Emily. All of you."
My cheeks felt warm. I looked away and said in a low voice, "I just did what I had to do."
"I was just helping to organize things. Emily and George did the hard part," Amy said in a guilty tone. She blushed; her gaze fixed on the table.
Alex noticed her discomfort, and his expression softened. He placed his spoon on the plate, making a metallic clatter that echoed in the silence.
"Amy," he said, in a gentler voice. "There's no 'easy part' to this. The ones who face the zombies at the gate and the ones who organize resources, take care of people, and keep calm are equally important."
Amy looked up, a mix of relief and gratitude in her eyes. She had felt ashamed for not being on the front lines, but Alex had made her feel that her work was indispensable.
I felt a wave of warmth. He wasn't just a warrior; he was a leader. He knew how to inspire confidence in people, which made him even more formidable.
"With all the food we found," I said, trying to fill the silence that had settled over us. "We can wait to be rescued for weeks. Maybe even months."
Alex's smile faded, and a shadow of solemnity fell over his face. His eyes were fixed on the crowd around us, but I realized his gaze was on the future.
He knew the truth. The apocalypse wasn't a temporary crisis, and help would probably never arrive. For him, this situation wouldn't go back to normal—this was the new normal. The food wasn't a reserve to wait, but a resource to prepare for long-term survival.
The air grew heavy. I didn't want to dampen the moment or sink into despair.
"So," I said, my voice a little louder than normal. "Now that we have the cafeteria safe and food for everyone, what's next? What should we do now?"
Alex blinked, returning to reality, and looked at me with a nearly imperceptible smile. He had realized my intention to change the subject. He picked up his spoon again and pointed the handle toward the rest of the school halls.
"The high school isn't completely safe yet," he said, his voice resuming a pragmatic and firm tone. "There are more classrooms, labs, the gym, and other areas that we haven't fully secured. Once we have a team, we should start clearing everything out to create a safe zone. More safe zones mean more space and resources for everyone."
"Of course!" George exclaimed, his enthusiasm contagious. I knew this cleanup wasn't for our personal benefit, but he cared about the others. "The more we clear, the safer the refuge will be for everyone."
Amy nodded with silent determination, her gaze on the crowd of people who were now eating, safe for the moment. I was too. Alex's hopelessness had scared me, but the idea of having a purpose gave me strength.
A few hours later.
The afternoon sun felt heavy on my eyelids.
Almost twenty-four hours had passed since everything began. Twenty-four hours of chaos, of fear, of running, and of seeing things I never thought I'd see.
I walked through the high school courtyard, the same place where, just yesterday, a crowd of students had gathered to celebrate the school's anniversary. I remembered the laughter, the music, and the speeches that echoed from the stage. The military arrived and told us everything would be fine, that they were here to protect us.
But in the end, they only lasted a few hours against the tide of chaos. Despair took hold of everyone, until, in the end, a group of us, by an act of fate, ended up together in the same place, in the same high school, but with a very different atmosphere.
I sat on one of the cement benches, feeling the exhaustion in every one of my bones. The last few hours had been a blurry mix of adrenaline and fatigue. We had cleared all the classrooms, the chemistry and physics labs, even the high school theater. It wasn't easy, but with Tim's guidance and teamwork, the operation was very fluid.
We found a few more groups of people, hidden and terrified, and they joined us. The large number of zombies we had found in the last operations didn't compare to the number in the cafeteria, and with the team we had at the gates, it was easier than I expected.
We also helped reinforce some of the entrances that led to other streets on the same block to ensure the perimeter was safe. All of this was for the benefit of those who would stay, but I felt it was more important to have the high school safe. I didn't know when I would leave.
There was only one place left to clear: the gym.
Frustration. That was the word that described what I was feeling at that moment. Tim, in the kindest voice I had ever heard from him, had forbidden me from participating. He gave me all the logical reasons: "You've already done a lot, you haven't rested, and the others also need to contribute to feel like they're part of the group."
I understood his words. I wasn't complaining, but I felt his concern. I saw it in his eyes, in the way his body tensed when the gym came into conversation. It was because of Sonny. Sonny, who had been bitten in my place in that gym.
I remembered the moment so clearly it burned my throat. Him, smiling with blood on his neck, telling me not to worry, not to feel guilty. It was the kindest gesture I had ever seen in my life, and also the most painful.
Every time I think of his last gesture, I feel like that smile haunts me. It's a smile of sacrifice, a constant reminder that my life now has a purpose, not just for me, but for everyone around me.
I thanked Tim in silence, sitting on that cement bench. He had seen in me that I didn't want to see in myself: the trauma I carried in my mind. He just wanted to protect me from reliving that pain.
From where I was, I could see the main door of the gym. Tim and a small group of companions were preparing to enter. George and Minnie were among them. My heart pounded. I was scared for them, but at the same time, I trusted that Tim, with his experience and pragmatism, would keep them safe.
Just as I was lost in my thoughts, a movement beside me made me look up. Alex, who a while ago was sitting at the courtyard's water fountain, had sat down next to me on the cement bench. I hadn't seen him, but from the way his hair was a mess, it was obvious he had been resting.
The silence between us was comfortable, familiar. We didn't need words. He was also looking at the gym, his eyes a shadow of calm. For a moment, I noticed a slight blush on his face, but I decided not to ask. At that moment, my mind was focused on the gym and my friends who had walked into a zombie nest.
My worry was interrupted when we saw the main gym door open. Some people were coming out, guided by a few companions. The operation had been a success, at least so far.
They looked exhausted, their faces covered in a layer of dirt and fear. They wore the same clothes they had put on more than twenty-four hours ago—an eternity. I could feel their despair, their terror, and the relief they felt upon coming out into the light.
I didn't have to ask to know what they had been through. The constant banging, the growl of death, and the feeling of claustrophobia. In the same way, I didn't have to ask to know they hadn't been bitten.
I approached Marlon, who was guiding a couple of people, and asked him in a low voice, "What's going on inside?"
"We're clearing out the storage rooms and service rooms," he replied with a tired sigh. "There are a few more zombies than we expected, but not many. George and the others are helping us clear them out, but they're exhausted."
Another one of them came closer, and while nodding toward the group coming out, he said, "We gave them a full body check. We didn't find any bites."
Alex, who had been by my side, nodded and addressed them: "Good job. Keep it up."
While the group continued toward the cafeteria for a breather, Alex and I headed for the gym entrance. The stench of sweat, death, and blood was almost unbearable, but I had grown used to it. The silence was the only sound, a deathly silence that was only interrupted by the echo of our footsteps.
We soon saw another group of people coming out. The information was the same: everyone was safe and bite-free. However, the next group that came out was different. A group of only girls came out, and I saw them with teary eyes; some were trembling. Minnie was consoling them and speaking to them in a low voice.
My heart ached. I approached Minnie and discreetly asked her what had happened. Her response was a whisper.
"We found a teacher in the gym's storage room," she told me, her voice breaking with rage. "We think… he's been abusing the students. We're still not sure, but from what they've told us…"
Her voice trailed off, but I didn't need to hear more. I knew Minnie. Her tone of voice, her expression, and the anger in her eyes told me she had no doubts. I felt a wave of rage wash over me. Pure fury, a violent, dark force that made me want to scream and run.
Just as I was about to react, I felt Alex beside me. He had noticed it too. I saw the rage on his face, an emotion I had never seen from him before. His eyes darkened, and his jaw tensed. He headed for the gym, and I realized he wasn't playing around; he wasn't hesitating. He knew what had to be done. I followed him closely, feeling my heart pound, and my mind was a whirlwind of feelings.
We arrived at the gym's storage room door. The air was thick, heavy with tension and pain. Tim, his face serious, pointed his weapon at the teacher, who was trembling, his eyes like those of a cornered animal. I saw it in a fraction of a second, my eyes darting, catching every detail.
The bruised faces of my companions who stood there, their fists clenched. The girl, in her friend's arms, crying loudly. Her friend was consoling her, holding her tightly. I realized she was the most affected, perhaps the teacher had done something more serious to her.
My mind raced a thousand miles an hour. The anger consumed me, but at the same time, my morality, the one that hadn't yet vanished in the apocalypse, made me rethink everything. To kill him.
Was it the right thing to do? How could we maintain our humanity if we became monsters? But how could we let him live after he had done this?
.
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[A/N: CHAPTER COMPLETED
Hello everyone.
I hope you enjoyed the episode.
Emily is experiencing perhaps the most complicated episode she's seen so far. She's also starting to question things she hadn't before, or consider much more drastic options.
By the way, the professor's situation isn't unusual; he was already an evil person. It's just that this apocalyptic situation and being locked up made him act the way he is.
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Read my other novels
#The Walking Dead: Vision of the Future (Chapter 78)
#Vinland Kingdom: Race Against Time (Chapter 86)
#The Walking Dead: Patient 0 - Lyra File (Chapter 9) (PAUSED)
You can find them on my profile.]