Chapter 2 : Dark Days: 0001

'Danger!'

'Danger!'

'Danger!'

Xin Mi abruptly opened her eyes. She held her head as a splitting headache erupted in her brain. But despite the pain, what she was focused on was the small voice in her heart warning her of danger. She look around. Darkness surrounding her. She panicked. The voice in her heart was screaming louder: Danger! Danger everywhere!

She tried to calm down and remember what happened. She pressed her hand in her heart and bite her lips. She need to clear her mind and get an understanding of the situation. But this warning made her fears bigger and bigger.

'Think! Think! I was in the school, strange things happenings with Jinghe..Jinghe! Where's Jinghe!'

"Jinghe!"

"Sister?" Little Jinghe's voice sounded beside her. She sounded in pain.

"What happened? Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Xin Mi reached out her hands where the voice came from and felt around for Jinghe.

"I'm...okay. it's just..my head hurts.."

"Did your bump your head too?" Xin Mi just felt the headache when she woke up earlier. She thought when the ground quakes they both collapsed on the floor and bump their head. She felt around her forehead, there's no swelling or blood.

"I..I don't know. What happened, sister? Is it an earthquake?"

"Yea-" before Xin Mi could answer an ear splitting scream sounded throughout the surrounding. It was followed by more screams.

"Agh!!"

"Get off!"

"AHHHHH"

"HELP!!!!"

Little Jinghe quickly hold Xin Mi's hand. It was dark they can't see anything. The ear splitting screams did not end. Sounds of running, crashing, curses, cries and pleas sounded throughout the night.

Xin Mi's chest was full of air. She could not breathe. What was happening? She waited until her sight adjusted to the light. She and little Jinghe were on the floor in front of the comfort room. She took her phone and saw the time. 11 am. Xin Mi sweatdrop. How many hours they were asleep? They have been in this hallway throughout the time? And not only that. Xin Mi looked up in the sky. There's no sign of the sun. If it was 11 am, the sky should be a little brighter like how 7 am look like before. Did the night become longer again? No..is the sun will ever come out? Xin Mi shuddered of the thought of living in the darkness. The screams once again woke up Xin Mi from her thoughts. She stand up holding her sister and used her phone's light to check on her surroundings. There's no one on the hallway except for them. She lead Little Jinghe in the restroom and check every corner. There's no one inside. Xin Mi locked the restroom door. She tried to call the emergency hotline but there's no signal.

"Sister...those people..are they all gonna die?" Little Jinghe felt guilty inside. So those images that she saw, that something will happen to those people were all true. If she had warned them maybe...

Xin Mi squatted down to be in the same height of Jinghe.

"Hey. Don't ever think that it's your fault. We can do nothing about it. It's their fate. It has nothing to do with you." Besides even if they warn, people might not believe them. They were not sure of what gonna happen. It all happen too fast.

But what is it? A terrorist attack?

The lights had not yet returned. There's no signal. They could only locked their selves until help arrive.

'But would help arrive? What if the damage is too large and the city in chaos? The emergency lights should be back on after an hour. If the lights were out since the start of the earth quake then should the light be back on? People would panick without electricity for more than an hour. But the authorities

clearly have not responded yet. Are they busy counter attacking the terrorist? If that's so, this terrorist attack should be happening in a large case. If that is the case, help may arrive a little later. Would they survive at that time?'

Xin Mi contemplated. She felt better if she knew the situation.

"Jinghe, you stay here. Lock the door. Don't let anyone in. I will check the situation. I will come back as soon as possible."

Jinghe tugged at her sleeve.

"No...it's too scary.."

Xin Mo stopped. Her fear surfaced once more. If she go out and they spot her, would they shoot her on the spot?

She contemplated more. She was scared. Her heart thump loudly and her nerves were tight.

The only place for now to be safe was here. But without knowing who the enemy is, where they are, what are they doing, make their chance of survival slimmer . Its better to know who you are facing for, rather than knowing it later when you are face to face with them and acting too late. Xin Mi was not assured if she did not check out side. She want to know if this comfort room would be a safe hide. Or how long would they be safe if they hide here?

Having a resolution, she hardened her heart, took her phone and went outside.

Xin Mi did not open the lights in her phone because she was afraid that she will attract attention. She used her eyes in the dark to observe her surroundings. The screams did not yet died. It was getting louder.

They were lucky they were in this part of the building when the terrorist attacked. Giving her and her little sister a safe place for now.

Xin Mi was in the ground floor of the faculty building. There's no one in sight since when they came here all the teacher were in their respective classrooms. Xin Mi went to the second floor. This floor consists of the offices of the principal, security, admin and registration.

Xin Mi deduced that if they are going to attack the school they would surely capture the principal. Hence, she could see, who were the instigator of all this. Xin Mi walked without a sound to the principal office. It was quiet over here unlike the outside full of screams and running.

The principal's office door was slightly opened. When she neared it, she heard a crunching and sloppy sound inside. Like someone was loudly eating.

Thump

Thump

Xin Mi hold her breath and silently peered inside. There's a man who was crouching beside the couch. He's back was on her so she could not see his face. The sound came from this man. Xin Mi looked around. There's no one inside except them. Xin Mi was still vigilant as she didn't know if the man was part of the terrorist. She tried to look for more what the man was doing when suddenly the lights turned on illuminating the whole room.

From above, one can see as the whole world that was plunge in the darkness earlier suddenly bloomed with the city lights. Like how someone turned on the switch and lights flowed everywhere. One millisecond of silence as all the people was stunned with the sudden blindness. Next,

"AHHH-!" Screams of terror engulfed the whole world.

Including Xin Mi's scream.

The man who was crouching suddenly turned to Xin Mi. His figure was all covered in blood and there was still meat in his mouth. His eyes were black with no retina. Both the corner of his mouth reached to his ears. When he chew she could see the sharpness of each teeth. They were bigger than normal.

What made Xin Mi scream earlier was when the lights turned on, she, who had been trying to figure out what the man was doing could clearly see Ms. Jia half naked body in front of the man. The man was busying himself with the intestines of Ms. Jia.

The man stand up and run to her. Xin Mi who has her eyes wide opened reacted quickly by running to the door, went out and shut the door. She held the door knob as she was afraid the man opened it and continue the pursuit. Her instinct told her to hold on the door and not let the man outside. It was good that her reflexes improved recently.

She felt the door was slummed as the man pounded to it heavily. Deep growls and scratching could be heard inside. After a minute and so, the pounding stopped and the sloppy sounds started. It seems the man continued eating. Xin Mi stayed on the door for a while. Calming her pounding her heart. Her face was pale and her eyes were still wide. She now recognize the man. The man was their principal. Their principal was eating...Ms Jia?

What's happening? How could their principal change so much? He looked like a demon.

"AHHH!! Help!!"

"Arghh!"

Xin Mi was awoken from her daze when she heard the screams. Across from her, the building in front the faculty building was the junior high building. From where she was, since there was lights everywhere she could see that there were students running in the hallway. Their clothes were torn and blood was everywhere. Behind them a group, larger than them was running crazily at them. All their figures were covered with blood. Xin Mi saw that the girl at the end of the former group was tripped and tried to run again but it was futile since she was caught by a man behind her. The man grabbed her shoulder and took a bite of her. The girl screamed in pain and plead for help but the group in front was busy running as they too was surrounded by the bloody figures who came in front. Xin Mi watched wide eyed as the girl was feasted upon by those bloody figures. She watched as the group in front was eaten by the incoming group.

The pounding on the door started again and Xin Mi wake up from her stupor. She tried to give strength to her trembling hands to hold on the doorknob.

Crash!

The sounds of breaking glasses could be heard in third floor of the building in front of Xin Mi. She saw a student breaking the windows with chair and jumped. He stand up immediately and run like nothing happened.

Xin Mi was shocked. If that was a normal human he could be writhing in pain and unable to move. But then she saw several bloody figures jumped after the man. They rolled and stumbled. A lot of them were have broken bones but still run crazily after the man.

'Are they also going to eat him? Why? What's happening?'

Xin Mi could recognize those people as they were in the same grade. Not only the principal was like that, even the majorites of the students were also turned into a man-eating monster. This school was not safe. Thinking of this, Xin Mi knew she need to get out of here.

Xin Mi looked at the door. It seems like the principal only knows how to pound and did not know how to opened the door knob. Like how those crazy students could not jump properly.

With this , Xin Mi let go of the door knob silently. As she guessed, the principal just pounded loudly and did not try to open the door.

Xin Mi run quickly downstairs. She needed to get out of here with her sister. Anywhere here was not safe.

As she arrived in the first floor. She could see students running everywhere. They were all bloody. Some were witty and grab all kind of things to be their defence. Xin Mi run quickly at the end of the hallway. Her heart stopped beating for a moment as the voice in heart scream danger! She quickly tilt her body to the side as a figure come out from the janitor closet. He was wearing a janitor uniform. His skin was wrinkled and dry with a set of dark ink eyes. His mouth was split open but smaller than the principal's. He grinded his sharp teeth as he was salivating the flesh in front of him. He attacked once again without a pause. Xin Mi quickly held the man's shoulder as he tried to bite her. Once again her reflexes saved her. But she don't have time to rejoice as the man's sharp teeth elongated and almost touch the tip of her nose. Saliva was all over their body. Xin Mi was in a predicament. She looked around. Her brain cells were running high. She let herself be pushed by the man until her back on the wall. Beside her was the janitor closet. She strengthened her arms as she pushed the man away from her and get a big scissor from the closet. As the man pounce once again, Xin Min put her might to plunge the scissor into his chest. But it only stopped the man for assaulting her for a while. It attacked once again not bothering the scissor in his chest.

Xin Mi was struck dumb. How could he still move with that? Like he did not know pain at all. With no time to ponder it she quickly grab the shovel and waved it to the man warning him to not come closer. But it was all futile. The janitor seems to lose his rationality. He just growled at her and attacked again. Xin Mi felt a burning pain in her muscles as she used all her strength to thrust the shovel into his head. Blood flowed like a mountain as the head of the janitor rolled down on the floor. Xin Mi tasted blood as well as the bile from her stomach. She vomited and grasped her breath. She wiped the blood in her face and bile in the corner of her mouth. Her hands were shaking and her eyes still wide. She wanted to go take a step toward the comfort room where her sister is. But her feet did not move. Her knees were weak.

He just killed a man. A living person. Is she a murderer now? But if she did not fight she will be eaten. This man clearly wanted to eat her. Remembering the state of Ms. Jia she puked once again.

"Sister?" A small voice with a trace of nervousness got her attention.

"Jinghe?" Xin Mi looked and saw her little sister peeking from the comfort rooom.

Little Jinghe seems fine. Xin Mi breath out a sigh of relief. She stepped forward to Jinghe when Jinghe stepped back.

"..?"

"Your bloody.."

"Oh. I killed a man who was trying to eat me."

O_o