Chapter 8

The bus burst into a fury of yellow flames. MRJ ducked in reflex, holding his hands above his head. He heard pieces of metal hitting the ground around him. He remained hunched over till the air grew silent.

"Help!"

MRJ looked up when he heard the cry. The bus was shrouded by a column of smoke.

"Sam?!" MRJ squinted into the smoke plume.

His eyes fell on the remains of the bus. The fire continued to eat away at it. Its roof was blown off, and the glass shattered. The metal frames appeared twisted and melted.

"Somebody, help!" Sam's cry grew louder.

MRJ couldn't stop thinking about the people on the bus with him a few moments ago. The smoke began to clear, and MRJ was finally able to see Sam. His eyes widened with fear as he caught sight of the people surrounding the classmate.

They had him held down with their numbers. MRJ stood terror-stricken as he saw one of them lean in and bite off a huge chunk of Sam's shoulder.

"AARGH!" Sam's shrieks of pain rang out.

"What the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck?" MRJ's knees began to shake. "This isn't real. I must be dreaming. Yes, I must be having a terrible fever. Please, wake up, I beg you. Please stop!"

MRJ covered his ears to shut out all the noises that invaded his mind.

"Oof!" MRJ got his breath knocked out.

Something had hit him hard in the stomach. He looked down. He trembled in fear when he found the disembodied arm with the wristwatch; black, a Rolex.

He looked up with tears of terror forming under his eyes, and they were met with Sam's. The classmate gazed at him in bewilderment as the people continued to consume him. His lips moved to form the word, 'H-E-L-P.'

***

MRJ found himself running as fear continued to bite at him. He ran across the street, trying to shake away the faces of his dead classmates from his mind. Their cries for help didn't stop ringing in his ears.

"Sam, I'm so sorry-" MRJ cried out as he ran on the sidewalk. "I couldn't get myself to move in time to save you from those savages!"

Then it suddenly struck MRJ.

"Savages?" he thought. "Why were they…?! What made them go so bat shit crazy?!"

"Zombies!" someone shrieked behind him.

MRJ spun around and saw a group of teenagers making a dash for the nearest store.

"Zombies?" MRJ stopped in his tracks. "Zombies."

He reached the area undergoing road work in their neighborhood. He suddenly remembered the previous day; the talks of the apocalypse, the guide, and the party at the mall.

"He knew?!" MRJ realized. "How the fuck did he know?! Is he hiding something from me? Was he deceiving me? Is he still at home? Did he leave me to die out here all alone? Is he still alive? Am I dreaming all of this?!"

"Aaargh,"

A low groan from behind snapped him out of his panic mode. He turned around to see a middle-aged man reach for him. His clothes were tattered, and he bled at several places, notably from a gash on the left arm.

"A zombie?" MRJ felt his knees wobble again. "Am I really gonna die here?"

The zombie approached him with staggering footsteps.

"No, you're not!" MRJ stood firm. "I cannot die here or worse, turn into whatever shit this is!"

MRJ found a wrench on top of the concrete construction block. He grabbed it and swung as hard as he could.

The man opened his mouth to let out another growl as the wrench hit him in the face with a sick thud. The man collapsed to the ground. MRJ watched him for a moment and caught his arm flinch.

"Nope," he turned around and ran.

He reached the front yard of their house and looked around. He caught the sight of their neighbors chasing down one another.

"Hey?!" a voice cried out to him. "The hell are you doing out there?!"

MRJ spun around and found their next-door neighbor gazing at him in bewilderment.

"Robin!" MRJ yelled, pointing over her shoulder. "Behind you!"

Robin swung the golf club as hard as she could at Mr. Wilson, her father, who was behind her.

THUD!

"Gene-ah, Dad!" Robin cried out. "I thought I locked you in the basement with Mom!"

"Huh?" MRJ appeared perplexed.

"I trapped them in when I found them like this!"

"Oh,"

"Are you okay?! Where's your roommate?! Is he safe?!"

"I-uh honestly have no clue! I believe he is still in the house,"

"You don't know whether he is in there or not?!"

"I was on my way back from college!" MRJ studied their surroundings.

They heard shrieks everywhere. MRJ swallowed hard.

"How did this happen?"

"I don't know!" she replied. "This shit has been going on since afternoon!"

"What?!" MRJ exclaimed.

Robin grabbed her father by the ankles. MRJ didn't know what to think, let alone what to say.

"I'd better go check on my roommate!"

"Yeah, go!" Robin grunted as she dragged her father inside.

"You want help with that?" MRJ asked.

"Nah, I'm good! You should go!"

"Oh-kay," MRJ nodded.

He ran toward his house. He hastily unlocked the front door and slammed it shut behind him. He had a lot of questions in his mind.

***