421

As you finish collecting gear, you step into the hallway and hear the pounding of footsteps from behind.

"Hey, we need help!" a voice says. Turning, you spot two teenagers, a boy and a girl, running towards you. She wears a pink hoodie and leather backpack with camo pants and sandals. He wears a sports jersey and shorts and carries a lacrosse stick.

She runs up out of breath and paces in front of you. "Thank God I found you."

You reply…

"I thought they were going to kill me," she says, "or I'd get infected."

"You don't know how happy we are to find other living people," the young man says.

"I'm Luth," you say. "I thought everyone in here was dead."

"I'm Brody," the young man says, "and this is my twin sister, Madison."

"Madison Milford," she says. "You know, the Milfords who built everything in this town."

"And I'm Woody." Jaime's cousin strides through the hallway, buckling his belt.

"Oh my," Madison says, her lips pursed in displeasure. She covers her nose and whispers to Brody. "He smells."

Brody frowns at his sister and extends a hand to shake. "Good to meet you, sir."

"Maybe we should keep moving," you say.

Your group moves to the stairwell and ascends to the third floor. Brody leads the way, his lacrosse stick raised like a samurai sword ready to strike.

"The day after the outbreak, we heard the school was abandoned," Brody says. "We left our house and came here, figuring there were tons of supplies. Turns out it wasn't really abandoned. The principal, Mr. Buckley, told everyone to go home, but some kids stayed behind. Their parents weren't home, or they were too scared to leave. So the school set up a shelter in the gym. Well—and this is the screwed-up part—some kids were infected, so instead of getting them away from the other students or getting them help, Mr. Buckley locked them all inside. He killed them all. They all turned."

You're all silent for a moment as Brody's words sink in. Hundreds of students sacrificed, all of them given shelter and then forced to become zombies due to panic or ignorance.

You near the doors to the stairwell, and Brody peeks through the small glass window. "Looks clear." He swings the door open and holds it to let everyone pass. You stare into a hallway flush in the pale glow of floodlights. One floor to go, and you'll reach Jaime.

"So what are you doing here?" Madison asks, sticking close to your side.

"Saving my friend, Jaime. Bandits chased him in here and trapped him on the roof."

Your group turns a corner, and you hear a short pop like a firecracker. Madison cries out, and you spot a flash of red. Something hits your face, and you wipe your forehead. Blood.