Mr. Watching-Me-While-I-Sleep (part 2)

The scene opens with, Luke rummaging through the clutter of the storeroom, his eyes catching a peculiar drawer built into the ceiling. With some effort, he popped it open to find a treasure trove of dusty sports gear. Amid the mess, his fingers wrapped around the wooden handle of an ancient baseball bat, weathered by time and visibly on its last legs. 

"Hmm... looks old, but better than nothing," Luke muttered to himself, turning the bat in his hands. 

But a flash of inspiration hit him. His eyes gleamed as he set the bat down and scoured the room like a man on a mission. Soon, he found a rusted toolbox hidden in a corner. With newfound determination, he began modifying the bat. 

Using long nails he hammered through its wooden surface, Luke turned the bat into a fearsome weapon. He wrapped the handle tightly with old cloth for a sturdier grip, reinforcing its weakened core. Not satisfied with just that, he added layers of barbed wire around the bat's head, twisting it with precision. 

After hours of focused effort, he stood back, admiring his creation. Holding it aloft like a knight with a sacred sword, Luke sighed in relief. "Finally, something useful," he said under his breath. 

Turning to Alisha, who was still curled up on a dusty old couch in dreamland, Luke called her name. "Alisha! Wake up!" 

She stirred lazily, muttering something about pizza toppings. When she finally sat up, her hair a chaotic mess, she glared at him with groggy annoyance. "What now, Mr. Can't-Let-Me-Sleep?" 

Luke rolled his eyes. "We need to leave this place, and it's better to go now before the zombies circle back." 

Alisha groaned, reluctantly dragging herself off the couch. She grabbed a hammer lying nearby, the one Luke had used earlier. Just as she was about to nag him further, her eyes locked onto the weapon in his hand. Her expression changed instantly. 

"OH. MY. GOSH," she squealed, practically vibrating with excitement as she dashed toward him. "What is this beauty?! A DIY apocalypse bat?! It's perfect!" 

Luke gave her a flat, incredulous look. "Why are you trembling with excitement? You do know we're trying to survive, right?!" His mind screamed, How can this girl be THIS dumbbbbbbb?! 

She completely ignored him, marveling at the weapon. "It's like something out of a zombie movie!" Alisha grinned, gripping her hammer and looking like she was ready to join the set of her apocalyptic dreams. 

The moon hung high in the sky when the duo finally stepped out of their storeroom hideout. The once-familiar school hallways were now unrecognizable, drenched in blood and strewn with overturned furniture. The air was thick with the stench of decay. 

"Stay close," Luke whispered, his eyes scanning every shadow. 

Alisha, still admiring the bat Luke held like it was the eighth wonder of the world, muttered, "This is so cool." 

Luke sighed deeply, gripping his bat tighter as they crept into the blood-soaked corridors. Yep... I'm definitely stuck with the dumbest zombie apocalypse buddy ever. The Gruesome Path Forward 

As the duo cautiously made their way through the bloodied hallways, the horrific sight of mangled bodies sprawled across the floor greeted them. Flesh was torn in ways no nightmare could prepare them for, the smell of decay saturating the air. Luke gagged, his hand instinctively covering his mouth. 

He tightened his grip on the bat and turned to Alisha, speaking in a low, urgent tone. "Stay behind me. If anything—anything—jumps out, I'll handle it." 

With a quick glance back to check on her, Luke froze mid-step. Alisha wasn't scared, shocked, or even disgusted. Instead, she looked utterly fascinated, her eyes sparkling with a twisted kind of curiosity. 

"Wow..." she murmured, crouching to get a closer look at one of the bodies. "When do I get to kill a zombie?" 

Luke's jaw dropped. "Excuse me, what?" 

Alisha ignored him, standing up and marveling at the carnage as though it were art in a gallery. "Look at these smashed heads! Who did this? What kind of absolute powerhouse is walking around this school?" She sounded awestruck, like she'd just discovered her favorite celebrity was in the building. 

Luke slapped his forehead, muttering under his breath, "Of course. Of course, this is where her brain goes." 

Turning away, Luke refocused his attention on the hallway ahead. The grotesque scene only added to the pit forming in his stomach. The world they had once known was gone—replaced by this nightmarish hellscape. Survival was now a game of strength, and those too weak to fight would become the next pile of bodies on the floor. 

As much as he wanted to process what was happening, another thought loomed over him. Not only did he have to survive this apocalypse, but now he also had to babysit a zombie-obsessed lunatic who treated the end of the world like her personal action movie. 

He sighed heavily, gripping the bat tighter as he muttered, "I'm so dead." 

Luke led the way through the blood-soaked corridors, every step a gamble. His makeshift weapon felt heavier in his hands, not from its weight, but from the burden of keeping them alive. Meanwhile, Alisha practically skipped behind him, humming softly, her hammer swinging lazily at her side.

"Do you have to look so happy?" Luke hissed, his voice barely above a whisper.

Alisha tilted her head, feigning innocence. "What? You're the one with the awesome nail-bat. I'm just here to appreciate the vibe."

"The vibe?" Luke's voice cracked as he stopped in his tracks. "Alisha, the 'vibe' is a bunch of dead bodies, blood everywhere, and...and zombies! Are you actually enjoying this?"

Alisha smirked, leaning on her hammer like a seasoned warrior. "I'm not saying I wanted the apocalypse to happen, but...I'm not not saying it."

Luke ran a hand through his hair, groaning. "You're impossible."

Their banter was interrupted by a faint sound—a shuffling noise, followed by a low, guttural moan echoing from down the hallway. Luke's blood ran cold, and he instinctively raised his bat, signaling Alisha to stop.

"Finally!" Alisha whispered excitedly, gripping her hammer tighter.

Luke glared at her. "This is not a game, Alisha."

"No, but it is my chance," she shot back, her eyes gleaming with anticipation.

The sound grew louder, closer. Luke's heart pounded in his chest as a shadow loomed at the end of the hallway. A figure stumbled into view—a zombified teacher, its once-kind face now a grotesque mask of decaying flesh and hollow, lifeless eyes.

Alisha's expression lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. "Dibs!" she exclaimed, charging forward with her hammer raised high.

"Wait, Alisha, no—!" Luke shouted, but it was too late.

With an unholy battle cry, Alisha swung her hammer in a wild arc, narrowly missing the zombie's head. The force of the swing sent her spinning, and she nearly toppled over. The zombie lunged at her, its jagged teeth snapping in her face

"Alisha!" Luke yelled,

Luke bolted upright, his breathing ragged and his heart pounding against his chest. He blinked rapidly, the grotesque images of Alisha's torn face and the horde of zombies still vivid in his mind. The dim light of the storage room slowly came into focus, and he realized...he wasn't alone. 

"AHHHHH!" he screamed, startling Alisha awake. 

"Wha—what?!" Alisha mumbled, half-asleep, before noticing their position. She was sprawled on top of Luke, their limbs tangled awkwardly like a poorly staged rom-com. 

As Alisha groggily processed the situation, Luke suddenly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a desperate hug. His voice trembled as he whispered, "You died...I saw you die. You ran at the zombie, and...and it bit you. I couldn't save you. You were gone." 

For a moment, Alisha froze, feeling his genuine fear through his tight embrace. But then reality hit her. She was alive, they were both alive, and Luke was clinging to her like a scared puppy. 

Her face turned bright red. "O-Oi! What the hell are you doing?!" she stammered, her voice cracking. 

Luke was too lost in his emotions to notice her embarrassment. "I thought I lost you," he muttered, his voice thick with relief. 

That was it. Alisha had enough. She reeled back her head and delivered a swift thunk—a classic headbutt straight to Luke's forehead. 

"OW! What the hell?!" Luke yelled, rubbing the sore spot on his head as he finally snapped out of his daze. 

Alisha sat up, glaring at him, her cheeks puffed in a mixture of annoyance and embarrassment. "Seriously, what were you doing? And why were we sleeping together?!" 

Luke blinked, his brain sluggishly piecing together what had happened. "Wait, you're asking me that? You were the one sprawled all over me!" 

"Excuse me?!" Alisha shot back, poking his forehead hard enough to make him flinch. "Do I look like someone who chooses to sleep on top of a sweaty nerd like you?" 

"Hey! I'm not sweaty—wait, that's not the point!" Luke shot back, scrambling to his feet. "You were the one dreaming about pizza while the world's ending! And somehow this is my fault?" 

"Oh, shut up," Alisha grumbled, brushing herself off as she stood. "You're the one who screamed like a banshee and woke me up. Honestly, I was having such a nice dream..." 

Luke stared at her in disbelief. "A nice dream? I just had the most horrifying nightmare of my life, and you're complaining about a dream?" 

"Yup," Alisha replied nonchalantly, inspecting her hammer as if nothing had happened. "I was eating the biggest, cheesiest slice of pizza when suddenly—BAM! Screaming Luke ruins it." She shot him a cheeky grin. 

Luke groaned, running his hand through his hair in exasperation. "Why am I stuck with you?" 

Alisha tilted her head, pretending to think. "Fate, maybe? Or bad luck? Either way, you're welcome." 

Luke rolled his eyes but couldn't suppress a small smile. The fear and tension from his nightmare were fading, replaced by the bizarre comfort of their banter. 

"Let's just...focus on getting out of here," he muttered, grabbing his nail-bat. 

As he walked toward the door, Alisha followed, her teasing grin softening slightly. "Hey, Luke?" 

"What now?" he grumbled, glancing back at her. 

She hesitated, then gave him a light punch on the arm. "Thanks for worrying about me. Even if you're a total weirdo about it." 

Luke blinked, caught off guard. For a moment, he saw past her playful facade —a glimpse of someone who appreciated not being alone in this nightmare. 

He smiled faintly. "Don't make me regret it." 

Alisha laughed, twirling her hammer. "No promises!" 

As Alisha twirled her hammer like she was auditioning for a superhero movie, the awkward silence in the room was shattered by the loud growls of their stomachs.

"Ugh, I want pizza!" Alisha whined dramatically, clutching her midsection like a wounded anime protagonist.

Luke tried—tried—to keep a straight face but couldn't help the smirk creeping onto his lips. "Pizza? Really? We're in a zombie apocalypse, and you're thinking about pizza?"

"I will die if I don't get cheese and pepperoni soon," she whined, clutching her stomach as if the world owed her a lifetime supply of slices.

"Well," Luke said, shrugging and heading to the door, "if you starve, that's one less person I have to worry about."

"Rude!" Alisha snapped, throwing a pillow at him before leaping to her feet. "You'll miss me when I'm gone. Admit it!"

"Sure," Luke replied sarcastically, opening the door. "Miss your terrible jokes? Not a chance."

But before he could fully turn the knob, Alisha grabbed his wrist and yanked him back with surprising strength. "Hold it, genius! You don't just open doors! Do you want to be zombie chow?"

Luke blinked. "...You could've just said 'stop.'"

Alisha ignored him, sliding over to a nearby window with the exaggerated stealth of a ninja in an anime filler episode. She slowly pushed the window open, her every move unnecessarily dramatic.

"What are you doing?" Luke whispered, already regretting the answer.

"I," she declared, pulling a screwdriver from her back pocket like she was unveiling Excalibur, "am setting the stage!"

With a mighty toss, she launched the screwdriver down the opposite end of the corridor. It clattered loudly, creating a racket that echoed like a drum solo.

Luke's jaw dropped. "What the—"

Before he could finish, the hallway erupted in chaos. Zombies poured out from every corner, every shadow, every crack in the walls like they'd been waiting for an invitation. Luke's face paled.

"Where were they hiding?!" he whisper-shouted, his voice almost cracking.

Alisha, however, looked downright giddy. "Isn't it cool? It's like a video game when you lure all the mobs into one spot!"

"This is not a game, Alisha!" Luke hissed, already inching backward.

"It kind of is," she countered smugly, grabbing his sleeve and yanking him in the opposite direction. "Now RUN, Mr. Watching-Me-While-I-Sleep!"

Luke stumbled but didn't resist. "Will you stop calling me that?!"

"Never!"

As they sprinted down the corridor, Alisha stole a glance behind her, giggling like a maniac. "Man, look at them go! It's like zombie parkour!"

Luke, panting and thoroughly done with her antics, growled, "They're not performing! They're trying to eat us!"

"You say potato; I say pizza," she quipped.

Luke resisted the urge to facepalm mid-run, focusing instead on putting as much distance as possible between them and the writhing mass of undead.

After turning a corner, they finally stopped to catch their breath. Luke leaned against the wall, clutching his bat. "You're insane."

"And you love it," Alisha replied, flashing him a peace sign.

"Love is a strong word," he muttered, wiping sweat off his brow.

Alisha grinned, tossing her hair back dramatically. "Fine. Then you admire my brilliance and quick thinking."

Luke sighed, shaking his head. "Let's just find food before your pizza obsession turns into full-on hallucinations."

Alisha gasped, clutching her chest. "Oh no, Luke! You're turning into a pizza slice! The hunger's getting to me!"

Luke groaned and walked ahead, ignoring her theatrics. "I can't believe I'm stuck with you."

"You'd miss me in a heartbeat!" Alisha sang, skipping behind him like nothing had happened.

As they sprinted through the eerie, blood-splattered halls, Luke led the way, his makeshift bat held tightly in his hands. The sound of their hurried footsteps echoed off the walls, only adding to the tension in the air. Suddenly, from the shadows of an empty room, a hand shot out and grabbed him by the collar, yanking him into the darkness.

"Hey—what the—?!" Luke yelped, struggling against the sudden grip. But the hand wasn't violent; it was firm, as if trying to pull him out of harm's way, not into it.

Alisha stopped dead in her tracks, eyes wide with disbelief. Without thinking, she darted into the room after him, her hammer raised high, ready for action. "Luke! Don't you dare die before I get my pizza!"

Inside the room, Luke was caught in a headlock, his face awkwardly pressed against the chest of a tall figure. The stranger had the same face as Luke, but his features were sharper, more serious, with an aura that screamed "brooding anime antihero" from a mile away.

The figure ruffled Luke's hair affectionately, like a big brother greeting a long-lost sibling.

"Missed me, little bro?" the stranger teased in a deep, smug voice.

"Missed you?! You're choking me!" Luke sputtered, flailing in an attempt to free himself.

Alisha froze mid-swing, hammer still raised. Her eyes darted between the two Lukes, blinking twice. "Wait. Am I hallucinating? Are there two Lukes now?!"

The doppelgänger arched an eyebrow, his smirk widening. "And who might this be?"

Luke finally managed to wiggle free, gasping for air. "That's Alisha. You probably know her. Student council president. Chaos gremlin extraordinaire."

Alisha pointed her hammer at the clone, narrowing her eyes. "Okay, first of all, rude, Luke. Second of all—who the heck is this guy?! Did you have an evil twin you conveniently forgot to mention, or are zombies cloning people now? Because I am not prepared for that plot twist."

The doppelgänger smirked even wider, crossing his arms. "Evil twin? Harsh. I'm Harry. Luke's older brother."

Alisha dropped her hammer with a loud clang and threw her hands up in exasperation. "Oh great, not just one, but two Otters brothers to babysit. Lucky me."

Luke shot her a glare. "Babysit? You're the one who nearly got us killed trying to lure zombies with your... music!"

Harry leaned against the wall, watching the back-and-forth with an amused smirk. "So...she's the one keeping you alive? Guess you've got it tough, huh, little bro?"

Alisha grinned. "He'd be zombie chow without me. Don't let the nail-bat fool you."

Luke groaned and buried his face in his hands. "Why are you even here, Harry?"

Before Harry could answer, Alisha's stomach gave a loud, dramatic growl that cut through the tension like a knife.

"Can we get back to the part where I said I'm starving?!" she whined, clutching her stomach like a drama queen. "I'm not going to fight *anything* on an empty stomach!"

Harry glanced at Luke with an eyebrow raised. "She's the student council president?"

Luke sighed, rubbing his temples. "Yeah. Hard to believe, right?"

Alisha just grinned, ignoring them both. "Alright, let's move, boys! We find food, bash some zombies, and maybe figure out if this guy is really Luke's brother or just a zombie wearing his face."

Harry chuckled. "She's... energetic."

"She's a headache," Luke muttered, following her out of the room.

As the trio made their way down the hallway, Alisha turned to Harry with a sly grin. "So, Harry, you single? Asking for a friend."

Luke tripped over his own feet in surprise. "Alisha!"

Harry gave a smirk but didn't answer, and for a moment, Luke wished the zombies would come back just to escape the awkward tension that was about to follow.

As the trio bolted down the stairs, their rapid descent came to a screeching halt. At the bottom stood a horde of zombies, swaying like drunken concertgoers, their groans harmonizing into a grotesque symphony. The stench of rotting flesh wafted up to meet them, making Luke gag dramatically.

"Well, this is just perfect," Luke grumbled, pinching his nose. "Any chance they're just here to party?"

Harry deadpanned. "Yeah, and you're the DJ. Let's spin tracks upstairs."

"Agreed." Alisha gripped her hammer tightly. "Time to retreat!"

The trio turned and dashed back up the stairs, their footsteps thundering louder than their pursuers. But the moment they hit the next floor, the sound of more shuffling greeted them. Zombies were emerging from the floor above as well, trapping them like sardines in a rotting can.

"This is bad. Like, end credits bad," Luke panted as they reached the rooftop access door. He frantically pushed against it. "Locked?! Who locks a door during a zombie apocalypse?!"

Alisha slammed her hammer against the door, her frustration on full display. "Typical. Next time, I'm carrying dynamite."

"Sure, because explosives are so safe in close quarters!" Harry shot back.

Luke banged his fists on the door. "Hey! Is anyone up there? Open the door! We need help!"

A muffled voice answered, hesitant. "Who's there?"

Luke's ears perked up. "Anna?! Is that you?"

A pause. Then, more suspiciously, "...Luke? Harry? Alisha? How... how are you even alive?"

"No time for a life update!" Luke yelled. "Open the door before we're the next buffet special!"

More muffled arguing followed from the other side. Anna's voice rose, fiery with indignation. "I don't care what you think! They're my friends! I'm letting them in!"

Luke glanced at Harry and Alisha, surprised. "Wait, Anna has friends?"

"Don't ruin this, Luke!" Harry hissed, elbowing him.

The door creaked open just as the zombies reached the landing. Anna peeked through, her face a mixture of worry and determination. "Hurry up! We don't have all day!"

The trio squeezed through, slamming the door shut just as the zombies began pounding on it. Anna quickly slid a heavy beam into place to barricade it.

"Thanks, Anna," Luke panted. "You're a lifesaver."

Anna smirked. "Don't mention it. Literally."

They stumbled onto the rooftop, expecting sweet freedom and maybe a helicopter. Instead, they were greeted by a large group of students huddled together like anxious penguins. At the center stood four hulking figures who looked like they had just stepped out of a protein shake commercial.

"Is that...?" Alisha narrowed her eyes. "The wrestling club?"

"Wrestling club?" Luke gawked. "They look like they wrestle bears for fun."

The leader lounged on a makeshift throne of chairs, a smug grin plastered across his face. Beside him, another wrestler was using a poor, scrawny kid as a human footrest.

Luke stormed forward. "Hey! What do you think you're doing? Get off him!"

The leader turned lazily, his grin widening. "Well, well, if it isn't...uh..." He squinted. "...Wait, who are you?"

Luke's jaw dropped. "Seriously? I'm Luke! Luke Otters! I sit behind you in history class!"

The second wrestler scratched his head. "Oh, you're that quiet kid, right?"

"I'm NOT quiet!" Luke's voice cracked, much to his embarrassment. "We've had group projects together!"

The leader ignored him and focused on Harry. "Harry Otters, the golden boy. Still think you're better than everyone?"

Harry smirked. "No need to think when it's a fact."

"And Alisha White," the leader continued. "Miss Student Council President, here to boss us around like usual?"

Alisha twirled her hammer. "Don't tempt me."

Then the leader turned back to Luke, squinting harder. "And you're...uh, the backup character?"

Luke's eye twitched. "I'm Harry's twin! We literally look the same!"

The third wrestler, smaller but still a walking mountain, tilted his head. "Nah, Harry's got that main character aura. You're more like...comic relief."

Alisha stifled a laugh, patting Luke's shoulder. "Don't take it personally, Luke. Not everyone has star quality."

"I have plenty of star quality!" Luke shouted, waving his bat in the air. "More than this musclehead!"

The leader chuckled. "Big words for someone who looks like an NPC."

Alisha stepped forward, cutting the banter short. "Alright, enough. Move your oversized egos aside, or I'll make you."

"Oh, is that a challenge?" the leader taunted, "I don't take orders from anyone, especially not—"

Alisha swung her hammer with a mighty CRASH, smashing one of the throne's legs. The leader toppled over in slow motion, landing flat on his back.

The rooftop erupted in laughter.

Harry gave a mock clap. "Bravo, Alisha. That's how you make an entrance."

Luke grinned, finally feeling vindicated. "Looks like the comic relief saved the day, huh?"

Harry smirked, ruffling Luke's hair. "You did good, bro. For an extra."

"Harry!" Luke said in an annoyed tone