The Light Grows Dark

Intro: Just Another Day

      I hate waking up early. I would destroy my alarm if it weren't on the inside of my phones functions and my mom will kill me if I don't wake up on time. I sluggishly get out of bed and make my way to the bathroom and I am followed by my Pitbull mix, Soul. I close the door behind us and take a look in the mirror. As usual, my hair is a curly mess all over my head. My curls are tangled in different directions and my eyes barely open . I get into the shower and Soul lays against the back of the door. I let the hot water wash over me as I think about what's to come of my daily activities. I sit through my classes, act like I care, do my work, daydream, talk to my friends all throughout, and go home. I finally wash my body, brush through my hair, and exit my shower, now only half refreshed. 

      I finish getting ready and walk downstairs. My mother has already gone to work and has left me fifty dollars for my lunch account along with a note," I will be late coming home. I added money to your bank account and here's money for lunch. See you later and many kisses, mom." I think it sucks to have a parent that works for a secret government facility but I still smile and begin to make Soul's food. As he eats I grab a yogurt out of the fridge and before I can even begin to eat, he is already sitting in front of me, wanting to consume my food as well. I chuckle as I let him out into the backyard. After my yogurt is consumed, I grab my keys and head out the door. I get into my twenty seventeen Kia Stinger and make my way to school. 

      I arrive at the school and park in my usual space, making sure I hit the lock button on the key fob a few times just to be sure and head inside. I feel a tap on my shoulder as I enter the building and see my boyfriend, Ahm. Ahm is eighteen, chocolate, about five foot ten with a well kept hairstyle of waves as well as a well kept body and his brown eyes glisten when he smiles. He puts his arm around my shoulder and walks me to class. He gives me a hug and a kiss at the door and as I make my way to my seat, my friends "ooh" and "ahh" and make jokes at me. "Y'all are so cute! You make me sick," Shey says as she rolls her eyes with a smile on her face. "I can already hear wedding bells!" Exclaims Tezz with her country accent as she bats her eyes towards the ceiling. "You got him stuck, huh?" Asks Justine with a smirk on her face. "Ha whatever. You guys make it seem like he's going to propose today or something," I laughed. "The man would die for you," replied Tezz. I rolled my eyes," Yeah, because I might be the one to kill him." 

      Before they could reply, screams rang through the hallway. Most of the classmates got up and ran to the door but my friends and I all have a common understanding. If you hear too much noise, fall back. Any spreadable news will come from the others when they go back to their seats or the action will come to us. As we sat in our chairs, we all observed the shock on our peers faces. "Either somebody is fighting or somebody just dropped dead," Shey announced as she continued to watch the expressions. The screams grew louder and came closer and closer. The people in the doorway quickly moved out of the way. Our teacher, Mister Addams, ran into the classroom, slamming the door shut behind him. He locked it and stumbled to his desk. He grabbed a rag nearby and pressed it against his other hand. We watch as blood pours down his arm and onto the floor. He fumbled to look for his phone but faints before finishing the task. Everyone began to speak of what they witnessed as someone calls the police but panic with a," They have me on hold!". "People were running and screaming. It was chaos out there! One of the juniors was running around attacking people. He bit Addams for trying to break up the fights he was starting!" My friends and I listen as Justine laughs," Either that kid is on bath salts or-" I cut her off," Zombie! I'm calling it. They're all zombies." 

      Tezz rolls her eyes," That's always your go-to conclusion." I shrug and get up from my desk. I walk over to Addams who's still unconscious. "He's alive and his hand doesn't seem to be bleeding that bad," I announce. I turn around and look at the door. Through the window I see people shuffling to get to their classes but I had never seen them hurry to class the way they were. I take out my phone as I head back to my desk and text Ahm," Hey, did you hear what happened?" I sit back down and the window opens. I roll my eyes," Ugh." My friends snicker," Here she goes with the usual being late but still being counted on time bull s**t," says Tezz. I ignore it as I continue scrolling through my social media accounts. "Hey everybody," says Kessa as she sits down. Her friends greet her and she looks my way and rolls her eyes. "Some hoes just wanna be mad," she laughs. My friends and I laugh," Y'all know what's crazy? Hoes wish they could be as classy as us but they're to messy from hopping from bed to bed to realize that will never happen," I reply. 

      My friends smile and look her way as she turns back around. Addams finally gains consciousness and hops up, acting as if the pain in his hand and the impact from hitting his head didn't phase him. He has a large grin, almost ear to ear. "Good morning class!" He announces," I am Mister Addams!" The class looks confused at one another and a guy named Kyle shyly interrupts," I think you have a concussion Mister A. You seemed to have bumped your head to hard." "Nonsense, Chad! I know it's your first day here and all but trust me, we are going to have a great school year!" he screams. "I'm going to call you an ambulance, A," replies another classmate, Tay. Addam's words began to drag in his reply," You will noooooooooot be calling aaaaaaanyone." He blinked and one of his eyes turned white but then he blinks again and they're normal. "Things just keep getting weirder," I think.

      He turned around and began writing on the board. "I am a fun teacher buuuuuuut I refuse to accept games! Unleeeeeeess they're fun games!" He exclaims. His voice was growing more sluggish and deep. "You sir, come ooooooooon up and teeeeeeell uuuuuuus about yourself!" His smile looked sinister. My phone dinged and I checked my phone. Ahm had replied to my text message," We need to leave. NOW." I screenshot the message and send it to my friends. "Something isn't right, here," I include in my text. "Mister Addams, we're in the middle of the school year," replies David, the boy chosen to present himself in class. "Really? Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeell, nothing wrong with getting to know you again, son!" Addams smiles. David slowly made his way to the front of the classroom and stood in front of the desk in the front row. "My name is-" he began before being cut off by the strange acting staff member. "I can no hear you, can you stands here?" Addams asked, pointing to a spot closer to him. Now he's barely even literate? He blinks one more time and both of his eyes turn a cloudy gray.  

      David, now looking extremely concerned, slowly moves to the designated spot. I begin sitting back in my chair. Being here feels entirely to wrong all of a sudden and my heart is racing a mile a minute. Something is telling me to prepare myself for what I am about to see and of course, I do. "My name is," David begins but he is once again cut off by Addams who decides to grab David and bite his shoulder. As David screames, Addams rips off a hefty chunk and begins to happily chew. David in a panic, falls down. Everyone in the room is stuck in their seats. I stand up and run towards the front of the classroom. "Raina, what the f**k are you doing?" Justine screams. "Ah s**t!" Shey adds in. I grab a metal plate from Addams desk, as he still continues to enjoy the raw human meat that was once a part of David's arm, and shove it between his head and his shoulders. His head rolls to the ground. 

      Everyone screams and people begin banging on the door. "Let us in! What's going on in there?" Someone outside screamed. It was the principal. Shey jumps up and wraps David in the flag that stands on a long pole in the corner of the classroom. "Yo crazy ass in not about to bite me next!" She screamed. Tezz sits still in her desk, shocked and confused. Kessa runs to the door and opens it, Justine runs behind her and pushes her out, locking the door again. One of her friends jumped up in anger," Oh no you're not! Let my friend back in right now. Y'all hoes goin' to jail!" "Tera if you don't shut yo ugly self up, you goin' out there with her!" Shey screamed back. Kessa began screaming and banging on the door. She ran away and was chased by the principal and the peers that were with her. Tezz finally gains her senses and whispers," She dead as hell." 

     I try to get a better grip on things but everything just happened so fast. "We have to get out of here," I say as I check my phone. "I'm going to pull up to the window whenever you're ready. Text me when. Praying you're safe," Ahm texted. "I'm ready," I reply. I gather my things and wait by the window as a yellow Chevrolet Camaro pulls up. My friends and I climbed out the window as Tera runs out the classroom to find her friend. All of the other students were either to shocked to move or were jumping out of the window as well to run to safety. "Want me to take you to your cars?" Ahm asked.

      "Is it even safe to go home? Where do we go?" Tezz asks. "I don't know what is and isn't safe right now but maybe we could," I was interrupted by a phone call. "Hello?" I answer. "Sweetie, you need to go to the house, grab what you can and leave!" My mom exclaims. "What's going on?" I ask. "I don't know but I heard about the nearby incidents and they have us on lockdown, nobody can come in or go out. Until this is all figured out, you need to stay away from anyone who randomly appears. Don't trust anybody you aren't already with. When some things are cleared up and we run some tests here, I will tell you where to go. Fight to make sure you keep gas in your car and your phone is always on. Stay safe my love, I'll be in touch and get some of the guns from the pantry and enough food to last you. Remember the drills we've run through. Don't trust anyone, especially if they're overly friendly. I have to go. I love you" She says before hanging up. 

      I slowly put the phone down, almost speechless. "What did she say?" Ahm asks. "We have to meet back up somewhere but we need a lot of supplies," I explain," Shey you ride with me, I'll take you to get your things. Tess go home and get everything you need. Ahm same for you. Any weapons, food that has a long shelf life, blankets, pillows, clothes, and anything else you may need for a long hunting trip." "What all did she say?" Justine asks. "We need to be well prepared for the road ahead," I announce," because it won't be easy."