Endless Recess

Empty Hearts, Empty Stomachs| Part 1

It was already past lunchtime and only Emma was sitting on the cold floor of the girl's room.

She hugged her legs with the hood on her head letting the hair cover her face. But her left eye was open and staring at the cloudy sky through the window and the same opening that she had used for so long now.

What did she do that? Whatever reason she had it probably didn't matter, she thought. As she felt that something you don't remember must be something you don't need.

The door of the classroom made the dorm slowly opened up. Mathew was holding a plate and fork made of plastic, while a meager amount of vegetables on it.

So little that would make a bunny cry. Emma lifted her head slightly to meet her friend who gave her an empathic smile, clearly trying to hide his own emotions.

"I know, Miss. Juliet always managed to make it enough for all of us but" he closed the door behind him and walked near Emma "Eventually, it had to run out."

He stretched his hand holding the plate to her and she just stared at it without expression or reaction.

He stood silently and tried to come up with something else to say. Eventually, he rested the plate on the desk by the window.

Mathew sat next to Emma, who rested her body against the wall on what used to be her and Layla's spot to sleep.

After waiting for long enough he realized he would get no response, so resting his hand on her shoulder he muttered the only words he could think of.

"I'm sorry."

Emma's mind was in turmoil as feelings of guilt and regret ran through her entire body. She didn't bother lifting her eyes to meet Mathew's.

"It's not your fault Emma, we wanted to go."

"But I tried to convince you, it was MY idea."

"You tried to do something for us, right? You wanted us to feel alive again."

"And now, I took it away from-" She stopped for a moment as she felt a knot in her throat, clearing it out before she continued "I am the one who's sorry."

They sat silently for a long time, Mathew had come with the hopes of lifting her friend's mood and carrying her for a bit until she could stand on her own. But even at that moment he couldn't help but feel anger.

They should have never gone out. She shouldn't have lied to them and especially she SHOULD have told everyone that she saw the teachers die the same night they went out for help almost ten days ago.

For those ten days, everyone was feeling anxious and hopeful that the next time they saw them it would be their last day on this living nightmare.

But two nights ago when the accident took place those hopes and dreams had shattered.

Mathew clenched his fists to try and drown the anger he felt rising inside of him as images of Layla appeared in his mind again and again.

"It doesn't matter, Emma."

This time she did look in his direction, looking at his watery eyes and trembling voice.

"She wanted you to live, to have hope."

This time it was Emma who felt anger as she moved her hair off her face and shouted at her friend.

"Her hope was fake Mathew! There is no hope left!"

"There is always hope Emma! It was real for her! She believed in it!" Mathew returned her aggression with more of his own, which made Emma furious.

She stood from the ground and grabbed the plate Mathew had brought her.

"HERE is your hope! Barely eating and surviving with lettuce for three days!" She loudly threw the plate back on the desk "What hope is left when we are slowly WITHERING AWAY?!!"

Mathew stared at her angrily and stood up as well, his face twisted in anger just like Emma's.

"So what is your big idea?! Cry every day and skip our already tiny meals to DIE?! Is that what-"

"don't you DARE drag her into this! YOU DIDN'T KILLED HER!" Emma said as she grabbed his leather jacket and threateningly pulled him closer.

"AND NEITHER DID YOU!"

Something snaps in Mathew as pushed away Emma's hold on him.

"BUT YOU WILL KILL YOURSELF!!" He screamed right before slapping Emma with the back of his hand on her right cheek.

The strike was hard enough to push her to a nearby desk where she ended up supporting.

Her eyes were wide open in surprise and she was speechless as her eyes rose to meet the now afraid, tearful, and shaking Mathew.

"no one wants that, Emma." He said the last part as his voice left his body, Making it sound broken and weak.

He cleaned the tears from his eyes and rushed out of the classroom without looking back, leaving Emma on the edge of crying herself.

She bit her lower lip with force as she tried her best to hold it in.

Mathew's reaction had nothing to do with it. If anything she felt more guilty than before.

She felt her world crumble once again as the possibility of driving her only true friend left away infested her mind like termites making a nest in an old wooden log.

Through her soft sobbing she heard a loud voice coming from the hallway, she felt immediate dread until she realized it was calm and belonged to Mr.Asher.

It may have been a crazy month, but nothing will make her forget the distinctive sound of her name being called by a teacher.

Taking a couple of deep breaths and cleaning her face she walked to the door and secured her cloth firmly before stepping outside.

Once back in the hallway everyone's eyes fell on her.

She realized Mr. Asher was not calling out to her specifically, which made much sense because he could have simply walked inside the classroom. But had been calling out everyone to go to the hallway.

All the students and teachers were out except for Annie who as usual was nowhere to be seen.

Mr. Asher coughed to bring all the attention back to him and once he made sure everyone was looking at him he clapped his hands together once and spoke.

"Students, we are running out of food."

Miss. Juliet pinched his ear with a disapproving look in her eyes.

A couple of the teens looked mortified and others just gasped or looked at each other worried.

While Heather just rolled her eyes and stood still with her arms crossed.

"No s**t Mr. Asher, not even with Mama's diet I felt so hungry- her friends nodding behind her."

"Watch your tongue Heather" he responded throwing daggers at her.

"What are we gonna do?" Joshua stepped forward looking very stressed.

Mr. Asher opened his mouth to speak but Miss. Juliet gave a step forward and spoke first.

"You are all young kids and we care a lot about every single one of you, so faced with this tough choice. We decided that the three of us will skip meals five times a week."

Now everyone was staring at them with genuine worry in their eyes.

Emma then looked at Mathew, who was looking at the round defeated. Their whole discussion came back to mind and she gave herself a tiny, painful smirk as she felt like her argument became more and more real.

After letting them whisper and suck in the news Miss Juliet took a deep breath and spoke again.

"So regarding classes, it's likely that-"

"No way in hell we are letting you do that!" Jose shouted at her with anger.

Several students nodded in agreement as they stared at the shocked woman, she tried to speak again but she couldn't find the same strength to tell her students to let their teachers starve.

"This is not a discussion Jose, we have decided on this" Said Mr.Asher while giving Jose a powerful stare that made him step back.

"You are right Mr. Asher, this is not up for debate."

Mason gave a step forward taking the space that Jose had given back. Before Mr. Asher could speak back to him he addressed his classmates.

"Anyone here wishes to see Mr. Asher starve and be on the brink of death?!" he passionately spoke to the crowd as they shake their heads or respond with a "No!"

"We are the adults here and we will NOT let you all go hungry! This is for the best!" Mr. Asher seemed upset at their reaction.

"We said no, Mr. Asher. If you won't eat then neither will I!" Mathew spoke walking next to his brother, who looked at him and smiled.

"This is inhumane and insane!" Hope spoke from near Emma, all the way back from the crowd.

Soon the hallway was filled with students voicing their concerns and giving no place for arguing.

Mr. Asher was now lost at words as well, he looked back at Miss. Juliet smiled kindly at her students with tears in her eyes. Realizing he had no support from her, he turned at Mr. Landon, who simply shakes his head slowly.

He sighed in defeat and raised both hands to make the students quiet. Once they stopped talking he brought one hand to his head and scratched it before grunting and finally looking again at the crowd.

"Alright, you win" the students smiled at each other "but then we all must eat a third of what was usually being served."

Like in the beginning, some looked at each other in horror, others at the ground in defeat and some gasped.

While Heather stared at them in disbelief.

"Are you f*****g NUTS?! It's an even DUMBER idea!" outraged, Heather practically screamed.

"language Heather!" Mr. Asher directed at her angrily "And it is not a dumb idea, it is the only solution."

"I agree with Heather" Mason spoke surprising everyone "further rationing is a dumb idea, she's right."

Now everyone was in silence and looked at him or each other trying to figure out what was going on. Heather on the other hand feels her chest swell with pride as she looked at her boyfriend with cat eyes and a smile to match them.

"She is?" Harley wondered next to Heather, winning a look from her that could freeze a wildfire.

"Yes, she is. If we keep eating so poorly we are not gonna have the strength for what's to come."

After a brief silence, he spoke again.

"We have to get out of the school" He answered turning his attention to the teachers.

"B-but-"

"No excuses!' Mason cut off Miss Juliet's feeble attempt at a protest "If there was anyone out there we would have seen SOME activity in the city, a window with the light on, a car sound. Anything, but all we have gotten is silence."

Mason watched the reactions of everyone while he collected his words. Giving them a couple of seconds he continued.

"There is only us left."

Emma saw how a couple of students turned around to see her, probably reliving the night she spoke about the death of the teachers that had gone to try and find help.

"It is only a matter of time until we either starve to death or" He stopped a moment as everyone shared his discomfort at bringing it up "or worse."

Emma felt the comforting hand of Hope on her arm as she seemed to realize almost how deeply disturbed she felt a the mention of what happened.

"The school it's near to the edge of the city, so grabbing a couple of cars and leaving should be our objective in the long run" Mason spoke directly to Mr. Asher now "You are asthmatic and Miss. Juliet is horrible in sports."

While Mr.Asher looked defeated, Miss. Juliet was cutely pouting behind him.

"So it's up to Mr. Landon and us, the students. Push our way out of this cage and make sure we all get out of here alive!" Mason said while lifting his fist into the air.

His group shouted encouragement while almost everyone else seemed unsure about the whole ordeal. However, after a couple of seconds of thinking about it, the majority began to nod in acceptance.

The teachers looked at each other, both Asher and Juliet seemed very worried, while Landon. Inexpressive as always, was harder to interpret.

"Are you sure about this? Everyone?" Miss Juliet directed herself at the students.

"Yes, we are better for running away from them" Jose spoke first, making her place a hand on her chest. Pained with the fear of her students hurting or more.

"Layla died two nights ago" the sudden words of Mr. Landon made everyone jump, his face was cold as always "Regardless of the circumstances" he looked directly at Emma "I will not let that happen again. You have my support Mason." he said turning at the young man who was slightly smiling at him.

"No matter what I just don't have the strength to deal with anything related to physical labor. Especially endurance, I think you are right Mason" Mr. Asher finally agreed with him, both giving each other a nod.

"I will never feel okay with placing my students in danger and I can't support this. But I have no other choice than accept it" Miss. Juliet spoke in a tired tone but still gave her students a weak reassuring smile.

"So, what is the plan?" Mr. Asher spoke with a serious expression at Mason.

"In an hour. I and a group of selected few will arm themselves with the lead pipes I brought from the roof."

Mr. Asher and Miss Juliet were surprised of hearing this news, the former about to protest before Mason lifted his hand.

"I got them the night before the incident, not recently. Armed we will go to the second floor of the dining hall and use the tables to secure the stairs."

He then pulled out a couple of large iron nails from the pocket in his jacket while Adam and Jose went to the barricade to pick up the pipes.

"We need food first and foremost. Once we secure the second floor we can use these nails to make sound and lure them outside of the hall. Or at least as many as we can, they react to sound first."

"But what if that makes more of them get INSIDE the hall?" Jason asked while nervously playing with his fingers.

"That's why we will use the pipes" Just as he finished to speak Adam returned and Mason pulled out one of the fairly large metal pipes "the moment they are giving us their backs we will run down to the first floor and close the doors. Dealing with them."

Almost everyone seemed surprised or terrified of the idea, especially Heather. Who quickly walked near Mason and grabbed his arm firmly, with an almost threatening face.

"You are NOT going, right?."

Mason stared at her in silence for a moment, but as he opened his mouth to speak she shoved him away and turned around.

"forget it" she said as she walked with a trio of unsure girls following close behind.

"Oof" Came out of Brook's mouth as he watched her go, then when his face returned to meet Mason's angry eyes he jumped in his place "s-sorry came out of nowhere."

"Anyways. We will make sure to bring all the food we can."

Everyone began to whisper to each other, some wondering if they would be the ones going with Mason's group.

While Miss Juliet seemed mortified, Mr. Asher had a hand on his chin, trapped in deep thought.

"You are forgetting something important Mason" he finally spoke "All of this happened right before recess. The kitchen doors are locked and only the cooks or janitor has the keys to them."

"You don't plan on simply stumbling with the key right?" said Sarah looking at Mason suspiciously.

"No, that would be dumb. But I was aware of that, that's why I thought of Emma" he said turning to her, as once again all eyes fell on her "She has a set of lock picks and knows how to use them. That's how we got to the roof, she unlocked the door."

Mason then walked back and placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it lightly but staring directly at her scared open eyes.

"Will you join us? Emma?"

Suddenly everything and everyone else seemed to disappear in an endless cloud of smoke until it was only she and Mason.

Her heart quickened for a lot of reasons. The fear of the answer she may say not being what they needed. Because they needed her to say "Yes"

The closeness of Mason's eyes staring deeply into her, like the same night he told her to be brave next time he needs her. Evading his determined and focused stare seemed impossible even if every muscle in her body wanted to move away.

And them, the undead. The walking corpses of the deceased. She was gonna be tasked with being close to them.

All the emotions and all of the fears had combined into one sole word that she needed to say out loud.

"No" Her voice trembling. Like her body.

Mason looked away, clearly disappointed.

He let go of her and after staying quiet a couple of seconds he looked at her eyes again, looking angry and desperate. But in an instant, this seemed to vanish leaving only understanding.

"Mr. Landon, we will need your muscle. We are gonna break open the door of the kitchen" Mason said giving his back to her and walking back to the crowd

He kept talking but Emma couldn't bear the guilt and fled to the bathroom.

It was medium-sized with five stalls. The boy's bathroom was in the hall near the stairs.

She locked herself inside one of the stalls and sat on top of the closed toilet.

Cursing her fear. Angry at herself but at the same time, what else could she do?

No longer capable of holding it in, tears fell her cheeks as quiet sobbing followed. She squeezed her pants with her hands until her knuckles turned white.

They needed her, everyone needed her. Of course, breaking open the door was possible, however, everyone knew that something so loud would attract more of them.

It wasn't certain. Maybe they would be lucky and there wouldn't be too many nearby.

But maybe not.

"Jesus, no wonder you two were as a couple. You were lesbians, right?" Heather's voice came out mockingly from the stall next to Emma's.

"f**k off, Heather."

"No, YOU f**k off. Emma" she could see Heather's frame standing up "You are gonna stay here crying rivers and feeling bad about yourself for a f*****g mess up you did. Yeah, it costed someone's life. That was dumb, really stupid Emma."

Heather then opened the door of her stall and walked out to Emma's door, hitting it once with her fist.

"You didn't know. My boyfriend's weird brother told everyone about it. You had no way of knowing one of those... Monsters would walk up the stairs. But when it did what did Layla do? She didn't know either and yet she saved you. Now that you KNOW they need you."

She broke the mildly annoyed tone she often used when speaking with her and became oddly serious for Heather. Anger mixed in it.

"You choose to stay here, letting everyone to look out for themselves. Let me tell you something, Emma. If they die" she hit the door again "If Mason dies. It's on YOU."

She took a deep breath and walked to the door leading to the hallway, opening up to be greeted by the startled Hope about to enter.

"O-oh, sorry" she said moving away, Heather step out but stop before Hope could enter the bathroom. She rolled her eyes and made her way out.

"Emma?" Hope was standing outside the door, her voice softer than usual.

"My God, bring the whole class while you are at it" she responded while giggling tiredly "I'm so pathetic."

"You saw your best friend die, anyone would be as disturbed. You are not pathetic, or weak, you are hurt."

"What do I do?"

"Do what you feel is right. This is a moment in our lives that no one saw coming, everyone is struggling one way or another."

"So I just let everyone down and risk someone's life, again?"

"You don't have a duty to do anything. No one forced me to look out for Christian but I do it every day, all day because it's what I feel in my heart that I must do."

"So that's it? Look inside your heart? Seriously?"

"Even if it had unfortunate events at the end, you tried your best to make those you care happy and are brave enough to follow whatever path that may take you."

Hope stayed quiet for a moment to let Emma think on what she was saying, while also gathering her thoughts.

Once she found what she wanted to tell her, she smiled knowing that it was exactly was Emma needed to hear.

"You would fight against any odds to make those you love happy and safe, Layla it's gone. But Mathew it's still here and he is your friend too, if you don't go then maybe he too will lose someone he cares a lot about."

Finally, something in Emma's mind snaps, all this time she had been thinking about herself and never bothered to ask Mathew how he was. They had been friends for the same time as Layla and yet she had ignored completely how he must be feeling about her death.

"What will you do now, Emma?."

Outside in the hallway, Miss Juliet was talking with Adam and Jose, telling them to be safe. While Joshua prayed for the group about to go out.

Mason had fingerless gloves now and was swinging his lead pipe, eventually, he stretched and looked back at his group.

Mr. Landon, Adam, Jose, Sarah, and Him.

"Be sure to stay safe and please"/Miss Juliet hugged Jose tightly "Return to us without a scratch, alright?" she then turned to Adam and squeezed his cheek.

Even if both of them were taller than her, not that much of a feat considering her smaller height making her smaller than most students, they still looked like little kids near her.

"We will Miss Juliet" both of them said smiling. Making her smile in return.

"Remember, as many essentials as possible" Mr. Asher spoke to Mr. Landon while Brook and Jason emptied the contents of a dozen backpacks next to them.

"Of course" he said winking at him, who shakes his head with a tiny smile in return "Oh come on, say you don't want me to, lie to my face!"

The giant bearded man slapped the shoulder of Mr. Asher with great strength making him almost fall to the ground.

"Look, if there is space then bring a couple too, but focus on food and emptying the bottles, we can fill them up here."

"Just a few? You know we have a dozen teens in here right?" he said pointing back to said students in the hallway.

"Be mindful, would you? The least we need it's all the noise that could make" both men laughed a bit before Asher looked at his co-worker puzzled "You seem more talkative than before, are you excited?."

Landon's face then turned sour and held the lead pipe in both hands as his eyes went through it.

"I need this, Asher."

"I know, just be safe and don't get too carried away" he placed a comforting hand on his shoulder before making a feeble attempt at slapping him hard.

Landon stared at him with his eyebrows high and eyes wide open in surprise.

"I think I'm still far away from the point of even moving you, behemoth!."

Landon laughed wholeheartedly and loudly, so much that everyone hushes him in fear of him making them walk upstairs.

"This feels like The running dead! If there was any school season of course" Jason said to Brook with sparkles in his eyes.

"In that case, why don't YOU go with Mason's group? You are the only Asian here!" he laughed while Jason's face turned to horror.

"I must fulfill my destiny" he said in a low voice with a face of great commitment.

"Hey don't ACTUALLY think about it you dumbass."

The two friends laughed again while they delivered the backpacks to each member of Mason's group about to head out.

"Hey Sarah, you sure you can do this?" Luca said to her as she stretched and did some shadow boxing.

"I'm not used to hitting stuff with bars or anything. But I am used to hitting people! So I just try to think of them as opponents."

"Woah, that is very cool. I wish I could be that brave."

"It's not like I'm not scared, I'm terrified. But just like before I go in the ring, I focus on my objective and don't stop until I'm done."

"Do you think you could teach me some boxing? I don't wanna feel so. Weak" he said scratching the back of his neck and looking away from her.

"Of course! You know I'm always at the improvised gym we have here. Just come any time, you already look quite in shape to me!"

Sarah then punched Luca's stomach in a playful matter, but his body didn't seem to get that as Luca's air left his lungs and he fell on the ground kneeling.

"L-Luca!!" she said kneeling next to him.

Vanessa's head pop out of the girl's room in the direction of the bathroom, Hope standing nearby who was also staring at it while playing with her fingers noticed this and walked up to her.

"Are you worried about Emma too?"

"That dumbass? No! Heather throw us out of the bathroom!"

"What? Why would she do that?"

"She is very upset with Mason, so when she ran to the bathroom we wanted to be there for her, she just screamed at us to leave her alone. She hasn't been like this since That Day."

Hope recalled her memories of the first day and remembers how when she went to the bathroom to wash the towel she was using to clean Christian she would hear Heather's cries from inside one of the stalls. But she was too busy to check on her at the time.

"Could you see if she is alright? Please? You are like, a mini Juliet."

Hope blushed a bit and laughed quietly, then nodded and Vanessa seemed more relaxed.

"I will go now" she said as she walked to the bathroom, thinking it would also be a good moment to talk with Emma.

Joshua was prying with his Bible in hand, right then Mathew who had been staring at him from afar came close and stood next to him.

They looked at each other for a second and then as Mathew closed his eyes and went on with the prayer Joshua was saying, he smiled and continued now with the extra voice next to him.

Once done Joshua seemed happy and turning around to meet Mathew's sad expression his one too changed.

"What's wrong?"

"Layla didn't had a burial."

Joshua understood the pain Mathew must have been feeling.

"We can do one ourselves, it wouldn't be so meaningful as an actual one but, it would help you feel better."

"No, I'm alright with, everything that happened that night already. I just really wish we could bury her."

Joshua then smiled at him and finally, Mathew gave one back. Making Joshua's smile grow even more.

Mason c***k his neck and then moved forward to address the group, an empty backpack on his back and one on his hand.

"Alright, everyone! It's time we go!"

Everyone who wasn't on Mason's group moved away from the ones that were. These chosen ones then walked forward to be in front of him.

"Be sure that no one is missing anything, that everyone is well stretched and ready to run at any moment. Once we are outside the barricades we have to be ready for anything."

"Mason you jerk!"

Mason rolled his eyes as he recognized Heather's voice coming closer.

"Turn around!"

As he did, Heather's hands caught his face and kissed him, she then dug her face on his chest and hugged him tightly as if letting go would make her lose him. And it could.

"You HAVE to come back, you are the most tolerable one in this whole bunch."

Mason's expression changed from annoyed to touched as his eyes closed and he hugs her back.

"Don't worry, I will be back soon with food for everyone."

He then moved his head and whispered in her ear.

"I will also bring you all the candy I can find."

Heather laughed softly before lifting her head and whispering in his ear as well.

"Do that, and I'll blow you."

She said as she shoved him away and walked to the girl's room, leaving Mason with a smirk.

He then cleared his throat and addressed the group once again.

"Anyways, what we are gonna do is-"

"I will go!."

Everyone turned to see Emma get out of the bathroom, her hood down and in her hand the box of lock picks.

Mason then gave her a soft smile as he turned to meet her.

"Are you sure?" He said crossing his arms as if taunting her. And for the first time in a couple of days, she smirked at him.

"I have no doubt."