11 [11] White lies
As I jog past the administrative building, a memory crossed my mind.
Ms. Yan, she was young Chinese teacher. She was my Chinese teacher, though I didn't really need to take Chinese courses. Cause my Chinese is already fluent, since I speak it at home to my parents all the time, but I took her class nonetheless, for the sole reason I find her cute.
I admit, I didn't want to survive all alone out there, not that I can survive alone now. Despite being betrayed by my roommate just 10 minutes ago, I didn't mind being it so much, as I am kind of used to being betrayed, which now that I think about it, is kind of sad. Regardless, I decided to try my luck anyways.
I hope you are still there Ms. Yan...
With that thought in mind, I entered the building. Her office was on the third floor, tucked away at the end of a long corridor.
With a deep breath, I pushed the exit door and began to climb the stairs. The deafening silence was unnerving and the red emergency light casted the stairway in a sinister light. Each of my footfalls echoed through the corridor, amplifying my fear. I ascended the stairs, my every sense on high alert.
As I reached the third floor, I noticed that the door to Ms. Yan's office was ajar. A ray of hope sparked in my chest. Maybe she was okay.
With newfound energy, I quickened my pace, my mind running through a hundred different scenarios. The door creaked open under my touch, revealing the familiar sight of Ms. Yan's office.
As I pushed open the door to Ms. Yan's office, a flood of relief washed over me. Unlike the rest of the school, her office was untouched. Bookshelves were neatly organized, papers stacked orderly on her desk, and the photo of her parents on the corner table was standing upright as always. A soft light from her table lamp spilled across the room, creating a warm, serene environment that felt strangely out of place in the chaotic world outside.
The sight that caught me off guard, however, was Ms. Yan herself. She was sitting behind her desk, completely engrossed in a book, oblivious to the horror that was unfolding just a few blocks away. The sense of normalcy was so startling that, for a moment, I wondered if I had stepped into a different reality.
"Ms. Yan?" I managed to choke out, my voice barely above a whisper. She looked up from her grading sheets, a look of surprise crossing her features as she registered my presence.
She was just as cute as I remembered, she appeared to be in her twenties (I didn't ask her specific age), she had a tall skinny build, black hair tied in a bun, with amber eyes hiding behind her dark frame glasses and pale skin as smooth as marble. She wore a white shirt, black dress and stockings.
"Goodness! You gave me a fright," she exclaimed, placing a hand on her chest. "What brings you here at this hour?"
"Ms. Yan," I began, my voice trembling, "there's something... something terrible happening. The campus... it's not safe."
Her eyes widened at my words, the book in her hands forgotten. "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.
Knowing she would most likely not believe the whole zombie attack just like most regular people, I decided to come up with a little white lie.
"Ms. Yan," I gulped and held up both hands. "There's a... a new pandemic," I began, my voice shaky yet determined. "It's causing people to act violently, aggressively... It's almost as if they've lost all sense of self, and are attacking others."
Her face paled even more, if that was possible. Her hands clenched the book on her desk so tightly that her knuckles turned white. I could see the cogs turning in her head as she processed my words. I continued speaking, trying to sound as calm and authoritative as possible, "The military is here and they're evacuating the school. We need to leave right now."
Ms. Yan seemed to snap back to reality at my words. Her hands fell away from the book, landing at her sides, and she nodded, a look of resolution crossing her features. "Alright," she said, her voice steady. "Let's go."
Q: Have you told white lies before?
