Running, Running

Zhang Zixin only stopped running after he was far away from the Student Council Office. Then he started banging his head against the wall.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!"

"I can't believe I said all that shit!"

"What was I thinking?!"

He fell to the floor and began rolling around on the floor.

"Arrghhh, I'm so stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!"

Fortunately at this time was nobody around to see him make a fool out of himself. All the students had left for the assembly hall and were probably getting ready to leave the school, if they hadn't already.

After venting for a while, he finally calmed down. Taking a deep breath, he adjusted his uniform and began running again. He had to get to the assembly hall as quickly as possible.

He didn't expect to bump into someone as he entered another hallway.

"Oh sorry! I didn't know there was still someone!" Zhang Zixin apologized. "Let's hurry to assembly…."

"Graaah!"

The girl he bumped into snarled at him, baring her teeth.

Zhang Zixin gave her a closer look. Her body was drooping like she had just taken a pound of drugs. She glared at him with red eyes.

'Fuck my luck.' Zhang Zixin cursed. Seriously, she just had to appear now of all times. Gathering his courage he tried to run past her. He had no choice. It was the only way he could get to the assembly hall.

She tried to grab him as he lunged past her but Zhang Zixin successfully dodged her. Then he ran like a cheetah. The zombie girl chased.

She was fast and caught up to him sooner than expected. She clawed at him and tried to bite him numerous times. Zhang Zixin had to jump, roll and run at the same time to avoid her attacks.

This continued on back and forth until Zhang Zixin finally saw the doors to the assembly hall at the end of the hallway.

Gathering what energy he had left in his exhausted body, he sped up.

"Open the door! Hurry! Please! Open the door!" he screamed halfway there. He turned his head around. The zombie girl was inches away from him!

He was one feet away from the doors.

"Open the fucking door!" he screamed.

They opened up finally. He jumped through and landed on the hard wooden floor of the assembly hall. Turning around, he saw the zombie girl trying to force her way in. Her hand was wedged between the doors two security personnel were trying to close. She growled incessantly.

A third security personnel came over and shoved her away from the door using a baton. The doors were sealed shut. Zhang Zixin breathed a sigh of relief.

"Student, I'm sorry but we have to check if you've been bitten." The security personnel came up to him.

"All right." Zhang Zixin complied.

They checked him from head to toe. While they did that, he looked around. There were still many students left in the assembly hall standing in long queues. He could see most of the teachers too.

Finding no bite marks, the senior looking guard nodded. "You're clear. Proceed to the queue and board one of the buses. They will take you to your home."

"Can't I just book a taxi?" Zhang Zixin asked. He was anxious about his stepmom and wanted to get home as soon as possible. The queues were long and would take too much time.

The senior guard sighed. "Kid all public transport has been shut down. Government's orders. Our school buses are the only way you can get home. Even the students living nearby have to comply. The government won't allow any risks."

"The situation is that bad?" Zhang Zixin's face was gloomy.

"Yes." The senior guard had a solemn expression. "33 students have already been confirmed to be infected. Most of them have been locked away in the lab room but it seems like some infected like the girl just now could be wandering around. But more importantly…"

"W-what is it?" Zhang Zixin had a bad feeling.

"Lots of teachers and students have still not arrived…."

Zhang Zixin was shocked. Running over to the queues of students, he scanned over the place with his eyes.

There was no sign of Yu Bojing or Yu Xifeng.

Zhang Zixin saw a few classmates and rushed over to them.

"Guys, have you seen Bojing?"

"Zixin! Thank goodness you're safe!" said one of the boys.

"Zixin, the last time we saw Bojing he said he was going to the teacher's staff room," said one of their female classmates worriedly. "He still hasn't come back."

Zhang Zixin's face paled.

'Damn it, Bojing where are you? And little Xifeng. Is she alright?'

Zhang Zixin went to talk to the senior guard again.

"Security Uncle, my friend and his sister still haven't arrived. We must find them!" Zhang Zixin said desperately.

The senior guard shook his head. "We've already sent three security guards to find the ones that haven't come. Even they still haven't returned."

"Uncle, I want to volunteer to find them!" Zhang Zixin said seriously.

The senior guard shook his head. "Kid, it's not that I'm unwilling to help but we are short on manpower. I have to guard this place until everyone is safely evacuated. And since you're a student, I can't allow you to go."

"But…."

"Kid, relax." The senior guard forced a smile. "I'm sure they are fine. The government is sending a special team to handle the situation. Just get home safely and wait for the good news."

"I…..I understand…" Zhang Zixin knew he was powerless to do anything. Slumping, he made his way to the long queues.

Opening his phone, he found 10 Missed Calls from his stepmom. He felt guilty. She must have been really worried. He called her immediately.

The call connected instantly.

"Zixin, Zixin, where are you? Are you okay? Why didn't you pick up your phone?" a woman's worried voice came frantically from the other side.

"Mom, I'm sorry, I was…occupied." Zhang Zixin said. "Don't worry, I'm fine."

"Are you really okay?" she was still concerned. "Did one of those zombies bite you?"

"No, no, I'm perfectly fine mom." He didn't mention Li Xiaofeng or the zombie girl, not wanting to worry her. "More importantly, are you safe, mom? Are you at home?"

"Oh, don't worry about me honey, I'm quite safe." She assured him in a sweet voice. "But I'm not at home. What about you honey?"

"I'm still at school. Waiting to board one of the buses."

"Why are they taking so long?" she said, unsatisfied. "I'm going to send someone to pick you up!"

"No, no it's fine mom," he assured her. "I'll be home soon." Zhang Zixin was confused. His stepmom was just a botanist. Where would she get the connections to hire someone at this time?

"Are you sure?" she still wasn't convinced.

"Yes, mom."

"Okay, then." His stepmom agreed. "When you get home, call me immediately. Also make sure all the doors and windows are locked. Understood?"

"Yes, mom."

After assuring her repeatedly he would be fine, she finally hung up.

'Mom, be safe.' Zhang Zixin prayed in his heart. She wasn't his biological mother but she was the best mother he could possibly ask for and his only family.

Bang!

Suddenly the doors to the assembly hall were broken down. Multiple infected students and staff came rushing in out of nowhere!

"Run!" the guards shouted and took out their batons to suppress them.

Everyone was screaming and running out the exit. Zhang Zixin scanned the infected. Yu Bojing was not among them. He felt relieved but also worried.

"Kid, run!" the senior guard shouted at him.

Reluctantly, Zhang Zixin went out the exit. 'Bojing, please be all right!' he said in his mind.

Only one bus was left and it was packed tight. Zhang Zixin had to squeeze in between two girls. They both glared at him but said nothing due to the gravity of the situation.

The bus set off.

Zhang Zixin wondered if the security guards would be all right. He wanted to help but knew he would be just a burden.

The roads were not jammed like he had expected. There were only a few vehicles running around.

'Looks like the government had already prepared for this.' Zhang Zixin was quite impressed with their quick response.

He also saw a few infected roaming around aimlessly. Men in black suits wearing masks chased them down and suppressed them.

Zhang Zixin frowned. What exactly was the cause of the infection? All he knew was that Li Xiaofeng suddenly became a zombie for no reason. The uncertainty of the situation baffled and scared him.

Would he also become a zombie anytime?

One by one the students were dropped off. The men in black suits were everywhere, ensuring each student safely got home.

Two hours later, Zhang Zixin was the only one left on the bus. He lived the farthest claimed the driver. Zhang Zixin couldn't say anything about it else he be called a selfish coward.

They were six blocks away from his home when the bus began moving unsteadily for some reason.

"Oi, Uncle, what's wrong?" Zhang Zixin stood up and asked.

Without warning, the bus steered heavily to the right and crashed into a pole.

Zhang Zixin fell down from the impact.

"Ouch…what the…" he rubbed his head to soothe the pain.

Zhang Zixin was pissed. Did this bastard of a driver consume alcohol in a situation like this?

"Fuck you bastard.." Zhang Zixin walked to the driver's seat and was about to scold the driver who had his head on the steering wheel. "Wake up!" he was about to hit the driver awake when all of a sudden the driver's head abruptly raised up.

Slowly the driver turned his head towards Zhang Zixin.

Zhang Zixin gulped.

The driver's eyes were crimson. A savage growl escaped his mouth.

'Why is my luck so bad?'

For the third time that day, Zhang Zixin ran again, quickly exiting the bus and onto the deserted road where not a soul could be seen.

The zombified bus driver ran after him.