Chapter 1 - An Empty Dorm

The morning sun creeping through the blinds stirred Alan awake. He blinked slowly, eyes adjusting to the light as he fumbled for his phone. 11:03 AM glared back at him in bold letters.

"Crap, I'm late for class!" he exclaimed, bolting upright. Then the fog of sleep cleared from his brain and he remembered – it was spring break. No classes or responsibilities for a whole, blissful week.

Grinning, Alan stretched and rolled out of bed leisurely. He could enjoy a slow morning before meeting up with friends later. As he shuffled into the small dorm kitchenette to start the coffee, the total silence beyond his own movements made him pause. His dorm mate James was usually up at the crack of dawn, blasting music or gaming, especially when there were no classes. But now an odd stillness blanketed the dorm.

Frowning, Alan wandered over to James' room and pushed the door open wider. "Yo James, you still sleeping?"

The room was empty, bedsheets tangled on the floor. Various clothes and textbooks were scattered around haphazardly, as usual. Where had James run off to, so early, during the break? A trickle of unease went through Alan. James never ditched him without warning, especially when they had plans later on.

After checking the common bathrooms and peering out the hallway window into the parking lot, Alan confirmed no one else seemed to be in the dorm at all. He took the stairs two at a time down to the main lounge. The room was pristine, with furniture neatly arranged, and the kitchen sparkling clean. Not a single soul occupied the rows of computers and game stations.

The unease blossomed into real worry. Pushing it down, Alan headed outside into the bright spring morning. The campus walkways were oddly empty of students enjoying their vacation freedom. He jogged toward the dining hall, anxiety growing when he encountered only stillness along the way. No bustling crowds grabbing brunch, no professors rushing between buildings – just vacant concrete pathways bathed in sunlight.

When he arrived in the dining hall, his worst suspicions were confirmed. The doors were locked, and chairs were stacked upside down on tables visible through the windows. No food was prepared for the day and there was no staff inside from what he could see. The massive cafeteria was always a hub of activity and energy, its emptiness now unnerving.

Dread curdling his stomach, Alan pulled out his cell phone to call James, campus security, or anyone. But no signal was displayed no matter how he turned. Growing more frantic, he tried the nearest landlines, only to find them dead too. Communications seemed totally down.

Just as Alan debated sprinting to the campus police station, a distant scream shattered the heavy silence. He whipped toward the sound as it came again from the direction of the science buildings, changing into gurgling cries for help. Against his better judgment, Alan broke into a run toward the chilling noises fading into whimpers.

Rounding the corner of the biology building, he skidded to a halt at a scene straight from a horror movie. A girl lay sprawled on the grass, legs bent at a grotesque angle. Kneeling over her was a guy Alan recognized from freshman bio class. But now dark blood drenched his clothes, face buried in the girl's torn-open abdomen. He was shoveling wet gobs of something into his mouth with his bare hands.

Alan's vision swam as he realized it was the girl's organs. He doubled over and vomited, strings of saliva trailing from his lips. The figure's head jerked up, fixing Alan with a dead-eyed stare. Dark blood ran from its lips as it started lurching to its feet towards Alan.

Sheer primal instinct propelled Alan into motion. He whirled around and broke into a dead run, bile burning his throat. The monstrous thing behind him released an inhuman howl and gave chase with heavy, staggering footsteps. Still gagging, Alan raced around the corner of the science building. Spying a drainpipe, he leaped up and grabbed it, scrambling up the side of the building. Below him, a rotting hand grasped the space where his ankle had been just seconds before.

Sobbing for breath, Alan crawled onto the roof, peering cautiously over the ledge. The crazed person below grasped futilely at the wall, snarling and snapping its teeth. After a long moment, it turned and shambled off in search of easier prey.

Shaking badly, Alan huddled behind the roof's AC unit. His mind reeled as he tried to process what he had just witnessed. That thing trying to eat the girl had once been a normal college student like him. Some disease or drug must have destroyed that student's humanity, reducing him to a savage shell driven only by hunger. Alan shuddered, bile rising in his throat again as the image of torn flesh and gore flashed through his mind.

Whatever was causing people to transform into these madness-driven cannibals, it seemed to have spread rapidly overnight. But how? And were there any other students still normal like Alan? He had to find survivors and get help.

On wobbly legs, Alan made his way carefully to the opposite side of the roof overlooking the dorms. The campus seemed silent for the moment, but there was no telling how many more of those mutated people lurked unseen. He needed to get away from here, find working communications to call for help.

Just then, faint moaning drifted up from the quad below. Alan crept to the ledge and looked down. A small pack of students stumbled into view. Their clothes were ripped and bloody, their eyes empty and feverish. One of them paused, turning its head as if catching a scent.

Before they could spot him, Alan moved away from the ledge and ran to the northern corner of the roof. The edge here overhung a grassy slope – not a straight vertical drop. Taking a few steps back, Alan sprinted forward and took a desperate leap out into empty air. He tucked into a roll as he hit the ground, absorbing the impact through his shoulders.

Coming smoothly to his feet, Alan broke into a run again. He needed to get away from the populated center of campus where those things roamed. He aimed for the bike trail that led into the nature preserve bordering the college. Maybe he could find help or some kind of shelter there.

Moving as stealthily as he could, Alan crossed the open lawns toward the tree line. He strained his senses for any signs of movement or noise. As he neared the forested hills, shuffling footsteps emerged from around the library. Alan dove behind a stone sculpture, peering out as two figures lurched into view. One was a middle-aged woman in a torn pantsuit, the other a tall young man wearing remnants of a campus security uniform. Both were deathly pale, skin covered in blood, their eyes vacant and crazed like the others.

They seemed to pause, swaying slightly, as if trying to catch a scent. Hardly daring to breathe, Alan waited an agonizing moment until they continued shambles onward. Letting out a shaky sigh of relief, Alan rose and slipped into the trees.

The shadows under the pines provided some cover but also obscured potential hazards. Alan moved as quickly yet cautiously as he could, hyperalert. As the trail curved ahead, rustling erupted from the underbrush lining it. Alan froze, but it was too late. A decrepit figure burst from the bushes, jaws snapping wildly. Alan leaped back, losing his balance. He tumbled down a short embankment as rotting fingernails raked the air where he'd just stood.

Winded by the fall, Alan lay still in the trickling stream until the zombie's crunching steps retreated. Gingerly sitting up, pain lanced through his left arm. Gritting his teeth, he prodded the limb – not broken, or fractured, but most likely bruised, at least that was what he hoped. Ripping off part of his t-shirt, he fashioned a makeshift sling for his peace of mind. He couldn't afford serious injury out here alone.

Rising slowly, Alan got his bearings. The woods were too exposed. He needed real shelter to rest and think. Grimacing against the throbbing pain, he struck off uphill, paralleling the path. If he could make it to the craggy cliffs ahead, the artificial cave formation there would provide sanctuary. It was the place where he would visit a lot.

Avoiding open areas, it took over an hour to cover the rugged terrain. Alan narrowly avoided two more of the infected prowling the woods. At last, the rocky cliffs rose ahead through the trees.

Approaching cautiously, Alan scouted for any signs of movement near the rock face. Finding none, he located a sturdy oak not far from the base that would be easy to climb, even one-armed. Pulling himself up the thick trunk, Alan made his way to a solid branch about 15 feet (4.57 meters) off the ground. Hidden by the leaves, it made a decent lookout to observe the caves across the way.

Even with one arm, it was not too difficult for Alan because of his experience and love of both rock climbing and parkour.

They were his solace, his sense of comfort ever since he lost his family. The sense of freedom they provided him was his consolation.

Settling gingerly, Alan finally allowed the full weight of the horrors he had witnessed to hit him. Tears burned at the edge of his vision, but he blinked them back, taking deep breaths to maintain control. Freaking out wouldn't help. He had to keep a level head to get through this. The cops or National Guard would show up soon, to contain this nightmare. Until then, hour by hour, minute by minute, he had to focus on staying alive.

Studying the cliffside, Alan picked out a cave high up and away from the ground. Too tricky for those creatures to reach. He could forage for basic supplies, then use his rock climbing skills to secure the cave as a stronghold during whatever was coming.

As ready as anyone could be for the end of the world, Alan steeled himself for the trials ahead. He would do whatever it took to survive. Gritting his teeth against the throbbing pain, he climbed down and began scanning the base of the cliffs for anything useful. Ragged but resilient, he was determined to outlast this nightmare, however long it took for help to come.

A/N: So Hey guys, this is my first attempt to create a novel. English is not my first language as most of the authors here, so if you find any grammatical errors please let me know and I will correct them. From what I envisioned for this novel it is going to be long, also it won't only be about zombies. Our main character is going to get powerful as well, but won't say anything more.

I really hope you guys are able to enjoy it :)