Room 204 (#OpenNovellaContest2021)

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

I pulled my phone out to read the emergency alert that had almost gotten us all killed. It read "DANGER: STAY INDOORS. VIOLENT OUTBURSTS THAT COULD RESULT IN DEATH DISPLAYED IN SICK HUMANS. AVOID OTHERS AT ALL COSTS." Little late for the warning now, don't you think? I rolled my eyes and angrily closed out of the alert. I had several messages from Jessica. Each a bit more frantic than the next. A group of men had broken into the farm house and ransacked it looking for supplies. We weren't even a few days into this thing and people were already resorting to this? Unbelievable. She had hid in the attic behind some boxes and listened to them wander through our home, afraid to show herself and be subject to violence. They took most of our food, leaving behind a few canned things, but not much. They took our chickens, and she thinks they even took Earl. She couldn't find him after she came down from her hiding spot. She had to be terrified to actually admit to me that something was wrong. I typed something back, but it wouldn't go through and I cursed out loud. My calm façade quickly crumbling in front of these kids I was supposed to be strong for. I had to get out of this school now. I gave Glassberg the signal and soon after we heard her announcement to the officers telling them where to go and how she would distract the ferals for them. We listened to the ferals screams, causing the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. Their wild screeches echoed through the hallways. After enough time had passed that they had grown bored with trying to locate the loudspeaker we heard a distant classroom telephone ringing followed by hurried footsteps and screeches. I opened the nurse's door a crack and looked left and right, waiting on the officers. I heard them coming before I saw them, keys jingling on Officer Douglas' belt. We would definitely have to ditch those.

"Chief Davis, Officer Douglas. Glad you made it." I shook both their hands and introduced the kids.

"Good to see you, wish it was under better circumstances. How's that sweet little wife of yours holding up?" Davis responded, unable to escape his southern politeness even during a time like this.

My heart seized up at the mention of Jessica, but I let him know she was holding up as best she could. I changed the subject quickly and pointed at Douglas' belt. "You've got to get rid of those. They can hear you a mile away."

He looked down sheepishly, realizing how stupid he had been to not remove them earlier. He unclipped them and slipped them into his pocket.

"Do you guys have any information about what's going on? Is there a rescue coming for the students any time soon or are we on our own?"

Deep down I knew the answer, but I needed to hear it.

Davis rubbed his beard and sighed deeply.

"We are the rescue squad. We got several mixed messages as to what was going on at the school. We thought it was some kind of active shooter turned riot or something. We couldn't get a clear report from anyone so we ran in blind. They came at us in the parking lot and got Travis before we could even comprehend what was happening. We ran inside, and got separated from Haney. I think we may have lost him...."

I thought back to the dead officers still eyes and nodded.

"Damn..." I heard him whisper.

"We've been calling for help over the radio, but we're dead in the water. Everyone else is trying to save their own kin or just isn't responding. I don't know how many people we've lost in town. We were getting all kinds of crazy reports, but we had to cut it off after those things kept wandering up and down the hallway outside where we were hiding."

"Fire department too? What about Haleyville?" I asked referring to the next big town near us.

Douglas responded this time. "We can't get anyone to respond. We had some responses right after we first arrived but no one was able to come help. The whole damn town has gone crazy. I don't think anyone is still at their posts. I'm sure they're back home with their families by now...or dead. Haleyville responded, but they're dealing with their own problems and can't help. They're dealing with it too."