THE OUTBREAK

Karl's pov

I didn't think twice. I turned on my heel and bolted back toward my room, my heart pounding right in my throat.

"Holy shit! Holy shit!" I scrambled for the door handle, throwing the door open.

Just as I was stepping through the frame, a cold, slimy hand grabbed my shoulder, and sharp teeth sank deep into my forearm. Pain exploded through my arm.

"Argh! Get the fuck off me!" I screamed, kicking backward with everything I had. My shoe caught the thing in the chest, forcing it off long enough for me to slam the heavy wooden door shut.

I locked it with shaking hands, gasping for air. "Oh God, oh God."

I could hear the water running in the bathroom…Finn was taking a shower. I didn't have time to explain. I grabbed my study desk and shoved it hard against the door frame. Then I grabbed my heavy wooden bed frame, dragging it with all my strength until it slammed against the desk, wedging the entrance completely shut.

My body was trembling uncontrollably. I grabbed a towel, wrapping it tightly around my bleeding arm, trying to stop the throbbing pain. I crept over to the window, pulling the curtain back just a fraction of an inch to peek outside.

The campus courtyard was a complete warzone.

Students were running everywhere, screaming, falling, and getting torn apart by crowds of snarling monsters. Blood sprayed across the pavement, pooling under overturned bikes and wooden benches.

How could this happen overnight? I thought, my jaw dropping. What the fuck is going on?!

I turned around, hearing the shower turn off. I rushed straight into the bathroom without knocking, throwing the door wide open.

Finn was standing there completely naked, dripping wet, holding a towel. He immediately flinched, pulling the towel over his front with a look of pure disgust.

"What the fuck is your problem, Karl?!" Finn yelled, his eyes wide with anger. "Do you ever learn how to knock?!"

"There... there are zombies outside," I panted, my voice cracking.

Finn stared at me like I had two heads. He turned off the sink faucet completely, wiping water off his face. "What?"

"Zombies!" I raised my hands, twisting my fingers into claws, hunching my shoulders and making a deep, guttural snarl in my throat. "Zombies! Like in the movies!"

"Are you fucking drunk?" Finn rolled his eyes, taking a step back. "Or are you just losing your mind? How is that even possible?"

I didn't care that he was naked, and I didn't care that he hated my touch. I stepped right up to him and grabbed his bare arm tightly.

"Hey! Let go, you freak!" Finn shoved at my chest, trying to shake me off.

I didn't say a word. I clamped my hand firmly over Finn's mouth, smothering his shout. With my other hand, I dragged him out of the bathroom by his arm, pulling him toward the window.

"Mmmph! Mmm!" Finn struggled, his eyes blazing with fury.

"Look," I whispered, holding him tight and pulling the curtain back just enough for one eye.

Finn stopped thrashing. He stared down at the courtyard, watching a group of four infected students tear into a guy who was screaming on the grass. The color completely drained from Finn's face. His lips parted under my palm, his skin turning deathly pale.

"What the hell..." Finn gasped as I slowly let my hand slide off his mouth. "Those... those are real? Zombies... they actually exist?"

"Put on some clothes," I whispered, my voice urgent. "And stay as quiet as possible."

Finn didn't argue this time. He practically sprinted to his wardrobe, grabbing his jeans and hoodie from yesterday and throwing them on as fast as he could.

While he dressed, I carefully pulled the blinds down, making sure no light from the room could spill outside. I grabbed heavy blankets from my closet, taping them over the window frame to block every single crack.

Once the room was dim, I went to our small kitchen counter, grabbed the longest chef's knife we had, and held it tight in my hand.

Finn sat on the edge of his bed, his hands shaking so badly he could barely type on his phone.

"Look at social media," I muttered.

He tapped his screen, scrolling through local news feeds and video posts. A few seconds later, Finn looked up at me, his eyes wide with pure horror.

"They... they really are zombies," Finn breathed, his voice trembling. "The whole city is reporting it. It's everywhere."

I rolled my eyes, leaning against the wall. "That much is obvious."

"How are you so calm?!" Finn hissed, standing up. "We're trapped in a dorm room while people are literally eating each other outside!"

Before I could answer, a loud, wet thud slammed against our dorm door from the hallway.

Thump.

A low, guttural snarl echoed right outside the wood, followed by the sound of fingernails dragging down the door frame.

Both of us froze dead in our tracks, barely daring to breathe.

Oh God…this is literally the worst possible way to die.