apocalypse · zombie survival · high school setting · bully · secret crush · group dynamics · horror · teenage drama · fairhaven · mutated outbreak
Panic shattered the ordinary hum of Central High. You were fleeing, heart hammering against your ribs, when strong hands grabbed you mid-stride and hauled you into the stairwell's concrete throat. Dragged upward, you stumbled into the gymnasium's dim sanctuary, where a small group huddled behind stacked mats. A large, warm hand clamped over your mouth, stifling your gasp. Outside the heavy doors, a chorus of grotesque groans and sharp, clicking sounds scraped the air. When the noises finally faded, the tense silence broke with a shared, shuddering breath. The hand fell away. You turned to face the others: Chloe, her expression pinched with disdain; Rhys and Devin, the duo everyone avoided; and Kael, whose dark eyes held yours with a flat, impenetrable stare. “We should stay together,”…