"Get over here!" "Come on!" "Hurry up!" Theresa stared at them. These were the same kids who smashed her car just moments ago. Reece Turner and Heidi Johnston stood nervously by the open door, shouting for Theresa to hurry. After calling her three times, they finally spotted Theresa running over with the man beside her. "Hurry! "The zombies are already here!" They saw zombie senior girls storming down the stairs and the bloated zombie chef charging up from below, all colliding in the hallway like a violent storm. Their eyes widened with panic. They shouted even louder, "Move! The zombies are coming!" Without hesitation, Theresa pulled a razor-sharp weapon from behind her back, the cold blade aimed directly at the two teens. Reece and Heidi's eyes went wide with fear. Before they could react, a zombie senior guy lunged out from the door behind them, mouth wide and dripping with blood. It bit down hard on Reece's hand, gripping the doorknob. Theresa's silver blade flashed like lightning, slicing clean through the air. A zombie head hit the floor with a heavy thud right in front of them.Reece and Heidi froze, shock rooted deep in their eyes. Theresa darted into the classroom with them. "Close the door now!" she ordered sharply. Outside, hungry snarls and heavy stomping filled the air. Reece snapped out of it, yanking the door shut and pulling Heidi with him. The wooden door shook violently as the pounding zombies slammed against it again and again. The door couldn't lock from inside. Luckily, it swung outward. The zombies outside hammered on it, but the door wouldn't budge. Theresa watched as Reece wedged a stick under the handle, holding it tight. Seeing the door stand firm despite the furious assault, he relaxed and backed away toward his group by the window. Four teenagers stood there, all about sixteen or seventeen years old. They watched Theresa with guarded eyes, muscles tense and ready for anything. "You guys the ones who smashed my car?" Theresa asked. The four exchanged nervous looks. Heidi spoke up, "We just saved your life back there." "So what? You still smashed my car," Theresa snapped back. The boys muttered among themselves uneasily. "We shouldn't have helped them," one said quietly. "They're trouble.""What if they come after us now?" Theresa smirked, amused by their worries. When they called her in, she already knew these kids weren't bad. Almost three years of surviving the apocalypse hadn't erased their innocent hope. "Just you four?" Theresa asked again. Reece stepped forward, voice defensive. "We've got more with us. You can't just kill us." "Yeah, Mr. Collier is tough. "We've got powers." "We outnumber you. "You'd better behave." "Now get out. "Don't hang around here." They tried to sound confident. Theresa smiled coldly. "Real tough people don't waste words." She drew her knife with a sharp snick and slammed the blade into a nearby chair with a harsh clang. The four teens paled instantly, stepping back in terror. Especially Reece and Heidi. They still remembered how Theresa sliced through a zombie just minutes ago.Their minds went blank. They stared at her like frightened deer caught in headlights. "Answer my questions. "No lies," Theresa said, brandishing the knife. All four nodded quickly. "How many people are in your group?" "Eight." "Just eight?" "Yeah. "Seven students and Mr. Collier." "What about your teacher?" "Out scavenging for supplies." "So where are the other students?" "Out with Mr. Collier." Theresa narrowed her eyes. "Where do you all live?" "In this building." "This one?" "Yeah. The school building's the safest place." Theresa frowned, unsure what to make of that. Suddenly, the school bell rang again, echoing sharply outside the door.