Zombie

I can't stop running......because he'll be behind me. I know that he will catch up to me. That man....no.....that thing.....that monster.

I will take you a few hours back.

It is October 13th, 2003. Five of my friends and I made a dare.....stay in the old abandoned school yard at the edge of town overnight....bring no weapons, no cellphones....nothing but the clothes on our backs and a flashlight in handy. And one particular rule that I would later come to regret.......do not meet up with each other. You are to stay alone in a separate part of the building. For the entire night.

As my friends and I entered the school building, we looked at each other, nodded, and went our separate ways, switching our flashlights on. I looked back briefly, seeing my friends' flashlight lights disappear in the distant darkness. If only I had called it off then....if only I knew....if only I had listened to the freaking "superstitious" neighbors, then we'd all be safe. But me and my so called daring nature decided to take this dare head on.

It wasn't long before I reached the end of one of the hallways. I plopped down into the corner, flashlight in both hands, and I began to wait for what seemed like forever. I started to play around with my flashlight a little bit, thinking of how to gloat to my neighbors that there was no so called "Dead Man" in the building....that me and my friends all came out alive and well, and no one else but us was in that building for the entire night. I chuckled at the thought.

That'll show them what they get for trying to scare us.

It was then, that I heard it. That scream. That loud, agonizing scream. No doubt, it was the voice of one of my friends in the distance.....but it seemed like it wasn't too far off. In normal situations (without any dares involved), a person would immediately jump to their feet and run to the rescue. Not me. I assumed it to be a way of trying to scare me.....a way for me to lose the dare entirely. ''Ha! Who do they think they are messing with? That won't fool me.'' I thought, smiling to myself. As I think back to that time, I regret not running to the direction of the scream.....wasnthen they'd have been safe.

THUNK shfffffff

What??

THUNK shfffff THUNK shfffff THUNK shffff THUNK shffffff

One of my friends again, no doubt in my mind. Trying to scare me again. Making uneasy noises to make me "shake in my boots." It was coming in my direction.

THUNK shffffff THUNK shfffff THUNK shffffff THUNK shfffffff THUNK shfffffff

It was then when I realized one of the rules of the dare.....no one was to meet up at all. ''They're just giving up like that? Or maybe they are desparate to get me out of the dare.'' With this, I turned off my light, thinking of scaring them as punishment. I moved myself behind the lockers, and peeked around the corner. I would jump out from behind and scare the bejesus out of them. I snickered quietly to myself, my eyes finally adjusting to the darkness. I saw the dark shadow of one of them approaching, slowly but surely.

THUNK shfffff THUNK shffff THUNK shffff

That's right. Come closer. Face your punishment.

THUNK shffffff THUNK shffffff THUNK shfffffffff THUNK shfffff

I froze, my heart nearly stopping. The figure was closer now......but larger than any of my friends at all. It had to be 6....no.....7 feet tall at least. It was large, like a muscular man. It was becoming clearer and clearer. This wasn't one of my friends. Not at all.

THUNK shffffff THUNK shffffff THUNK shffffff THUNK shfffff THUNK shfffffff

As it drew closer, I noticed something large behind it......it was dragging something. Something.....human sized.

''Oh no.......OH GOD no......Please, don't be what I think it is. PLEASE GOD.......''

THUNK shfffff THUNK shfffff THUNK THUNK

Without thinking, my head slowly looked up......at this thing......this large, muscular thing with blood-stained bandages wrapped tightly around its head. The only thing showing was his eye....his horrid, bright yellow eye that looked like it belonged to a deadly predator. It's body......completely covered in grotesque scars, that almost hid his grey-green skin. It had the body of the man....but I knew.....this was no human.

WHAM!!!!

I jumped, cupping my hands over my mouth to suppress any sort of noise whatsoever. I didn't want to look.....but my head moved on it's own, looking directly next to me.

I held back my scream......it was one of my friends......well, I could tell from her blood-stained clothes. Both of her arms were twisted in different directions, and what's worse.....her face. It was completely caved in to the point of no recognition. Her head was completely turned around, as if to have been struck with such force, that her neck did a 360. Tears of fear and overwhelming grief flowed from my eyes. This monster......killed her....and threw her with such force onto the ground in front of him......directly next to me.

THUNK THUNK THUNK THUNK THUNK THUNK

My eyes darted in the direction of that....thing. It was walking away. Slowly, but I knew that it was going in the opposite direction. I waited until it was out of my field of vision to move again.

I have to reach the others......if they get caught......

I shuddered at the vision of my four remaining friends dying at the hands of that monster. So quietly, I set off to another end of the school.

It took a while, but I finally reached a narrow hallway, which I seemed to remember one of my friends disappearing to. I walked swiftly down the hall.......

''That STENCH. That horrible, raw stench of meat......''

....And there it was. The remains of what used to be my friend.....splattered everywhere......flattened like a pancake. The ceiling.....the walls.....the floorboards. Covered in blood and human meat.

Without thinking, I screamed in terror, falling flat on my back, my white shoes being stained with the blood of my friend. I scrambled backward on my hands and feet, away from the horrific sight. I stumbled up to my feet, and turned around.

It was right in front of me......growling like a hungry wolf ready to strike, his horrid yellow eye fixated on me. I stopped breathing.

Slowly, its right arm reached behind its back and grabbed something.......something huge.

My only description of what I saw......a 6 foot-tall meat cleaver, sharper than anything that I have ever seen. Covered in fresh, dripping blood.

It lifted the giant cleaver over its head with both hands and swung down with great force. My reflexes caught up with me, as I dodged it sideways, hearing it cut clean into the floorboards. Without a second thought, I ran. As fast and hard as I could.

''I HAVE TO GET OUT!!! OH GOD, I HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE!!!!!!!!''

With each doorknob I felt, I stopped and tried to open it. But every one I hit was locked tight. And each time I stopped, I could hear his loud, slow footsteps directly behind me......getting closer each time. So I continued to run. No stopping, no breaks. I couldn't. He'd KILL me.

Now, I bring you back to the present......and I have found it. The exit. I finally found it! I stumble, jumping at the knob of the door, laughing uncontrollably.

''Finally, I'm free!! I'M GODDAMN FREE!!!!! SWEET OUTSIDE WORLD!!''

Kachickachick

''What????? No......NONONONONONONONO, this isn't right!!!!! THIS ISN'T......''