After climbing up the rope with ease, I landed on the wall, panting and out of breath. I hadn't even noticed how fast my heart was racing, as I was too busy focusing on survival.
The man on the wall was taller than me, with tanned skin and black eyes. The bottom half of his face was covered by a black bandana, and he wore black joggers and a red hoodie.
"It's a miracle that you helped us kill that thing. It's been bothering us since the beginning." He said as he slotted his handgun into the holster by his waist.
"The beginning..." I muttered. "How long has that been?"
My question made the man look me up and down. He must have taken in the fact that I was in a hopsital gown and had no shoes.
"Shit. Did you just wake up?"
I nodded my head. "Today. I've got no clue what's going on. But I'm looking for my brother, Burner."
Instantly, the man's eyes went wide, as he stared at me in disbelief. He then pulled down his bandana, revealing a young face. His jaw hung low.
"No fucking way. You're Burner's little bro, Frost?"
...
"You know my brother?" I asked desperately, hardly able to contain myself. It sounded too good to be true.
But the man confirmed with a wide smile of pure happiness. You would never guess that he was in the midst of a zombie outbreak.
"Hell yeah, I know him!" The man responded. "He's the leader of our group."
———
Bandana Man quickly ushered me through the academy's walls toward the main building.
Chestnut Academy had a distinctive layout. It consisted of two large buildings: the southern building, located just inside the main gate, and the northern building, situated across a sprawling field.
This design separated the students by age. Those under eighteen attended classes in the southern building, while those eighteen and older used the northern one.
Or at least, that's how things used to be...
Both buildings were massive, each boasting three floors and a wide array of facilities to meet nearly any need. I'd never been a student here myself, having failed the entrance exam.
Sports were always more my thing than academics anyway...
The path from the gate to the southern building was clear of zombies, giving us a safe route. Bandana Man pulled out a key, unlocked the main entrance, and led us inside.
Instantly, I was taken by surprise.
"Back already, Jake? You've still got hours left on your shift?"
Sitting at the reception desk of the academy was a man wearing identical clothing to the man I had first met. He seemed to have just woke from sleep and had a pistol resting on the desk in front of him.
Rotating watch shifts. Weaponry. Safe facilities. This is everything you'd want during an apocalypse...
The man who had led me inside and saved my life was named Jake. He closed the door behind us and introduced me to his counterpart.
"You'll never guess who I ran into."
The two men stared at me, examining my features.
The scar over my bright blue eyes. The bright blonde hair. The lean muscular build. The hospital gown.
Under the light, they were able to get a better look at me. It seemed that they had heard my description before.
"No way. Is this Burner's brother, Frost?"
Jake nodded his head proudly.
"Yep. Saved his life from that Croucher. Burner's got to reward me for that, right?"
Croucher. They had come up with a name for the sickening beast that almost took my life outside.
More importantly, I noted what he said about 'rewards'. It seemed that Burner really was the leader of some sort of group.
The fact brought me comfort. I was no longer alone.
Of course, I would have searched to the ends of the world to find my brother, but I would rather not have to.
I blinked away a tear that threatened to fall down my cheek.
"Where is he?" I asked, desperate to see him. "My brother."
Jake started to make his way down the hallway, gesturing with his hand for me to follow.
"On the top floor. He uses the headmaster's office as his bedroom. I'll take you there."
"Hey! What about your shift?" The man behind the reception shouted but to no avail. Jake looked back at him and grinned.
"Better hurry up and cover for me." Jake taunted playfully. "You know how Burner gets about watch duty."
The other man let out a defeated smile, before lifting his gun and making his way outside. Afterwards, I followed Jake to a staircase that would take us to the top floor.
———
During our travels, I noticed many things. Signs of some sort of settlement that had started to form here.
The classroom doors had curtains drawn over them, which Jake pointed out was because they were being used as rooms.
The school corridors were also spotless, which I was told was due to Burner having assigned people to cleaning duty.
Some of the windows had even been barricaded, though the work was shoddy.
"How many people are here? Just how did Burner organise all of this?"
I knew that my brother had many leadership qualities, but to think that they extended to a zombie outbreak.
Just what has he been up to during this time?
Jake tapped his hand to the gun on his hip and flashed me with a mischievous grin.
"It's simple. Not only does he have charisma, but he's also powerful. Being in the military and all."
It all clicked together.
Burner was never 'In the military', but rather a military fanatic. He was obsessed with the idea of joining, but was never able to due to having to look after me growing up.
During his lifetime, he had gathered an arsenal of weapons. Not much, but in a town like Lenton where firearm control was strict, it would be easy for him to command power.
"I see."
After climbing up the dark staircase, Jake led us to a wooden door with a glass window on it. However, it was barricaded by wooden planks that stopped us from seeing inside.
On top of the door, read a sign that once said "Headmaster's Office" but had now been changed to "Burner's Room."
It was confirmation that my brother truly was alive.
Jake knocked on the door, and shortly afterwards, a deep, familiar voice came from the opposite side.
"Knocking past midnight is forbidden." It called.
I couldn't help but smile. It felt like my worries were slowly being stripped away from me.
It was my brother.
"Burner... it's me."
Silence hung in the air for a few moments, until I heard footsteps slowly making their way towards us.
The door was slightly pulled open, granting us the sight of a man peeking his eye through the gap.
As my brother saw me, his eyes went wide in disbelief.
"Frost... you're alive."