Survivor

I left my Physics lecture at 1 PM, the day remaining... ordinary. I thought the Apocalypse had come. Maybe it has, but it shambles like the Living Dead in the movies. Just a bit more normalcy before it all caves in?

My best friend pounded his way up the Physics stair. "Well, if it isn't Patrick Severin!" he stated, running into the building with a few rocks clutched in his hand. The other only held a single stone, and was mostly bandaged. "Bad time to break your finger, Matt," I scolded jokingly, the sight of the injury chilling me more than I let on. It WAS a bad time. Matt would be an easy target, or at least seem like one. He's tough, and strong, but zombies might rally around an easy-appearing meal.

"Yeah, you haven't seen it yet! They taught me to wrap it like this," and he gestured with his other hand. How he could muster up excitement about this, I'll never know. I guess that's why he's my friend. "So, I brought you something," he stated, reaching in his pocket. "What is it?" I inquired, "a rocket launcher? A platoon of Marines? A helicopter?" Anything to help repel the waves. He pulled out an orange piece of fabric. It wasn't even a nice piece of fabric, it frayed on all sides.

"Th...anks?" I accepted, taking the band. "Oh, don't mention it. I have one too, see?" He gestured with his broken finger towards his other bicep, where his strap hung like a badly-treated flag. A little fading, and the zombies might take it as a surrender.

"That's great, Matt, but... why?" I struggled to understand. He treated this as a game. "The zombies," he started, "aren't always obvious. They look just like us, actually." I must have looked incredulous, because he went on quickly, "You wear this on your arm, and they... they don't." "Matt Knight," I began, "Pat Severin," he followed, and we repeated the others' name in tones of increasing confusion from me, and reassurance from him. "They 'don't', you say?" I got out, finally. He nodded. "Well... all right." I tied my fabric on my arm. "All right, now as a token of gratitude, you've got to take me to Chemistry!" He said convincingly. I opened the Physics door for him. He needn't ask. I couldn't let him go on his own.

"Constant vigilance!" I said, walking out of Walter with Matthew. We both jerked around, our movements obviously nervous. No zombies yet, or, at least, I hadn't seen any obvious ones. If Matt was right, there wouldn't be any signs, besides the armband. Matt snapped me out of my brief reprieve, saying "I see one!" I turned, Spectre ready. There was no lurching monstrosity. There was only another student, blue shirt, grinning widely from across the mall. And, curiously, a strip of cheap, orange fabric on his forehead. "Where?" I asked, but the answer sat in the pit of my stomach. For some reason, the zombies wore these bands around their heads. Maybe... maybe so they could tell who was already with them. A trip into zombie psychology would have to wait. We hustled to the Chemistry building, keeping one eye peeled on the Grinner. He didn't stop grinning. He just turned.

And looked.

And started walking towards us.

We got inside the Chemistry building quickly, both a little shaken. It wasn't even a close encounter, but now I knew the threat was real. That there were zombies out there. ...Shit. Oh, shit. I panicked introspectively and glanced at Matt. He looked back. That calmed us both a bit. Yeah, there were zombies out there. But, there were survivors in here.