DEGREES OF DEATH

Chapter 8 – Searching for Food Supplies

DEGREES OF DEATH

The gray light of dawn slowly crept through the gaps in the faded curtains of classroom 2-B. A pale orange glow lingered on the eastern horizon, offering no warmth, only sharpening the bleak atmosphere inside the room, which now reeked of sweat and fear.

Daniel’s eyes snapped open. “Morning already?” he muttered. He noticed the others watching him with worried expressions. Daniel frowned. “What is it?” he asked, confused.

“Niel, sorry. I fell asleep last night, so…”

“It’s fine.” Daniel replied lightly, as if nothing had happened. His gaze fixed on the barricaded door, then flicked toward Xavier, as if they were having a silent conversation.

“Vier, we’re heading out to look for food and water for them. We can’t wait until the sun’s fully up. We need supplies to survive. You and I will search for drinks.”

Daniel stood up immediately, his joints protesting after a night on the hard concrete floor. He gave short but firm instructions to the girls, who were waking with dazed expressions.

“Lock the door again as soon as we’re out. Brace it with the bookshelf. Don’t open it for anyone unless you hear the knock pattern we agreed on last night. If we’re not back within an hour … you’ll have to decide your next move on your own.”

“But … Niel? Is your hand really okay?” Chania asked, rising to her feet. Her eyes were fixed on the dull bandage wrapped around Daniel’s arm. There was worry in her voice. She knew exactly how bad the injury had been the night before.

Daniel offered only a thin smile, a forced attempt to keep the team’s morale intact. He nodded briefly, even though every small movement of his shoulder sent sharp pain pulsing through him.

“It’s better now. Don’t worry.” Daniel replied shortly.

He slung the black backpack he had taken from the lab the night before over his healthy left shoulder. Inside, the mysterious specimen tube was packed securely, a secret burden he carried alone.

Daniel signaled for Xavier to take the lead with the baseball bat. With slow, deliberate movements, Daniel opened the door. He stepped out of classroom 2-B, leaving behind that fragile zone of comfort and reentering the silent but threatening corridor.

With steady steps, Daniel and Xavier slipped away, moving like shadows along the walls, carefully descending the stairs until they reached the lower level. Their target was clear, the minimarket just outside the campus. “Move fast. They don’t see us.”

Outside, the area was not too crowded. Daniel broke into a run, fast but quiet, making sure each step was controlled and made no sound that could draw attention.

When they reached the front of the minimarket, Daniel signaled Xavier to stop behind the shadow of a tree. The main glass doors had been shattered, leaving sharp crystal fragments glittering in the dawn light.

“Aren’t there any zombies inside?” Xavier whispered, scanning the area. “They don’t seem to be occupying the store.”

“Maybe. Don’t trust it,” Daniel replied coldly. “Silence in a place like this is a trap.”

They slipped inside. Glass crunched beneath their shoes, the sound echoing like explosions in the stillness. The smell inside the minimarket was foul, a mix of spilled floor cleaner, rotten food, and a sharp metallic tang. Shelves had collapsed, their contents scattered across the floor like trash.

Daniel grabbed a black backpack near the cashier. Without checking its contents, he dumped the books inside and tossed them aside, then threw the empty bag to Xavier.

“Take this. Fill it with food and water,” Daniel ordered curtly.

They moved fast. Daniel headed for the middle aisle, sweeping up torn bread and whole wheat crackers with intact packaging. His hands worked like a machine, stuffing everything in with efficient movements.

“Niel, water!” Xavier pointed toward a stack of cardboard boxes in the corner.

Xavier grabbed a large bottle and drank greedily, trying to extinguish the fire in his throat. He handed the rest to Daniel.

“Feels like I could run a marathon now,” Xavier muttered, wiping his mouth.

“Keep the big bottle. Put the small ones in the bag so it’s not too heavy,” Daniel replied coolly. He moved on to the canned food aisle, corned beef, sardines, and chocolate bars. The cans were heavy, but in this situation, their contents were worth more than gold.

Clang!

The sound of metal hitting the floor from the back kitchen froze them in place. Daniel immediately gripped the aluminum bat with both hands. Xavier raised his metal tray, his face pale.

“Staff kitchen.” Xavier whispered.

A figure emerged from the darkness of the storage room. It was a minimarket employee, the red uniform darkened with grime. Its neck was twisted at an unnatural angle, and its left leg dragged uselessly across the floor. The creature sniffed the air, releasing a wet, rasping breath.

“Don’t move.” Daniel hissed into Xavier’s ear.

But the weight of Xavier’s bag betrayed them. As he shifted, a can of sardines slipped free and rolled across the floor.

Clink… clink… clink…

The zombie stopped. Its head jerked toward the cereal aisle. Its cloudy white eyes locked onto their position.

“Damn it.” Daniel muttered. “Vier, is the bag full?”

“Yes.”

“When I hit it, we run for the side door. Don’t look back.”

The creature let out a shrill roar, calling for others, then charged. Daniel did not retreat. He stepped forward instead, twisted his hips, and swung the aluminum bat in one brutal horizontal arc.

Crash!

They bolted into the narrow alley. Dawn light spilled over a campus that had become a battlefield. Silence shattered. The sound of mass dragging footsteps began rising from the parking area. Hundreds of silhouettes turned toward their alley.

Daniel pressed his stiff right hand against his chest to keep it from bouncing as he ran. “Don’t look back, Vier. Keep going.”

As the end of the alley began to close in with movement, Daniel yanked Xavier by the shoulder into a service door of a food supply building. They slammed it shut and sprinted upstairs.

Daniel collapsed onto the stifling floor, his lungs burning. Xavier slumped down beside him.

“Their numbers don’t make any sense, Niel. We won’t be able to get back to the classroom,” Xavier whispered in despair.

Daniel slowly stood and peered through a second floor window. Below them, the once peaceful campus was nothing more than rows of dead buildings. Vehicles lay scattered chaotically across the roads.

“Everything’s gone.” Daniel murmured, staring at the concrete tombstones beneath the cold morning light.

“Clear?” Daniel asked hoarsely. His voice cracked, nearly drowned out by their ragged breathing in the stuffy warehouse.

“Looks like they don’t know we’re here,” Xavier replied quietly.

Daniel worked to steady his heartbeat, then muttered, “Wait a few more minutes. After that, we take all this back to campus.”

Xavier nodded faintly.

“Oh, and last night I found a fluid. It seems connected to that woman, and to all of this mess.” Daniel said. He narrowed his eyes at the exit. “I’ll explain once we’re back, if there’s time. Come on, let’s head down and see if it’s safe outside.”

Daniel pushed himself up, pausing briefly to endure the pain in his hand, then began descending the stairs cautiously, Xavier following close behind.