Story: Gone (all chapters)

He was just gone it was as simple as that. There was no poof or flash of light; He was just teaching 10th grade history one second and the next he was gone. Amy barely even noticed when it happened but she wasn’t the only one. All around her groggy students slowly came to realize what had just happened; it was only second period after all. Amy slowly stood up and walked to the whiteboard. She felt like if she were walking in a gooey substance, her steps couldn’t get her there fast enough. She was so caught up in her own world that she almost didn’t realize the other 25 students in the class get up to join her. They all slowly approached the board as if it would all of a sudden reach out and grab them. No one was talking as they finally brought their epic journey to the whiteboard to an end. Amy had some how become a leader and the teenagers all cowered behind her as if she were able to combat what would surely come from the ominous white board. Slowly inch…by inch…by inch Amy reached her hand towards the cursed white slab until she just couldn’t take it any more and slammed her open palm against it.

A gasp was heard by all 25 students on impact, and was held for 10 seconds after. Everyone finally sighed in relief, looking around them and cracking smiles. “Well that wasn’t so ba-” “AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH” The scream ripped through the whole classroom and then there was chaos. All of them rushed for the door boys and girls alike were pounding each other to get to there first, curse words were flying, and two were lost under the stampede that a surprisingly small amount of children had made. Amy didn’t think twice all she knew was that she had to find Sam and Leah.

It’s amazing how life shows you what you really value Amy thought as she barely made it past her rampaging classmates. She could have stayed in that room but she knew she had to get to her friends. Sam was her best friend since 3rd grade she was a tall athletic girl from the Dominican republic with jet black hair down to the middle of her back and Leah was a very skinny African American with short black hair that barely reached her neck she had met only last year. Amy flipped her blonde hair nervously over her shoulder as she entered the hallway. She wasn’t exceptionally tall or small with an unsurprising figure except for her rear end which she hid with unflattering clothes.

The hallway was even worse than in her classroom. Students ran wild some looting lockers, others just screaming “their gone, their gone”. Fights were going on everywhere between anyone regardless of sex. Amy almost puked at the sight of some bloody bodies lying motionless on the floor. She took a deep breath to summon some courage and ran through the wave of crazed teenagers. She ducked and dodged barley avoiding getting her teeth knocked out numerous times. She arrived at the end of the hall out of breath but alive. She realized that pretty much all of the craziness was going on behind her though even more bodies lay cold on the ground in front of her.

Amy looked at the first door on her right; it said 306 which meant that she was in the 300 hallway which had Sam’s second period. Amy didn’t have anywhere else to look and she had the feeling she was running out of time. She ran to room 304. The door had a quarter of a sign with singed sides hanging in the window. It had originally read “Mrs. Hawthorne. 10th grade English.”. Amy sighed this was Sam’s favorite teacher; she would be devastated if she were gone.

Amy opened the door and stepped in. She immediately fell to her knees. The stench was the worse than anything she had ever smelled. Like a rotting animal and burnt sausage all in one. All around her she saw kids burnt to nothing but an ash molding of their bodies or grotesque half burnt faces staring into space as if in shock at what had happened to them, and lying right in the middle of all of them was Sam. Amy couldn’t hold it in any longer; she dropped to all fours and threw up.

Amy felt like she was throwing up for hours. She threw up until nothing more but white stomach acid came up and she still could not stop heaving. She wished she would puke up something important like her stomach so she could die and get it over with. There was no way she could live in this world without Sam.

“Amy?”

Amy jumped up and hit a half burned cabinet. Could it be? Was that really Sam sitting up with not a scratch on her, or was Amy’s grief stricken mind playing tricks on her. Amy stood up slowly and looked at her best friend who stared back nonchalantly then asked.

“What happened?”

Amy didn’t give her an answer she ran and tackled her back into the ground.

“Oooowwwww.” Screeched Sam as her head hit the floor

“Oh my god, I thought you were dead. What happened to you and everybody else?“

Sam looked around and seemed to just register what lay around the classroom. A look of recognition crossed her face.

“ It was horrible. When Mrs. Hawthorne disappeared everybody was pretty calm then we heard this scream and they ran like crazed El toros. I decided to wait here I knew you would find me but then that cobrona Clarisse walked in with her freak of a boyfriend and like six other guys. She said “do what you want with her but just remember who gave her to you” then she walked out. They surrounded me and I was just so scared I…I…Just don’t know what happened.” Sam burst into tears.

Amy hugged her again and said.

“look I don’t know what's going on or what happened either but the important thing is that where together all we have to do now is to find Leah. Do you know what class she has now.

“No I thought she would off come here.”

“So did I.” Amy said with a worried expression.

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Esther looked terrified as Clarisse held her against the wall, but on the inside she was loving it. she had had a crush on Clarisse ever since the whole school had found out she was BI. She had dreamed of the day when Clarisse would tie her down and do extremely dirty things…

But right now that was not Clarisse’s focus as she held Esther up by her shirt collar Esther's felt herself shaking all the way from her short brown hair to her ballet shaped shoes. She wore an old dress with flower patterns dancing around it, and as if to top off her nerdy attire a big set of glasses with large frames barely balanced on her nose.

Clarisse was not your usual popular girl. She ruled the school and basically everyone answered to her even though they knew she liked women and men. Her boyfriend Chris and girlfriend Fay stood behind her and seemed to enjoy watching Esther get throttled. Chris was the strongest kid on the football team but also the dumbest in the school. You wouldn’t get bullied if you could confuse him. He had blond spiky hair and a well built body. Faye was a bully just like Chris but she was smarter, she could take you down psychologically as well as physically. If Clarisse sent her after you might as well move to a different state or buy a room in the hospital. She had dark black hair and a cold face which caused many to cower when she walked by.

Even though her henchmen had all those awful qualities Clarisse was 10 times worse. Rumor had it that she had joined weightlifting just to make the football team look weak. Though she had a skinny hourglass figure the football players said she could bench 450 with ease. She also had long blonde hair and Esther thought she resembled a friend of hers… Amy.

“What do you want from me” Esther asked

“I'm assembling a team and you’re the smartest girl in the school so, I need you.”

“Why did you beat me up then? And why do you need a team?”

Well to tell the truth I beat you up for fun. I need a team because I’m taking over this town, you don’t need to worry your pretty little head any more about that.

Clarisse let a shaken and confused Esther fall to the ground.

“Hurry and get up before you become the first one I kill.” She said as Fay and Chris followed her out the door.

Amy and Sam walked into the hallway which seemed even more crowded. Instead of fighting many of the kids had just started yelling at the top of their lungs at each other, no one knew what to do and the angry expressions of the 70-80 kids in the hall told Amy that there would be another fight soon if she didn’t try to calm them down.

“Quiet” she yelled. No one even turned their heads as the arguments got even worse.

“Quiet” she yelled even louder than the first time. A couple of kids looked her way then went back to yelling at each other.

Amy closed her eyes and screamed internally. So many bad things had already happened today would it be to much to ask for a little… “QUIET”

Sam and half of the kids in the hall fell to the floor clutching their heads. Amy opened her eyes to see that she now had the attention of everyone. How did that happen she thought I don’t even remember opening my mouth.

“That’s some voice you got there” Sam said as she slowly lifted herself of the floor still rubbing her head.

“I don’t know where that came from. I don’t even remember speaking.”

“It doesn’t matter at least we got their attention.”

Amy looked around and realized every pair of eyes, though some were blue and purple and closed shut were on her.

“Listen” she began trying to look as many in the face as she could. “I know this is really weird and a lot of you are scared right now but this is no reason to act like this. Just because our teachers disappeared doesn’t mean our parents are gone too. Please just calm down and go home and check. Then if their not there tell every kid you can to meet at Lazy Square okay.

The hall was silent but Amy saw hope begin to alight onto the faces of some kids until the sound of sarcastic clapping filled the hallway. Clarisse came around the corner with the two people many would have expected and one they didn’t.

“Well said” Clarisse said with obvious sarcasm “but you forgot one minor detail how are we going to get to our homes. I don’t know if you noticed but all the seniors and juniors are gone and I don’t think any of these freshman or sophomores know how to drive. Besides why should our parents still be here if all the teachers are gone?

Amy looked at her with an expression that would have made anyone drop to their knees and whimper in fear…except Clarisse who looked like she was about to burst out laughing.

They both stood that way for a long until Amy dropped her head and Clarisse turned to the crowd which hadn’t moved an inch. “I don’t totally disagree with you entirely” She said with a triumphant smile. We should all head over to Lazy Square, stockpile any food we can, and send researchers with driving experience into the field to see if we can find anybody.”

Even Amy had to admit it to herself and she could see it on a bunch of other student’s faces. They obviously thought this sounded like a much better plan but they still stood and stared as if waiting for Amy’s judgment. After a few minutes of Amy doing nothing they began to file outside talking and laughing as if everything would be fine from now on.

Amy turned to face Clarisse and was startled to find her standing right behind her. “Would you like me to kill her” a gleeful Faye said as she stepped toward Amy. “Try it !” Sam shouted getting up into Faye’s face. Before any punches were thrown though Clarisse yelled “Enough” and Faye along with Chris who was recently hitting on Esther fell in behind her.

“No I don’t want you to kill her…yet.” Clarisse said then she lowered her head to Amy’s ear and whispered four stinging words.

“I love you sis”

Amy watched them walk outside and caught Faye giving Sam a pinch on the ass before departing. Esther passed by mouthing a quick sorry, and then ran to catch up to Clarisse.

“What do you think is going on, and why is Esther with those creeps.” Sam asked.

“I don’t know…but one thing is sure, If we don’t find a way out soon. We won’t live for very long.