The middle school section was built in a three stories rectangular formation, retaining an uncovered space in the middle. A tree was planted in that space, together with some flowers for decoration.
That very tree was Arthur's prime suspect. ' Those things might be roots instead of vines.' Watching a few children zombies walked mindless around the courtyard.
The wall he leaned on seemed colder now he knew what he was to battle. Instead of railings a barrier of thick concrete separated the courtyard from the classrooms.
It was waistline low, so if Arthur stood he wouldn't be spotted instantly. Apart from vaulting over the barrier, a main exit lay a few paces away.
And that was where Arthur was headed.
' Isn't this place supposed to be empty, the middle section was closed by the time the apocalypse began.' Gripping his gun tighter, he stepped out and open fire at the zombies.
His squad stepped out shocked to see the falling bodies of undead children. "What the fuck!" Tamsin exclamated retching in disgust.
"The gun has made enough noise already, sympathy could cost you your life." He said walking into the courtyard. He stopped over the bodies, seven to be exact. ' I really need to work on my aim.'
One of zombies twitched, mucus seeping out of its grey eyes. Calmly Arthur walked over to it, his squad watching with keen attention. He stared at the pitiful creature as it tried to rise but most of its leg joints were damaged.
" Tamsin come over here." He ordered, she looked at those besides her and hesitantly walked forward. "Stomp it." His voice rang low and clear.
"But…" she tried to object taking a step back. "You wish to work with me…, with the winning team, so take orders and don't complain."
Tamsin quivered as she walked forward looking at the face of the zombie; once an eight or seven year old child. "It's dead Tamsin, and it wants you dead…, do it." Arthur urged.
She raised her shaking foot above the face of the helpless zombie and tried to lower it. However her morality failed her, Arthur sighed and held her shoulder. "You would learn as time passes."
Taking her place he brutally stomped the zombie's head severally. Till all which remained was a splatter of decomposing brain matter.
Kicking the corpse aside when he was done, he turned back to his shaken squad and walked passed them." Find weapons, spread out and search for a stairway." He instructed.
"Kill any hostile threat on sight, if the problem is bigger than you. I trust you can solve it quickly before I arrive." With those words he disappeared from their sight.
Walking through the opposite corridor, he appeared in a darker area. ' To my left, I am back to the hall. So we take the right.' From where he stood he could see the main entrance to the middle school section.
Straight ahead lead to the school's library and chemistry lab. ' That place give me the creeps, so dark.' Watching spacious path ahead, Arthur stirred his resolve for the greater good.
His gun was reloaded and quietly he advanced forward. His eyes scanning the entire area, from the ruined walls to blood stained ground.
Half the distance, he stood close to the hall's first inner window. Although he didn't care, he saw the survivors in their usual pitiful state. ' The mentally strong are few.' His mind darted to people like Mara and his new scout squad.
Sighing he walked past and ventured into the library and lab area. Slowly he was starting to reconsider splitting up. "How much people died here." He said out loud raising his leg and watching blood drip down his boot.
Before he could take his leg down the sound of running startled him. A girl ran out of the chemistry lab screaming and flailing her arms wildly. Behind her was an adult zombie probably a teacher when it was still alive.
The teen girl tripped over the slippery bloody floor and fell. The zombie fell on her also, its fingers digging into her shoulders as it immediately tried to bite her.
Arthur head shot it multiple times at close range killing it effortlessly. It dropped besides the convulsing girl and Arthur walked forward with his gun still pointed at the zombie.
He bent over to convulsing body; slowly it stopped moving and lay stiffly. ' a scratch can turn someone into a zombie, terrifying. What other traits does zombies possess.'
Observing the scratches on the dead girl's shoulder, he watched the blood slowly turn into black. Dark blood began streaming through all openings of her body.
As the dark liquid escaped, her skin started turning extremely pale. On her first twitch, Arthur sighed and rose. ' Three bullets left.' He shot the transforming girl three times.
"Rest well, your end has passed." He whispered and continued exploring. The remaining moments were uneventful as he found nothing but silence and blood stains.
Apart from that the chemistry and library were oddly intact, no sign of struggling or conflict. Just multiple blood patches staining the white tiles.
Getting bored Arthur walked out and left the area, he reloaded his Glock 17. ' Why didn't I bring more ammo.' Staring at the last cartilage, he knew he would soon need to switch to his assault rifle.
Retracing his path back to the courtyard, he didn't find his squad as expected. So Arthur instead of going back through courtyard. He walked straight checking each class as he moved; in a short while he had circled the ground floor.
' I told those morons to inform me if they had found the stairway. Now they are practically gone into thin air.' He stood at the entrance of second main toilet of the ground floor.
Abandoning his past he walked away from the toilet and stood at a junction. Forward were rows of classes, to his left the same, behind him was the toilet and his right was the main exit of the section.
That was now his mini objective and the only area he hasn't checked. ' Why is this school so large they had to give unnecessary distance to exists and toilets.'
Just as he lay deep in thought, he was alerted by forced panting. A door he was yet to notice flung open besides him, pointing his gun ready to shoot. Noah fell to his knees.
" We have gained access to the second floor."