My vision blurs as I race down the staircases of my accommodation building with blistering momentum. Utter chaos crackles around me as I attempt to avoid the other people who populate the stairwell. Jesus Christ, everyone's in a crazed state of fight or flight!
I glance upwards at the other floors to see all the other people running down the stairs. Some have other ideas.
One of the boys from the top floor flats angrily throws another boy down the space in between the spiralling stairwell, then rushes back into his flat to avoid any repercussions. The thrown victim yells terribly as he pummels towards the ground. As he drops, his body smacks across the stairwell and lands at the bottom of the stairs. I stare at the dead body draping across my path, its left eye has been removed from the socket and dangles out of it. The sight makes me sick to my stomach. Why did he even do that? Just because he felt like it?
I stand by the wall, my arms spread out as I try to make myself scarce. Other people from different flats and floors push past me in an attempt to escape the building. Even though most of the fighting is occurring next to the exit. Wait, exit. This gives me an idea!
I wait for all the others to sprint past me down the stairs and join in with the chaos that takes place down there. Once the coast is clear, I climb over the stair railing and slowly shimmy my way down to the space below. Once there, I look underneath the stairwell itself. It has to be here, I remember it vividly being here.
There it is. One of the old emergency exits.
***
The fire door bursts open. I come out the other side of the building next to the lake. Across from the lake is a large forest whose trees line up the edge of campus, right before the stone cream walls.
There is no fighting going on around here, not yet, at least. I crouch down, hands on my knees as I let out a sigh of relief.
I look around the area, double-checking as to whether it's safe to keep moving. I notice a miniature wooden box poorly hidden in a small patch of greenery. I open the box to find darts and a small blowgun. Think I've just found one of the crates the suited man mentioned that would help us reach our 'numerical goal'. Of course, other people get knives and automatic rifles, and all I find are some blow darts. It's still better than being unarmed.
The sound of gunfire booms from my building. The door to the fire exit bulges with desperation. I think other people are starting to have the same idea I had. It won't be long until the fighting spills out here. Shit, shit, shit, shit. What do I do, where do I go?
I look around for answers, but my brain only comes to one conclusion.
The lake!
Its murky waters mean people will be reluctant to jump in and follow me. It's also very dark so I won't be immediately spotted, and even if they do if I go underwater any shot from the bullet will slow down once they hit the water. That all makes sense, right? This is a good idea, isn't it? Oh, what does it matter! I might as well! I'm a decent swimmer and out of ideas.
I shove the blow dart kit into my pocket, take the best diving position I can, and jump into the lake. Once submerged underwater, I close my eyes and swim in a direct straight line towards the other end of the lake.
If I can make it across, I can reach the forests on the outskirts of campus.
Then, I think of what to do.
***
My body twitches with cold. My heart races with fear. I keep swimming forward. Onward I go, without even thinking about stopping.
I can't afford to, not even for a second.
I feel the breath in my lungs start to evaporate. With my eyes closed, I cannot tell how much closer I am getting to the other side. I pray to God that it is close, my arms are tiring, and I don't think I can hold my breath for too long.
With a forward stroke of my hand, I touch what feels like coarse mud. I swim up to the surface to find that I have made it to the other side, to the entrance of the forest.
"Praise the Lord above," I gasp as I drag myself onto shore.
I look back across the lake.
Just as I thought, the fighting has spilt over to where I was previously hiding.
One female student drowns another by plunging her head into the lake. That's my cue. I'd better keep moving before any of them spot me.
***
I tiptoe through the shallow forest across the campus perimeter. From here, I can see a large portion of this area of the campus, but I cannot do much else. My clothes are still soaked from the lake. I need to go somewhere indoors to dry off and assess.
My eyes dart around the area for another spot of refuge.
I see a group of people fighting by a car park, another group of people shooting each other by an accommodation building, and another group of people cutting each other with knives by a bike shelter. Everywhere's a warzone. Well, not exactly. If anything, the campus is less populated than it usually is. I reckon it's because most students have probably opted to stay within their rooms and hide for the time being.
I should have stayed in my room as well. Or at least I should have thought of a plan before I ran out of my room. Unfortunately, fear overtook any rational thought left in my head.
Now I have to work with my decision.
As I continue to search, I notice one relatively safe haven nearby.
The Chapel Centre.
God really is good.
Hurriedly scurrying, I break away towards the Chapel Centre.
It seems to be completely empty so far. That has to be a sign from God himself. Once in the chapel, I instantly find the nearest prayer bench and kneel down. I clasp my hands together in prayer formation and bow my head towards them, my fingertips firmly together.
Prayer and hope, that's all we still have now. Prayer and hope. Prayer and hope. Prayer and hope!
"Please God, may you guide me towards surviving Univmorta," I pray. "Please allow me to come out of these days unscathed. Please make it so that-"
I stop my prayers. I open my eyes and lower my hands.
A sudden hopelessness washes over me.
What the hell am I even doing? There's no use in any of this! I truly am doomed! Prayer and hope, what a joke!
Without prayer, the only thing I can manage to do is cry, my body crumbling over the church benches. Dad was right, I should have never gone to university. It was always a hopeless folly. And now it's going to kill me.
As I wallow in my own self-pity, the silence within the chapel centre is broken. The noise of gunfire rages through the halls of the floor above.
Trust me to blindly believe a building this big would be empty during Univmorta! That's also a sign from God. A sign that nowhere is truly a safe haven for long enough.
Racing out of the chapel centre, I'm confused as to where to go next.
There's a bush next to the steps towards the side entrance. That'll have to do for now.
This is my life now, hiding in bushes and waiting for an early death.
As I sit within the bush, I think about the concept of Univmorta as a whole.
Why does it have to be this way? And why did it have to be us? In fact, why did it have to be anyone? Surely this isn't the only solution, throwing us to the slaughter in order to cull the herd.
This is wrong on so many levels. Univmorta should be nothing more than a tale and a conspiracy, not a reality I have to live through!
If I could, I'd end this all myself. I'd break out of here and work to ensure that no student has to feel what I'm feeling right now. But I can't. I know I'm not capable enough. All I can do is sit in this bush and hope I don't die soon.
The coast seems somewhat clear for a moment. But it soon becomes clear that I spoke too soon. I see a male student walk past the centre on his own.
He calmly strolls towards the forest on the perimeter edge without fear or caution. How can he walk around here so casually?
I narrow my eyes and investigate him further.
This male student is of average height, with a slightly athletic build. Dark-skinned with short curly hair. Everything about him is neat and ordered. His face is stern and stoic, with a scowl that seems permanent. He's quite handsome, nonetheless.
Wait. I know this guy. I've seen him before. I have definitely seen him many times before. That's not just any student! It's Marcel Martins!
I watch Marcel carefully as he immerses himself in the parameter woods. He walks with such purpose. Wherever he's going and whatever he's doing, he's probably not afraid.
Why couldn't I be born someone like him? I bet he knows what to do. He's probably going to make it out of here alive. Unlike me.
Wait, he's probably going to make it out of here alive, unlike me.
This gives me another idea.