Dead End High

’It’s like Invasion of the Body Snatchers,’ Adam said to Jack after class.

The few students who passed by had that glazed look in their eyes.

’Nah, this is more like Dawn of the Dead. My dad has that in his movie collection. I watched it one day when they were out. Scared the crap out of me. Look at them, man, they’re zombies. They just haven’t decided to eat us... Yet.’

Robyn appeared from the block of classrooms and made a beeline for Adam. ‘Hi.’ She didn’t have that glazed look in her eyes, like the others. Nevertheless, Adam considered maybe it was because she was an alien, not just being controlled by one.

‘Hi.’ Adam searched for other features that would give her away, but she was flawless. Maybe a little too perfect.

‘What’s up?’

‘I stopped by your place this morning to walk you to school.’

’What?’

‘You weren’t there.’

‘I... I left early.’

‘It wasn’t your house.’

‘Yes, it was, it...’

‘No, it still has all the stuff that belongs to the real family who lives there. You lied. You don’t live there. Where do you live?’ He peered at her, trying to send a shiver down her spine.

‘Adam... There’s a good reason for that.’

‘And no, don’t try feeding me any bull about your parents not liking male friends. I don’t buy it.’

She hung her head and sighed. ‘Look, Adam, I’m sorry I had to lie to you about where I live. But telling you the truth isn’t going to do any good.’

‘Try me.’

‘No. There’s no point.’

‘Does it have anything to do with Miss Crazy? Or those two friends of hers: Don and Morgan?’

’Don and Morgan?’ Her jaw dropped. ‘How do you know their names?’

’So you do know them. You’re in league with them and you know all about the disappearances. Who are you? Where are you from?’

‘I… err… they…’

‘Who’s Hochstetler?’

He didn’t expect her to be able to answer that one at all, but her eyes widened. ’Have you met him?’

Adam reeled at her response. ‘No, I haven’t met him, but I’ve heard of him.’

’He’s a very dangerous man, Adam. You have to stay away from him.’

’How do you know who he is? If he’s so dangerous to you, you must be linked up with them!’

‘Please, Adam.’ Robyn looked pained. ‘Don and Morgan are good men. You have…’

’Come on, Robyn, I want the truth. Who are you? What are you?’

’Huh? What do you mean “what am I?” Adam, I think you…’

‘What do you want?’

‘I don’t want anything… I’m sorry…’ She turned to leave. ‘I have to go.’

Adam reached out to grab her arm, but Jack took a hold of his arm first. ‘Let her go. You don’t wanna cause trouble here. She’s probably going to see the chief alien or zombie right now.’

Adam watched her walk away. He knew Jack was right. ‘Ok, we better get out of here. I just hope we can convince someone on the outside about what’s really going on here.’

They headed towards the rear of the school where they planned to cross the fields and leave the grounds without being noticed. However, Mr Vennie appeared from around the side of one of the classroom blocks. ‘You two!’

Adam and Jack froze.

Mr Vennie smiled as usual and approached them in his usual jovial style.

’Play along,’ Adam whispered.

‘Boys.’ Mr Vennie came to a halt in front of them. His smile remained on his face. He reminded Adam of the demented fiend with the wide cheesy smile and the big wide eyes of horror movies. He appeared friendly on the outside, but was a psychopath underneath. ‘How are things? You all right? Were you two… going anywhere?’

Adam tried to use the innocent look that worked with his mother. ‘We… we were just going to hang out on the playing fields.’

Mr Vennie’s smile held firm. ‘Ah that’s good. Exercise, right? I like to see my students getting plenty of exercise.’

Jack nodded. ‘Yeah, that’s what we were doing, Mr Vennie.’

‘Good!’ He continued to stand there, smiling like an idiot. ‘Nothing… is wrong, is there? I mean, are the two of you enjoying classes? I heard you had music this morning. How was that?’

‘Ummm.It was good.’

‘Anything err, unusual happen this morning?’ Vennie still grinned from ear to ear.

‘No, nothing at all.’

‘Nothing,’ agreed Jack. ‘All as normal.’

‘Really? Everything as normal. Nothing unusual. Well, well, that’s good to hear.’ He showed no signs of leaving.

Adam wondered why he was asking such questions. He could only think that Mr Vennie was trying to figure out whether they were wise to what was going on around them. He figured Mr Vennie wanted to know whether they knew their classmates and teachers had become possessed and whether he could continue to let them roam about doing as they pleased without disrupting his evil plans – whatever they may be.

‘Uh...’ Adam shuffled from one foot to the other. ‘We’ve only got ten minutes before the next class...’

‘Of course! Don’t let me hold you up from your... schoolyard adventures.’ A haziness appeared in his eyes, so Adam and Jack hurried around him, in the direction of the playing fields.

‘Man, there’s something seriously wrong with that guy,’ Jack said, once they reached the edge of the field. ‘I never realised just how creepy he was.’

‘I know what you mean.’

’He’s one of them alright. Come on, let’s go... oh no, what does she want?’

Daisy ran up to them, breathing heavily. ‘Guys!’ Her eyes were wide and she had to pause to catch her breath. ‘We have to get the hell out of here!’

‘I know it.’ Adam hoped desperately she was still the normal Daisy he liked so much. ‘But what’s up with you? What happened?’

‘I’m ok. Barely.’ She panted. ‘But this place is dangerous. Adam, something has taken over my parents. It’s like they’re not really my parents anymore. They disappeared yesterday afternoon and turned up early this morning. Something has taken over their minds. They wanted me to come with them and when I wouldn’t they got really upset. Their eyes starting going all black. Their skin started going grey. It was really freaky.’

’Damn.’ Jack’s shook his head.

‘I ran out of there as quickly as I could. I’ve been in hiding and I didn’t know what to do. You’re the only one I can trust, Adam. I’m scared. Please help me.’ She turned her eyes to Jack and pulled Adam closer.

‘It’s ok.’ Adam took her hand in his, trying to avoid being creeped out by the mental image she had given him. ‘He’s fine. Daisy, I think you’re right about what’s going on. Something is controlling people’s minds. Some sort of being, perhaps an alien or spirit. Doug Minnow turned up at school today and everybody acted as though he had never been away! Except for me and Jack.’

’What?’ She stared at him. ‘Doug was here? But he...? Oh my God, then what happened to him is what happened to my parents. We could have others turning up before much longer... Including... oh no... Drake!’

‘If he turns up we avoid him like the plague,’ Jack insisted. ’You got that, Daisy?’

‘Of course!’ She stared back at the school and then fell into Adam’s arms. ‘You’ve got to save me, Adam!’

Adam didn’t quite know how to react. He had never seen her like this before. ‘Of course. I’ll do my best.’

She smiled gratefully. ‘You always seem to know what to do.’

Jack rolled his eyes. ’Give me a break! Enough of the crap, what do we do now?’

‘We go to New Plymouth.’ Adam slowly let go of Daisy. ‘That’s the nearest city. With luck the aliens have started here. We can at least warn people; because once they’re done they’ll spread out.’

‘But what if they’ve already reached New Plymouth?’

‘Well we have to start somewhere. Let’s get moving.’

They strolled out across the school fields, trying to look casual as they passed a few students gathering near the fence to the school pool.

‘We’ll head over to Drake’s,’ Adam suggested. ‘We’ll use the car we drove to Opanake.’

’You drove to Opanake?’ Jack asked. ‘I didn’t know you had a license.’

‘I don’t. We wanted to find out more about Miss Crazy. She’s one of them.’

‘I’m not surprised. If she shows her face around me, I’ll smack it a good one.’

Daisy glanced over her shoulder and halted. ’Oh my God, Adam look!’ She pointed towards the school buildings, her eyes widening.

The group of students by the pool were staring in their direction. But her finger didn’t point to them, but to a large group of students who had appeared from the buildings.

Mr Vennie led the crowd. They appeared to be in no hurry, but their eyes were focussed on Adam, Jack and Daisy. The smile on Mr Vennie’s face was gone.

‘I think they’re on to us now,’ Jack hissed.

Adam’s body tensed up. Scott and Doug walked side by side behind Mr Vennie. Jock Hanson, Lisa Lovecraft, Mr Kemp the science teacher… the previously missing Brett Diamond. More and more students and teachers seeped out from around the classroom blocks. They marched slowly across the grass like an army of zombies.

‘Run!’ Adam barked and took to his heels. Jack and Daisy followed closely and on reaching the boundary fence, scrambled over the stile that allowed access to the cross-country course. Adam paused only briefly to glance with horror back to see the swarm of students and teachers spreading out across the field.

They hurried along the track, dashing through the trees and out of sight of the school and the hordes. Adam glanced back again, expecting to see them flooding through the trees. He nearly stumbled over the embankment Todd had fallen down. He half expected to see the bully, transformed into an alien zombie clawing his way up the slope to reach him.

It sent even more fear surging through his body and he ran onwards.

Daisy grabbed his arm and pulled him to a halt. ‘Slow down!’

Adam desperately wanted to keep moving, but seeing no one behind them, breathed a little easier. Jack pulled up beside them and bent over, to catch his breath.

‘Adam, do you think they can read our minds?’ Daisy stared at him. ‘They seem to know our every move. How can they do that, Adam?’

‘I don’t know!’ He scanned the trees looking for movement. ‘But they can’t be too far behind us.’

‘We don’t need to run.’ Jack leaned against a tree. ‘They’re zombies. You saw how slow they were moving. They won’t catch us.’

‘I’d rather not take that chance. They could have us surrounded before we even realise it. And just because we saw them walking towards us doesn’t mean they aren’t running now.’ Something stirred amongst the trees; shadows, which materialised into colours. The dread inside Adam intensified. ’Come on!’

He and Daisy ran, with Jack hurrying to catch up. They followed the track away from the school, intending on cutting through the back of a housing property to get to the main road. They reached a house and climbed over the fence, ran through the property and came to a halt when they got to the main road. Adam tensed up even more when he saw a mob of students and teachers walking from the school at the same steady pace.

‘Oh my gosh!’ Daisy blurted. ‘They must have figured we might come this way.’

Adam stared in anguish for a few moments, his fear mounting even further. The mob looked hungry and eyeballed the trio, walking towards them as if stalking their prey.

The three ran in the opposite direction, heading towards town. Adam figured they could outrun the mob to Drake’s house, where they could get the car. But no sooner had they started to run, when two adults stepped out from a concealed driveway. The two middle-aged adults lunged forward at them. One, a woman tried to grab Daisy, but Adam swiped her arms away, and shoved her at the same time.

’Run!’

Jack dodged the second a man, who grunted in disapproval and the three fled down the road. Adam glanced over his shoulder to see the couple staggering after them. The original mob gathered them in and continued their lazy march.

Up ahead, Adam could see some more people emerging from their houses. It was almost as if some kind of alarm had been broadcasted to them. ’They won’t let us get out of town!’

The three came to a halt and stared ahead as individuals merged into groups and advanced down the path towards them.

‘They’ve got us!’ cried out Daisy, hysterical.

Adam’s first instinct was to freeze, but despite his horror, he forced himself to come to his senses. ‘It’s ok! They’re not going to get us that easily. Let’s cut through yards to another street.’

They turned into the nearest property, jumped a few fences and came to a stop at a thorny hedge. Adam shuddered at the thought of climbing it, but any hardship was worth getting away from the marauding zombies.

Over they went, Jack last, crushing the hedge in the process and falling to the ground in a heap. He groaned in pain from the scratches he had received from the barbed thorns. Adam and Daisy helped him to his feet, relieved he hadn’t sprained anything.

‘Whose idea was it to come this way!’ whined Jack.

‘Quit complaining, just…’

Suddenly a distressed male voice came from nowhere, ’I told you, Adam! I told you Mr Vennie was out to get me!’

Adam’s heart nearly stopped. Mr Bryce lumbered towards him, looking even older than before. His skin had become grey and it sagged from his body. He reached out for Adam, snatching at thin air.

Adam cried out and leapt out of the way to avoid him. Mr Bryce stumbled and fell to the ground with a thud.

He gawked up at Adam. ‘You didn’t believe me!’ He clawed his way to his feet. ‘Why didn’t you believe me, Adam? We could have stopped him, you and I. We could have foiled his plans. But now it’s too late…’ Then his eyes turned black. ’Now it’s too laaaaaaaaaate!’

Mr Bryce lunged towards him. Adam ducked underneath him and with a powerful shove, sent him hurtling into the thorn bush. Mr Bryce let out a forlorn wail as he plunged into it. There, Adam was happy to leave him.

They made it to the next road. A few people out on the street saw the trio and began to march towards them.

‘There’s only a few of them.’ Jack observed. ‘We can get around them.’

The three began to run. They circled an elderly man who tried to reach out to grab them, but he was several metres too far away. They zigzagged in and out of some other people, one Adam recognised as Ted Gandy, a friend of his dad’s.

Their pursuers were very slow and their reflexes dragged. Ted Gandy tried to lunge at Jack and even managed to grab his arm, but Jack yanked it free and the man lost his balance, toppling to the pavement.

Jack charged at an old woman who came lumbering out from behind a hedge. He hit her with a clothesline, straight out of a WWE pro-wrestling show. She went crashing down to the concrete as well. Jack let out a wild laugh as they ran onward. There was a gleam in his eye and a smile on his face. It seemed he was starting to enjoy this.

They veered off down Aotea Avenue, seeing more zombies flooding the street.

Mr Buford, the Fish & Chip shot owner, shambled towards them, foaming at the mouth. He screamed at them, ’Not a good idea to be out…’

Jack sent him crashing to the ground, with a knee to the midsection. He added in some kicks to the ribcage. ‘How do you like that, you freak?’ Jack kicked him again for good measure. ‘Teach you to mess with me!’

‘Let’s just go!’ Adam grabbed him by the arm. He glanced down at Mr Buford, feeling a twinge of guilt for what Jack had done, but the fear inside him urged him on. ’They’ll be gaining on us.’

Jack yanked his arm free and gave Mr Buford one final kick before taking flight once more.

The next road appeared clear and the Radnor house was only one block away. Adam became more anxious about what might happen once they got there. They paid close attention to possible ambush locations, hoping for some sort of warning if a bunch of their pursuers jumped out at once. ‘Do you think they know where we’re going?’ Adam asked Daisy.

‘I don’t know, but it’s weird that they suddenly aren’t around.’

’Bring ‘em on.’ Jack said, watching their backs.

Adam expected to see the street in front of Drake’s house full of zombies, but it was deserted. They hurried to the entrance of the Radnor property. The BMW sat in the driveway, just where Adam and Daisy had left it. Jack was about to bowl towards the front door, but Adam put his hand out. ‘Wait.’

’What for? We haven’t got time. The zombies will be here soon if we don’t act fast.’

‘They may already be here waiting for us. It’s too quiet.’

‘But how? They can’t read our minds. They can’t see into the future, can they? They don’t know what we’re going to do next!’

Jack did have a point and there was no time to waste. Adam peered down the end of the street, expecting the first zombie to appear at any moment. They had a couple of minutes at the most.

‘We need the keys,’ Daisy said.

‘We need to get inside the house,’ Adam said.

Jack sighed. ’Now you tell us!’

‘We just need to get through that window there.’ Adam pointed to the slightly ajar window he had tossed the key through the other day. ‘It will hopefully still be there.’

’Hopefully?’ Jack threw his hands in the air and turned to keep guard.

Adam hurried to the window. He tried to open it, but a security bar held it firm.

He paused and turned his head quickly to the end of the road. The zombies appeared en mass and spilled onto the street.

‘Come on!’ Jack growled, ‘we’ve gotta get out of here.’

Adam tried to force the window open, but to no avail.

‘Oh no!’ Daisy’s voice shrieked. ‘They’re coming!’

Adam reached for a rock in the garden, intent on smashing the window. Jack didn’t wait and ran to the front door. ‘Braddock, you moron, the door’s unlocked!’

Adam nearly kicked himself and dropped the rock. He wasted no further time and rushed inside, making a clumsy dash for the room connected with the window. The key was lying right where it should be, undisturbed on the floor. He picked it up and made for the door, but came to a grinding halt.

A large figure blocked the doorway.

‘Well, well, Adam. So nice of you to stop by.’

Drake Radnor stood there, glaring at Adam, his fists clenched. Drake placed his hand on Adam’s chest and shoved him, sending him staggering back. ’So nice of you to leave me stranded in Opanake, you slimy piece of shit!’

‘Drake, I…’

‘This is when you pay, Braddock!’

Adam stood paralysed. There was nowhere to go.