Day one part 3

Ling Mei coasted up East Ave, her eyes scanning the footpaths looking for signs that the zombies had reached this part of town.  Traffic had been a nightmare and she hadn't arrived at JJ's school until after the last bell.  Fear for her friend compelled her to at least check out the buildings and see if JJ had stayed behind.

A flash of movement in the road, dragged her eyes back front and she gassed the big car past a raggedly figure staggering in the gutter - zed or homeless person? She had flashed by too quickly to tell.   Turning the corner of the junction toward the school gates, Ling Mei saw a group of teachers outside the school running toward her chased by a pair of zeds.  With some difficulty she managed to squeeze the big car around the group and onto the property.

She leapt from the car, leaving the engine running so she could make a quick getaway, little realising in her worry for JJ that the big diesel motor was calling to the undead.  Bounding up the stairs into the building proper she headed toward the gym calling her friends name softly.  Loosening her swords in their scabbards she burst through the doors and into the big room beyond.... 

"What do we have here? A looter perhaps? Or maybe we have a little pretty present for the ol sarge?" A young voice rang out from the shadows by the coach's office.  The words twisted into a leer that seemed to somehow age the young man who strolled out of the room, nonchalantly aiming an assault rifle that had been tucked under his arm in Ling Mei's direction.  "Perhaps I should arrest you, strip you down."  The man was dressed in the uniform of an ROTC Sargent, complete with body armour and of course the deadly looking rifle.  As he came closer into the light, Ling Mei could see the madness stamped on his teenaged face, the desperation, as if he had already seen too much of this apocalypse.  She knew there would be no reasoning with him and his "arrest" of her would be the start of an ordeal she had no intention of experiencing.

With a quick movement she drew her swords and leapt forward hoping to close the gap before the surprised young man could pull the trigger " please be a replica" she thought to herself as the huge barrel of the gun loomed.  A sixth sense caused Ling Mei to drop her shoulder just in time as a gout of flame leapt from the assault rifle followed by a lancing pain through her upper arm, where her chest had been moments before.  "In and out" she thought, not taking the time to glance at the wound.   Gritting her teeth she flung herself across the remaining distance her right hand sword leading.  The sarge managed to block the blade with the stock of the rifle and the following left blade with the barrel.  With a surprising skill the youth managed to parry a flurry of blows from Ling Mei's weapons but eventually her swordplay became too intricate, the pattern flowed from form to form as she fell into her rhythm and inevitably a breach in his defences was made.  As the steel sliced through his femoral artery, the sarge crashed to floor in a spray of red gore.

Tears formed in her eyes as she reflected on the waste of such a young life, but she hurriedly blinked them away as she swiftly searched the other rooms for JJ. No sign of anyone left in the school, she returned to the gym and collected up the sarge's gear including the crossbow strapped to his back.  With a last look at the poor youth's body she headed to the exit.  

Outside the car's noisy diesel had drawn quite a crowd and Ling Mei cursed herself for leaving the engine running.  With a swift motion she drew her bow and let fly, the arrow flashing across the short distance with a low hiss before sprouting from the nearest zombie's eye, dropping it to the floor.  With a burst of speed she dived into the Chevy and peeled away in a spray of dirt and burnt rubber, crushing another zed under the wheels.  Without looking back she put her foot down and sped off for home.

It was late in the day when she pulled into her street.  A few people were running up the paths trying to get back to their homes before dark, but apart from that it was pretty quiet.  Parking up she gathered the gear she had taken from the boy at JJ's school and went inside with a heavy heart and a sense of foreboding.  As she approached her front door, she noticed that it was slightly ajar, gripping a sword in her hand she burst through the door into her flat and found herself looking down the huge barrel of a .45.... "Hi there little lady, busy day?"