Meanwhile, in the school's cafeteria, a scene of chaotic normality unfolded amidst the encroaching dread. The long, wooden tables were still intact, and the food line was a mix of curious students, all blissfully unaware of the horror unfolding outside.
Matteo stood at the front of the line with a smile. His eyes focused on the massive pots bubbling behind the counter.
Nearby, on serving pans, the rich, creamy aroma of mashed potatoes filled the air.
Matteo inhaled deeply and chuckled in delight.
The lunch lady, a stout woman with a stern but kind face, scooped a generous portion onto Matteo's plate. "Here you go, sweetie," she asserted in a sweet tone.
"Thank you," Matteo replied. He grabbed his plate and turned to find a seat. He quickly sat at a table and shoved a large spoonful into his mouth. "Mmm," he moaned with a passionate expression. Oblivious to his surroundings, he feasted on the food.
Across from him, Benjamin sat with a posture of quiet intensity. He methodically peeled an apple with his small knife and ate the slices. His gaze drifted towards Matteo. "You eat a lot," he commented in a low, flat tone.
Matteo paused mid-chew. "I want to grow big and strong," he explained, and he patted his stomach. "In case we need to fight monsters," he added with a confident grin.
Benjamin's ears twitched, and his knife stopped. He looked up from his apple, and his eyes scanned the cafeteria.
The other students nervously huddled in groups, and their whispers became more frantic than usual. A hushed stillness descended upon the room.
Benjamin's focus sharpened. He stood up abruptly and walked towards the cafeteria's large windows.
Matteo watched him with a raised eyebrow. He swallowed another bite of mashed potatoes. "What is it, Benjamin," he asked.
Benjamin peered through the glass.
In the hallway, students ran in absolute fear.
"Move," a girl shrieked.
"They're coming," a boy screamed.
"They're eating everyone," another cried.
Suddenly, a horde of zombies stumbled out from the hallway and into the cafeteria.
A panic erupted. A wave of screams washed over the room as students scrambled away from the doors. Chairs clattered to the floor in their haste.
Benjamin's face turned pale, and the realization dawned upon him.
Grotesque figures stormed into the cafeteria, and their hunter eyes scanned for prey.
Matteo's smile evaporated, and he became worried. He remembered what Ms. Lily had said about zombies.
Students tripped and fell in their panic.
The zombies pounced on the stragglers.
Benjamin didn't hesitate. "Everyone, get away from them," he roared, and his booming voice cut through the chaos.
A zombie in a tattered student uniform tackled the lunch lady, frozen in terror behind the counter. It sank its teeth into her shoulder and cut her screams short.
Benjamin grabbed a heavy, metal chair. With a grunt of effort, he smashed it over the back of a zombie approaching a group of cowering students.
The zombie's spine cracked audibly, and it fell forward.
"Get to safety," Benjamin urged and signaled. He placed himself between the advancing horde and the other students.
At the same time, a zombie, a former teacher, lurched toward Matteo. His eye hung out, and a low groan escaped its throat. His limbs twitched, activating his muscle fibers. He pounced over a table.
Matteo sat with a half-eaten plate of mashed potatoes in front of him. His instincts kicked in, and he grabbed the nearest thing he could find: his plate of mashed potatoes. With a huff, he swung it with all his might.
The hot, creamy substance splattered across the zombie's face.
The zombie flailed, temporarily blinded.
Seizing the opportunity, Matteo kicked it in the chest and sent it stumbling back. He stared at his mashed potatoes with a pout. "My meal is ruined," he complained.
Another zombie lunged from the side.
Matteo ducked under its clumsy grab. He grabbed a fork from the table and jammed it into the creature's eye. His lips quivered as blood oozed out, and he stepped back.
The zombie shrieked and thrashed. Its focus changed to another student.
"Don't," Matteo pleaded and pursued it.
More zombies poured into the cafeteria from the hallway.
The students' screams grew louder. The initial wave of panic gave way to a frantic scramble for the rear exit.
Benjamin fought with a grim efficiency. Blocking bites and shoving zombies away, he wielded a second chair like a shield. He bashed in another zombie's head. He tossed the broken chair aside and grabbed another. "Matteo, get out of here," he bellowed over the din.
Matteo, who had been fending off a zombie with a plastic plate, glanced back.
Benjamin held the line.
However, more zombies flowed in, and they were starting to surround him.
"Benjamin," Matteo yelled. He thought of Henry and Adelia. He wouldn't let anyone else die. Not if he could help it.
From the kitchen, a wave of the undead washed over the cafeteria. The lunch lady with a mangled shoulder staggered out from behind the counter. "I'm hungry," she snarled. Her bloody face was a mess.
The kitchen staff followed behind her with a similar look of hunger.
"We're trapped," a girl sobbed.
Benjamin grunted as he shoved a zombie back with a table.
Matteo stood on a different table and looked for an escape route.
Students fought and sneaked their way to the rear exit.
"We have to push the rear exit to save as many as possible," Matteo pointed out and furrowed his brows.
Benjamin slammed a zombie into the wall. "I can't help them over there," he retorted.
Matteo nodded. He grabbed a table, and with a struggle, he flipped it onto its side. "Get behind me," he shouted to the cowering students.
A few scrambled to obey.
Using his high speed, Matteo kicked a charging zombie, and it stumbled back into another.
Benjamin, recognizing the plan, turned around and ran to him. He pushed against the table with immense power, carving a path for the students. "Push," he ordered.
Students pushed with him with all they had.
Blocking their only way out, the lunch lady zombie and her entourage shrieked and lunged. Their combined strength was too much for the students to push against. They clawed and pushed back the table.
One student, a small girl with pigtails, screamed as a zombie's fingers closed around her ankle.
Benjamin roared, and he abandoned the table to grab the girl and pull her free. He threw her behind him and turned to face the incoming zombies from the sides.
The table cracked and broke apart.
Students were thrown back.
Benjamin took out his dagger and fought the rampaging zombies.
Matteo observed as his plan began to fall apart. He quickly spotted a heavy metal food cart. With a grunt, he shoved the cart forward with all his might.
The cart, loaded with pots, pans, and trays, screeched against the floor. It slammed into the lunch lady zombie and her entourage.
They went down in a clatter of metal and groaning flesh.
Benjamin glanced back, and a flicker of surprise crossed his face. He quickly turned to the students. "Go," he commanded and pointed to the exit.
Matteo nodded, and he and Benjamin pushed the remaining students towards the rear exit.
Students rushed out into the school's back field, where a few zombies roamed. They sought to leave the school's premises. Unfortunately, some of them were bitten in their escape and became zombies, as well.
Matteo solemnly turned to Benjamin. "I'm sorry, but I can't leave my brothers," he declared.
Benjamin nodded with respect and affirmed, "I'll help you find them."
The zombies in the cafeteria began to recover from the food cart attack. They pushed the wreckage aside and turned their hungry gazes towards the two remaining boys. They shambled forward with renewed purpose.
At the same time, the main doors to the cafeteria burst open. A larger wave of zombies surged in, drawn by the noise.
Benjamin took a deep breath and urged, "We need to move. Now."
Matteo and Benjamin turned and sprinted back into the main building and into the hazardous cafeteria.
The sound of the horde echoed in front of them.
Matteo and Benjamin have worked together to save many from the jaws of the undead. Now, they head back inside to save more lives. Where are Pepe and Hafen? Are they safe? Why is The Exalted One here? Did he orchestrate this attack? The school is no longer a sanctuary, but a deathtrap. The fight for survival continues.