As I made my way down the stairs, I noticed the candle-lit classroom on the first floor. I stealthily made my way toward it, so that I could have a peek inside. There were about twenty kids in a circle, talking amongst themselves.

‘Wait… Talking?’

No—they were crying in silence.

“Why aren’t the teachers coming back?” one of them said, sobbing.

“You idiot, you still don’t get it, do you? They abandoned all of us!”

“No! They said they’d be back with food.”

“Do you think people who go out to get food take all the weapons with them when they leave? How do you think they’ll bring all the food back?”

The male student, sitting across from the female student, raised his voice. It seemed like the young, able-bodied adults had grouped up and made a run for it, leaving only the helpless children and the elderly behind. I wondered where the elderly were. I squinted, but could not make out any elderly individual. There were only children and teenagers, of varying ages.

Click.

The sound of a door knob being turned came from somewhere down the hallway. I quickly hid myself in the next classroom.

Thud, tap. Thud, tap.

The footsteps sounded weird. They were weak, and alternated with thudding sounds, as if whoever it was was walking with a cane....