The Codex of the Knights of Day - 2. Chapter 1: Unholy Night

“What the hell is out there, Aiden?” Mr. Smith asked.

Everyone was looking to me since I was able to stop those things from getting through the door long enough for us to shut it.

I pulled my hair back, trying to see in outside which somehow became pitch black. “Um, there are these black human looking things.” My body was still shaking from the sight of seeing them eat Mark. “They…they um-eat you.”

Someone called out, “Zombies? Are they Zombies?”

“No, any type of Zombies would be a thousand times better. I would take the Resident Evil zombies with the super strength and speed over these things. These things have claws and they’re fast and they’re smart as hell.” I looked up at the ceiling, wishing I had super hearing. “They’re probably looking for another way in. Zombies can only walk around aimlessly and push against stuff. Fuck zombies.”

Mr. Smith nodded, opening another door that led to the next classroom. “Then we have to make a run for the ROTC room. Aiden, do you have a key?” I jiggled the keys. “What is it like outside?”

“We can’t go through the plaza, there’s too many of them in there.” I moved the cover on my right eyes and tried to see outside. “I have no idea what’s it like outside the school, but if we go to the computer room-.”

Taylor snapped his finger and pointed to me. “Yeah, it’s the same hallway as the ROTC room.”

“Why don’t we just run outside and escape?” Only a freshman could ask that question.

I should explain how my school was built. Seven years ago, the bishop of Little Rock decided to build a new catholic school high school for boys to replace Catholic High and they built St. Tribou. The school is built like a Coliseum, a complete circle and the inner circle held the ROTC room, computer lab, the weight room, and the cafeteria. The dorms were on the top floors divided into arcs. Below them were the classes. I had made it from the senior dorms on the fourth floor to Mr. Smith’s Advanced Algebra 2 class on the third floor. Sadly, there were 12 seniors and now it was only Taylor, Alex, Parker and I.

“The school is surrounded by a thick forest and we’re at the very back. If we run through that, we have no idea where they came from and they’re probably swarming it, dumbass.” Yes, that is Alex speaking to him like that. “Everyone get ready.”

I sprinted to hold the door close. “Wait! Everyone, you need to cover one eye with something dark. When we get outside, you won’t be able to see when you do. It won’t work as well as if you’re seeing in light but it’s something.”

Mrs. Bonner clapped her hands. “You heard him, cover an eye.” She walked over to me with torn sweater in her hand. “If you would please?” I tied tight enough to block out all light. “I never pegged you for a leader, more like a complainer.”

I chuckled. “I never stopped complaining.”

She stared directly into my eyes. “Do you think you’ll be able to do that thing again?”

She was referring to when we reached Mr. Smith’s room. The things were right on us and they were ten times stronger than all 11 of us together. One of them squeezed through, knocking everyone back. I threw my hand forward and all of the monsters flew back, dazed and confused, allowing us to lock the door.

I stared at my hands; there was nothing different about them. I didn’t feel a surge of power go through me, it just happened. “I don’t know. It’s never happened before.”

She patted my hands, “We’ll pray on it.” We all knelt, following Mrs. Bonner’s cue. She was five foot flat to begin with and we were still taller than she was when we kneeled. “God, we come to you seeking your blessing to make it through this unholy night. Please protect your children this night. Amen.”

“Amen.”

We left wielding broken chair legs, and bandaged eyes. We must look like retarded pirates who robbed a furniture store. Everyone gasped save Taylor, Alex Parker, and me. We had already seen the blood and limbs scattered all about. I could hear everyone breathing at the same time, the long inhale and the shattered exhaling became a beat that I would never forget as we made it to the stairs.

I signaled for them to wait. My stomach turned sour along with my franticly beating heart. It was the same feeling I got when they first appeared, except for the sharp stabbing headache. Two of the pitch-black creatures with claws sat on the stairs, gnawing on bones of some hopeless soul. I tried to back away slowly but the wooden chair leg hit the metal door. It wasn’t a very loud sound, not even a whisper but a tone came out, making them zero in on me in seconds.

“Go down the stairs!” Everyone just stared, unsure of whatever. “Hurry the fuck up and move! And take the keys!”

They piled downstairs, constantly looking back like it was going to make them move faster. The monsters smiled at me with jagged teeth and pointed claws. They took their sweet time, savoring the moment as the foolish, powerless prey standing up to them. I make fun of people like me in movies. I was the kid yelling at the dumbass who could just run away.

I threw the chair leg at the first one but it just dodged it. It jumped the distance between us easily, swinging its claws slowly only to scare me. I fell back and patted the ground for something to hit the thing with. I gripped something, stabbing the pipe deep in its leg. It howled, holding its bleeding leg. I kicked it right in the face and grabbed a chuck of the concrete broken stairs. My muscle screamed as I hoisted up the heavy concrete and dropped it on its head.

I looked to the other and flipped him off. “Now what, bitch?” I shouldn’t have said that. Why did I say that?

It growled and I ran like hell. It jumped from the third floor to the emergency exit door in one leap, claws spread. I didn’t notice their eyes until now. The iris was dingy yellow and the pupil was an eight-pointed star. There was no humanity left in it. I didn’t understand how the transfer worked. A few of the seniors that were bitten turned into these things immediately, while others were just eaten. I wonder if that’s the soul, the thing people are mystified about, the thing we tried to ensure goes to heaven, was the thing that changed people into these monsters.

I slipped behind the other door, breaking off the handle to lock the thing in there at least for a minute. The first floor was similar to the third; blood, limbs, and scratches so deep they showed the metal and wires underneath. I already knew what was going to happen. It always happened when one of the character gets separated and they find something shocking and then dies. If I die, I’m kicking someone’s ass, really.

Have you ever finished watching a scary movie with your friends but when they were gone, your senses extend themselves, allowing you to suddenly hear things you shouldn’t be able to or you can feel someone’s eyes on you? I have the feeling right now.

My best bet would be to sneak out a window and just run around to the ROTC room but in the stairwell, I lost my mind and gave them the keys. Now, my plan had to change. If I’m correct, I’m on the west side of the sophomore arc farthest away from the ROTC, of course. There was nothing for me to use as a weapon that wouldn’t make too much noise.

I started walking; controlling my urge just to run but running would get me eaten the quickest. I wished Caleb were here. He would be able to take the monster down without a batting an eyelash. We were about the same height making him 6’2”. He was one of the rare blonds that had honey brown eyes with a cleft chin. He was the All-American boys you here about that are accepted to every college for every sport: soccer, baseball, football, lacrosse, boxing, and hockey, yet he still got top grades in every except Trigonometry applied Calculus, which, even though I was a junior when he was a senior, I helped him pass. That’s when we became more than friends.

He passed his last Trig applied Cal exam of the rest of the year. He burst from his class and raced to my dorm room. I remembered he was practically bouncing off the walls, picking me up and swinging me around. He kissed me, missing my cheek completely. We froze and we dodged each other for weeks until he was about to leave for the Marines. It was something he told me he wanted to do since his was little; he had to see if it was his true calling. I only went to the going away party because his mother literally threatened me to go. He walked in the kitchen and he asked me why I was there. And you can figure out the rest from there. Arguing then sex, for you slow people. Okay, not real sex, not all the way but that boy (sigh).

“Help! Help me!” The words made me freeze. “Please, someone! Help me!” See, I’m the character who always is stuck with the shitty side of the movie.

I followed the voice, I had to, and I didn’t want to but think if that was I. I would sure in the hell what someone to save me. Therefore, I’m doing this for Karma to help me out later, but Karma is a bitch and I don’t think she likes me. I’m not going to get anything out of this, am I?

Three doors down was Mr. Spencer’s history room. I pressed my ear against the cold wood. I got nothing except the kid screaming at the top of his lungs. I steeled myself and kicked the door open. The kid stopped the creature from tearing his face off by holding a chair against the creature’s chest. Like I said before, the creatures were pretty much human in shape and they walked/crawled like someone trying to look sexy on their hands and knees. The monster could have killed the kid easy if it would only move its arms to the sides instead repeatedly scratching at the kid’s head that was protected by the back of the chair.

“Stop standing there and help me!” His face was strained, holding the monster steady with his legs.

I ran over with a chair in hand. The first two hits did nothing but turn the rage onto me but I didn’t stop for it to charge me.

He launched the chair along the monster off. “Alright, stop! It’s dead!”

I ignored him and continued to bash in the creature’s head. I wasn’t taking out any angry or anything I just wanted to make sure the thing was dead. Okay, I was a little angry at it for fucking my day up. I broke off two of the dented legs for a weapon.

I pulled him to his feet, handing him a leg. “Hi, I’m Aiden Florence.”

“Carson Case, but people call me Casey.” He seemed all right. No bite marks as far as I can tell but then again I still don’t know what changes people.

I looked out of the room, nothing seemed to be disturbed. “Okay, we’re going to the ROTC room, do you know where that is?”

“The one with the red emblem on it next to the computer lab?”

I checked the rest of the room but no one was around. “Yeah, that one if I don’t come with you, tell them Aiden sent you and they should let you in. How did you get here by yourself?”

Casey looked down immediately, guilt, or fear was on his face. “They left me when I was cornered by that thing. I can’t believe they left me.”

I patted him on the shoulder. “It’s a survival mechanism; it’s not really their fault. Their instincts told them you were a lost cause, I’m sorry.”

He gave me a terrifying look like all his hopes were destroyed, his own life seemed wrong to him. “My best friend left me. I’ve known him for 11 years and I’m 14.” I couldn’t say anything really. Humans are still animals, when our instincts for survival kicks it can override everything that tells you to help. You can’t get mad if someone’s selfish with their lives. “Why did you save me?”

I smiled at him, pulling him into the hallway. “Because I would want someone to save me.” I didn’t like how quiet everything was. If you just heard your food screaming out its location, wouldn’t you come running?

“Thank you.”

“No problem, but we need to get moving. It’s going to be dark outside so cover an eye, your best one.”

We started moving as far as we could without making too much noise. The sick feeling hadn’t died away yet, so either we were being watched or there a hell of a lot of them. I realized the metal chair leg were less efficient than the wooden ones. The metal was jagged but they were much shorter than I wanted them to be, meaning I would have to wait until a monster got much closer for me to use it.

We were almost to the plaza that would be the hardest part, but the rattling noises made both of us stop in our tracks. My heart was beating too loud for me to tell where it was coming from. I mouthed to Casey to wait at the exit for me and he did after a few minutes of silent arguing. You know what the difference between a hero and idiot? The results and I hope they’re in my favor.

The sounds led me to a closet in one of the Physical Science rooms. This was Mr. Ashburn’s room and in the closet were all types of chemicals that could burn anything. The rattling could be something about to explode. Before I could open the door wide, enough something connected to the back of my head, dropping me to the ground.

“Now, before it gets up!” Through my doubled vision I could see Mr. Ashburn and a few students with flasks.

“Stop!” It happened again, suddenly they all were thrown against the walls and chemicals hit the adjacent walls. “I’m not one of them. Jesus, what did you hit me with?” I felt the wetness of my own blood on my head.

Mr. Ashburn pulled me up, “Oh, sorry, Aiden, thought you were something else.”

“No shit.” I said dryly.

He smirked, “Language. So what are you doing here?”

I looked at him incredulously, I can’t believe he ask me that. “Well, before someone tried to knock my head off my shoulders, I was trying to save you.”

He shrugged like I told him I had a good day. “Then we should get moving. You have anyone with you?”

I told him about Carson waiting at the exit…alone. We dashed back to the red exit light and Carson was still there with blood on his young handsome face and a monster at his feet. Everyone’s a ninja now, I guess.

I crumpled to the ground, holding my still bleeding head. “I need a break.” The pain dulled away a few minutes later, thank God. “Carson, you’re going to have to lead them in the front. I can’t even walk that fast.” I said, staring intently at Mr. Ashburn. “What did you hit me with?”

“One of the old metal boards for Mr. Smith’s Descriptive Geometry class.”

“I should’ve shoved you back in that closet.”

He raised an eyebrow at me. “Speaking of which, what did you do back there?” I went over the first incident in Mr. Smith’s room and the sick feeling. “Well, you’re weirder than I thought you were.”

“Oh, I feel so loved, thanks.”

He punched me on the shoulder. “You know I love you, Aiden, like one of my kids.”

Mr. Ashburn had this strange fascination with me because of my interest in philosophy and religion, and theology. He wanted me to convert from Baptist to Catholic and then become a priest. I heard the calling to it, and yes, I think I would make a great priest but I can’t. I have Caleb. It’s funny actually, the things Caleb and I have been selected for, tells us we couldn’t be together. If Caleb and I never kissed, I would become a priest. I still believe God led us to this, to love each other, I just hope Caleb still feels the same way.

“Aiden, you finished?” Carson asked me. He looked concerned for me. It amazing what near death does to people. They looked at me like he did because I had a plan, a plan that I had because I watch too many zombie movies. Whoever said T.V. was a waste of time obviously is not surviving this.

I grabbed his hand to pull myself up. “As ready as I’ll be for right now. Tell them to come over here.” Carson got the rest of them back to the exit. They were talking about something. “Alright, we’re about to go through the plaza which is the worst place to be. When I was there earlier, the bridge collapsed and monsters were all over us and it’s pitch black. So, you’ll have to stay very close to Carson, I’m going to be in the back since I’m walking the slowest. There’s monster all over but the ROTC room is in a straight line so go directly where Casey tells you.

“When we walk in there, there will be no way for us to fight these things on you must get to the other side.”

“Then let’s go outside.” The openly gay sophomore said. The only reason why I know this is that when a guy announces he’s gay here, it spreads like wildfire in California.

I don’t think I’m gay, I just love Caleb and he just happens to be a guy. I mean I can tell if a guy’s good, looking but not all of them get me hot or anything but, it’s the same with girls too. Let me rephrase that, I’m gay for Caleb and celibate for everyone else.

Mini-Kelley smacked him on the back of the head. “Are you stupid? We don’t know where they came from, it could be a hundred times worst out there.”

The kid shoved him back. “Or it could be a thousand times better.”

I hit both of them on the head. “Both of you be quiet. Outside, it’s just as dark and I can only see a few feet in front of me so if one of you moves too far away, I can’t help you and if you cover your eyes now, you’ll have one useless one and a blind one.”

I don’t remember what Discovery channel show I was watching but I remember the reason why pirates always covered one of their eyes. The cones, or whatever they’re called, are the things in your eyes that allow you to see in the dark. So if you cover on then you could see a bit better in the dark but it takes time and if they tried now, the covered eye would no longer be able to see at all and the other eye would struggle to adjust.

“Like he said, follow me.” Casey added, smirking. In the red light, I could see him better. He was about 5’10”, wavy brown hair that rose into peaks at the top of his head. He had a good build to him, probably on the freshmen football team.

I tried to open the door as quietly as I could but the sick feeling nearly forced me to my knees. I was right. They were waiting for us. I ripped the cover off my eye, they were waiting on the walls and broken bridges. Black snow drifted from the eclipsed sky and made the scene majestically evil. My people sprinted for the ROTC room right from the start, too late for me to say anything. The monsters dropped behind, gracefully bracing themselves for the impact on the balls of their feet with claws stretched and ready.

I was moving too slow and my voice was still in my throat when four of the things surrounded them. Carson cried out like a warrior and plunged the chair leg right in the monster heart, blood spurting from its mouth, but the others were surrounded. They were about to die.

“Go Spartacus!” Claws bounced of the bronze Spartan shield with shaking tone. He wore the long red cape connected to bronze torso plate and armored skirt. Where the fuck did a Spartan come from? The eight foot tall, Spartan grunted and bashed more monsters down.

Caleb walked out a beat later, running over to me. He still wore the necklace I made him five years ago. I saw the same thing on TV and it cost a fortune so I decided to make on out of crystal with my mother’s help, she’s a jewelry designer. It was a cross but at the center was a circlet that went through the entire cross. I inscribed the circlet with rough Latin for protection.

“I got you.” There was something off about his voice; it was softer. I ripped his goggles off, his eyes with hazel green.

Despair and rage filled me to the brim and my fist caught him on the chin. The sudden attack on him caused the Spartan to charge at me. It happened again but the pain at the back of my head spread all over my body. The black snow conformed in front of me, shaping into a man an inch taller than me clad in black and a sword on his hip. The man stopped the rampaging Spartan, using the Spartan’s own momentum against him and flipped him over his shoulder. The man darted to the solider with his arm cocked back.

I needed him alive. Where was Caleb? “Stop!” The man froze in perfect position with his arm raised to punch the solider. I-we didn’t have time for this. “Go kill the monster.” The man nodded and jumped into the fight.

He moved in precise and devastating strikes. The first two monsters went down by a sweep kick. One grabbed him from behind but he flipped it, crushing its windpipe with a swift chop to the throat. The soldier had regained his cool, adding his Spartan to the mix.

“Everyone get inside, we got this!” The soldier said.

Both of our warriors kept fighting but it wasn’t getting anywhere. My ninja man’s bare fist attacks only stunned them and the shield bashes killed a few but there were so many, the Spartan was obviously for protection mostly. The ninja needed to use his sword.

“Hey, the sword!” I yelled but my ninja just stared at it like he couldn’t even think to use it.

Soldier boy pushed me out of the way of tearing claws. “Pay attention!”

I flipped up and made my stance. I was only a red belt at karate and that was years ago. The monster came at me first; I dodged, twisting to the side, landing a kick to its ribs. It howled but nothing more. The solider had trained more, hitting fast and moving constantly. I had to do the same thing. I ran at the monster narrowly dodging his swipes by ducking under his arms to land a hard kick to his sternum that gave a resounding crack.

“Use the damn sword!” But he just looked at me with uncertain eyes.

The solider knock down two more, coming back to me, “You have to count off to ten to make him use it.”

“What? That’s fucking stupid!”

He looked aggravated but who wouldn’t be. “Look, I don’t make the rules. Just count off to ten and tell him to use the sword.”

“One,” Dodge another monster, “Two, three, four,” Another came but it left its chest open. I kicked off the wall, kicking out some teeth. “Five, six, seven, eight,” The ninja gripped the scabbard, “Nine and it is ten! Sway back through for, sway!”

Two blades popped out, the blades were bright-burnt orange with black teeth. They curved, coming from the hand guards, to come to the man’s biceps. The man crouched and launched himself at the monsters, spinning and cutting with accuracy. With a flip of his wrists, the long blades came forward like normal swords. In this position, they cut everything in half instead of just tearing like before. In seconds, my ninja guy killed all of them easily.

I turned back to the soldier as he called the Spartan to return from wherever he came from. “Hi, I understand that you have-.”

The ninja’s fist cut him off. I guess he can read my mind. “Take the necklace.” The ninja nodded, picking the solider off his feet. He gripped the chain and froze. “Take it!” He glanced to me and shook his head. “What?! It doesn’t belong to him, take it!” He shuddered but refused. “I command you to take it from him!” His right arm alit in orange light struggling against the rest of him to obey my command. He kept shaking his fucking head. “I gave that to Caleb, not him, it’s mine, now take it, damn you!”

The ninja caught his arm with the other, twisting and fighting to obey and disobey. The soldier just stood there, staring at me. “Caleb gave it to me as proof that he sent me to you.”

I was already trying to holding myself together I didn’t need this too. “Wh-why? Where is he?”

He didn’t look back at me. My ninja fell to the ground, holding his head, reacting to my inner turmoil. I couldn’t take this unholy night anymore. My mind couldn’t handle it. My left leg went first, and then the right and numbness climbed into my head, sweet numbness.