The door creaked as it slowly swung closed behind me, clicking when the latch finally connected with the frame. The main hallway was dimly lit, but it wasn't hard to see. I waited for a few moments in silence as I stood inside the very building I had wanted to go to since the day it all happened. All that was needed was a few seconds of standing rigid enough to be thought of like a statue, silently waiting for the slightest of sounds. The electricity seemed to be out because on a normal day, anyone could hear the low hum of the furnace or the buzz from the air conditioner. 

Today, it was dead silent.

Most places now didn't have electricity, the plant having been abandoned months ago when this all started. After the chaos that ensued the first few days, no one was left to keep the lights on.

I started to walk forwards cautiously, my footsteps painfully echoing with every step. The emergency lights flickered above, reflecting off the tables as I passed by. Most of them were battery operated, but they wouldn't have much juice left in them now.

Glancing at the tables, I remembered the times I used to sit at a very specific one near the end with my friends.

Taylor, Rebecca, Erin, Chloe...

Now, those tables sadly sat at the back of my mind, along with my friends who were no more.

The air felt thick and had a musty stench to it, something I was used to at this point in deserted buildings. Paintings clung to what was left of the crumbling walls, but most of them had given up and laid face down on the ground. There was glass scattered at the base of the wall, from broken picture frames that had started to accumulate a small layer of dust.

That was a good sign.

Heading over to a separate corridor further down, there were doors left open to empty rooms filled with darkness. These rooms were previously used daily, having a scheduled flow of adolescents sitting in desks every hour to listen to adults teaching them about different topics. History, in particular, was one of my favourite classes. There was something about the past that was so intriguing to me.

Now, though, there were no classes; there were no teachers left to teach nor students to enlighten. The windows of the old classrooms were either smashed open, covered with tattered curtains, or blocked by cardboard to keep in the little heat that remained in this building.

I continued to walk, aware of every little sound filtering through the building. A small bird zipped past above, barely making a sound, having been trapped in here at some point and was surprisingly still alive. Another good sign. The sole reason I was here was to retrieve two things I decided were important enough to risk my life for; a book and a small locket from my locker.

At the end of the hallway, the stairwell leading down was lit from the light of an open window; the stairwell heading up was dark. I started to climb up the stairs slowly, careful not to make too much noise.

The only sounds I could hear were that of my own soft breathing and every step I took, quietly echoing down the stairwell.

I couldn't remember, for a painfully short moment, what had happened just a month before. Time had almost stopped to allow me to recall better times.

***

"So.. are you going to ask him out?" Chloe questioned from behind me and I whipped around to silence her. Her long brown hair was pulled up in a tight ponytail that ran all the way down her back. Chloe wore a cute dark dress that fell just below the knee and wore a pair of white converse shoes, the only pair she ever wore to school. She stood a foot shorter than me, but there was so much energy in that tiny body of hers that she was always ready for almost anything. Her button nose and honey-coloured eyes made her one of the most beautiful girls around, not to mention her full lips that most guys wouldn't stop staring at. We were in the middle of the hallway crossroad near the bottom of the stairs I took to get to my locker. I grabbed her by the upper arm and dragged her from the hallway and started to climb the stairs.

She spoke of Rodney, one of my long-time mutual classmates. He wasn't popular, an athlete, no. He was the biggest nerd with the biggest heart, and for some reason, he was the one person who never left my mind. Sadly, it wasn't meant to be.

"Jesus, Chloe! Not so loud! And no, I'm not. He likes Jenny, and he'll never look at me the same way he looks at her." I said, frowning. Slightly upset, I ran the rest of the way up the stairs and Chloe was quick to follow. Just as I was about to reach for the door, she grabbed my hand. I turned my head to look at her, and she smiled. She was always so hopeful for the future and never once gave up on me.

"Lisa, just because he likes someone else right now doesn't mean he'll never like you. As my older brother always says, you miss all the shots that you never take. Just go for it!" She cheered and pulled me in for a quick hug. 

***

The memory quickly faded and brought tears to my eyes.

No. I couldn't do this now. I furiously wiped at my eyes with the base of my thumbs and sniffled back the rest. I tilted my head back for a few seconds to clear my mind. One deep breath later and I was ready to continue.

All I wanted was that book and locket from my locker. That needed to be my main focus at this moment. After I get what I'm here for, I'll make my way back to the group I've been part of since the beginning. I didn't want to be left alone in this world. Only the thought of being alone gave me shivers. It had been something that, even before the world ended, scared me. I never wanted to be alone. As humans, we can't physically be alone forever or it will drive us to insanity.

I reached the top of the stairs and stopped. There in front of me was the maroon door I had been so used to seeing every day of the school year. I looked through the small window in the door and reached for the handle.

My hand froze as my heart skipped a beat, a mere few inches from the doorknob.

No.

My heart rate spiked, my hands began to shake and my breathing became shallow.

This can't be happening. 

A small form shambled into view and stopped in the middle of the hallway on the other side of the door; it was slouched forwards slightly and facing the opposite direction from where I stood.

It appeared to be a kid, maybe eight or nine years old. Squinting my eyes, I took in its appearance and frowned.

This was no ordinary child.

From what I could see, its hair was matted and its clothes were tattered and torn. When it had been completely human, it probably wore a pair of shoes, but now, half of its left foot was missing, along with its left shoe. I could probably quickly sneak past it, grab the stuff from my locker and say goodbye to this place forever, but somehow I knew that that wasn't going to happen. Opening the door alone would be enough sound to let it know I was here.

Those things, they were attracted to sound. They swarmed at the slightest sound; windchimes would sing in the distance, and a pack of them would be drawn from near and far.

When there wasn't any sound for them to react to, they would go into a dormant state, kind of like sleeping while still awake.

Waiting.

Watching.

Hungry.

My foot shifted, pushing the knife out of its holder in my boot. My hand met the familiar handle as I pulled it out of its spot.

I crouched down, my knuckles turning white from how hard my grip was around my knife in my left hand. Shakily, I reached out my right hand to grab the door handle. Ten seconds passed.

Twenty.

Thirty.

These situations were filled with so many potential outcomes. Generally, where there was one, there was more. I breathed in and out slowly, trying to calm myself. I wa scared.

No, terrified.

One wrong move and it would be my end. I would never be able to go back to the group. I would be dead.

Or worse.

One wrong move.

I held my breath as I turned the door handle.

The latch clicked loudly, echoing in the silence. 

The child's body convulsed and it slowly turned around, its cold dead eyes locked on the door. Its small pale face was ripped open on one side, its own flesh hanging from the side of its chin. Blood stained the collar of its tattered shirt that clung to its tiny form. Its eyes landed on me and twitched.

It twisted forwards and let out an ear splintering scream as it started to sprint towards the door.