Chronicles of the Fall- #1- Empty Night

Chapter 1: Demons Among Us

As any high school student knows, the cafeteria is a breeding ground for chaos. The difference between the responsible near-adults, and also the juvenile delinquents is easy to spot.

Rap music normally blares from a small speaker in the hands of a boy, sagging pants and quirky grin, pretending to be someone he isn't. Girls with plastered smiles and powdered faces throw fake laughs in large groups, huddling and whispering in small groups, all afraid of losing their top spot in the social hierarchy. Pixie-cut heads with winged eye-liner hover over sketchbooks, earbuds pouring out Japanese music into pierced ears.

Overall, everything is just loud; laughter, talking, the clanking of forks, the bustle of lunch time. But not today.

Only a few dozen kids sit scattered along the tables, the normal bustle has been minimized to a dull whisper. No music today, no laughter, just secrets.

DJ Chase and Laken Dallas sit among those whispers, almost in silence. From the outside looking in, they are unlikely friends. DJ stands 6 foot, built from years of soccer training. There is a somewhat aggressive look in her blue eyes always, as though she's always looking for the perfect time to strike. Her hair is sleek and dark, contrasting with her pale skin, despite her hours on the field in the sun.

Laken stands only 5'5, always slightly cowering in the shadow of her best friend. Her olive complexion compliments the faint freckles scattered across the bridge of her small nose. Her green eyes are trusting, her stature healthy, and her thoughts practical. Whereas DJ starred on the soccer field, Laken was better known for her work with the environmental club, and her expertise in prop making for the drama department.

"There were only 5 people in Chem today," Laken says, her shoulders slightly hunched as she scans the cafeteria.

"My parents said that no matter what the news says I'm not getting out of school," DJ retorts, chuckling slightly.

"Only the weaklings would skip school because there's a 'flu' going around," Laken says jokingly, but she struggles to believe herself.

More and more people have been getting sick, and more and more parents have been pulling their kids out of school. Laken would like to think that it'll pass soon enough, but she's seen the news. Millions of people getting sick, their skin turning paper-thin and pasty yellow, boils and bruises covering their arms, their eyes clouding over, and sweat pouring down their foreheads, side effects of the fever.

Some scientists report that it's an infection, others say it's a brain defect. Still others claim it's an airborne disease, and others yet say it's bloodborne, but no one knows for sure. All they know is that it's spreading fast, and no one is safe.

"Hey, you good?" DJ asks, nudging Laken's shoulder and snapping her out of her thoughts.

She forces a smile, "Yup." She then returns to pushing her soggy school food around its tray with her fork. Most of the lunch staff stayed home today, so some unqualified teachers assisted with the lunch. Laken nibbles at her grilled cheese, the bread floppy and unappetizing.

"It's too quiet," DJ says, her eyes shifting around the cafeteria. She doesn't like it; a school shouldn't be as eerie as the one she sits in now. Her fists clench slightly in their place folded in her lap, causing her muscles to twitch. She hated the jumpy feeling that was creeping up her spine.

"This seems pretty obvious, DJ, but something's not right," says Laken. She drops her sandwich back onto her tray in a defeated manner. DJ shoots her a glance and raises her eyebrows. Laken frowns at DJ's sarcasm, replying, "No, I'm serious. I mean, I get there's that mysterious virus. But there's something more immediate..."

As if her words triggers the occurrence, Laken is met with a thing that comes right out of books and nightmares.

A student is a couple of yards away from the pair, shuffling with broken steps towards her. Both of the girls know immediately that this poor boy has caught the disease. His skin is pulled taut across his face and limbs, his cheekbones and joints sticking out in sharp relief from his body. Sweat runs in salty rivulets down his face, slicking his unassuming brown hair against his forehead. A white film covers his eyes, so that all one can see is soulless white eyes, all the way across.

"What the hell?!" DJ exclaims, leaping up and automatically taking a step towards the thing, her fist clenched in preparation for a fight. Laken also jumps from her seat, automatically going to DJ. She wraps her arm around DJ's upper arm, staying the blow that was sure to fall upon the demon before them.

"DJ, don't! We don't know how dangerous that is!" Laken snaps. DJ's hand falls to her side. Laken looks up to the creature walking towards them; it has grown frighteningly closer to where they stand. "We need to go," Laken continues. "Gotta find our friends, and get out of here!"

"Yeah, yeah," DJ replies, nodding her head. The two turn, jogging out of the cafeteria and into a convergence of hallways that the school commonly called Five Points. They stood in the middle, looking around and unsure of which hallway to go down.

"Hampton, find Hampton!" DJ says, her eyes going to the gym hallway, where Hampton would surely be. Laken nods, and the two take off towards the locker room, with the fears of death and demons running like rivers through their minds.