Guseyn Zarbaliyev, Period 2, 05/22/2023

Creativity & Fiction

Pretense to Fantiction -
I will be writing in Max Brooks's anthology interview style of his book “World War Z”. There is no real connection to any other stories in the book other than the specific Battle of Yonkers story (Page 93)

Ketchikan, Alaska [Outskirts]

[Alaska, America's authentic “last frontier”. Stunning landscapes, harsh winters - unforgiving yet beautiful. Many veterans of the Battle of Yonkers found refuge here or scattered across what little humanity controlled. Many veterans sought to distance themselves from remnants of society after what they experienced. Antonio Medina is another survivor of the Battle. As I approached him, he was waiting in solace at a local bar, but his demeanor was off-putting. An unsettling mix of calm alertness, rarely making eye contact as I began to question him]


What was the first thing you remember that day?

I… I remember flying past my old apartment that day, strapped into that C130 alongside 61 other men. I lived right by Yankee Stadium, across the Harlem River. It’s kind of funny, catching of glimpse of my old home, it filled me with an odd sense of nostalgia, a sort of another reason to fight, to take back my old place. It was the first time in a while that I had felt “hope”.

[He paused, seemingly letting the memories wash over him]

The embarrassing thing was, I’d never even been to Yonkers before the War, hell, I’d never even left the city my entire life. Still, after I left, I just couldn’t ever forget what happened here, how it all really, became… real for me, you know? Like how that Phalanx shitstorm threw everyone into a frenzy. God, that day man. It was my own neighbor that tried to bust into our apartment that day. The neighbor... damn, we'd known each other since we were kids. Played ball on the streets, and attended the same school. You'd think that bond would mean something, even amidst the confusion. But I guess fear does strange things to people, Now, he's.. I'm... I'm still here. I’m considered one of the lucky ones, who got out of the city in time before shit really hit the fan.

[Antonio took a long sip of his drink, eyes now fixated on the window looking outside]

Why did you join?

[Antonio looked up at me as if I had asked an obvious question then locked his gaze back to the window]

Cause I had to. And not some “I gotta save my city” bullshit. Nah, it was because I didn't have anything left. Not one damn thing. No flags waving in my mind, no hero complex, no thirst for vengeance. Lost contact with my mama, lost my home, and everything I had ever known. But I didn’t wanna give up, and the Army seemed like the only way I could protect myself. I’m surprised they even took in civ like me, kinda showed how shaken everyone and everything was.

[He paused, his gaze now focused on the roof, his head flung backward.]

As for the others with me? God, I wish I really knew. I just met these men hours earlier, barely learning their names, and the whole thing was a shit show from the beginning. They had us wearing bunker-buster gear from the Iraq War, Seal Team 6 kinda stuff. Between the heavy gear, the sound of Zack, and the C130, I couldn't even hear myself think, let alone start to break the ice with the men next to me.

When did the fighting begin?

I don’t remember when honestly, all I remember is the rose-colored sky burning the horizon. God if this shit happened at night I think it would've gone even worse, but I wouldn’t put it past those assholes in Honolulu if they did. What I do remember is where I was placed. We were airdropped right onto the I87. I remember the confusion when we landed. Not a single other soldier was in sight. Doesn’t make sense, right?

[Antonio hesitates for a moment, chuckling slightly, with his face attempting to mask his frustration and regret.]

Imagine, the military rolled out everything - Heavy artillery, Abrams tanks, goddam 50CALs, even the space-age Rods of God. All that firepower, all that might, but none were provided to our squad. And on top of that, they couldn’t put us on the goddamn roofs? Why were we here, in the open, vulnerable?

[Antonio remained silent, seemingly collecting his thoughts]

We were confident at first, just like everyone else. Barricades were set up as ordered, We were given standard-issue M4A1 rifles, and around 270 rounds each with 9 magazines. But once that first wave of Zack hit, we were terrified. I mean, I remember counting my 5.56 dwindle. 200 rounds…. 133 rounds… 45 rounds… and eventually 1 round. We practically ran out in minutes, but millions more fucking coming right at us…Nightmare fuel man, pure nightmare fuel. An unwavering wall of mindless flesh, acting purely off instinct.

[Antonio clenches his fist, the anger evident in his voice, finally looking directly at me.]

We were never given the full picture, dammit! We were left clueless! They didn’t even give us communications equipment - not that it even mattered. I heard that shit was useless under all the screams of the soldiers. Yet still, we paid the price for their incompetence, for their arrogance. I used to think it was just poor planning. But it hit us soon enough. We weren't there to take back the city, hell, we were barely there to fight. Here we were, raw recruits, stranded in the open, vulnerable, with only 2 months of training and no high command or backup in sight…

It became crystal clear. We weren't the heroes in this war. We were the fodder. It was all a distraction, you see. While we, green as grass, were left out there to die, the more experienced units were kept back, executing some grand plan, that didn't even fucking work! We were there to give them time, to divert Zack's attention, and lure them to the main forces. Those Honolulu assholes even covered it up…

How did you survive?

[Antonio scrunched his face at me]

By any means necessary. That’s what it means to live in this new world no? We were already being overrun by thing point. Zack as far as the eye could see, broke down our barriers.

[Antonio exhaled and sat back, pushing his empty glass away. He stared at me for a while, his dark eyes searching for understanding or empathy, perhaps both.]

I ran away. What else could I do? The government had failed us. To me, at that moment, not only had humanity lost, but it had abandoned me, abandoned us. I was supposed to be the one to “return faith to humanity”. What a sick joke, all of it. I didn't care about any of it anymore. I was running towards any escape, really. All I could think about was myself at that moment. That’s when one of them got a chunk outta my leg. I didn’t even feel it at first, just the pressure.

[Antonio pulls up his pants to reveal his prosthetic.]

When I fell down and looked at the blood pouring out, I… well, I thought I was done. Was ready to blow my brains out.

[Tapping his skull]

I had saved a single bullet for myself, you know? But, I saw another one of us, running to catch up to me, another runner. He was from the original 61, medical personnel. He patched me up as best he could. Well by patch, I mean ripping my goddam leg off. He dragged me into a store while we hid from Zack. For how long, I can't remember. All I could think about was how and why he saved me. Ironic isn’t it? Being saved at that moment, after I abandoned it all? It wasn't until then that I passed out from the blood loss. Apparently, we eventually made it onto a rooftop to where a chopper that was flying in, picking up any survivors it could find, long after the entire army fell. When I woke up, I was in a makeshift hospital. A few days passed. The doc said I was lucky. That the cold had saved my life. The virus, which slows down in colder temperatures, gives more time to the bitten to get treatment before turning. Saved my life, but not my leg. That and the soldier. I never found out his name.

What are you doing here?

Just... living, I guess. After everything, I didn't want to be near the military, hell even any real remnants of civilization. Alaska felt... safe, I suppose. It's a hard life, but a quiet one. Old habits die hard, I suppose.

Guseyn Zarbaliyev, Period 2, 03/21/2023

Literacy and Learning

When I entered high school, I stopped reading for my own comfort. I don’t know why, but my former passion for reading faded away, as my other hobbies such as coding took over. In high school, the only book I read from my own obligation was “The God Delusion” by Richard Dawkins. I began reading it out of personal internalized conflict, since with no, therapist or someone to really talk to, I needed some sort of reliable guidance - for which I turned to literature. I was struggling with my relationship with religion since I personally was agnostic, however, my mother wasn’t. Yet, I’d always contradict myself and participate in Ramadan to again, not leave my mother isolated during the fast. It was just flat-out rude and simply did not upset my mother and maybe leave some room for “belief”. Regardless, after reading “The God Delusion”, I had come to the realization that I don’t have to believe in the religion to stand by my mother in solidarity and also be proud of my Turkish and Muslim roots. Despite Dawkins's nihilist view personally found the guidance I was looking for, and now viewed Ramadan as a more cultural holiday and time of understanding rather than a holiday linked purely to religion - I had finally found some solace in reading, which was nice.

Nevertheless, in any other instance, I didn’t read in my own time at all. Of course, I completed the mandatory readings for my English class, which included the classics such as "Animal Farm," "Lord of the Flies," and "The Great Gatsby." While I appreciated these works for their literary value, I never found myself truly captivated by them (but I really hated “Catcher in the Rye” for reasons I could write a full dissertation on). But, upon taking the Myths course, my love for reading had been reignited. The discussions we have in class, dissecting books Chapter by Chapter, and seeing multiple points of view and interpretations of what I just read were actually enjoyable. Specifically, what is now one of my favorite books, “Grendel” by John Gardner.

"Grendel" retells the classic "Beowulf" story from the perspective of the monster, Grendel. We begin by reading “Beowulf”, as we follow the journey of Beowulf, an imperfect hero who slays the “evil” Grendel and various other monsters. “Beowulf” on its own is fine, it tackles the idea of heroism and what it means to be a hero. However, “Grendel” truly elevates this text and brings an extra layer of depth. Gardner offers insight into the point of view of the main antagonist of the story and questions the basis of what a “monster” is. The way that Gardner achieves this is through nihilism, solipsism, isolation, and even the very basis of evil.

We see the progression of Grendels character, at first seemingly curious and innocent, just as any child would be. However, any interaction with any other living creature was met with violence and hostility. Grendel encounters animals for which he cannot understand physically and linguistically. And even when Grendel met with creatures he could understand, those being humans, there was a one-sided communication between the humans and Grendel. The frustration with Grendel being unable to understand the animals is mirrored by the humans not being able to understand Grende, which in my eyes establishes early in the text idea of perception, and how it is vital in all interactions we have as people. In the text, this obviously allows for a slow and bitter hatred to grow within Grendel as he grew more and more isolated.

Grendel's solitude is also not purely physical, but also philosophical. The Shaper's songs fill Grendel with a sense of existential confusion and disillusionment, ultimately leading him towards the philosophy of nihilism, and ironically, his only real attachment to humans also simultaneously drives him away from humanity. With the Shaper's death, Grendel is truly conflicted with his death, and guises his grief with amusement.

Furthermore, on the basis of identifying a “monster”, Gardner's depiction of Grendel offers a profound exploration of what it means to be labeled a 'monster'. The book questions the nature of good and evil that “Beowulf” told, and questions the traditional concept of monstrousness, thus the dichotomy of hero vs. villain. This resonates in real-world contexts as it urges us to question our own assumptions about morality and challenges us to empathize with those we might be quick to label as 'monsters', in which perception becomes central. This is further emphasized by when you realize Garnder's traumatic past, and how he wrote the character of Grendel to reflect his own feeling about himself, about how others view him as a victim, but he himself as a monster.

Additionally, “Grendel” affected my life personally. As I said, this text was one in a long that I truly connected to, and felt captivated by. In my eyes, the beauty of media now is that it comes in many forms, whether it be film or books. But when you find, a character or theme you can relate to, it is one of the most satisfying feelings that can overcome you. At the time I was reading “Grendel”, I was really pessimistic about the future. I messed up my college applications. I felt like I was pursuing a degree that was bound to be obsolete in the future. I had felt that over my 12 years of education had realistically amounted to nothing. I will get the same degree, no matter where I go. The feeling of dread that 4 years of suffering could have been avoided. Similar to how Grendel was grappling with feelings of isolation, confusion, and a sense of disillusionment, I found myself resonating with his struggles. Amid the chaos and uncertainties, Grendel's internal journey seemed to parallel my own feelings of pessimism and hopelessness. His struggle to find meaning in a world that seemed absurd and devoid of purpose was reflected in my own struggles to find a sense of direction and purpose in my academic and personal life. I was in a period of immense self-doubt, wrestling with the consequences of my college application mishaps and fearing an uncertain future. I was questioning the validity of my degree choice, which appeared to be fading in relevance in our rapidly evolving world.

However, It was by analyzing the flaws in Grendels character that I truly understood the flaw in my thinking. For lack of better words, I was being a whiny brat. Although I know that may contradict everything I had just stated, of my long grapple with my own self-worth. It really just switched in me, that in reality, I was essentially stuck in my own head, trapped by my own negativity and self-doubt. My perception of myself was so overwhelmingly negative, it reflected on everything I did, no matter how menial. Relating back to the text, much like Grendel, I was confronted with the harsh reality of my situation, but unlike him, I had the choice to change my outlook, embrace resilience and optimism, the indomitable human spirit, reject nihilism, and realize it is much easier to love myself than actively hate myself.

Juhyoung Lee, Pd 7, 5/12/23

 Modern Mythology 2023

Name: Juhyoung Lee

PD: 7

5/12/23

Creativity & Fiction

The streets were littered with bodies. Every direction I looked, a crimson stain fell into my view. Car alarms, firefighter sirens, and the harsh banging of gunshots filling the street with noise. The scream of metal ripping and tearing. Fires ate all in their path. The living died and the dead came back to life. As I layed in a pool of my own blood, my vision faded and the sharp sting of teeth ripping into my neck subsided. Then I joined the bodies.

The next time I opened my eyes, the fires had subsided and the only sounds were the shuffling of empty feet. But I only noticed my hunger. When was the last time I ate? I couldn’t remember. The sun went down and the moon filled its place.

I felt no fatigue. I needed no sleep. All night I wandered. I stumbled and fell. I looked down at my legs only to see that my toes pointed in opposite directions. On my right leg my heel led the way with my toes following right behind. Were my leg always like that? I couldn’t remember. 

I felt no pain. My legs moved and that all I needed. The sun filled the sky again and I wandered. My hunger only grew. Where am I going and what am I doing? I just kept on limping. The Sun fell beneath the ground and the moon rose up

Finally I spotted a meal. They ran on two legs and screamed. The shuffling of empty feet quickened into a mindless run. I ran too. They ran behind a swinging wood wall with a cross on the front. We were hungry. Smashing into the door, we scraped and tore away. I hit a weaker wall. It shattered as I charged into it. The wall turned into a dance of colors as it broke. We were in. BANG. We kept coming. BANG. The little foods and the big foods kept running. We ripped and tore away, eating everything in our path. I set my eyes on the biggest morsel. It was big, plump and held a little morsel and a wood stick that made loud noises. It went through another wood swinging wall. It ran and we ran after it. We were faster. We grabbed the big morsel but the little morsel slipped away. The feast screamed and struggled. We ripped and tore. The sun fled and the moon rose. They joined the bodies.

Joseph Royzman, Pd 7, 5/19/23

 Creativity & Fiction

Craft a piece of FAN fiction related to any of the reading we’ve done in class that addresses one or more of the following: 

Scene 1

The dimly lit room is filled with antique furniture and shelves lined with ancient books. Lestat paces back and forth. Louis sits in a chair, lost in his thoughts.

[Lestat] (with passion) Louis, my love, I can’t deny what we feel anymore. The connection between us runs deeper than just friendship. It's time to embrace our love, to surrender to the passion that burns within our immortal hearts.

Louis looks up, his eyes meeting Lestat's gaze. His face shows a combination of desire and uncertainty.

[Louis] (whispering) Lestat, you know the risks. Our kind does not understand or accept such love. We will be cast out and hunted forever.

[Lestat] (kneeling in front of Louis, holding his hands) I can’t bear to live without you, Louis. It was hard enough to see you with Armand, but I love you. To deny this love would be to deny who we are. We are bound by blood and forever tied in our souls. Let us ignore the judgment of others and follow our desires.

Louis hesitates, conflicted by his own doubts and the weight of societal expectations. He thinks of Armand. But, the intensity of Lestat’s words becomes too strong to resist. He can’t deny his feelings for Lestat.

[Louis]) Then let us defy the world, Lestat. Let our love be a beacon of hope and strength in our eternal life. I am yours.

Lestat's eyes light up with joy and relief, his heart filling with love.

[Lestat] (hugging Louis) Oh, Louis, my dear. Together, we’ll face the challenges ahead. No haters can extinguish the flame that burns between us.

They kiss, sealing their love in that moment. The world fades away as their connection deepens, and their souls intertwine as if they were soulmates.

Scene 2

Days turn into nights, and nights into centuries. Lestat and Louis navigate the trials of their immortal existence, constantly reminding each other how much they love each other.

They face the judgment of their fellow vampires, who cannot comprehend how they could love each other. The coven's disapproval weighs heavily upon them, but Lestat and Louis refuse to hide their affection.

[Louis]  We won’t be silenced, Lestat. Our love is beautiful and true, and it will endure. Let them judge us. We have each other, and that is enough.

[Lestat] (nodding) Right on, my love. We are pioneers, challenging the very nature of our existence. Let us show them the power of love, the strength it gives us in this eternal night.

Together, they venture out into the world, hand in hand, their love shining through the darkness of vampire-hood. They constantly face discrimination, but their bond is unbreakable. Their love becomes an inspiration to other lost souls, offering them hope in a seemingly hopeless world.

Scene 3

Lestat and Louis attend a glamorous vampire social event, where their presence sparks controversy and intrigued glances. The elite of the vampire society watch the couple with a mix of fascination and disdain.

[Lestat] (raising his glass) To my dear Louis. To love that transcends the boundaries of time.

[Louis] (smiling, clinking his glass against Lestat's) To love that defies even death itself. Our love is immortal!

The ballroom erupts in whispers as Lestat and Louis do the Tango, their bodies moving in perfect harmony. 

Scene 4

Lestat and Louis stand on a rooftop, overlooking the city below. The moon watches over them  and the wind gently passes by.

[Louis] (looks at Lestat, smiles) We have faced countless hardships. But our love has pushed us through everything.

[Lestat] (caressing Louis' cheek) Indeed, my love. Our journey has been difficult, but our love has persisted and grown exponentially with every obstacle we've overcome. We made it this far, let’s keep going.

They gaze off into the distance and dream about what is left to come.

Mitchell Pozovskiy, Period 6, 5/11/2023

 In the shadowy depths of Heorot, Grendel lurked, his eyes fixed on the boisterous celebrations within. The hall echoed with laughter and song, the sounds of revelry that seemed to mock his lonely existence. The monster's claws tightened, his heart burdened with a longing for connection, for purpose beyond the cycle of violence that defined him.

One fateful night, as Grendel observed the mirthful warriors, a melodious strain reached his ears. It was the enchanting voice of a young bard, his fingers dancing on the strings of a lyre. The monster was drawn to the bard's narrative, his tales of heroes and love, woven with a touch of melancholy and longing.

Curiosity piqued, Grendel approached the bard cautiously, his deep voice a rumbling growl. "Tell me, minstrel, can one find solace amidst despair? Can redemption be sought and found?"

The bard, taken aback, looked into Grendel's eyes, seeing a flicker of vulnerability within his fearsome exterior. With a gentle smile, he replied, "Redemption is a complex journey, my friend. It exists for those willing to seek it, even in the darkest corners."

Those words resonated within Grendel, stirring a glimmer of hope within his tormented soul. He embarked on a path, both physical and metaphorical, driven by a yearning to discover his own redemption. Along his journey, he encountered diverse characters who mirrored the complexities of society, each with their own struggles and shades of gray.

There was the enigmatic ruler, blinded by power and oblivious to the suffering of his people. Through observing the injustice inflicted upon the common folk, Grendel's understanding of the socio-political landscape deepened. He became a symbol, not merely of opposition, but of the unrest simmering within the marginalized, the voiceless.

As Grendel faced the king, his voice resonated with newfound strength, "Your reign of oppression ends here! The time for justice and equality has come!"

The clash that followed transcended physical strength; it embodied a battle of ideologies, a clash between entrenched power and the yearning for change. Grendel's multidimensional character emerged, his own redemption entwined with the liberation of his fellow outcasts, driven by a longing for a society where empathy and compassion reigned.

In the end, Grendel's triumph was not measured in the spilling of blood but in the transformative power of understanding and connection. The barriers that had confined him for so long shattered, revealing a path to redemption rooted in empathy.

With newfound purpose, Grendel embraced his role as a catalyst for change, becoming a bridge between humans and monsters. His actions, nuanced and complex, defied the simplistic narratives of fear and hatred, nurturing a society where the lines between "us" and "them" blurred.

And so, the tale of Grendel was rewritten, no longer a one-dimensional monster but a story of awakening, redemption, and the timeless struggle of the human spirit to transcend its own limitations.

Sameer Auluck, Period 6, 3/29/23

 Sameer Auluck

Period 6

3/29/23

Modern Mythology 2023

Literacy & Learning

• Write about your thoughts regarding any of the fiction or nonfiction covered in class.

• Reflect on any new information you have learned in English class by considering how that learning influences your critical perception.

• How is what you’re learning applied to any other classes/the world around you?

This semester we read World War Z by Max Brooks. The novel is about the apocalypse and the invasion of zombies. One thing I liked about the book is its uniqueness in how it told the story. Instead of one continuous plot, this novel uses many different accounts from people all over the world, which highlights their own circumstances and backgrounds. The invasion of zombies in this novel was a worldwide issue, so the use of these many accounts is very insightful and highlights the diverse experiences of all of the characters. One of the biggest themes of the books is the will to survive. In the book, the humans would do anything in their power to outlive others, even if it meant killing other humans. One account spoke of a little girl who has faced psychologically trauma throughout her life because of something that happened during the zombie invasion. In the account, she told the readers how her own mom tried to murder her for the “greater good”, with the intention that she wouldn’t face the suffering of the zombie invasion. After the attempted murder, the little girl was all by herself, without parental figures and it shows how you can’t even trust those closest to you in apocalyptic times. 

In class, we watched the episode “The Grove” from the Walking Dead. This episode takes place in the middle of the zombie apocalypse and was the story of a group of survivors from a prison that was recently infected by the zombies. The group included 2 adults named Carol and Therese, 2 little girls named Lizzie and Mika and an infant named Judith. They find an abandoned house and they move in, even though there were walkers nearby, which worried Therese. In the show, Lizzie had the notion that the walkers were friendly and that they shouldn’t kill them. She even tried feeding one that was injured on the road. Moving forward, Lizzie ends up killing her own sister Mika, because she thought her walker form would live forever and would be friendly with her. She almost killed the infant Judith, but was confronted by Carol and Tyreese. Horrified by Lizzie’s actions, Carol decided to shoot her in the head. She believed that she would be a big hindrance in their mission to survive the zombie invasion, and that she was already too far gone to be taken care/cured. This episode also shares the World War Z theme of survival. Carol killed a little child, because she knew that she would be a danger to many other people. There is no remorse in the end of the world.

We can see many instances of themes of survival around the world. For example, in the sinking of a cruise or any other ship, a “Great Panic” would occur. People running around, throwing things, all hell breaking loose. They would do anything they could to survive, even if it meant endangering many others. They might throw each other overboard, fighting over the remaining life jackets. The life boats would be overflowing with women and children, with the men left behind fighting for survival. The people’s will to survive will

Vitaly Podvorchan, Period 7, 5/17/2023

 

Blog 4

D&D Retelling as World War Z

Brooklyn, New York USA

[Sean Zhao greets me in his office after being reluctant about letting me interview him. I sit across from him as he twiddles his thumbs. He clearly has done well for himself, with shiny quartz all around the room. The left half of his face is covered in cloth. In civilian life, he was just a student entrapped during the outbreak]

They all just left us to die in there, those rat bastards. I was in my lunch period in the library doing my thing and I heard over the loudspeaker a gruesome yell and what seemed to be a cry for help. We saw the teacher put her phone down and rush to lock the doors to the room. Her face was pale as she started boarding up the doors and immediately told us to get down. We all hoped this was a lockdown drill, maybe someone entered the school, but deep down we knew what was happening. We get under our desks and last thing I know, all I hear is rampage outside. This wasn’t a lockdown drill, the Zacks made it to our school and broke in. Hell, I don't know why the government pushed us to continue to go to school because we were in a “safe zone”, their incompetence led to the demise of all my classmates.

How did you end up surviving after they broke through the library door?

Sheer luck. I remember hiding under a pile of bodies as they broke in, must have thrown them off their scent. Some other classmates did the same and weren't as lucky, or made the slightest sound and were mauled in front of my eyes as I couldnt make a noise. After hiding out for a few hours, but what seemed to be weeks, there were only two Zacks near the library, the rest swarmed over to the staircase nearby and went downstairs. Luckily I wasn't the only one who managed to survive, my peer Michael managed to live out the rampage the same way. We kind of gave each other a look and realized this was our time to try to escape, such an opportunity would present itself again soon. I grabbed a stapler and beat a smaller Z’s skull to death as Micahel stabbed the other in the neck with a few pencils he had. We moved through the hallway trying not to alert the Z’s in the staircase next to it and found a small haven in the chem lab. 

There were empty rooms throughout such a big rampage?

I was dumb enough to think so. The room was pretty quiet so as we walked in we assumed we would be safe, until a Zack lunged out at me from behind the door. I was able to pin it to the ground as Micahel grabbed the nearest glass flask, broke it upon the desk and stabbed it in the back of the head. He was able to save me but the stab into the Z just sprayed a whole lotta of blood into the left half of my face. I knew I had to be quiet but I freaked out. They didn't tell us anything, if the Z’s infected us through blood or by bite, so I thought I was a goner. Micahel talked me through it, we realized that 2 stories down was the exit so that calmed me down.All we had to do was get this blood off my face before it infects me. I at least wanted to escape before I turned or made him put me down. You think I wanna die in this damn school? I was two months from graduating, I'm getting out on my own terms at least. We know now that bites were the way to be infected, but we don't risk anything. With another one of the glass shards, Michael painstakingly tore the skin off where blood was and any areas near, hence the cloth I wear now. Luckily most of the Zacks were all in the school, so we decided to jump out and that would be our path to freedom. If we jumped we might sprain a leg, but those Z’s were slow so it was the only way for us to get out without blowing up a whole staircase. We jumped into a bush and hobbled down and made refuge by jumping house to house, most were empty so we raided the fridges while we waited out for rescue.