Free The Week of the Dead by Viktor Longfellow

notebook, pen, and he placed his cell phone on the desk. As he opened his notebook to begin taking notes on whatever the professor was talking about, there came a wave of vibrations across the auditorium. That was followed by a cadenza of beeps, whistles, eight-bit keyboards, and tidbits of popular ringtones. The room began busied with people shuffling in their seats, whispering to one another. Ethan sat still and watched as his cell phone began to flash and dance across the desk. His rubber cell-phone cover couldn’t contain the kinetic ballet of modern technology. He looked over to Josh who had a worried puzzled look upon his face. The ambient noise of Professor McMiller ceased to exist because her phone too began to rattle with excitement.
    “Everyone, everyone. May I get your attention?” McMiller broke the chatter. “I have just received a text message that the school is to be evacuated immediately. Take your things, and go home. Keep your phones handy. We will hear when we shall return to class. I don’t know what’s happening. It’s probably just another bomb threat,” she said with a sarcastic tone. McMiller and her audience began to stuff things into book bags and head for the door. Ethan and Josh sat still, letting the crowd pass.
    “What do you think, man?” Ethan said to Josh.
    “Beats me, man. But I’m getting out of here regardless. Want to come over for a beer?”
    Josh lived next to the campus in student housing about two blocks from the school. “Hell yeah, man.” As the two men got up, a single scream was heard from the back door, the way Professor McMiller had exited not too long ago. Every one stopped in their tracks to see McMiller running in her high-heeled shoes. She was being followed by a man in Memphis Tigers blue sweatshirt; the hood was drawn up. “No one panic. It’s just an idiot trying to spook us,” Josh said to the crowd.
    “Everyone out. I have to pee. Make a hole,” Ethan said as he began shoving his way through the crowd.
    As Josh placed his hand on the door, he heard a loud thud on the stage of the auditorium. He turned to see McMiller had tripped on her high-heeled shoes and she was holding her ankle. The man in the blue sweatshirt began pacing toward her and showed signs of foaming at the mouth. McMiller screamed as the she made eye contact with the man with his bloodshot eyes. “Hey asshole, she’s hurt. Joke’s over,” Josh said as he turned and crossed his arms.
    The man continued to come closer to the professor lying on the floor. “Parker, help me,” McMiller shouted. Most of the classroom had emptied by now; all that was left were a handful of students, including Josh, Ethan, and a giant in Memphis basketball clothes. The giant man stood in the path between the sweatshirted man and the professor. “Get the hell outta here, dude. Don’t nobody want yo’ shit!” he said as the man in the sweatshirt changed his gaze to the tall man. “Yo, what’s wrong with you dude,” he said to the intruder. He was met with a snarl and an open mouth of teeth. “Fuck you, man!” he said as he swung his backpack into the open mouth.
    The man fell backward from the blow. The basketball player went toward the professor, as Ethan and Josh met them. The basketball player stuck out his giant tattooed hand to the professor. “Here we are, ma’am,” he said as he hoisted the professor up with his slender frame. Ethan and Josh grabbed each arm of the professor and held on to her. “Turn around!” Josh said to the big man. The snarling man had returned to his feet in a stumbling manner. “Yo! You drunk or something?” he said, which was met with another snarl. He balled his fist at the bloodshot man who began pacing toward him.
    The basketball player stood his ground. He reached back and planted his fist into the face of the approaching creature. “Yeah! Knocked you the fuck out!” he said as he squatted over his victim and began to mercilessly punch him repeatedly in