Chapter 55 — The Final Announcement
Every single zombie on the entire second floor had been successfully locked inside the classrooms according to Ms. Selena's plan.
Now, the zombies could be seen staggering aimlessly inside the classrooms.
Some had faces that were badly disfigured, while others crawled helplessly across the floor because they no longer had both legs. Some were missing parts of their arms. Yet despite all those injuries, none of them seemed to feel even the slightest bit of pain.
As time passed, their wounds had already begun to heal.
Even more frightening was the change in their eyes.
Their eyes, which had once been completely white, had now turned a terrifying red. In some zombies, the color had become pitch black.
The entire fourth floor was filled with large patches of blood. Objects and belongings were scattered chaotically throughout the rooms, as if everything had been thrown around during a desperate struggle.
A strange and unpleasant stench filled the air.
From every classroom where the zombies were trapped came horrifying growls and snarls. Along with those terrifying sounds, another noise echoed repeatedly through the corridor—the sound of zombies violently slamming themselves against the classroom doors.
Yet among the entire fourth floor, there was only one room where signs of life remained.
The broadcast room.
Inside the broadcast room, Mr. Simit sat in a single sofa placed against the right-hand wall. He looked as though he were still in shock, his body stiff and his expression distant, as if he had not yet fully recovered from what had happened.
Beside him, on another single sofa near the door, John was sitting.
In the center of the room, two chairs had been placed beside a large table. Ms. Selena sat on one of them, lost in thought, while Lena occupied the other.
Jackson stood with his back pressed firmly against the left wall.
On the floor beneath him, Mary, Lena, and Yaram were sitting with their backs against the wall as well.
For a while, no one spoke.
The only sounds that could be heard were the distant growls of the zombies and the occasional heavy thud of something striking a classroom door.
Finally, John glanced toward Mr. Simit.
A faintly amused expression appeared on his face.
"By the way, Sir, why did you have to jump around so much in front of the zombies?"
The moment John said that, everyone struggled desperately to hold back their laughter.
Some lowered their heads while covering their mouths. Others turned their faces away, trying not to let Mr. Simit see their smiles.
Even in such terrifying circumstances, the absurdity of what had happened was difficult to ignore.
Mr. Simit, however, remained in his shocked state. He answered with a serious expression.
"I was just celebrating my success. I was so caught up in the moment that I completely forgot there were zombies there."
His expression gradually became more sorrowful as he recalled what had happened.
"And then... when I turned around and looked behind me, all the zombies in that room were coming toward me like starving, bloodthirsty beasts."
He swallowed nervously.
"It was only because I managed to lock the door quickly that I survived. Otherwise..."
His voice became quieter.
"Today... I wouldn't be sitting here among all of you..."
The sadness in his voice made the room fall silent for a moment.
But then, almost instantly, his expression changed from sorrowful to furious.
"And all of this is Yaram's fault!"
Yaram immediately looked at him in surprise.
"Me?!"
Mr. Simit pointed accusingly at him.
"You should have been paying attention! You were the one who played that song in the first place. It filled me with excitement, and when I got carried away and started dancing in front of the zombies, the song suddenly stopped!"
His face twisted with frustration as he remembered the terrifying moment.
"And when those zombies started coming toward me like that, I thought I was going to die from a heart attack before they even got the chance to bite me!"
He delivered the last sentence in an exaggerated, trembling voice.
Yaram blinked innocently before defending himself.
"How is that my fault? That song was released just yesterday by a new band. I quickly downloaded it using Wi-Fi. And when all of you made the plan, I thought that song matched the situation perfectly."
Mr. Simit's eyes widened.
"Matched?!"
He stared at Yaram in disbelief.
"You were worried about matching a song with the situation?! What would have happened if those zombies had bitten me here?!"
He threw his hands up in frustration.
"And seriously, what is wrong with people these days? Even during circumstances like these, they're still making songs!"
Jackson, who had been silently listening, finally spoke.
"Sir, this is the modern era. People even find ways to take advantage of situations like this for games."
Everyone went silent after hearing that.
For a few moments, nobody said anything.
The room once again became filled with an uneasy silence.
Then, after some time, Ms. Selena finally broke the silence.
"Lena, what time is it?"
Lena immediately looked down at the watch strapped around her wrist.
She checked the time carefully before answering.
"It's 1:30."
Ms. Selena's expression changed instantly.
Her eyes widened slightly, and a worried look appeared on her face.
"So much time has passed... and no one has come from the fourth floor yet."
Her voice carried a growing sense of anxiety.
Jackson looked toward her.
"I think we shouldn't wait any longer."
Everyone turned their attention toward him.
"I don't think anyone up there is still alive. And even if someone is alive, I don't think they could have escaped those classrooms. There was a huge crowd of zombies in front of them."
Jackson paused.
His expression became grim.
"And even if they somehow managed to get out, surviving would probably have been almost impossible."
The moment he finished speaking, worry spread across everyone's faces.
No one wanted to accept what his words meant.
Ms. Selena slowly stood up.
Her eyes were already moist, but she tried to maintain her composure.
"I think... we should wait a little longer for them."
Before she could continue, Mary interrupted.
"But, Teacher... if no one has come from the fourth floor until now, then it means exactly what Jackson said."
Her voice was quiet, but there was determination in it.
Lena nodded and added,
"And if we keep waiting like this, it will affect the third floor and all of us as well."
She looked at Ms. Selena seriously.
"We can't waste any more time waiting."
Ms. Selena lowered her gaze.
Her eyes were already filled with tears.
For a few seconds, she remained completely still, struggling with the decision.
She knew what they were saying was probably right.
But accepting it meant accepting the possibility that the people on the fourth floor were already gone.
A tear finally escaped from the corner of her eye and slowly rolled down her cheek.
She quickly wiped it away and forced herself to become stronger.
"Alright..."
Her voice trembled slightly.
"If this is everyone's decision, then I accept it too."
She took a deep breath and composed herself.
"So, this time, I won't take any risks regarding the third floor."
She looked toward Yaram.
"Come on, Yaram. Let's make the announcement one last time."
Yaram immediately nodded.
"Okay."
He quickly connected the school's loudspeakers once again.
A moment later, the entire school was connected to the broadcast room.
Everyone inside the room became quiet.
Ms. Selena took a deep breath.
This was the final announcement.
Her voice would be heard throughout the entire school one last time.
Then her voice echoed through the corridors.
Announcement:
"This announcement is for everyone on the third floor."
Ms. Selena paused for a brief moment before continuing.
"I am very... very happy to tell you that the people from the fourth floor have safely reached the broadcast room."
The words felt heavy in her heart as she spoke them.
She knew they were not true.
But she continued anyway.
"So now, the time has come for everyone on the third floor to begin moving toward the second floor. You must reach the second floor before two o'clock so that, before morning arrives, we can all make our way to the rooftop."
Her voice remained calm and encouraging.
"Please take very good care of one another. These are extremely difficult times, and we can only face this difficult situation if we stand together."
She paused briefly.
"I hope all of you understand."
"So, please be extremely careful while making your way to the second floor. We will be waiting for you here."
Then she continued with the most important part of the plan.
"As soon as the song begins, all of you must leave."
"The zombies will be distracted by the sound coming from the speakers, so they will turn their attention toward them. Because of that, all of you should be able to make your way out safely."
Ms. Selena's voice became softer.
"That is the end of this announcement."
She took a breath.
"And remember..."
"This was the final announcement."
The broadcast ended.
For a few seconds, there was complete silence inside the room.
Ms. Selena slowly turned around.
The moment she faced everyone, she noticed that they were all staring at her with questioning expressions.
Lena was the first to speak.
"Ms. Selena... why did you say in the announcement that the people from the fourth floor had already reached here?"
Ms. Selena's eyes immediately became moist again.
She lowered her gaze.
For a moment, she could not answer.
Then she finally spoke in a quiet, sorrowful voice.
"I didn't want to break their courage on the third floor."
She wiped the tears gathering in her eyes.
"And if there were only students up there... if I had told them the truth about the fourth floor, they might never have come out."
Her voice trembled.
"I just..."
She struggled to continue.
"I just don't want to lose any more children."
The moment she said those words, she broke down.
Her tears began falling freely as all the emotions she had been suppressing finally overwhelmed her.
Mary and Lena immediately moved toward her.
They stood beside her and supported her, trying to calm her down.
The others remained silent.
No one knew what to say.
Outside the broadcast room, the horrifying growls of the zombies continued to echo through the fourth floor.
And somewhere on the third floor, the students were preparing to make their way toward the second floor—
believing that the people on the fourth floor had already survived.
Not knowing that Ms. Selena had lied to them only because she could not bear to see another child lose hope.