Chapter 1 – Dead Frog Hopping

Chapter 1 �" Dead Frog Hopping

 

It all started with a dead frog…well, supposedly dead frog.

 

Monday morning and all the students at Harrison High were in class listening to morning announcements.

 

“Today the school will be getting pressure washed so all doors and windows will be sealed to prevent any incidents. It’s also a new era, a non-digital era. All cellphones are now banned from within school and that rules goes for teachers and students. All important calls can be made at the free-of-charge payphones recently installed in the main office. And due to budgets, lunch will consist of oatmeal, carrot sticks and water. Enjoy your day.”

 

Ms. Sissa formed a grin. “I love carrots.”

 

The woman taught Spanish, Math and Science. Ms. Sissa was one of the few teachers who tried to keep a positive attitude during the budget cuts. Many of the staff was fired, the school internet was disconnected which meant when students needed to do research papers they had to use books or simply wait until they got home.

 

Brand had only been here a week. This place could not compare to his old school.

 

Ms. Sissa stood and motioned at the plastic containers on the students’ desk. “Alright, this morning we are going to begin with science. I’m very excited because we will all get to dissect sapos. Due to budget cuts some of your frogs might be lizards, but let’s just pretend. Students, reveal your subjects.”

 

Brand removed the top from his container to discover he got a lizard. “Lame, I wanted a frog.”

 

“Yo, Sissa,” Hector the football team captain blurted out. “My frog is sort of pale and looks messed with.”

 

“That’s maybe because some of these frogs were dug from the garbage of a science lab,” Ms. Sissa explained.

 

Hector poked at his frog. “Are you telling me you guys got us used dead frogs?”

 

“Budget cuts, remember Hector?”

 

“Ouch,” Hector screamed. “It just bit me.”

 

The class started to laugh as Hector sucked onto his bleeding thumb. He took his pencil and started to stab his frog repeatedly. The laughter grew and Ms. Sissa clapped her hands as she did her best to regain the class’ attention and calm them down. It wasn’t long until Hector dropped to the floor and the classroom went silent.

 

Brand stood from his seat. “Is he okay?”

 

Ms. Sissa rushed from her desk over to Hector. “Up now, I have little time for your juegos.”

 

The class remained silent as Ms. Sissa bent over and shook Hector. Either he was really good at playing dead or he was actually dead, Brand thought. The annoyance in Ms. Sissa’s face was replaced with concern as she checked Hector’s pulse. Soon her worry was expressed by quick Spanish sentences under her breath and cussing. Hector grabbed Ms. Sissa by the arms, lunged forward and dug his teeth into her neck.

 

“Holy balls,” Another student shouted as his frog bit him also. “Mine’s alive too!”

 

Hector set Ms. Sissa free and lunged at the girl closet to him. It wasn’t long before a bloody Ms. Sissa was attacking students also. Brand had seen many horrors movies but didn’t expect to be living in one. He grabbed his backpack, rushed from the classroom with other students and started for the exit. Brand arrived to a locked door, remembering the school was being pressure washed today.

 

He faced the empty hall way and at the top of his lung shouted, “Zombies!”

 

From the classroom, Hector charged out first followed by other turned students and Ms. Sissa. They started invading other classrooms and soon screams and cries for help started to spread throughout Harrison High. Brand needed to act quickly. He armed himself with a pencil and hid in the nearest locker. He would survive this the best way he could.