Chapitre 2: Chapter 2: Just My Luck

If there's one thing I'm good at, it's hitting the snooze button. I've got it down to an art form. My finger practically moves on its own, silencing the alarm before my brain even registers that it's morning. But today, something was different. I didn't get the luxury of those precious extra minutes of sleep. Instead, I was jolted awake by the sound of my phone vibrating on the nightstand, an incessant buzz that rattled the cheap plastic and echoed through my tiny dorm room.

Groggily, I reached over and grabbed the phone, squinting at the screen. My notifications were blowing up with texts, news alerts, and missed calls. It wasn't normal. Especially not for a guy like me who only ever got spam messages from fast food apps and the occasional meme from my mom.

"What the hell…" I muttered, sitting up in bed and rubbing my eyes.

The first thing that caught my attention was a text from my friend, Matt, a fellow gamer who was as much of a night owl as I was. The message was short and to the point: Dude, are you seeing this? No context, no explanation, just pure confusion wrapped in three little words.

My curiosity piqued, I swiped through the rest of the notifications. There were headlines like "Strange Lights Seen Over Major Cities" and "Mass Hysteria as Portals Appear in the Sky". The phrases jumped out at me, and I felt a chill run down my spine. My mind flashed back to what Officer Jenkins had said yesterday about people acting weird and portals opening up. At the time, I had dismissed it as just another example of the world going crazy, but now… well, maybe there was more to it than I'd thought.

I threw on my usual attire, a faded Star Wars T-shirt, jeans that were just a bit too tight in the waist, and my trusty hoodie. The same one I'd worn yesterday, and the day before that, and probably every day before that. Who was I trying to impress, anyway? It wasn't like I was going to run into anyone important on my way to class, or the food pantry, which, let's be honest, was more like a daily sentence than an actual job.

My phone buzzed again. Another text from Matt: "Get online. Now."

That was weird. Matt never demanded anything from anyone. We were both pretty laid-back guys who liked to spend our time grinding levels in RPGs and debating the merits of old-school Final Fantasy games versus the newer ones. The idea of him being this urgent about anything was… unsettling.

I hesitated for a second, considering whether I should just ignore it and go about my usual morning routine. But something told me that wouldn't be a good idea. So, I booted up my laptop and logged into our gaming chat, expecting some kind of elaborate prank. Instead, I was met with a barrage of messages, not just from Matt but from the entire group.

Matt: "George, man, where the hell are you?"

Liam: "Holy crap, guys, this is it. This is the real deal."

Sarah: "Is anyone else seeing these portals? Is this some kind of marketing stunt for a new game?"

Max: "I'm freaking out. This isn't normal."

The chat was blowing up with all kinds of theories and panic, and the more I read, the more my stomach twisted into knots. I clicked on the link Matt had dropped in the chat, and it took me to a live news feed showing footage from around the world. Sure enough, there were strange lights in the sky, bright, swirling colors that looked like something out of a sci-fi movie. And then there were the portals. Massive, gaping holes in the sky that defied explanation. They pulsed with an otherworldly energy, and people on the streets below were losing their minds, pointing and shouting as they recorded the phenomenon on their phones.

I could feel my heart start to race as I watched the footage. This wasn't a prank. This wasn't some elaborate ARG or viral marketing campaign. This was real.

"Guys," I typed back into the chat, "I think we're screwed."

Matt: "No kidding, man. What do we do?"

That was the million-dollar question, wasn't it? What do we do when the world suddenly decides to turn upside down? My first instinct was to do what I always did when faced with something unexpected: find a way to make it funny. Humor was my defense mechanism, the thing that kept me sane when everything else was falling apart. But there was nothing funny about this.

I took a deep breath and tried to think rationally. "Okay, everyone just… stay calm. Let's figure out what we're dealing with first. Matt, are there any other reports? Anything about people being, you know, hurt?"

Matt: "Not sure. But the news is talking about people freaking out, some collapsing, others just standing there like they're hypnotized. This is crazy."

Liam: "Hypnotized? Like zombies?"

I froze. Zombies. It was a word that sent a chill down my spine, and not in the fun, Left 4 Dead kind of way. If there was one thing that every gamer, movie buff, and general nerd like me feared in the event of an apocalypse, it was zombies. Sure, we joked about it all the time, who would be the first to get eaten, who would turn into a badass zombie-slaying machine. But deep down, we all knew that if zombies were real, we'd be in deep, deep trouble.

I tried to push the thought out of my head. "Let's not jump to conclusions. It could be anything."

Sarah: "Or it could be the end of the world as we know it. In which case, we're all screwed."

She wasn't wrong. But the thing about the end of the world is that it doesn't come with a manual. There's no playbook for how to survive when the laws of nature decide to take a vacation and the universe starts throwing curveballs at you. So, I did what I do best, I made a decision based on pure instinct and a heavy dose of nerd logic.

"I'm heading out to see what's going on," I typed. "You guys should stay safe, keep in touch, and… I don't know, stock up on supplies. This might blow over, or it might not. Either way, let's not lose our heads."

Easier said than done.

I grabbed my backpack, stuffing it with a few essentials: my wallet, phone charger, a couple of protein bars, and, because I couldn't help myself, a mini flashlight I'd won at an arcade a year ago. It wasn't much, but if there was one thing that every gamer knew, it was that you always had to be prepared. I threw on my hoodie, zipped it up, and headed out the door, trying to convince myself that I wasn't walking into a disaster.

As I stepped outside, the first thing I noticed was the sky. It was still morning, but the usual pale blue had been replaced by swirling clouds of dark gray, shot through with streaks of electric blue and deep purple. It looked like someone had taken a paintbrush to the atmosphere and decided to create the world's most intense art installation. The air was thick, too heavy, like the feeling you get right before a thunderstorm hits.

The campus was eerily quiet. No students milling about, no chatter or laughter echoing off the buildings. Just an unsettling silence, broken only by the distant hum of the few cars still on the road. It was like the world had hit pause, waiting for something to happen.

I made my way to the food pantry, where Stephanie was already there, looking as chipper as ever. She was organizing a shelf of canned goods, humming to herself like nothing was wrong. How she managed to stay so positive in the face of what was clearly the beginning of the end was beyond me.

"Morning, George!" she called out, flashing me a bright smile. "Isn't it a beautiful day?"

I stared at her, wondering if she was seeing the same sky I was. "Uh, sure. Beautiful. You, uh, notice anything weird lately?"

Stephanie tilted her head, her smile faltering slightly. "Weird? Like what?"

I gestured vaguely to the sky. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe the fact that the sky looks like it's about to open up and swallow us whole?"

She glanced up, her brow furrowing as she finally took in the ominous clouds. "Oh, that. I thought it was just some kind of weather phenomenon. You know, climate change and all that."

I shook my head, trying to suppress a laugh. "Yeah, climate change. Let's go with that."

She shrugged and went back to organizing the cans. "Well, whatever it is, I'm sure it'll pass. It's probably just one of those things. You know, like when they said the world was going to end in 2012, and nothing happened."

"Except this time, something is happening," I muttered under my breath.

Stephanie, being the eternal optimist that she was, didn't seem fazed. But as the minutes ticked by, I noticed more and more students trickling into the pantry, all of them with the same worried expression.

It wasn't long before the small space was packed with people who were clearly not here for canned beans. Most of them were on their phones, talking in hushed tones or furiously texting, while others just stared out the windows at the swirling sky. The tension in the air was palpable, and even Stephanie's unshakeable positivity couldn't cut through it.

I tried to focus on my work, stacking cans, organizing shelves, pretending like everything was fine. But every time I glanced up, I saw more students pouring in, and the panic in their eyes made it harder and harder to ignore the gnawing sense of dread building in my gut.

"George," Stephanie said, breaking me out of my thoughts. "Do you think we should, I don't know, close up early today? People seem really on edge."

I hesitated, glancing around at the growing crowd. She was right, this wasn't the usual lunchtime rush. Something was very, very wrong, and the last place I wanted to be if things went sideways was trapped in a tiny room with a bunch of scared college kids.

"Yeah," I finally agreed. "That's probably a good idea. Let's just… let's call it a day."

Stephanie nodded, looking relieved. Together, we started ushering people out, telling them we were closing early and that they should head back to their dorms. Most of them didn't argue, they seemed just as eager to leave as we were to get them out. Within minutes, the pantry was empty, save for Stephanie and me.

As I locked the door, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was locking out more than just a crowd of anxious students. It felt like I was locking out the last remnants of normalcy, closing the door on the world I knew, and stepping into something completely unknown.

"George," Stephanie said quietly, pulling me out of my thoughts. "Do you think we should go see what's going on? Like, really see?"

I glanced at her, surprised. Stephanie wasn't the type to seek out trouble, in fact, she was usually the first to avoid it. But there was something in her eyes now, a determination that I hadn't seen before. Maybe it was the same thing I was feeling, that need to know what was really happening, to find out if this was all just some elaborate prank or the start of something much, much worse.

"Yeah," I said, nodding. "Yeah, I think we should."

We left the pantry together, stepping out into the strange, swirling twilight. The sky had darkened even more, the once-vibrant colors now muted and ominous. There was a strange stillness in the air, as if the world was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen.

As we made our way across campus, I couldn't help but notice how deserted it felt. The usual hustle and bustle of students going to and from class was gone, replaced by an eerie silence. The few people we did see were huddled together in small groups, talking in low voices or staring up at the sky with a mix of fear and confusion.

"This is crazy," Stephanie whispered, clutching her phone like it was a lifeline. "It's like something out of a movie."

"Yeah," I agreed, my voice equally hushed. "But I'm pretty sure this isn't the kind of movie we want to be in."

We reached the quad, where a large crowd had gathered, all of them staring up at the sky. I followed their gaze and felt my heart skip a beat. The portals were real, massive, swirling vortexes of light and energy, hanging in the sky like gaping wounds. They pulsed with an otherworldly glow, shifting colors and shapes in a way that made my head spin just looking at them.

I felt a cold sweat break out on my forehead. This wasn't just some freak weather phenomenon, this was something else entirely. Something that defied explanation.

"What… what do you think they are?" Stephanie asked, her voice trembling.

I shook my head, unable to tear my eyes away from the sight. "I don't know. But whatever they are, they're not good."

The crowd murmured in agreement, the tension rising as more and more people joined the throng. Everyone was talking at once, speculating, panicking, trying to make sense of the impossible. But there were no answers, just more questions and a growing sense of dread.

And then, suddenly, everything changed.

There was a flash of light so bright it was blinding, and a deafening crack, like the sound of the earth splitting open. The ground shook beneath our feet, and I stumbled, grabbing onto Stephanie to keep from falling. Around us, people screamed and scattered, some running for cover while others dropped to the ground, clutching their heads as if in pain.

I looked up, squinting against the harsh light, and saw something that made my blood run cold. The portals… they were opening wider, the swirling vortexes expanding, growing, and from within them, dark shapes began to emerge.

Shapes that were anything but human.

"Oh, shit," I muttered, my voice barely audible over the chaos.

The shapes, no, the creatures, were pouring out of the portals now, dropping down to the ground with a speed and ferocity that took my breath away. They were monstrous, twisted, things straight out of a nightmare. Some were humanoid, with grotesque, misshapen features and jagged claws. Others were animalistic, resembling wolves or dogs, but with glowing red eyes and fangs that dripped with venom.

Hellhounds.

I didn't need to be an expert in mythology to know what I was looking at. These creatures were straight out of the deepest pits of hell, and they were here. On Earth. And they were hungry.

"We have to go," I said, my voice shaking. "We have to get out of here. Now!"

Stephanie didn't argue. She grabbed my hand, and we started running, our footsteps echoing off the pavement as we raced back toward the dorms. Around us, chaos reigned. People were screaming, running in all directions, trying to escape the horrors that had just been unleashed. But there was nowhere to run. The creatures were everywhere, tearing through the crowd with a savage fury, their howls and snarls filling the air.

And then, just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, the sky above us darkened. I looked up, my heart stopping as I saw them, giant, winged demonoids, their grotesque forms silhouetted against the dim light. Their leathery wings beat the air with an ominous rhythm, and as they swooped low, I could see their jagged teeth and glowing red eyes, hungry for the chaos below.

"They're flying!" Stephanie screamed, her voice barely audible over the cacophony around us.

Before I could respond, one of the demonoids dove down with terrifying speed, its claws outstretched. It snatched a guy from the crowd, lifting him high into the air before throwing him down with brutal force. He hit the pavement with a sickening crunch, his body crumpling like a ragdoll.

"Run!" I shouted, pulling Stephanie with me as another demonoid swooped down, this time decapitating a girl just a few feet away from us. Her headless body collapsed to the ground, blood spraying in a gruesome arc. I felt Stephanie's grip tighten on my hand, her terror matching my own as we dodged and weaved through the chaos.

The demonoids were everywhere, their monstrous forms filling the sky. Some grabbed people and carried them off, their screams fading into the distance before being abruptly cut off. Others swooped low, raking their claws through the panicked crowd, tearing flesh from bone. I saw one demonoid grab a man by the shoulders, lifting him into the air only to drop him from a terrifying height. He plummeted to the ground, his body smashing against the cement with a sickening thud.

It was like something out of a nightmare, a nightmare I couldn't wake up from.

We ducked into an alley, trying to stay out of sight, but the demonoids were relentless. One of them landed at the mouth of the alley, its massive wings blocking out the light. It let out a bone-chilling screech, its eyes locking onto us.

"George, we have to move!" Stephanie cried, her voice shaking with fear.

I nodded, my heart pounding in my chest as we turned and sprinted down the alley, the demonoid's heavy footsteps echoing behind us. It was so close, I could feel the air from its wings beating against my back, the stench of its breath filling my nostrils.

"Faster!" I urged, adrenaline fueling my every step.

We burst out of the alley and into the courtyard just outside the dorms, but the demonoids weren't far behind. More of them swooped down, grabbing students and flinging them into the air, their screams mingling with the monstrous roars that filled the sky.

One of them lunged at us, and I pulled Stephanie to the side just in time, narrowly avoiding its deadly claws. We kept running, our lungs burning, our legs screaming for relief, but we couldn't stop. Not now. Not with those things chasing us.

"Get inside!" someone yelled from up ahead. It was one of the RAs, standing by the entrance to the dorm, frantically waving people in.

We made a beeline for the door, the demonoids hot on our heels. As we reached the entrance, I felt a gust of wind and heard the whoosh of wings right behind me. I didn't dare look back. I just threw myself through the door, pulling Stephanie with me, and slammed it shut.

The demonoid crashed into the door with a deafening thud, shaking the frame, but it held. For now.

We were safe. But for how long?

The hallway was eerily quiet, the fluorescent lights flickering overhead. It was like we'd stepped into another world, a world that was still clinging to some semblance of normalcy while everything outside had gone to hell.

"We… we need to barricade the doors," I said, my breath coming in ragged gasps. "Find something heavy. Anything."

Stephanie nodded, her face pale but determined. Together, we pushed a nearby table against the doors, followed by a row of chairs and anything else we could find. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.

I collapsed against the wall, my heart hammering in my chest, struggling to make sense of the nightmare we had just escaped. The portals, the creatures. it was all too overwhelming, too surreal to fully comprehend.

The RA peered out the window, then down the hallway, his expression grave. He turned back to us, concern etched into his features, and let out a heavy sigh.

"Listen, I need to check on the other students," he said, his voice laced with urgency. "You both should head to your dorm room and contact your parents."

Stephanie nodded, offering a weak, grateful smile. "We will. Thank you… for saving us."

The RA gave a curt nod and then moved down the hall, methodically checking each window as he went, his shoulders tense with the weight of responsibility.

"George," Stephanie said quietly, her voice trembling. "What do we do now?"

I looked up at her, seeing the fear in her eyes. She was always the one with the answers, the one who stayed calm under pressure. But now… now she was just as lost as I was.

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to think. We couldn't stay here. The dorms weren't safe, not with those things out there. We needed to find somewhere more secure, somewhere we could defend ourselves. But where?

My mind raced through the possibilities, and then it hit me, the gym. It was large, with heavy doors and a sturdy structure. It wasn't perfect, but it was better than staying here.

"The gym," I said, my voice steadying as I spoke. "We need to get to the gym. It's our best chance."

Stephanie nodded, her fear giving way to resolve. "Okay. Let's go."

We didn't waste any time. We grabbed what we could, backpacks, supplies, anything that might be useful, and made our way back to the door. I took a deep breath, bracing myself for what lay outside. There was no telling what we'd find, but I knew one thing for sure, we couldn't stay here.

"Ready?" I asked, glancing at Stephanie.

She nodded, gripping a makeshift weapon, a metal pipe she'd found, tightly in her hand. "Ready."

I pushed open the door, and we stepped out into the chaos once more.