Willamette High School

**Willamette High School** or simply **The School** is a key location in Route to Paradise, serving as the central location for the third season, and as a major location in the fourth season.

## **Pre-Apocalypse**

The Willamette High School is a school located on the outskirts of Willamette. Before the apocalypse, Bruce Boseman was the principal, while Jacob Feldman, William Reynes and Martyn Ford were some of the notable teachers.

Early into the apocalypse, many students and staff in the school were slaughtered by the undead. Most who survived the initial attacks left to try and get home, having lost faith in Bruce, who tried to protect everyone. Those who stayed behind fell under the leadership of Bruce. By the time the school is first seen in the story, Bruce and Martyn are the only staff left, with Lloyd Waller, Kyle Douglass, Bernie Ortan and Tony Marston being the students still there.

## **Post-Apocalypse**

### **Season 3**

#### **Arrival of the Mall Survivors**

After the destruction of Willamette Parkview Mall, the survivors who were residing there are looking for a new place to live. Two of those survivors happen to be Jacob Feldman and William Reynes, who decide to go and investigate their old school to check if it’s a safe place to live.

When Jacob, William and Kate Bloodstone arrive, they are greeted by Bruce Boseman, who instantly welcomes them inside upon recognizing his old colleagues. After getting the okay from Bruce, Kate leaves to go and get the rest of their group.

During the time that Kate is out collecting their other group members, Jacob and William take the time to discuss the food situation at the school, which Bruce admits is not good. In the end, they agree that a supply run is needed to keep everybody fed.

Lloyd Waller, one of the students, finds out about the supply run and asks to go along. Although Jacob isn’t sure about it, he goes to Bruce with the idea, and Bruce agrees to it so long as Lloyd follows exactly what they say.

Later the next day, after a tragic supply run gone wrong, William holds a funeral for Jacob. Sometime later that day, Kate finally returns to the school with the rest of their group after a number of setbacks. They are informed about Jacob’s death.

That night, while Dean Howards is out in the school courtyard alone, he is suddenly hit over the head with a shovel. The attacker is revealed to be Damerae Badrick, who everyone thought was dead. As Dean panics, Badrick knocks him out and carries him away.

Once Dean is discovered to be missing, people begin to speculate about what happened. Meanwhile, William struggles with guilt over Jacob’s death. Kate sparks a romance with Marcus Downes.

#### **Badrick's Attack**

During one afternoon, a majority of the group is gathered out in the courtyard, listening to Jon Matthews’ ideas about defending the school. Suddenly, they are interrupted when a truck speeds to a stop in front of the school. It’s revealed that Dean is behind the wheel - having been forced to drive here by Badrick and Derrick Williams. As people look on with awe at the fact Badrick is still alive, Badrick reveals to Dean that he had secretly chained Jim Butterman to the back of the truck. Dean watches as Jim takes his left breath, before he snaps out of his state, ranting to Badrick that he won’t win in the end.

Apollo, a german shepherd, is unable to be controlled, and abruptly runs at Badrick, who shoots the dog dead. After this, Badrick and Derrick realize that the horde of zombies they’d been leading here has finally arrived. They hop in the truck and speed away, as the school comes under attack from the endless stream of zombies.

Seeing that Dean is beaten and hardly able to move, Owen Gliefield risks his life to go and rescue him. But as Owen is hurrying over, the school gate behind him blows open thanks to an RPG fired by Derrick. Owen then sees Derrick approaching Dean, shooting at him. But before Derrick can finish Dean off, Owen shoots Derrick dead and takes Dean to a building across the street for safety. In the process, Owen is bitten by a zombie, and knowing that there’s nothing he can do, Owen sacrifices himself so that Dean can survive.

Meanwhile, the rest of the school survivors are forced inside of the school as the zombies swarm through the blown open gate, breaking through the doors and windows. Kate, Marcus, Fraser Stiller and Zac Barnes are separated from everyone else and escape from the school. The rest of the group begin to escape through an open window, beginning with the students, Lloyd, Kyle Douglass, Bernie Ortan and Tony Marston. However after the students make it out, the window is blocked. As the zombies surround everyone, Martyn sacrifices himself to the zombies, creating an opening so that the others can escape.

However, Bruce stays behind, not wanting to leave his school. Eventually, he is confronted by Badrick, and the two of them fight each other, ending in Bruce being fatally stabbed in his gut. While Badrick escapes, Bruce stumbles to the principal’s office, where he bleeds out and dies.

### **Season 4**

#### **Aftermath and Arrival of Edward’s Group**

Most of the zombies that weren’t killed during the attack eventually stumble away from the school, most of them having followed a cement truck that the majority of the group escaped in. Dean eventually makes his way into the school, where he collapses inside one of the rooms, crying at the destruction, and having been traumatized by everything.

Sometime later, a group led by Edward Remar arrives at the school, stopping there after seeing that it had been recently attacked. They find Dean inside, who tells them that all of this was Badrick’s doing. Immediately, Edward, who has been hunting Badrick down for days, pressures Dean to get more information about what happened. But Dean is in no condition to answer his questions, and is taken away to rest. For the time being, Edward and his group decide to stay put. While here, Clyde Rollins starts to train with melee weapons, being guided by Claire Noble.

When Dean is finally rested and in a more stable state, he tells Edward and Benjamin Taylor about what happened at the school, but begs them not to let vengeance consume them, like with what happened to Jacob.

Later on, Dean goes outside to bury Jim’s remains. While Dean is at it, two survivors suddenly show up -- Randall Forster and Michael Hall. While Randall is a friendly face to them all, Michael isn’t, and Edward threatens to kill him. However, Randall convinces Edward that Michael has changed for the better. Hesitantly, Edward takes Randall’s word and allows Michael to stay, especially given that he is seriously injured.

After this, Edward and his group come together to discuss their options, eventually coming to an agreement to go and investigate a stadium that’s supposedly a large community. Edward, Benjamin, Solomon Reed and Mike Simpson leave to go and check it out beforehand.

While Michael is healing, he has a talk with Randall, finally making peace with him. Clyde and Claire continue their training, as they grow closer to each other.

Eventually, Edward and the others return, not with news about the stadium, but rather with information about where Badrick is. Everyone agrees that they have to take this chance and attack him while he isn’t expecting it. Everyone except for Clyde and Michael go.

During the time that the others are gone, Michael pays his respects to Jim.

A couple of hours later, Edward and the others come running back to the school in a panic. It’s revealed that the attack went horribly wrong, and that Mike is dead. With Rastas presumably following them, the group knows that they need to escape as soon as possible. Edward, however, argues that they should hold their ground. However, nobody else agrees with him.

Suddenly, the Rastas launch an attack against the school, killing Wilbur Wright instantly. In an effort to slow down the Rastas, Dean and Solomon start a fire by exploding the furnaces downstairs. As the school begins to burn, everyone escapes out a back entrance -- everyone except for Michael, who’s too weak and injured to keep going. He thanks Randall for forgiving him, before putting up a final stand against the Rastas. In the end, Michael distracts the Rastas long enough for the school to burn down, allowing for everyone else to escape.

#### **Final Appearance**

In "The Road Ahead", the burnt ruins of the school are seen one last time as the group drives through Willamette on their way out of town.

## **Inhabitants**

* Bruce Boseman
* Martyn Ford
* Lloyd Waller
* Kyle Douglass
* Bernie Ortan
* Tony Marston
* Jacob Feldman
* William Reynes
* Randall Forster
* Kate Bloodstone
* Edward Remar
* Clyde Rollins
* Dean Howards
* Jon Matthews
* Marcus Downes
* Austin Kingston
* Aldus Paxton
* Solomon Reed
* Rebecca Dawson
* Albert Hanson
* Benjamin Taylor
* Claire Noble
* Angela Jaegar
* Fraser Stiller
* Zac Barnes
* Owen Gliefield
* Layton Zimmers
* Mike Simpson
* Michael Hall
* Wilbur Wright
* Da'Jonte Woodard
* Apollo

## **Deaths**

* Jim Butterman
* Apollo
* Derrick Williams
* Owen Gliefield
* Martyn Ford
* Bruce Boseman
* Many unnamed students and staff