This story is one that I want to dedicate to those who lost so much that terrible day ten years ago.

I wrote this to show that even people, or in this case the undead, don't forget such terrible days.

I do not own left 4 dead, nor the quote that I will have at the end.

None Can Forget.

"I hate rain and I hate New York. There are too many people here and I'm surprised we haven't seen any." Was Francis's comment as him, Bill, Louis, and Zoey traveled through a strangely quiet New York city.

The four had traveled there after hearing that there was a plane at the airport there that would take any survivors to a safe zone in Europe that was made by other survivors that were immune. They only had twelve hours to get there, but that would be enough time at the rate that things were going. Bill turned to Francis and comments, "Francis, you complain way too much, but for once I agree with you. Where is everyone?"

Louis asks, "Are you sure that the man on the radio had said the JFK airport?"

"Yeah, that's what the man had told me. I even had him repeat what he said just to be sure. I wasn't even sure since he told me it was here in New York. I somewhat understand now, but I'm wondering where the infected are."

Since the group had arrived to New York, only a few infected had attacked, but they were only common infected, they hadn't encountered any of the special infected. "The infected have been everywhere we've been, even that cornfield that we had gone through, but there hasn't even been a tank to come after us."

The others just nod in agreement as they continue through the city, wondering where everyone is. "I don't get why the vampires haven't attacked us yet, I mean, this city should be crawling with them, ready to try to rip us apart."

Francis says to the group. Zoey sighs and sarcastically says, "Francis. For the last time, They are ZOMBIES not VAMPIRES!"

Francis just grumbles as Zoey goes on to say, "If they were vampires, we would be traveling by day, not during the night! Though I do have to agree with Bill, it's odd that we haven't encountered any, they normally come in hordes every five minutes practically."

Bill cuts them off, snapping, "Haven't you two heard off quiet?! We maybe being watched as we speak! The fact that there haven't been any attacks lately is all the more reason to be even more cautious!"

After this everyone is quieter than ever as the group contemplates Bill's words, after a while, the lack of any sound from anything except the wind starts to get to the group nervous. Before anyone could react, Francis jerks his gun to the side and opened fire on a car, causing the car alarm to go off. As the group starts running, they fear for the sounds of a horde that they expect to come charging for the sound of the alarm. "Why the hell did you shoot that car?!"

Bill shouts at Francis. "Because I thought I saw a vampire, Why the heck else?!"

Francis shouts back. After that, the group focused only on running while listening for a horde. After a while, they realize that there isn't anyone following them, they stop, look back and see nothing, not even a boomer. This really confuses them since normally they have dozens of infected coming after them by this point, but they continue on anyways. After about half an hour, the group finally find where the infected were all at. Turning a corner, the group finds thousands of infected a few blocks ahead of them.

Louis goes and takes a few steps forward, but kicks a can as he does so, which bounces along until it hits another car, setting off its alarm. The infected all turn to the sound and spot them, prompting the survivors to prepare their molotovs and pipe bombs for the expected charge, but when they look up, they find that the infected had turned back to what they were looking at before. Confused, Louis looks at Bill and says, "I don't understand, the infected always attack when they spot us."

Not saying anything, Bill goes toward the infected, the others hesitating before following along. As they move amongst them, the infected either ignore them or look at them briefly. When they reach the end of the swarm, they find themselves in front of a gap too large to be a natural part of the city. Louis clarifies on what they are seeing when he says, "I was supposed to be here at noon that day, I had slept in at the hotel I was staying at when the planes hit."

(Music cue Alan Jackson's where were you when the world stopped turning.)

It hits them hard when they realize that the area they were standing at was ground zero for the September 11th attacks back in 2001. Bill lowers his head solemnly, "We have been so busy trying to survive, that we had forgotten that today is the anniversary of 9/11."

Zoey and Francis are surprised when they think about it, and then lower their heads in shame and in sadness. Francis quietly says, "I was in a prison at the time because of a bar fight, I had thought that what I seen was all a stunt for a movie."

Zoey is next to say, "My family and I were on vacation, we never knew what happened until we had gotten back to the hotel that night. We were horrified to see the footage of the planes hitting the towers, especially of the images of the people jumping from the towers."

Bill is the last to speak and is the most solemn of the four as he says, "I was here when the attack occurred, I was going to visit an old Vietnam War buddy of mine that had worked in the tower, and I never saw him again after the towers had come down. He was on the 96th floor when the plane hit."

The group stood there amongst the infected, and soon hear sobbing and a gentle growl. Looking to their left, they find a witch sobbing harder than usual and on their right are a hunter and tank that stunned them with the fact that they were actually crying. When Louis disappears, Francis puts an arm around the witch's shoulder, letting her cry into his vest, while Zoey hugs the hunter and they cry into each other's shoulder, and Bill puts a hand on the tank's arm, which causes it to pull him into a rough hug. Louis comes back after a while and has two large candles that he sets in front of the rubble before going back to the others. They all just stand there, human and infected, praying and mourning those who died that terrible day. After a while, the survivors quietly leave, not disturbing any of the infected. None of the four have a dry eye as they head for the airport. When they get there, they find the plane and a number of other survivors were there, some were in good condition, others not so much, but like them, none of them had a dry eye. Once they were on board, they met some survivors from the south. The bulkiest of them, Coach was his name, asked them, "Did you see the infected at ground zero?"

Bill nods, but does not say anything. "I don't understand why, but they had been like that for a week. Even before then, they would rarely attack survivors, especially there."

The survivors don't say anything else as the plane takes off, Bill is looking out the window at the moment of takeoff, and sees the three special infected that were at the sight. They were waving farewell, seeming to wish them a safe flight as they head for Europe. As they pass the Statue of Liberty, Bill can't help but to think that he sees lady liberty is crying.

Quote:

Dear God, Allah, Supreme Spaceman, Great Pumpkin, whoever you are—Please stop the cycle of hatred.-Uncle Sam in 9-11 artists respond, volume 1

This line, written in the artists respond books as a response to the nine eleven attacks, was a common plea amongst Americans at the time. When the attacks had occurred in this story, this is where those three infected were at.

Witch: She was working as a model for a fashion company, getting ready to show a new fashion, but had stopped when the news came out. Her brother had been there.

Tank: He was one of the people to come out to volunteer to help when the towers collapse, in a desperate attempt to help survivors that were buried in the rubble.

Hunter: He was on one of the lower roofs, getting ready for a parkour routine, but had enough of a vantage point to see the first tower, then the second tower get hit.

Me: I was in the third grade when it happened. I wasn't there, so when I was told what happen, I thought it was some military videogame.

I ask anyone who reads this, please never forget those who have been killed by pointless anger and the soldiers who fight to keep us safe.