Disclaimer: I do not own the 2004 film Dawn of the Dead and this story has no official ties with the film; this is a work of fan fiction. I do not receive any payment or any other type of gain from this fan fiction. All rights belong to Strike Entertainment and New Amsterdam Entertainment, as well as Universal Pictures.

Hey everyone, hope you're all keeping well and safe! Just like I promised, here is the first snippet of Angela's life in the mall. This one is Angela/CJ centric and it does contain quite a bit of fluff. Just a reminder, this is NOT apart of the main story, this is extra content that I wanted to write about life in the mall that couldn't be included in the story! Enjoy!

Dipping her hand into the bowl, Angela grabbed a small handful of warm popcorn, shoving it all in her mouth at once. The crunch of the buttery snack was loud in her ears, cutting through the tense silence around her. Clenching her jaw, she opted for letting the popcorn melt on her tongue instead. Eyes glued to the screen in front of her, she keenly watched the main protagonist wander through her house in the dead of night, cautiously checking all the rooms.

"What are you doing?" she whispered, swallowing the now-mushed popcorn. "Get out the house."

While the woman continued her search for the source of the thud she had heard earlier, the theme of the movie began playing faintly in the background, the high-pitched violin sounds only adding to the dread. Muscles stiffening at the ominous music, Angela felt her own heart pumping rapidly in her chest. When the music turned sharper, the woman on screen becoming frantic with her search, the hairs stood on her arms and goosepimples formed along her skin.

"Leave," she muttered, shaking her head at the clueless character as if she could hear her, "call the police."

Over the growing intensity of the instrumental music, the protagonist's breaths loudly panted through the speakers, becoming harsher the quicker she searched. Curling her body tighter, Angela's wide eyes couldn't leave the scene, anticipating what was to come.

Finally, the woman stopped in front of the closet doors, the only place she hadn't checked – typical, Angela thought. However, her breath caught in her throat when the woman reached out with a trembling hand and suddenly ripped the doors open, both women bracing themselves for what was inside as the music climaxed. The camera cut to a shot of inside the closet, a dead silence following when all that was revealed was just clothes hanging up, nothing else out of the ordinary. Both the protagonist and Angela relaxed, letting relieved sighs past their lips.

The shrill scream of the violins returned when the clothes on the rack were suddenly pushed apart, the masked killer jumping out the closet at the woman. At the same time of the jump scare, a pair of hands grabbed Angela's waist, squeezing her tightly. Heart leaping with fright, a short cry of terror left her throat, body spasming and jerking into the air. Laughter suddenly filled the dark room; the body Angela was leaning on shook uncontrollably. Blood rushing through her body, she sat up to glare at the man next to her.

"What the fuck, CJ?" she said, smacking him on his chest.

From the soft glow of the television, she could see CJ's face twist with delight, eyes squeezed tightly while he continued to chortle at the prank he had successfully pulled.

"Holy shit," he wheezed over the screams of the woman on the television, wiping a tear from his eye. "I got you good!"

In the small theatre room of one of the bookstores, Angela and CJ were sat on the leather couch, watching a horror film the prior had picked out. For the full cinema effect, they had turned the lights off, leaving them in total darkness with the volume turned to the max. After a full day of working on the trucks, Angela had wanted to spend some time with CJ on their own as a couple – and what better way to that than a movie night? Or so she thought.

"That wasn't funny," she said, though when the adrenaline started to leave her body and she could see the humorous side of it all, she couldn't help the small chuckle that slipped from her mouth. "You almost made me spill the goddamn popcorn everywhere."

Adjusting the bowl on his lap, his shoulders still twitching with amusement, he shook his head. "Would have been totally worth it just for your reaction."

Now that her heart rate had returned to normal, Angela felt a smile matching the one CJ wore spread across her face.

In that moment, everything felt so normal. If she didn't think too hard, Angela could imagine they were having a movie night in their own home, watching their own TV on their own couch. It would be relaxing after a normal working day; Angela tired after teaching her usual classes at school, CJ glad to be home after a long security shift at the mall. They wouldn't be stuck in said place, working tirelessly for a chance of freedom while hundreds of undead beings surrounded them, hungry for their flesh. The world would be running just as normal, like any other day.

"You okay?" CJ asked when Angela had been staring quietly for a few moments.

Eyes focusing on his face, bringing herself back to reality, the smile was still on her face when she nodded. Leaning up to him, she pressed her lips softly against his, bringing her legs into his lap. Feeling his arm wrap back around her waist, the other gently rubbing her thighs, she broke the kiss to rest her head on his chest. Now snuggled into each other, they returned their attention to the movie.

Just for tonight, Angela could pretend everything was normal and escape the harsh reality.