Notes: So here is the end of Michaels, Andres and Ludas "before Dawn" story. This one has a little homage to the original Dawn of the Dead im sure fans of it will get right away lol. I also want to thank everyone who has read the story up until now, and Stayhooper who gave me such nice reviews! Thanks again!
Michael had a plan, because Michael was a thinker. Also Andre had told him about a message he heard on the radio. Their best bet was to get to Fort Pastor, and maybe there they could find out what had happened while he was sleeping. He almost felt he woke up after dawn in a new world; one he didn't want to stay in for long. He had found out the man that saved him was named Andre, and he had a beautiful wife named Luda who was pregnant and ready to give birth in a few weeks at the latest. The woman he had met earlier was named Jamie but that's all he knew since she had gotten quiet since the attacks were over. Michael couldn't blame her for that, but wished she said something so he could see if she was okay.
The four walked passed city sites that once looked like the grand tourist attractions they were but now looked like broken down tombs for all the died bodies laying under them. Now this freaked him out. The street and side walks all were full of the dead, or dying and there were too many to check on but that wasn't going to stop him. "We should check to see if these people are breathing" Michael said leaving the group and walking off to the side to a stack of people. "Are you trying to get killed man?" Andre spoke up. "Those things are right behind us!" He said waving his gun around when he spoke. Michael didn't listen he just went off and bent down next to one woman and put his fingers to her neck, checking for a pulse...but he found none. "Damn..." he said to himself. He then tried another person, a male who looked like he was stabbed to death with a knife, again no sign of life. He couldn't believe how many dead were littered on the grounds.
Luda and Andre just stood looking at Michael from the clear path in the street, but Jamie had gone to check some of the people with Michael. Not finding anyone alive she gave up and started to head back to the others when she heard a nose from behind. It wasn't loud at all. It was the sound you would expect to hear when someone is pushing a dead body off of him or her and that's just what it was. There rising from the pile of dead was a man she had check for signs of live just a second ago...when he was dead! "Oh my God!" she said so loud it made Andre jump. "What is it!?" he asked. All she could do was point to the confused looking man that just woke up.
At this point Michael had joined them and looked at Jamie and to the man she was pointing to. Just like a time bomb had gone off a bunch of people started to move from all around them and all were heading to the foursome. All of these people were horribly attacked in some way and all looked half dead to Michael. "We can get help." he said. "Dude these people don't need our help get it through your head Mike!" Andre told the sandy blonde haired male. "Andre we go now?" Luda asked looking over the people. He took her hand. "Yeah baby we're GOING!" he told her, saying going loud enough to give the others the idea they all had to leave now, and so Michael wouldn't have a crazy idea of rescue.
Running away they were being followed by the newly awake people. For the second time today strange dead-looking people for no reason were chasing Michael, and he sure wanted to know why they were acting like this. Looking over the others they didn't seem to care as to why, but more of get the hell way.
"Dead End!" Michael called out.
This was it! The road was ending and there was a large sign that said Dead End! They were trapped. Andre told Luda and Jamie to stand behind him and he shot one of the things in the head and it feel down. But there were five left and he was almost out of ammo. As they came closer to the group a sound also came closer. A second later Michael saw it, a blue truck coming straight towards them. "Who the Fuck is that?" Andre asked.
With the sound of breaking bones, and blood flying around, the truck crashed into the things and brought them down to the ground. The group was in shock but didn't have time to think as more of those things were coming from the piles of dead down the road. "Get in the back!" The male driver told them. They went around to the rear of the truck and got in the flat back of it. Luda was the first to get in with Andres help, then Jamie who Michael picked up and gave her to Andres waiting arms. And finally Michael got in. The driver backed up the truck far enough to do a three-point turn to clear the path and go back and take another street.
It was then Michael noticed the back glass of the trucks window was broken and inside sat the male driver, a woman and a young boy between them. "Thank you!" Michael told them. The woman looked back and smiled. "Your welcome! Were just glad we could help," she told him. "I'm Fran by the way. That's my boyfriend Stephen and our little boy Roger. "Howdy" Stephen said looking up at them in his car mirror. Michael took note of all their names and looked back at the others in the truck bed with him. There were now eight of them, all in their own way unsure what do make of the day so far. "Guess your missing work" Andre asked Michael. "Huh?" he asked unsure what he was getting at. "You were on your way to work right? I mean you have that worker type look to you."
Michael laughed, "You have no idea," he told the black man. He then glanced at Jamie and gave her a smile. He wanted her to know things would be okay. She returned the smile and tilted her head back. No wait...she didn't lean back, she was being pulled from behind! "Shit!" Andre said looking as Jamie was taken off the moving truck by a bloody hand and attacked by a group of men as she was. "Stop the Truck!" Michael called out looking for something to use as a weapon. He saw a lone tire iron and picked it up. "She's a gonner man!" the man called back from behind the wheel. "He's right" Andre said holding Luda close, and making sure no more of those things were by the truck. Michael closed his eyes knowing somehow they were right. But still was uncertain as to why they as human beings were so cold towards helping, even if they couldn't save her, they could have tried! He heard her screaming as they attacker her. He closed his eyes tighter almost trying to cover the sound of her screams.
But a moment's peace didn't last when the truck began to shack around them. Michael opened his eyes to see the things on the front of the truck, breaking the glass and grabbing Fran! Three more came and ripped the boy out after her. Oh my God no! He thought
"Damn you!" Stephen yelled, spitting as he did. The truck turned around and started to fly sideways since more of the attackers had ripped the drivers hand off and he was unable to steer. In a bleeding screech the automobile came to a stop. "This way!" Andre said not waiting for Michael to join him.
Exhausted, and a few moments later they rounded a corner to see a large fence and the parking lot of Crossroads shopping mall. "I think we can take a break here." Michael told the couple. "Is that a good idea?" Andre asked taking a look around. There was only two ways to them. One was the road they came from, aka chaos on the streets, and the other was a small tunnel that came from some area Andre wasn't sure where to. "I think we are safe here for a bit...after that I'm not so sure where's safe." Michael told them. "What about For'ted Pastor?" Luda asked in her thick Russian accent. "Nah honey we can't get there now...you saw the path baby..." Andre told her. "Hey I got it...how about that mall up there?" Michael asked. "What? You want to go to a mall?" It all made sense to Michael now. The large structure ...those thick walls could keep whatever these things were out long enough until things get under control, if things would... and there was food in the diner there...what was it called? Wooleys? And they had good coffee; Michael remembered having an enjoyable cup at Hollowed Grounds one weekend.
Andre jumped passed him with his gun pointed to that small tunnel. He heisted then took three shots towards it. Michael almost jumped out of his skin when he saw it was two "normal" people. One looked like a cop, and had a gun.
"All right! Okay! Put the guns down!!" Michael screamed out to Andre and the approaching male. "What are you doing? Come on, he's a cop!" Michael called out to Andre. "Come on put the gun down!" It was the first time he had heard the dude raise his voice above normal talking tones so he let his gun go down. Besides he knew the cop from some troubles he had in the past, he was all right.
Everyone became more relaxed with the fact that nobody was a killer. "I though you were one of them" Andre told the cop as he started to walk passed him. Behind was a woman in pajamas full of dark red blood. Matching Michael already stained white shirt. Breathing out Michael said. "You do not want to go that way" warning the tall black male. The female he was with asked. "What's that way?" but Michael didn't take in the words she asked and continued to look at the cop walking passed them. "Officer, sir, you do not want to go that way." He told him again. This time the girl he was with asked her question once more with more force in her voice and he looked at her. "What's that way?"
"Its pretty bad" he told her as the cop stopped and gave him a look over. "What about Fort Pastor?" the cop asked. A voice came from behind them, it was Andres. "Maybe if you had wings. The roads thick with those motherfuckers that way."
The cop now listening asked. "How do you know?" in a strong deep voice. "We just came from there," Andre told him grabbing Ludas hand and walking up a hill to the malls fence. "Come on." Michael waited and said low "...back when there was eight of us." He started to turn to go after Andre, but twisted around. "Were going to the mall." he told the new arrivals. After that he continued on his way to regroup atop the short green hill.
The cop looked at the bloody and brushed female, and then joined the others. Above Andre and Michael picked up the bottom edge of the fence "Go on Luda, go under" Michael told her. She looked over to see what Andre thought then went after he shook her head. Next was the female in the pajamas. She ducked down and almost hit her head. "Oh careful" Michael told her trying to smile. "Thanks" she said getting completely under. Michael looked to make sure the got by safe, once again he took in the sight of Crossroads Mall...