The loud huff of the engine starting, made the bus jerk and start speeding down the main road, past deserted buildings and rusting old cars that once filled this cemetery of a city.

Kenneth pulled the clutch in and the bus jerked again and started to pick up more speed.

CJ and Ana were up front, still trying to catch their breath from what had just happened.

They had all ready lost three...

Nicole and Terry held each other as Chips danced in-between their legs from the excitement.

Michael on the other had checked the back window and saw that those lifeless things were still hot on their trail.

His dark gray eyes looked out the small fenced covered window and scanned the faded white lines zipping behind them as they continued further down the street.

The blue tint of the sky was all ready changing and he knew the sun would be up in less then a few minuets.

He knew what had happened the minute he felt that hot flash of sinking pain in his upper arm, he knew it in just a flash before his very eyes...he knew he was bit.

He then turned around and took a deep breath, he looked at the others in the bus and saw they weren't looking.

He then walked a few steps forward and took hold of one of the handle bars, he felt light headed and sick to his stomach.

He looked at his arm and saw the ugly teeth marks...that son of a bitch really got him good.

The warm dripping feeling of his own blood went down his arm and he knew it was to late for him...he was going to die.

He then looked forward and saw Ana, just then his heart filled with so much joy he couldn't stand it.

He loved her so much and she looked so beautiful just then to him...she was so perfect and smart. And it just dawned on him that this was the very bus they had made love in hours before hand.

He closed his eyes and put his head against his arm and tried to think of what he was going to tell her.

He loved her so much now and really thought they had a shot for a future together...but all those dreams were shattered once he saw the bite. He knew he was going to have to die, have to be left behind and watch her leave him...it was the only way she could be safe.

He was angry but heart broken at the same time...his life seemed to pointless, he had always been known as a loser and couldn't even save his own children...now the one thing that did made his life seemed worth something was going to have to go away and leave him once they all reached the dock.

He thought about his life, then his beautiful children, then the life they could have had together if they hadn't of happened.

Ana would have loved Hunter and Dawn, she would have made such a good mother...she would have made most of all a good wife to him.

"I'm sorry baby..." He thought and somehow it was now like a bee sting, he had thought about death his whole life, heaven and hell...even God, and now it really was going to happen...he was going to die.

Part of him was sick and scared to this unknown feeling...but his real fear was knowing Ana would be alone.

He then tried his best to be strong, if Ana saw him even for a second being scared she might lose hope...he couldn't let that happen, he loved her to much and needed her to live and go on.

He then took a shaking deep breath and looked ahead, trying to hold back his tears.

Then it happened so fast he couldn't even keep track of it all.

They reached the dock and those things were right behind them, Kenneth drove into the dock, making them all knock forward and then Terry opened the back door in a flash to get out.

Michael jumped out next and helped Nicole and Ana out, then they all started running towards the dock.

He remembered shooting some of those things and then the explosion which seemed to come out of no where.

He was knocked off his feet and tried to grab Ana but his side hit the dock hard and then when he opened his eyes the smell of burning rubber filled his nose and smoke was lifting in the air.

CJ was dead.

Kenneth came running and then everyone started to jump into Steve's boat, Michael felt sick again and tried to stall until someone noticed him not getting on.

He started to untie the boat lines and throw them abroad, Then he saw Ana reach out her arm to for him to get on.

"Come on let's go."

Michael gulped and looked at her as straight forward as he could.

"I can't." That was the truth wasn't it?

Ana stopped dead and looked at him with the others.

"What?"

Michael then knew it was time to show her, but deep down inside he just wanted to hop on the boat with them and wrap his arms around her and pretend everything was all right.

He then turned over his left arm and showed everyone on the boat. He saw Ana's eyes and he just wanted to reach out and hold her...telling her everything was going to be all right.

"Got it down town when they jumped on us."

"Oh no...Michael."

But he was bitten just like the others that had died and deep down inside he knew that she understood his fate.

He then turned his arm back and took a deep breath as tears filled in her eyes and she looked so confused and lost after seeing it with her own two eyes.

This was killing him and he couldn't look her in the eye again.

"I have to stay here."

He then undid more lines as she tried to talk him into going with them, begging in her cracking uneven voice that she could help him.

"You...you can't." She followed him up and down the boat as he worked on giving the lines to the boat.

"Sorry Ana..." He said in a soft hurt voice, he couldn't understand why this was hurting his heart so much...he never wanted to see her cry and feel the pain he was feeling at this very minute.

He looked up and saw that tears were streaming down her face.

"I can help you..." She begged, he knew she was trying anything to get him to come with them.

He knew God forbid if it was turned around he would be saying and trying the same things...but he wouldn't be able to go on without Ana.

It was different...he wanted her to live and go on.

"No, you can't...you can help them by staying on the boat."

Michael then did the final line and handed it to Terry who looked just as shocked. But he shot him and Nicole a soft smile and then looked over at Ana.

He hoped Terry would count his blessing for still being with Nicole and how the two of them were safe and sound together on the boat.

But that was up to them, he had no idea if the same love he felt for Ana was the same between Nicole and him.

He wanted to say so many things to the others, to make sure in a stern strong voice for them to take care of Ana...he wanted to say so much for her since he knew the pain she was feeling.

But he quicker they left him the better for Ana and him...he knew if they stayed to long she would end up doing something crazy like trying to stay behind, or he might lose his guts and try to go with them...

But that couldn't happen now.

"I can help you..." She was crying even harder now, and Michael took all the strength inside him to hold back his tears to. He then faced her and locked eyes.

"It's okay...it's going to be all right." He tried to say in the calm soft voice he spoke with most of the time...but he knew this was total bullshit.

Both had fallen in love and swore they would never leave each other...now she was going to have break that promise and live a life without him.

He knew he would never be able to do it...but Ana was different, she was stronger.

"No. It wont." She said in such a low hopeless voice that it made his heart ache.

He then raised his hand and touched the side of her cheek, the feeling of her warmth and her smooth face made him remember how she felt back on the bus when they were together, how good she felt and how his heart pounded deep inside his chest whenever he held her tight enough.

She then covered his hand with her pale shaking hand and both seemed to look into each other's eyes for a life time. Remembering all the times they had together and all the times they wouldn't have.

"Hey..." He said in the same calm voice again and tried his best to smile but nothing was working...both of their hearts were breaking.

"It will." He said in a stern voice and tried his best to make her believe that was true.

They looked at each other again and he knew fate wouldn't let them be together, but God was good enough to let them have the time they did share together.

All of their laughs and smiles, all of those nights they slept in the same bed together and how sometimes when he couldn't sleep he would open his eyes and watch her sleep...thinking to himself...

"I'm going to marry her one day."

They might of been strangers, but they loved each other more then anything and now it was over.

His heart took another flip inside his chest and he knew that was all he could say before he started to cry.

So with all his strength he used his other arm and pushed the boat away from the dock, it make a small jerk and Nicole and Terry both held each other watching them.

As the boat started to pull away, he brought her hand and kissed it. The last time ever he would feel her skin or be able to touch her with his lips.

They clasped hands as tight as they could but the boat pulled ahead and make them lose their grip.

Once her hand slipped away he took a deep breath and knew this was it.

He stood up straight and a soft cool breeze made some of his hair blow around in his eyes.

He saw the boat was slowly pulling further and further away.

"You sure you want to do this?"

Kenneth asked, He smiled at Ana who was trying to hold back tears and watching him from the stern of the boat.

"Yeah...I think I'll stay here for a while...Watch the sunrise." Those were the last words he would ever say out loud...it seemed good enough as an ending to his book, but he knew Ana's wasn't over...he made sure of that.

He was heart broken and wished so much for a second chance, but if he hadn't of gotten bitten...she would have been killed and he wouldn't have found that peaceful feeling that was now entering his heart.

The boat was now starting to leave the bay and he heard the engine starting, he sighed knowing she was safe and now he could rest easy.

He trusted the others to take over his job...she would be safe now and he could die in peace.

Everyone had turned their back, but she hadn't...she was still sitting there watching him.

He just stood there just doing the same, knowing these were just last moments of life and he was happy.

He thought about his children, about the day they were born and how he held each one of them in his arms and cried with joy.

He thought about his friends and what was left of his small family before this thing had started.

He thought about some good times he had in high school and how he never told anyone this...but what he wanted to be when he grew up, was to be a good father like his.

He thought about that first night in the mall and how when everyone was asleep, he started to cry over his kids and how useless he felt for not being able to save them.

Then he started to think about her...

She was so beautiful and smart...so perfect in every way.

He knew the minute he saw her he would love her forever. His heart would beat faster whenever he talked to her, and how happy he felt whenever she was around him.

He was so lucky to have her in his life, and how yesterday they both made love and held each other afterwards and said "I love you."

That was the truth, he did love her and wanted her to survive.

He wished they could have gone to that island and spent the rest of their life together, making babies and loving each other as much as they could.

But they had their time and it would last a lifetime in both of their hearts.

"Please God, keep my angle safe..."

He prayed to himself.

Then without even thinking he knew it was time and reached in the back of his jeans where his handgun was.

He slowly pulled it out and looked at it and then the bite.

He hated it so much...but he would of hated himself even more if he turned into one of those things.

He wanted to die himself, he wanted Ana to know he died the same Michael she had fallen in love with.

He wasn't scared anyone, he knew their was life afterwards and after some time she would join him and they could be together again.

"I love you Ana...I always did."

He looked at the boat one last time and saw how small it was getting.

He then took around and saw how beautiful this morning was, the sun danced across the crystal clear water...much like the color of her eyes."

He smiled and then pointed the gun under his chin and looked up at the bright blue sky.

He knew she was still watching him.

"Thank you for her..." He prayed again and then closed his eyes and counted to three.

One...

Two...

Three...

He pulled the trigger and then it was over before it even started.

The last thing he could see was her beautiful blue eyes.