The pleasant elevator music chimed as they went through floors, and the gentle ring swam through Dawn's ears was nice and calming.
The loud rattling of pistols rising and fear so thick you could cut a knife with soon changed the situation.
"Find somewhere else." A man with a hat that in big bold white letters said 'Security' said. He had a brunette mustache that ran down to his jaw, and a small beard under his lower lip. His brow was tense and focused on the outsiders.
"There isn't anywhere else." Kenneth barked, and one of the men in the group flinched at Kenneth's harsh tone.
"Our homes are destroy!" Luda whined.
"Oh, well that changes everything. You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here." He tightened his finger around the trigger.
"Come on, please, we won't be any trouble." Michael put his palms together.
Andre forced the elevator doors to stay open as they automatically tried to close.
"CJ, come on, we can't just leave 'em out there." One of the other security officers whispered.
The man cleared his throat and nodded, "Fine. You can stay here."
The group cautiously walked in, and the security staff forced the guns away from Kenneth and Andre. They grunted and complained about it at first, but soon quieted down.
Michael, Kenneth, and Dawn all sat down on the couches in a television store, hastily ready to feel the warm comfort of the sofas.
Dawn rubbed her temples and drowned out the chatter; she drowned out all of the voices around her. Kenneth's, Michael's, Luda's, Andre's… everyone's. She was sincerely hoping she'd wake up from this nightmare. That, perhaps, it was all just a horrible dream, and if she tried hard enough she'd wake up in her comfortable bed and hear her mother and father's soothing voices.
But, it wasn't a bad dream. And her parents were dead…ish.
A hand patted Dawn's shoulder, and she tuned back into reality. It was one of the security officers, the one who was in charge. "Come on, you get to watch your lil TV, time to go to your room." He said sarcastically.
"I just need a minute… Where's the bathroom?" Dawn said quietly.
The man's eyebrow twitched and he turned back to the younger blonde security cop, "Take her to the bathroom."
"No way man. Make Terry do it." The kid shook his head.
"Terry is escorting the rest to their rooms, dumbass." He grunted, but it had no effect on the other officer as he lay down on a couch to go to sleep.
"Fuckin' pussy." He yelled at the sleeping blonde security officer and stood up. "Come on, I'll take you. Since apparently my staff are all jackasses who won't do their damn jobs." He yanked the keys from the younger one's hands and began to walk off.
Dawn followed swiftly, "What's your name?" She tried to make conversation.
"Just call me CJ." He replied without turning around.
"I'm Dawn."
"Whoop-dee-fucking-doo, lady. Is this how you dress every day? Or only on apocalypses?" CJ swung the key around his index finger.
"I didn't have time to get dressed!" She glared and pushed the bathroom door open, CJ followed. "Women only, you prick."
"I don't want you stealing junk from the bathroom." He leaned on the wall next to one of the stalls.
"What the fuck could I steal?! It's a fucking bathroom!" She walked over to the counter of sinks.
"Didn't I see you at church that one time?" CJ changed the conversation.
"No. I don't go to church." Dawn replied and began washing the blood off of her one of the sinks.
"Huh. That's weird. I saw you as one of those anal Catholic psychopaths." He replied and shoved his hands in his pockets.
Dawn laughed in response, "You have a horrible read on people." She scrubbed her hands more vigorously as if to wash the memories away.
"Why's that?"
"I work at an abortion clinic." Dawn said softly and grabbed at the towel dispenser— it was all out. "Damn it."
"I'll grab you some from the men's restroom." CJ replied and walked out.
Dawn sighed heavily and rubbed the back of her neck, "Damn it."