Part Two: The Girl

"I repeat, refugee planes leave out from Manchester at eight o' clock tomorrow morning for the United States." The same message had been flowing out of the radio non-stop and Dawn simply could not take it any more as she swiftly hit the off button. As if it wasn't difficult enough for her to drive through the city with the infected around, it was now pouring rain like she had never seen before. It was all so abrupt that she had not prepared herself for the drive to Manchester and did not have a chance to stock up with essentials or put gas in the car.

"Half a tank isn't getting me anywhere," murmured Dawn who began to get nervous about how she was going to manage the rest of the way while knowing she couldn't stop for gas. As she moved her way out of the city she saw less commotion as the virus was spreading from the south out of London. Dawn began to get teary-eyed when she saw the keychain with a photo of her and Marcus in it, but quickly pulled herself together when she saw a teenage girl run out in front of her car. Dawn slammed on the brakes trying her hardest to stop the vehicle, but with the rain and her fast speed she had to swerve out of the way and smashed her car into a pole.

The tears began to well up again in her eyes when Dawn's hope was shattered along with her car. The young girl ran up to the car and opened the door to see if Dawn was okay, "Madam are you alright? I am sorry I never meant for this to happen, I need help." Dawn shoved the girl out of the doorway and slammed it shut again in fear that the girl may be infected. "I'm not sick I swear! Please just help me!"

The girl was practically begging Dawn to let her in until a man with blood dripping from his face spotted the girls and began to charge towards them. The young girl started to scream frantically as the man approached them and Dawn unlocked the backdoor, motioning the girl to get in. Without hesitation, she jumped in the vehicle just as the infected man slammed up against the car window. The man began to vigorously pound on the window and shout like an animal. The girl was in a panic but surprisingly Dawn kept her composure as she contemplated what to do. She tried starting the car but just as she expected it was completely shot, Dawn knew that the only way they were getting out of this was to fight. Dawn looked all around the car for something to use as a weapon and found nothing but a flashlight. She knew that she was running out of time as the side window began to crack under all the pressure, if that window broke it would be the end for both of them.

"Pull down the seat and get inside the trunk!" Dawn instructed the young girl sitting in the back. The girl did as she was told and got into the trunk looking for something to fight the man off with, and within a second she pulled out a four-way tire iron. The girl handed it off to Dawn as she said, "What are you going to do?"

"When I say 'go', push your door open with all your strength." The girl nodded her head just as the man smashed his hand into the window and started to grab for her. Then Dawn shouted, "Go!" and the girl pushed her door open with all her might and the infected moved back just as Dawn opened her door and swung the tire iron right at the back of his head. As it let out a guttural howl, Dawn got out and started bashing its head in harder and harder until the thing appeared to finally be dead.

Dawn washed the tire iron turned weapon off in a puddle and quickly got back into her car with the girl. "Well the news was right, go for the head." The other day Dawn had been watching a program about the outbreak and how to survive and attack on the television. "So, what's the name of the young girl who nearly had me killed."

"I am really sorry for all this mess. Oh, and my name is Maya."

"How old are you Maya," Dawn asked.

"Seventeen Ma'am."

"Any family?"

The girl got quiet as she said, "I used to, now they are all like him."

Dawn still had a bit of animosity towards Maya because after all she did wreck her car, but she couldn't help but to feel sorry for such a young girl stranded all on her own. "Well," Dawn started, "looks like we need to find another ride."