"Hello? Is anyone in there?" Ellis asked through the door.

"Hello?"

"Yes! Hi. Ma name is Ellis. Ah have a…. er…. friend here with me. We're here ta help."

"Are you sick…?"

"No, no honey we aren't sick. We're immune to the infection." Infinity spoke up.

"Could you let us it? We are going ta take you somewhere safe."

"I can't open the door. There are others out there. All sick. I can't let them in."

"They're gone. They're… Mmmm…. Well they're dead. You don't have ta worry about them anymore. We'll keep you safe."

"Promise?"

He looked to Infinity, "Ah promise."

Ellis and Infinity listened as the sound of a bolt clanked away, after that came several scrapping sounds and falling and grunts.

The door opened, revealing a small girl looking to be 9 or 10, her uniform was dirty and torn, and her hair was messy barely in the ponytail that was obviously her hair style. Behind her were 3 other children; a small boy looking to be around the same age as the first girl whose uniform was just as torn, with a long tear going across the front of his shirt, his blond hair was long, dirty and very messy . Two young girls looking to be about 5 or 6 tops both had their hair done the same way; pigtails, they were both brunettes and looked reasonably clean.

"Hey there." Infinity greeted, flashing the children a sad but genuine smile.

"Hi, Ah'm Ellis, this is Infinity." He intruduced. Ellis looked around the door and saw what had made all the racket when the door was being opened. They had barricaded the door; there were desks and chairs and a small bookcase beside the door, all of which, he guessed, were once in front of the door.

The two small 6 six year olds both ran over to Infinity and clung to her legs.

Infinity giggled and picked up the girl who was clinging to her left leg.

"And what's your name?"

"Monica…" She said quietly and buried her head in Infinity's neck.

"That is such a pretty name." She smiled and then looked down to the girl holding onto her right leg. "What about your name?"

"Alexandria."

She smiled, "That's a pretty name too." She adjusted Monica on her hip, as to get a better grip on her and probably for a more comfortable position.

Infinity looked to the small boy, but before she could ask… "I'm Matt."

"It's very nice to meet you Matt."

He nodded.

Ellis decided it was time he spoke so they'd be warmed up to the both of them. "How about yours?" He knelt down in front of the eldest looking girl.

"Marie. My name is Marie."

Ellis shot a look at Infinity, he was certain his expression was near the same as his.

"What's your last name?"

Marie shifted under his gaze uncomfortably; they hadn't asked the others for last names, she was probably nervous.

"Ruiz…."

"Your dad is looking for you Marie." Infinity said quietly.

"Daddy? He's alive? Where is he? When did you see him? Can you take me to him?"

"Yes of course we can. That's why we're here."

"Can we go now?"

"Yep."

The six of them left the room in silence. Ellis taking the front of the line with Marie up in front holding his hand, Infinity brought up the rear with Monica still being held and Alexandria had managed to let go of her leg and settle for holding her hand. Matt was in the middle.

They made their way down the stairs back to the foyer. They hadn't run into any zombies, Ellis breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't want any kids seeing that, he couldn't stand it… he couldn't imagine how the children would feel. Especially since the kids knew them personally.

Nick, Rochelle, and Coach were all waiting in the foyer already.

"There they are." Coach said and pointed at them. From the lack of children with them Ellis concluded that this small group of children were all that survived.

"Where were you…. Oooh."

"We found Marie, with a couple others."

"Are they…"

"They're clean Nick."

Ellis introduced everyone. Monica and Alex kept with Infinity they didn't want anything to do with the others. Ellis silently wondered what it was about Infinity that had these kids trusting her so much so quickly.

"So you're Marie then? You mean a lot to your daddy." Rochelle smiled. "He'll be so glad to know you are safe."

Ellis looked to Coach he seemed more quiet than usual. He was standing in the doorway, that's when Ellis noticed the growing red spot on his shoulder.

"Coach you alright?"

"Yah, those kids are fast…."

"Want me ta take a look at it?"

"Nah I'm fine."

Ellis turned back to Nick who was shouting something about lack of ability to blah blah blah.

"What are ya yelling about now?"

"We can't just walk back with 4 kids. Zombies don't just hang around in one spot and wait for us to walk into them, they move around. We may not have had a problem on the way here but that doesn't mean we won't have a problem now. We have a hard time taking care of ourselves. Adding 4 kids into the mix isn't going to help in the least bit."

"What are you saying Nick?"

"I'm saying. We…. We need a car."

"Yah cus THOSE are easy to find; especially one that would carry 9 people!"

"You know what Ellis…."

Left4Dead

Ellis and Nick were going at it again…. She looked at the children and then back to the adults….

Her mouth snapped shut as the same words she was thinking came from somewhere next to her.

"Shut the hell up! You couple of annoying morons!" Infinity looked to see Coach looking royally pissed off.

Both Ellis and Nick were silent. Coach has shouted before, he's also sworn before, he's also yelled at them before. But Coach has never done all three of them at the same time before.

"Now! If you'll look around you… you'd see that there are 4 children present. You'd also know that there are still zombies around, we aren't zombie free here. Finally you'd be silent enough so I could tell you that there is an ambulance out there. I'm certain that that would be big enough for all of us to fit in."

Coach walked back over to the door and looked, supposedly, to the ambulance that was sitting outside.

Nick, Ellis, and Rochelle headed over. Infinity took the kids with her.

"Alright fine. There's our mode of transportation." Nick said, he walked outside towards it.

Once they were all at the ambulance Nick opened the driver's side door only to be tackled to the ground by the previous driver.

"God damn it!" He shouted and then raised his own pistol and shot him in the stomach. Nick flipped him off of himself and then shot him in the head.

To her surprise and horror the children didn't make a sound. They flinched but didn't scream. She was happy that she wouldn't have to try and console them but was horrified that because they've seen so much of stuff like this it hardly phases them anymore.

Nick looked through the rest of the vehicle and once it was confirmed that it was clear of any others the children all loaded in the back. Monica sitting on and curled in her lap while the other were piled around her. Alex was sitting right next to her gripping her arm while Matt sat on the other side holding her hand. Marie was not one for comfort. She didn't even try to sit next to her.

Infinity looked up to the front of the ambulance, "Ah couldn't find the keys on the dead dude or in the car. The keys aren't around." Ellis announced.

"Damn it." Nick swore, "Can you hotwire it?"

"Ah dunno. Probably." Ellis disappeared from her line of sight. She assumed he was looking under the console of the vehicle, attempting at a hotwire.

The back doors opened to reveal Rochelle. "It's looking pretty clear. No zombies." She smiled at the children.

"They really like you ya know." She turned and closed the double doors.

"I don't know why. I'm not complaining… I just don't know what I did." She sighed and looked down at the now sleeping Monica.

"I think it's the way you speak and carry yourself. It probably makes them feel safe."

"It's not fair these kids have to go through this…. You know? Monica and Alex are twin sisters. They are only 6. Matt is 8 years old. His sister died in front of him… she was taken by a teacher. And Marie… she doesn't say anything but the essential."

"They're gonna be…"

Suddenly the Ambulance roared to life. Followed, horrifically, by the sound of its sirens going off.

"What did you do Ellis?" Nick demanded from the passenger seat.

Monica jerked awake.

"I don't know. There could be a safty on this thing. So nobody would hotwire it and get away with it. Or the wires could be crossed or…."

"I don't care turn it off!" Nick and Ellis started to frantically look for the switch that turned the sirens off and on. Rochelle left her seat across from Infinity to help. She leaned over the small divider between the driver's area and the cab and started to look for the switch as well.

Suddenly the passenger door opened and Coach yelled for Nick to move over.

"There's a horde coming this way! Turn off the damn siren!"

"I can't!" Rochelle shouted. "It's not working." She was switching the siren switch back and forth but nothing was happening.

"Turn off the ambulance! Just turn it off." Nick yelled.

"No don't! Look!" Rochelle pointed to the passenger side of the vehicle. A large horde was turning the corner and coming this way.

"Step on it Overalls!"

Ellis jumped into the seat and closed the door.

"Hold on everyone!" Ellis put it in gear and slammed on the gas pedal. The Ambulance lurched forward and sped down Lauren Lane.

Infinity looked at the kids who were now looking to be on the verge of tears and we shaking violently.

"Ellis go freaking faster!" Rochelle screamed to the front. Rochelle had moved back into the back of the cab and was looking out the small back window. "They are catching up!"

"Something is wrong with it! It won't let me exceed 35!"

"Damn it Ellis!" Nick shouted.

"It's not my fault!"

Infinity looked at the children. "I'll be right back." She removed Monica from her lap and set her in between Matt and Alex.

She went and stood next to Rochelle and looked out the other small window.

"Rochelle get your gun ready." She said and then turned back to the kids. "I need you guys to sit down on the floor right there, okay?" She pointed to the spot where the floor and the wall divider met. "Keep your backs pressed up against there and don't move. Okay?"

The children nodded and all moved to sit where she had told them.

"I won't let anything happen to you." She promised. She turned back and pulled her shotgun off her back, checked it and cocked it.

Rochelle looked at her.

"What are you thinking."

"What do you think?" She put her hand on one of the handles. She was standing by the left door, Rochelle by the right.

"Aw hell Infinity. Are you sure?"

"Pretty darned."

"Alright." Rochelle grabbed hold of the right door handle. Rochelle opened her door and Infinity followed suit.

She aimed her shotgun with the closest zombie and pulled the trigger. Rochelle and her kept shooting at the zombies as they came closer and closer to the ambulance.

Over the sirens, wind, gun shots, moans, and screams Infinity thought she heard something about bowling from Ellis. She wasn't sure what he had meant so she turned her head to the front of the vehicle and as she was about to ask him to repeat what he had said she heard a thud followed by several more thuds on top of the roof.

She looked back to where the doors were opened when a body fell from the top of the ambulance and landed on a couple zombies causing several to stumble and fall.

"I warned you!" He shouted. It was then she understood he had said "Zombie Bowling."

She rolled her eyes and kept shooting.

"Yee Haw!" Ellis whooped. "Ah love zombie bowling!"

"Ellis! That was Evian! You missed our road!"

"What? Shit. Sorry, hold on!"

Suddenly the Ambulance made a sudden stop and a sharp 180 turn. The children all screamed and squealed as they were all tossed around the cab.

Once they were reasonably steady again she stood up and turned to where the children were supposed to be. She counted heads and sighed in relief when all children were accounted for. She turned back around and closed the doors.

"Ellis! A warning next time! The kids could have been hurt!"

He didn't respond but she didn't mind. He was busy driving a loud vehicle that attracted hordes of zombies after hordes of zombies. He was a LITTLE but distracted. She was just glad she wasn't up front.

"Turn left! Turn left!" She heard Coach yell.

"Alright alright!"

The ambulance turned sharply causing those in the back to tumble again.

"There's the building!"

Ellis pulled up to the building and skidded to a stop.

"We have a biiig problem you guys." Ellis breathed.

They all looked to the back to see the largest group of zombies any of them have ever seen.

"Shit."

"We can't fight all those!" Coach exclaimed.

"We could try to outrun them!" Ellis suggested.

"We don't have time for that right now… we'd never get up there fast enough. Even if we did how would we get back out?" Rochelle reasoned.

Left4Dead

They all sat in silence. None of them knowing what to do. The sirens were off, they had agreed to turn it off as to not bring even MORE attention to themselves. The only sounds that could be heard were those of the zombies and of the childrens whimpers and sniffles.

"We have to fight them. That's our only option."