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Later the next day, I was behind the Burger King counter packing food into boxes.

"Remember, nothing perishable!" I sighed looking in the box to see that I had an assortment of apples in there.

"Shit." I muttered. I picked one up. "Is this perishable?" I showed it to Ray who shrugged his shoulders.

"I dunno. I like apples so put it in there!" I dropped it in the box carelessly. We had been packing for what seemed like hours. We were notified that there was, in fact, a miracle! There were charter buses in the parking lot of the mall. We were sure that we would be able to make it out of town but making it out alive was another thing that had to be discussed. Ray, Nicole, and I were in charge of packing goods that could be preserved, or in my case-foods that Ray likes to eat. Gerard, Bob Frank and Serena were taking the boxes down to the door where the security and the officers placed them in the bus. We were to be out at least by tomorrow morning. It was probably the afternoon. I lost track of time after I stepped foot in that place.

There was talk of saving Andrew, the guy that was across the street from the mall. He owned his own gun shop. We needed enough ammunition to get out of there, and if we had to pick him up on the way, then I was all for it.

I saw Bob struggling with the box next to Serena whose box look like it was going to eat her. I heard Franny telling him to move his skinny ass. I laughed as I packed the last apple.

"These better be eaten!" I turned to Ray.

"Apples go bad after a while, don't they?" Nicole turned to me, realizing that Ray was going to be pummeled to the ground.

"They do?" Ray laughed, acting as if he didn't know.

"Well, Ray here," I said grabbing his shoulder. "is going to eat all of them in less than a week." Ray gulped. Bob dropped the box and started toward me behind the counter. "More ice?" I frowned.

"Yeah, I swear that guy's nose is made out of pure granite!" I laughed weakly. Ethan and Bob had gotten in a little scuffle that morning. I was half-sleep when it happened so I'm not sure what went down. I looked at Bob's swollen knuckle as he flexed his hand. I wrapped the ice in a cloth and placed it on his hand.

"Did you break it?"

"What? My Hand?"

"No. His nose?"

"I think I did..."

"Good Job." I whispered.

"I'm gonna go get back to work." He smiled walking away. Mikey came down from gathering luggage. I shook my head as I saw Gerard's duffel bag tumble tragically down the stairs. I saw him shrug his shoulders. "I hope nothing in that was valuable." He said loud enough so Gerard could hear. I didn't see why they picked the smallest person to do such a job. Nicole was only 17 and she looked like she could lift Mikey with one hand. Ethan had sat down at the table in front of where my counter was.

"Ethan, your hands aren't broken! Go help Mikey with the luggage." I said while folding the flaps of the box.

"Look, he's doing fine by himself." I walked from behind the counter to standing in front of him.

"If you don't help him, I will feed you to them myself." I said in a grim manner.

"Is there a problem here?" I turned around to see his tag along standing behind me.

"No, but if he doesn't get off his ass, there will be."

"Shane, are we done?" I turned to see Nicole sealing the last box. I walked around the counter grabbing my box.

"I'm guessing so. There's not anymore 'nonperishable' things to fit in these boxes." I walked over handing my box to Gerard.

"What's in this thing?"

"Ray's breakfast, lunch and dinner for the next three days." He shook his head standing at the door waiting for Terry to take the box from him and carry it down."So after this, are we leaving?"

"No, it's gonna take hours just to fix the buses up." I frowned. I wanted to get out of there as fast as we possibly could. I sighed frowning leaning against Gerard. I saw the cop that seemed to be in charge of everything heading back upstairs. I still haven't learned his name.

"The buses are equipped with everything we need to get out of here. We just have to take a head count of all the people that will be coming with us." I nodded my head getting in line beside Gerard and Mikey. He counted down the line, Nicole being first.

Seventeen, eighteen, nineteen. I thought, going down the line.

"Twenty." I said looking to Mikey to continue.

"Twenty one." He said.
Twenty two, twenty three, twenty four, twenty five, twenty six, twenty seven...

"We're missing two." Terry had said.

"The man and his wife. She's pregnant." Steve had spoken up.

"Would you mind getting them." The officer had referred to Ethan. He just stood there staring at him like he had two heads.

"Umm...I'm injured." I heaved a sigh loud enough for him to hear.

"Did I ask for your input? There's a pregnant women up there that needs medical attention!" He said sternly. Ethan scoffed so he couldn't hear, and proceeded to walk off in the direction of the elevator.

"Excuse me...sir?" Ray had spoken up to the officer. "Where exactly are we headed?"

"Well, as far as we can get without millions of them chasing us down." Ray nodded his head.

Suddenly a blood curdling shriek filled our ears. Our heads shot up to Ethan, holding his neck while blood rapidly spat out the side of his neck. Hissing after him were the man and his wife, still baring a child. I grabbed onto Gerard's arm trying to turn away until gun shots were fired. Three officers took their stance, aimed and fired at the three of them. The husband had fell down after three shots but his wife just kept running full speed. Ethan looked like he was beginning to fall but from what it looked like he was good at running backwards. I knew there was no possible way he could live, his neck had been ripped open. Ethan turned to rush down the escalator backward. He was scent tumbling downward and then there was a snap and we knew that he wasn't going to be getting back up.

The women looked up.

My feet were frozen in place as she hissed and her eyes made there way toward us. As soon as her eyes had met mine, a loud shot had rang out in the mall, and she had went down, spattered brains and all. Her body plopped onto Ethan's corpse.

His face grew a pale complexion and he was still holding his neck. There was no way he would've been saved. For once in my life, I actually felt bad for him. I heard the officers sigh walking over to the corpses and dragging them in the middle of the floor. I stood there shivering clinging onto Gerard's arm, which was frozen still. I looked up to his pale face amazed at what he had just witnessed. The officers had gotten sheets and placed them over their limp bodies.

"It must hurt to remain nameless at your own funeral. It must hurt even worse to die in this tragic manner." The officer had stood over the bodies as he spoke looking down at them thoughtfully. I had felt nothing, it felt as if my feelings were numbed by fear. Along with my whole body. It felt as if I was clinging to his arm almost for hours on end. The officer kept speaking as I noticed that one of the sheets was slowly moving. The officer kept on as a faint hiss had filled the air. The sheet kept moving and I assumed that it was the air conditioning in the mall.

"May these two people rest in peace." He finished. He turned away quickly when up from the sheet Ethan came pouncing.

"Holy shit." Serena had expelled. The officer turned around pulling out his gun which fell to the ground. The officer stepped back as the others fired shots that seemed to be missing the both of them. Suddenly, the gun was retrieved from the floor. I looked up seeing Serena in a stance, aiming and firing. Sure enough, she aimed correctly. Ethan's remains splattered onto the officers and the girl who had followed him constantly.

And that was the last I ever saw of him. His cold vacant eyes pierced mine as if he was going to take my soul just by looking at me. I couldn't believe what I had just witnessed. I began subconsciously digging my nails deep in Gerard's arm. I wasn't gonna be letting go anytime soon.