"I let my guard down," he replied, holding his shoulder, "I let my fucking guard down." They helped him up from the floor as he leaned against them and they quickly dragged him across the roof, blood from his legs leaking along the ground. "God…damn it…they bite hard," he whispered trying to walk, "You have no idea."

"Its okay, its okay," Terry whispered, "Come on."

"They're faster than I thought," Jose continued rambling, "Smarter. They hide, they walk faster than I thought…" They helped him down the stairs and quickly walked into the hall. "Set him down in his room," Terry whispered. They slowly eased him down in front of his bed sitting him down beside it as he groaned in a daze.

"Fuck," Terry panted with tears in his eyes, "It can't be."

"We have to do something," Monica beckoned.

"What?" Terry replied, "His shoulders, his-his legs, his ankles, his fucking ankles." He whimpered groaning in frustration as Dana entered looking in disappointment and began softly whimpering as she sat beside him. "No, not him," she whimpered softly, "Not him, please."

"Here," Jose said handing him a big bloody bottle of pills, "I did it."

"You did," Dana replied tending to his wounds, "You did good."

"You have to do something," Monica urged looking down with wide eyes his wound. "What?" asked Dana, "You have to kill him."

"Are you insane?" asked Terry, "Why?"

"He's been bitten," she explained, "A lot. He's going to turn."

"Stop being stupid," Terry argued, "He won't turn. He can't."

"Look at the bites!" Monica argued, "Two on his shoulder, and his leg is all chewed up!"

"Just shut up for a second," Terry ordered, "We're not going to kill him. That's murder."

"You're in denial," Monica replied, "Look at him, he's going to turn!"

"Shut up," Terry replied shoving her back as he went to Luis' room. "You might like killing people," Dana whispered, "but we don't. He's our friend." Jose began shivering softly not speaking as he gazed off at the wall, his wounds bleeding on his bed. Jose sat in his room beside his bed breathing very shallowly as he sat looking toward the window now panting and shivering. "Here," Terry said to Luis. He lifted his head and slipped the pills into his mouth and dropped water into his mouth as he swallowed slowly with a loud sigh. "There you go," Terry said laying his head on his pillow, "I'll be back." Jose sat at his bedside shivering in pain and leaned his head to the side pressing against the rag as blood dripped down his shirt. "Oh god," he said with a shiver, "Oh g-god…!"

"You're going to be okay," Dana said in tears, "You'll be fine."

"It hurts…so bad," Jose muttered looking ahead as Dana patched up his shoulder. "You'll be fine, okay?" Dana said, "You just fight it, you have to fight it."

"They bite hard, y'know?" he said with a quivering voice, "They bite down so fucking hard."

"S-h-h," Dana said patting his head as she tended to his wound, "Relax, just calm down." She stood up and walked off covered in blood as Terry watched, "How is he?" asked Terry. "Not good," she whimpered, "He's bitten… a lot." Monica walked to her room and took the revolver Jose left on the floor and picked it up. She spun the cylinder and walked through the hall with it in her hand. She swerved around them silently and walked into the room. Stood over Jose and drew the gun at the top of his head, "No!" Terry yelled rushing to her.

"I have to!" she yelled, "He's going to turn."

"Don't you touch him, you bitch!" Dana screamed.

"You don't understand!" Monica whimpered softly, "He's going to turn into one of them whether you like it or not!"

"No, he won't," Dana cried, "We'll help him fight it!"

"No!" Monica yelled, "I've seen it, I've seen it! He'll turn just like everyone else. You can't fight this, it's not the flu! He's going to turn into one of those monsters outside."

"How do you know?" asked Terry.

"He's going to die, Terry, wake the fuck up!" she insisted, "As a matter of fact, he's already dead, don't you see that?" She kept the gun pressing against his head as Jose looked up at her shivering without a word, "D…do it," Jose muttered looking up at her.

"You're talking crazy, you're just hallucinating or something," Terry argued, "You're not going to die, we won't let you."

"Kill him!" Devon screamed from his room, "Or he's going to kill you!"

"Shut up!" Terry screamed.

"He would never hurt us!" Dana replied.

"You don't get it," Monica said with a whimper, "He's going to kill you. It doesn't matter if he's your friend, or your best friend, or your neighbor, or your lover—once he dies he's coming back, and he's coming for you!"

"It's murder!" Terry yelled, "Don't you do it—!" She pulled back the hammer with a loud click as Dana yelped. Terry panted slowly approaching her. "You're nuts," Terry insisted, "Just like him, you hear me? We can help him, we can help him!"

"There's no helping him!" Devon urged frantically, "Shoot him, now!"

"It…it hurts," Jose muttered with incoherent mumbling.

"I'm sorry," Monica whimpered.

"No!" Terry jumped on top of her tackling her into the wall. She grunted knocking her head into the desk and dropped down hard onto the floor as Terry yanked the gun from her hand.

"No more killing!" He yelled throwing the gun against into the hall, "No more!" He quickly grabbed her legs and dragged her through the room out into the hall as her arms dangled and threw her onto her bed. He rushed into their room standing over Jose as he gazed up at him shivering and now very pale in skin dripping in sweat, and twitched his leg, "It doesn't hurt… anymore," Jose muttered to assure them, "It's….it's numb."

"See?" Dana said kissing his head, "It's okay, just relax, and you'll beat it."

"Kill me, please," Jose pleaded softly as he began whimpering like a child, "I don't want to be one of those monsters… please…I don't want to be one of them!"

"It's okay," Dana assured him kissing his head, "You'll be fine. They're just bites."

"It… it, hurts me," he whispered. He slowly leaned his head back on to the bed staring off into far space as the tears fell from his eyes and he began slowly gasping lightly with his mouth wide open. Slowly his breathing became shallower and shallower until finally he sighed taking his final breath. His arms dropped to the side and Dana raised her head looking at his wide eyes and gaping mouth. "Jose…?" she whimpered, "Jose? Jose! No!" She began crying atop him with painful cries and wiped the tears from his eyes as Terry sighed softly whimpering. "He can't be dead, he can't be!" Dana pleaded, "I promised him! I promised him he'd be okay!"

"I know," Terry muttered patting her back. Just then Monica came to and rubbed her head. Slowly she sat up and listened to the silence. She quietly crawled along the floor and reached for her gun gripping it in her hand and staggered along the hall holding it up. "I promised him!" she cried.

"Come on," Terry pleaded, "We have to cover him up."

"No, no," she whimpered.

"Come on," Terry closed his eyes with his hands and knelt down, "Get the blanket over there so we can wrap him in it." He knelt down next to him and picked up his legs grunting softly.

Suddenly, his eyes opened, pearly white, without pupils, and with a soft growl lunged. He dug his teeth straight into Terry's throat as Terry clenched his eyes shut and with a breath let out a horrifying scream into the city that echoed for miles. "Stop!" Terry pleaded as jose mercilessly ripped at his throat tearing the meat from his jugular, a gushing geyser of blood spewing like a sprinkler onto the bed. Jose tore from his neck a large piece of bloody meat growling aloud and jerked his head as Terry gurgled dropping back. Dana rushed in screaming in terror and as Jose went to attack Terry again. Dana knocked him down onto the floor and yanked Terry from the floor dragging him along as he gurgled attempting to scream, the blood leaking along the floor in puddles.

The now rejuvenated Jose growled squirming to get up from the floor and finally stood up with his eyes glazed over growling as Terry's blood poured form his mouth. He staggered along the floor, his leg still freshly injured and leaned against the door looking for fresh meat. Terry and Dana rushed past her as Terry gurgled aloud. She stood silent watching them run past her, the bathroom door slamming. Monica gasped aloud noticing Jose and quickly covered her mouth realizing he didn't see her. He jerked his head back and forth silently and turned towards the end of the hall hearing Devon panting. Devon squirmed in his seat weakening the back as Jose staggered at the doorway gazing at him with a slight sense of familiarity and then hungrily growled slowly making his way to him.

Devon saw him by the doorway and didn't bother to try to escape and lowered his head making eye contact with him. "Come on," he growled with a challenge, "Come and get it, I'm helpless." Jose growled and quickly staggered to him as Devon rose from his seat, still tied to it and rushed to him charging with a furious scream. He tackled him into the wall slamming into his stomach and repeatedly began butting him with a fierce growl, Jose groaned clawing at the back of the chair. Devon was pushed back staggering and turned slamming into him backward slamming him again and again, but it was a mortal mistake, for as he slammed into him, Jose dug his teeth into his shoulder biting down hungrily.

Devon yelled aloud in pain and tore his shoulder away. He began panting as Jose approached him again. This time Devon tackled him again knocking him into the hallway. Devon saw Monica with her gun standing with a blank look and rushed to her. "Get me out of this thing!" he yelled.

"Oh my god, your shoulder!" she said alarmed.

"Fuck that," he replied, "Just get me out!" She pulled and tugged at sheets furiously pulled as Devon began to finally break the chair down with his body and finally unwrapped the sheets as he tore the chair to shreds. He broke free from his restraints finally as Jose managed to crawl away to the corner.

"Where's Terry?" asked Devon.

"He got bitten," Monica cried.

"Come on," Devon said. They ran into their room standing by the bathroom as Dana sat over Terry who was gurgling and holding his neck wound squirming. "Please, please, please," Dana cried holding his wound, "Please, please!" She screamed. Jose walked over to the front door and growled hitting his hands against it as the growling outside began rising,

"Dana, open up!" Devon screamed, "You have to get out of there!"

"No!" She screamed. Monica pointed the gun to the doorway in case, as Devon began hitting the doorway, "Get out of there!" he screamed frantically.

Terry grabbed Dana's hand gurgling, unable to breath, as he looked up at her in tears. "Get out, now!" Devon screamed. She crawled over to the door locking it and stood against the door listening and whimpering as they screamed for her to leave. But it was no use. Terry finally gave way going limp, his pool of blood growing along the floor and turned his head finally dying. Dana whimpered as Devon urged her frantically, "Get out, now!" He screamed.

"No!" she yelled, "Please… just go away…"

Behind her, Terry sat up silently as she softly whimpered, and looked around curiously. He noticed her looking toward the door and with a soft growl lunged at her yanking her violently from behind. Jose stood up by the doorway of the hall and clawed and growled pulling at the wooden boards and slowly began tearing them from the frames as the dead on the outside forced their way in, the walking dead spewing from the small crack of the door like a dam had burst. Dana gave a horrible cry of terror as Terry mounted her, growling hungrily and dug his teeth into her cheek. She squirmed begging him to stop as he tore it off with his teeth, blood squirting all over the floor as she feebly tried shoving him off, and finally wrapped his teeth on to her throat as she gave a sharp yelp. She squirmed on the floor silently as he growled aloud chewing away at it. Devon could hear the attacks from outside the door and finally with all his might broke down the door.

He stood back with a gasp as Terry jerked his head up and looked over at them with a growl, chunks of Dana's meat all over his face, "Shoot him!" Devon yelled. She jerked her hand and shot blasting him in the head as he flew back into the wall with the force of the bullet. He turned his head against the sink and stopped moving as Monica panted, her eyes wide in fright. Dana still squirmed on the floor slowly dying from the severe and agonizing bites. Devon yanked the gun from her hand and blasted Dana in her head causing her to twitch as her terrified eyes stared into space. Devon and Monica walked into the hall to get Luis and stopped as groups of them, dozens appeared from the corner, their hands creeping from the corner and their scattered groans emerging around the room, gazing blankly with their eyes looking at them hungrily as they staggered slowly toward them.

"Oh—fuck!" Devon muttered running into his room. Monica shivered pointing the gun. She began shooting them in the head and looked over at Devon as he rushed to her, "What are you?" She blurted as Devon reached into his bag and pulled out a grenade. Monica gasped looking down and looked up as they began slowly advancing. Some of them entered Luis' room growling hungrily as Luis let out horrible shrieks, screaming in horror as they ambushed him without escape. He looked up with horror as they crept up In groups, rotted hands and claws grabbing and tearing as him, his limbs being torn from its sockets as he cried out in shrieks of pain and finally silenced as they took hold of his body parts. "Shithe bit my shoulder," Devon whispered as it bled. He handed her a box of bullets and held the grenade up with a half smirk as Monica and he began backing up. "I'll give you to the count of ten," Devon whispered.

"What? What about?"

"10…," he began, "9…" She turned and ran up the steps into the roof, turned to the endless row of roofs and ran like hell. She began climbing them and running, and she climbed and ran, "5… 4..," she muttered panting heavily as she ran for her life. Devon held the grenade finally being backed into a corner. Then they began grabbing at him tearing away at his arms and legs, every one of their mouths biting at his body as he let out a loud cry and slowly reached over to the grenade somehow being able to loop his finger on the pin and grunted, "2…1…god damn you!" He pulled and within a split second—boom! The thunderous explosion cast waves of fire and wind along the roof knocking her on her stomach as the waves of explosions scattered along the roof tops of buildings.

She stood up holding her revolver and continued running and climbing until she reached the ladder and quickly began climbing down the ladder as the explosions continued. She slid down the steps of the ladder which was half broke and fell on the ground and stood up gripping the revolver. She pointed left and right. The coast was clear. She held the box of bullets up and looked inside noticing only ten bullets lay, only four were in the revolver, the revolver that shot as loud as a cannon. It was the card she'd been dealt.

She stood in the empty alleyway looking up at the black smoke and flames coming from the top of the building. She wiped the tears from her eyes giving nothing more than a soft whimper and wiped the hair from her face. She held her revolver in her hand and then remembered what Devon said: If he died, to just move on. And she stayed true to her oath to him. She wiped the tears from her eyes and sighed with exasperation, placed her thumb on the trigger and moved on. She had no food, no water, no warm clothing, no supplies, no companion, no stealth, and low ammo. She didn't know where she was going, and who or what she'd stumble upon, but where ever she happened to go, she was no longer hiding, and no longer willing to climb mountains. She gritted her teeth, began making her way down the alley and decided that wherever she was going, she was going to walk there.

And there they were, in groups, to welcome her.

THE END…

… Coming soon: The Dead Chronicles, Part Two: Midnight Rider – She used to be a celebrity, now she's just fighting for her life.

Disclaimer: Author Felix Vasquez does not own the rights to Dawn of the Dead or the concept. Characters, scenarios, and "The Dead Chronicles" are a copyright of Felix Vasquez.