The Beginning of the End

Part 1-The Mall

3 Months Later

Loss, death, and everything in between is what the survivors of the new world have to deal with. In that mall on the day of the outbreak, so many people lost their lives.

Danny walked through the mall holding a water container as he turned the corner, a taller boy was coming down the hallway towards him. They both smiled at each other as they passed each other.

"Finally, what took you so long?" asked a girl with long brown hair to the boy holding the water container.

"It was nothing. I'm here now, okay." Danny told his cousin, Ella. "Where are Summer and Stella? Don't they know we have a meeting in 30 minutes." Danny turned around and headed to the food court where the meeting was being held.
Ella followed him to the court bringing her box full of food.

***

"Punch here." Summer explained to Stella. Stella punched at Summer who grabbed Stella's hand twisting it making Stella fall to the ground from the pain.

"Ouch!" Stella stood up as Summer let go. "Let's go get cleaned up for the meeting in 30 minutes will continue tomorrow." Summer told Stella as she left the gym.

Stella pulled hair back into a ponytail and walked out of the door surprised by Jaron who popped out at her. "Ahhh!" Stella shouted. "Jaron, why did you just scare me?!"

"I like doing it and I was supposed to come get you and Summer, Dean is starting the meeting early." Jaron replied grabbing Stella's hand pulling her to the food court.

***

Jaron and Stella sat to the side at a small table with Danny and Ella. A guy with long hair sat by another tall guy and a Korean guy. "Maggie, come over here." Stella gestured for her to come over. A Native American girl came over and sat down right by Stella.

"What do you think this meeting is about? We haven't had one in awhile." Maggie asked any of them sitting around the table. No one knew anything.

An old man went up to the front on some stairs with Summer and a guy named Jeff next to him. "So I know all of you are confused, but I finally got the radio to work in the mall after a month of working on it." Dean started to say, everyone looked at each other. "And last night, I got  a message from someone from Chicago saying that there was a safe haven with a lot of food and protection." An African American woman stood up holding a baby. It was Jaron's mother, Gracelyn.

"We should go, we are running low on food and this place isn't safe enough for my baby girl and my family." Gracelyn told the group. A girl stood up saying, "Why should we leave this place where we are somewhat safe other than the few break ins by the walkers." Zarie said to the group. Jeff looked over at his wife before saying, "We need to move from this mall. It is too big for our little group to defend and we have been seeing more and more herds of walkers around and they are getting bigger and bigger everyday." Zarie glared at her husband for taking someone else's side.

"We start heading for Chicago in a few days." Dean ordered to the group.

"Okay," all the group members said. Ella turned to Danny, "I want to go do one more thing before we leave St. Charles forever." She said making Stella and Danny confused.

***

Ella kicked in some glass at a high school a few miles away from the mall. "Ella, be quiet!" Danny shouted a bit to loud.

"It's fine, I have been checking the area for days and there isn't too many walkers around." Ella stated. Summer went into the building first because she wouldn't let these three go alone.

"What do you need from here Ella?" asked Summer holding up a pistol pointing it down the hallway.

"Something important to me." She told the other three walking down the hallway with a slingshot pulled back with a metal piece in it. She lead Stella, Danny, and Summer through the creepy hallways of her old school.

A walker was ahead of them so Ella shot it with the slingshot hitting it in the head. "So you've been practicing." Summer said smiling.

"Yep. Everyday." She said as she took another corner. When they got to a locked door that lead into another part of the school, Ella tried to open the door, but no luck. "Summer, can I see the gun?" Ella gestured for Summer's gun. Summer shook her head no and pointed the piston at the lock. She pulled the trigger making a loud noise sounding the dinner bell. Ella kicked open the door running in trying to get stuff done quickly.

Danny pulled out his machete he kept in his belt while Stella held up the little knife she was given. She turned to Danny as Ella and Summer started to walk away, "Why was I given this thing and you got that?" She asked.

"Because I'm older and a bit stronger than you." Danny said as he walked by the younger teen.

***

Back at the mall, Dean was getting a couple of cars set up for the Chicago journey when a girl with long blonde hair came out of the mall bringing Dean something. It was his granddaughter, Christina.

"I brought you some food, grandpa. How's all this going?" She asked him.

"Good and thanks dear." Dean responded.  Christina gave the food to Dean who took a bit right away.

"I would go get started with all the packing and help Gracelyn with Cassie, please....They need all the help we can give them." Dean replied to his granddaughter who wasn't excited on the idea of helping people she barely knew, but she would for him.

"I'll see you later then grandpa." Christina walked off back into the mall.

***

At the high school, Ella opened a locker that she knew the combination to. "This was my locker and I have a necklace in here from my parents and I wanted to get it so I could remember them because these days, it's getting harder and harder to survive and some day it will be hard to remember the people in our lives." Ella stared off into space as a couple of walkers came around a corner.

"Ella, we need to go." Summer said grabbing Ella pushing her in the direction of the door. Danny and Stella ran first with Ella right behind them. Summer trailed after those three.

***

When the four got to the mall, Jeff was standing guard at the entrance of the mall holding a shotgun. "Where did you all go?" asked Jeff concerned.

"It was for something important." Ella put her hand on the necklace. She walked by Jeff while Summer put her hand on Jeff's shoulder.

"She got closure." Summer told Jeff while Stella and Danny passed Jeff.

***
A Couple Days later

"We are finally leaving this hell hole." said a boy to Danny.

"I know, Trey, I know." Danny replied before he got into the car with Ella, Stella, Summer and a bunch of supplies left over in the mall. The boy with long hair named CJ was driving a motorcycle with his sister, Maggie on the back of it.

Trey and his best friend, Min got into the car with Dean, Christina, Jeff, and Zarie while the Williams got into another. The survivors of the mall all headed for the Chicago community.