The Last Dawn
Chapter 6. Apartment Complex

In the dim light of Logan’s apartment, he and Sarah sat in silence, the sounds of the chaotic city filtering through the closed windows. The events of the day weighed heavily on them, painting a grim picture of their reality.

“We really cant stay here anymore. I think you’re right we need to leave the city.” Logan said looking at Sarah.

Sarah looked up, her eyes reflecting fear and uncertainty.

“Where do we go?” Sarah asked thinking of her family.

“I don’t know yet. But we have to get out of the city and then figure it out from there I guess.”

He stood up, beginning to gather essential items – food, water, basic medical supplies, and a flashlight. His movements were methodical, driven by a resolve to protect not just himself but also Sarah.

“Okay I’m with you. I do need to grab a couple of things from my place. Ill be right back.”

Logan nodded.

As Sarah left for her apartment, Logan continued his preparations, his mind racing with routes out of the city and potential safe havens. The decision to leave was fraught with danger, but staying put was no longer an option. The outbreak had turned their world upside down, and now survival was their only goal.

Sarah hurried to her apartment, moving swiftly through the dimly lit hallway. She entered her apartment, immediately going to her bedroom to grab a backpack. She quickly filled it with clothes, personal hygiene items, and a few photographs that were precious to her.

I need to be quick. She thought.

She glanced around the room, ensuring she wasn’t leaving anything vital behind. Her hands trembled slightly as she zipped up the backpack, the reality of their departure setting in.

Sarah then moved to the kitchen, grabbing a couple of energy bars and a bottle of water. As she was about to leave, she remembered a small family heirloom, a necklace her grandmother had given her. It was more for comfort than necessity, but it felt important to take a piece of her past with her.

Backpack in hand, she took one last look at her apartment, a place that had been her sanctuary, now a part of a world that had turned hostile and unpredictable.

I need to get back. She thought.

She stepped out of her apartment, locking the door behind her, As she walked back towards Logan’s apartment, the ominous silence of the hallway was suddenly broken by a noise that sent a chill down her spine.

As Sarah stepped into the dimly lit hallway, a chilling sound froze her in her tracks. A guttural growling, coupled with heavy, irregular footsteps, echoed from the far end of the corridor. Her heart pounded as she realized she was not alone.

Turning slowly, Sarah’s eyes widened in terror at the sight of one of the infected stumbling towards her. Its movements were erratic, its eyes wild and unfocused, but it was unmistakably heading in her direction with a menacing intent.

“No, no, no…” Sarah whispered.

In a panic, Sarah turned and ran back to her apartment. She fumbled with the keys, her hands shaking, as the sounds of the infected grew closer. Finally, she managed to unlock the door and rushed inside, slamming it shut behind her.

The infected person banged against the door with a force that made her jump. Sarah quickly realized the door wouldn’t hold for long. She scanned the room for a place to hide.

She ran to the bathroom, locking herself in. The pounding on the door continued, the infected individual growling and snarling on the other side. Sarah backed into a corner, her breaths coming in short, terrified gasps. Sarah covered her ears.

Outside, the infected continued to bang against the door, its efforts growing more frenzied. Sarah could only hope that Logan would come to her rescue before the infected broke through. The situation was dire, and she knew that her chances of survival were dwindling with each passing second.

Back in his apartment, Logan was finalizing his preparations when he heard Sarah’s scream echoing down the hallway. Panic surged through him.

“Sarah!” Logan yelled.

He grabbed a sturdy piece of metal piping he had found a makeshift weapon and sprinted out the door. Racing down the hallway, he could hear the muffled sounds of struggle and the unnerving growls of the infected.

The scene inside was chaotic. The infected person had almost broken through the bathroom door, behind which Sarah was trapped. The infected turned towards Logan, its eyes wild with an inhuman rage.

“Hey! Over here!” Logan yelled.

The infected charged at Logan. He braced himself and swung the metal pipe with all his might, hitting the infected on the head. The infected staggered but didn’t go down. It lunged at Logan, who dodged and struck again, this time knocking the infected to the ground.

Quickly, Logan moved to the bathroom door.

“Sarah, it’s me! Come out!”

The door opened tentatively, and Sarah emerged, her face pale with shock. She clung to Logan, trembling.

“Oh my God, I’m so fucking scared.” Sarah exclaimed.

“Its okay I got you.” Logan said as Sarah clung to him.

He quickly checked the apartment to ensure there were no more threats. Then, taking Sarah’s hand, they hurried out of the apartment. Logan knew they had to leave the building immediately the situation was deteriorating rapidly, and their safety was increasingly compromised.

Together, they rushed back to Logan’s apartment to grab their prepared supplies. The encounter with the infected had been a terrifying reminder of the reality they were facing, and the urgency to leave the city had never been clearer.

After the harrowing rescue, Logan and Sarah quickly made their way back to his apartment to grab their supplies. They knew they had to act fast. As Logan was double-checking their backpacks, a loud commotion erupted from the hallway outside.

Peering through the peephole, Logan saw several of the infected stumbling through the corridor, their movements erratic and aggressive. They were moving from door to door, driven by a frenzied rage.

“We can’t go out this way. They’re right outside.” Logan examined.

“What do we do?”

“The fire escape.” Logan said grabbing her hand.

Grabbing their supplies, they quietly moved to the window and opened it to access the fire escape. As they were about to climb out, one of the infected in the hallway heard them and started banging against Logan’s door.

“Fuck, lets go!” Logan yelled.

They climbed onto the fire escape, descending quickly but carefully. Reaching the ground, they found themselves in a narrow alleyway, momentarily shielded from the main street.

“Stay close.” Logan demanded.

Sarah nodded.

They stealthily made their way through the alley, but as they neared the end, they encountered a group of the infected blocking their path. Logan and Sarah froze, assessing the situation.

“Fuck we can’t go back it’s a dead end. We have to go through them.”

“How? There are too many.” Sarah asked nervously.

“We’ll have to distract them. Throw something to get their attention away from us.”

Finding a broken piece of metal, Logan hurled it towards the far end of the alley. The sound caught the attention of the infected, who shuffled towards the noise. Seizing the moment, Logan and Sarah quickly but quietly moved past them, avoiding any direct confrontation.

Once they were a safe distance away, they paused to catch their breath, the adrenaline still coursing through their veins.

“We cant let our guard down at all. Stay alert and stay close to me.”

“I trust you.” Sarah said clinging to him.

Having narrowly evaded the infected in the alley, Logan and Sarah knew they needed to leave the apartment grounds immediately. The building was no longer safe, and the presence of the infected was increasing. They needed a plan to navigate through the city safely.

“Honestly Sarah, these streets might be too busy.” Logan said looking around trying to gather a plan. “Maybe the subway tunnels?”

“But are they safe? What if the infected are down there too?” Sarah said not wanting to stay still for much longer.

“I don’t know. But I do know the streets, there’s too many of them.”

Logan and Sarah made their way through the streets to the nearby subway entrance. They could see it in the distance not too far. But there was a hurdle, more I fed in the way.

“Let’s stay low, move from car to car until we get to the subway.” Logan demanded.

They waited, watching the movements of the infected, timing their approach. When the moment seemed right, Logan signaled to Sarah, and they quietly slipped past the distracted infected, avoiding any sudden movements that could draw attention.

As they neared the subway entrance, they prepared themselves for what they might encounter underground. The tunnels could offer a safer route, but the uncertainty was unnerving.

“Listen to me, once we are down there stay close to me. If I say run, you run. If I say stop, you stop.” Logan said remember his dad always saying they taught him “freeze or die” in the military.

“You ready?” Logan asked moving quickly for a kiss.

Sarah kissing back. “Yeah.” Despite the chaos around them, about time she thought.

With a deep breath, they entered the subway station, stepping into the unknown, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead in the darkness of the tunnels.