Mosaic/Issue 6

This is the sixth issue of Mosaic by Dixonlovessquirrels, titled "Down to the Wire". This is the final issue of Michael's arc.

This issue was released on July 4th, 2014.

Legend
Present

Flashback

Dream

Down to the Wire
 One Hour After the Suicide

Danny and Michael sat on the porch outside the house, Danny staring up at the shining sun as it blazed down on them. Michael stared at the ground, after beginning his conversation with Danny.

"I wanted him dead..." Michael muttered, "He deserved it."

Danny kept quiet, a look of pity on his face. He didn't know why Michael was telling him this, but Michael knew. Danny just sat there, listening intently. Even though the noise outside made the moment so calm and peaceful, the story made the atmosphere intense and frightening.

Michael's hands were shaking, his tears were flooding his face and his throat felt like it was burning from trying to hold everything in.

"I killed him," Michael continued, "I watched him die. I hid him, and ran. I... I just- Why does this shit keep happening to me?"

He looked over to Danny, seriously asking him that question. He wanted an answer, he wanted Danny to make him feel better. He even wanted him to say that it would be okay, even if it wouldn't. But all Danny could say, all he could think of, at least, made Michael feel worse.

"Shit happens to everyone," Danny said, "Even me."

 The Day of the Escape

'''Everything was blurry. He couldn't hear anything, except a loud, high-pitched noise. It was hurting his ears, but his head had already felt like it was going to explode. The blood rushed to it, he was upside down, a seat-belt still wrapped around him. '''

He reached for it as the smoke blew in'''to his face. He coughed as he went for it. He tried to unlock it, pulling at it for a few seconds. It was jammed, stuck in the latch. He couldn't un-buckle it, and was stuck in place.'''

'''He looked around for something to cut it with, looking at the unconscious cop on the floor... or roof, whose seat-belt didn't exactly work. Michael's head hurt as he tried to move forward. He put his hand to his head, expecting it to be bleeding, yet it was fine. In fact, his entire body was completely un-hurt.'''

'''He noticed the fire, on the hood of the car. He was afraid in case it would blow up, but he wasn't going to give up now. As he tried to look for something else, he saw the line of gas rolling towards the fire. Now, he was screwed.'''

'''He went back for the seat-belt, just as the door at the back of the van opened. He could barely see the face of the man who opened it, but when the man climbed in, he saw his face. Michael's planned had worked. It was Reese.'''

'''"How you doin', buddy?" Reese asked, kneeling next to Michael.'''

"Hurry the fuck up, dude," Michael shouted, "This shit's gonna blow up."

'''Reese did as he was told, grabbing the seat-belt to help Michael out. He figured out that it was jammed, Michael couldn't even tell him, he couldn't say anything. Reese took out a knife, cutting open the belt. Just as it snapped, Michael fell down to the roof, landing on his head.'''

'''"Ow, fuck!" he shouted, trying to get up.'''

'''The chains were becoming a nuisance, limiting his movement. '''

'''"Get the keys!" Michael shouted, as Reese climbed over to the guard and grabbed the keys. He quickly unlocked Michael, dropping the chains on the floor. '''

'''"Come on!" Reese shouted, running out of the van. '''

Michael didn't move, "We gotta get them out!"

'''"What?!" Reese shouted, "The van's about to explode, we don't have time!"'''

'''"I'm not letting more people die, Reese!" Michael shouted, grabbing the cop in the back. As he pulled him out, Reese went around to the front. The cops were heavy, but they managed to carry them out to the road. '''

'''There was one left, both Reese and Michael going back for him. As they went to the other cop, they saw the gas line, now coming into contact with the fire. The line quickly went up in flames, all the way back to the fuel tank.'''

'''"Let's just go, Mike!" Reese shouted, as Michael tried to get the cop out of the seat-belt. Michael wouldn't give up, as Reese kept trying to pull him back, "MIKE!"'''

'''The cop was beginning to wake up, and as he did, he saw Michael in front of him. He quickly went for his gun, getting the fright of his life. Michael grabbed it before the cop could get it, and tucked it into his pants. '''

'''"Get off me!" the cop shouted, but when noticing the fire, he saw what Michael was trying to do. He helped him unbuckle the seat-belt. The van was seconds away from blowing up. The cop jumped out of the car, Michael helping him run to the road.'''

'''The van exploded, a big ball of fire flying out of it, up in the air and towards Michael and the cop. The blast blew them forward onto the ground. Fortunately, the fire didn't reach them, and they landed on the grass, unscathed.'''

'''When they managed to recover, the cop kicked Michael in the chest. The cop's head was bleeding, and he looked as if he was about to faint. But he wasn't going to go out without a fight.'''

'''Michael fell back down to the ground, but grabbed the gun as soon as he could. Just as the cop was about to kick him again, the gun was pointed in his face. Michael took a few steps back, not giving the cop the chance to grab the gun from him.'''

The cop smiled, "You wouldn't shoot me."

'''"I killed Mitch, didn't I?" Michael asked, Reese gave him a look, "And I killed his wife and kid. You don't think I'd kill you?"'''

"You pulled me out of the wreck," the cop noted, "If you wanted me dead, you'd have left me there."

"Unless you posed a threat," Michael smiled, "You gonna try somethin'?"

'''The cop smiled, waiting for an opportunity. But Michael didn't give him one, walking backwards towards the road. He kept the gun pointed at him, Reese was heading back to his car, which was badly damaged.'''

'''Reese sat inside it, trying to get it back on. He turned the key in the ignition, the car failing to start.'''

'''"You're really gonna escape?" the cop asked.'''

"At first, the only reason I was escaping was because there was gonna be a Mitch in any prison I go to," Michael explained, "Now I just wanna get away."

"You should serve your time, ain't nobody gonna serve it for you," the cop said, "Can you live the rest of your life knowing that you killed three people and didn't get what you deserved?"

'''"If I go back with you..." Michael cried, "I'm gonna get the chair."'''

'''"Isn't that better than a lifetime of torture?" the cop asked.'''

'''Michael thought about this. He was right, of course. Michael deserved the chair, he deserved an eternity in hell. But he'd rather have the chance to redeem himself, he had come so far now, risked Reese's life and freedom. He couldn't back out now.'''

The car came to life after a few tries, Reese stepping out of the car.

"Come on, Mike," Reese said from the car.

'''"Come here a sec," Michael asked him. Reese walked over to him slowly, "Hold this."'''

'''Michael handed him the gun. He walked over to the cop, who didn't even flinch. The cop was much taller than Michael, and bigger. But Michael was able to bring his fist to the cops face, knocking him out cold. He landed on the floor, like a sack of potatoes. '''

'''Michael's hand hurt, the knife wound still hurting. He looked back at Reese, who looked very confused.'''

'''"He can't know what direction we go," Michael explained, as he began to walk to the car. He let Reese keep the gun, sitting in the passenger seat. Reese sat in the driver seat, closing the door and taking off. '''

They left the wreckage behind, along with three unconscious cops, who, if it weren't for them, would be dead.

 Straight After the Suicide

"What the FUCK?!" Danny shouted, looking at the dead body before them.

The group stood around the body, Michael lowered the knife, his eyes wide open. This had reminded him of something. He hadn't seen this much blood since the night his parents died. He looked away, one of his panic attacks coming along. He decided to be alone, walking inside the living room. He stood close enough to the door so he could listen to their conversation.

The bald man stood with his face pure white. He didn't know how to react, so he knelt down, and picked up the knife. He took out a piece of cloth, cleaning the knife. The cloth went from a dirty shade of white to a dark shade of red. Nonetheless, he put the cloth back in his pocket, and the knife in a sheath on his pants.

Danny kept the gun up, aiming it at the bald man. He didn't look at the body anymore, he couldn't bring himself to see it again. He felt sick, but managed to keep the vomit at bay as he tried to figure out this situation.

The girl, on the other hand, stared at the body. She watched the blood grow into a bigger pool, almost reaching her feet. She let it touch the end of her shoe, before backing away from it. But she didn't take her eyes off of the blood.

"You killed him," Danny muttered, looking at the bald man.

"I- I- uh..." the bald man couldn't speak, "He didn't give me a chance to take the knife away. He just leant into it."

"Yeah," Danny scoffed, "Like I'm gonna believe that."

"You don't have to," the bald man sighed, "But we know what's out there. And we know how they become what they are."

"Yeah... They get bitten," Danny acknowledged, but the bald man shook his head, looking down at the dead body.

"In zombie lore..." he began, "Everyone is infected. Right? This man will come back."

"Everyone's infected?" Danny asked, he looked behind him, "Mike?"

When he saw that Michael wasn't there, he looked back at the bald man. Keeping the gun aimed at him, he took a few steps back. He looked through the door, seeing a beyond pale Michael bent double. Michael looked terrible, which made both Michael and Danny look vulnerable.

Danny kept his right eye on the bald man, "You okay, dude?"

Michael nodded, "I'm fine, I'm good."

The shakiness of his voice was worrying, which made Danny just leave him there. He couldn't do anything to help him, so he might as well continue his argument with the bald man. He walked a few steps towards the bald man, the gun raised at his head.

"So what do we do?" Danny asked.

"We shoot him," the woman muttered, her eyes were wide open, staring at the blood, not blinking.

"That's if this dude's theory is right," Danny snapped, "What makes you think that we're all infected? Just because it's in some stupid lore?"

"The same lore that created these things..." the bald man noted, "You see, I'm just as confused as you are with all of this. I'm not suited for this. So how about you cut me some slack and stop blaming me for shit that I haven't done!"

"So you think we should just shoot him?" Danny asked, hoping that the bald man would disagree, the gun was still empty.

"No," the bald man said, "We shoot him, we'll have dozens up our ass in seconds. We're better off just stabbing him."

"You're the one with the knives..." Danny noted, waiting for the bald man to do it.

The man didn't say anything. He looked down at the body, and then back up at Danny. It was a bit obvious that he didn't want to do it. But, he didn't complain, he didn't even make a noise. He knelt down, taking the knife out of his sheath. Danny just realised how many knives he had. There were multiple sheaths attached to his pants, maybe even more in other places.

The man looked at the body, which was face down on the floor. Stabbing the back of the head would probably be easier. But the man knew that the side of the head was much easier to stab. He grabbed the man's head lightly, and raised the knife half a metre above the man's head.

The bald man took a deep breath.

 The Day of the Escape

'''The car ride was silent for the first few minutes. Reese looked back every ten seconds, the smoke from the van was getting smaller and smaller every time until eventually, it was gone. Michael never looked back, keeping his eyes out to the side, looking at the fields.'''

'''He'd stare at trees, bushes, animals. It made him feel free. Not like when he told Ted, not even close. He now felt like there was nobody in the world that would come after him... Other than the cops.'''

'''At least Mitch was gone. At least hundreds of peoples' families would be safe. This would help Michael sleep at night. Three lives to the expense of hundreds. But... was there another way around it? Was there another way all of those people could live, including Mitch's family? There was no way Mitch could live, that's for sure.'''

'''Michael couldn't think about this anymore. It was just going to annoy him. He looked over at Reese, who was looking at the side mirror.'''

'''"You gonna ask?" Michael asked him, as Reese glanced over to Michael.'''

'''"Ask what?" Reese replied, nonchalantly.'''

'''"About Mitch..." Michael muttered, which Reese reacted to quietly. Michael could see the awkwardness on Reese's face, but Reese had to know.'''

'''Reese cleared his throat, "Is he dead?" '''

"Yeah," Michael sighed, "He's gone."

'''Reese smiled, looking at Michael. Michael looked back at him. He didn't know how to take the smile on Reese's face, but what Reese did next was even worse. Reese let out a little laugh, before being full-on hysterical. He laughed so loud that there was no other adjectives to describe it other than awkward and intense.'''

'''Tears rolled down his eyes, the laugh became so funny that Michael smiled. He didn't want to laugh, he had already felt guilty enough. But when he looked at Reese again, he couldn’t help it. They were both sitting in the fast-moving car, laughing as hard as they could. '''

It was a nice release, other than the usual crying and screaming that appeared more than often.

'''They came up to an old scrap yard, old and dirty looking. As they drove through, they came up to a small building. It wasn't exactly a building, the walls were metal and there was a big hole in the front of it, but this was the place.'''

'''The drove inside the big hole, stopping the car inside the building. Reese got out before Michael, running to the hole and pulling down a sheet that was hanging above it, covering it up. Michael looked around, seeing maps, bags, everything. It was like Reese was planning multiple things at once. He had never been here before.'''

'''"What is this place?" Michael asked.'''

"After you got busted," Reese began, walking up to a locked box in the corner, "I rented this place out. Nobody wanted it, it was cheap. Better than nothing. I don't sleep here, this is just my end game."

'''"End game?" Michael repeated.'''

"Everything Mitch gave me," Reese continued, "It's all here. When you called, I started planning how both of us could get away, but we ain't going to the same place."

'''"Why not?" Michael asked, staring at a map on a desk.'''

"They don't know who I am," Reese explained, "It would take too long for them to I.D. me, even the cop that saw me back at the crash. You, on the other hand, need to get somewhere... easier. I go on a plane to Ireland, you drive to Mexico."

'''"How the hell am I getting past the border?" Michael asked.'''

'''Reese stood next to him at the desk. He put a bunch of stuff on the table that he got from the locked box. He handed Michael an ID and a wallet. There was money poking out of the top of the wallet. '''

"When you get to the border, go on the first lane on the left," Reese noted, "There'll be a guy selling piñatas, tell him that you're Reese's guy, he'll give you a piñata in exchange for a thousand dollars. In the piñata will be a passport and Mexican pesos. That's how you'll get through."

'''"What the fuck is a pesos?" Michael asked.'''

"Mexican money," Reese sighed, "Although, you'll probably get away with whatever is in the wallet. You have a few credit cards in there too. On your way to Mexico, in Texas, take out different credit cards at different ATMs and take out whatever money you can from it. When you walk up to any ATM, hide your face, you could be recognised."

'''"What if the dude ain't there?" Michael asked.'''

Reese looked at him, "Then... you're fucked."

Reese handed Michael clothes, "Get dressed. And hurry."

 One Hour After the Suicide

Michael sat on the porch outside. He wanted to be alone, but he wanted to have someone with him anyway. He could feel the heat on his head, the leather jacket was becoming a nuisance. But he kept it on. He wanted to cry after that panic attack, it was so bad that he thought he was gonna croak.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He was so tired, he felt lightheaded. He picked up the water bottle that he had next to him, barely any water left. There were another three bottles, but who knew how many they'd go through?

He opened it, gulping down the last of it. It was warm, but warm water is better than none. His stomach gurgled, made loud whale noises. But he didn't want to eat, the thought of food made him sick. He just wanted to sleep for the night, and hope that when he woke up, he'd wake up in his own bed. At home, his parents safe, no connection to anyone called Mitch. It would be nice.

But unrealistic.

He heard footsteps behind him. He grabbed the knife, but quickly saw that it was Danny. Danny didn't say a word, he just sat down and stretched. As Michael thought of a conversation to discuss, Danny thought about the bald man and the woman. Still didn't know their names.

"They're going to bury him," Danny said.

Michael nodded. He didn't really care, it wasn't as if the guy was family. Michael knew that the bald man didn't kill him, and so did Danny, but they couldn't be too careful.

"You trust them?" Michael asked. He was being serious. They hadn't done anything wrong, but they were still strangers.

"I trust you," Danny noted, "If you trust them then... We'll have more help."

"We're never gonna get back," Michael sighed, "Whatever went down before all of this, it doesn't matter. Things are different now. I ain't getting to where I'm going, you're not getting to your sister."

"Hey," Danny said calmly, "What are you talking about? An hour ago you said you'd help me, you seemed pretty damn confident that you'd get me back."

"Who the hell are we kidding, Dan?" Michael asked, "We're alone out here. Maybe there are a few others like us, but it's just man versus monster now. That's how it was like when..."

Danny looked at him, "When what?"

Michael felt his hands shaking, his heart racing. He didn't want to remember this, every time he thought about the bad things that had happened, he'd feel sick to his stomach. Maybe telling Danny the end of the story might be a good idea.

"I never told you what happened to Mitch," Michael noted.

"The guy who's family you killed?" Danny asked, listening intently.

"Yeah," Michael muttered, "The guy who killed my parents... who ruined my life. The asshole who made me the bad guy. I killed him."

Danny had already guessed that, but it coming from Michael's mouth brought a form of realism to it.

"He uh-" Michael explained, "He was in the same prison as me. He tried to kill me. I had no choice, I didn't want to kill him but..."

Michael suddenly stopped. Danny waited patiently, but grew impatient as the seconds rolled by. It looked as if Michael had zoned out, as if he was done with the story.

"But what?" Danny asked.

Michael felt tears in his eyes, "I wanted him dead... He deserved it."

Danny kept quiet, listening to the intense story. For all he knew, Michael could've been lying. But the look on Michael's face, the devastation that was written on it, it proved that Michael was telling the truth.

"I killed him," Michael continued, "I watched him die. I hid him, and ran. I... I just- Why does this shit keep happening to me?"

Michael looked at Danny, who felt as if everything he had done was nothing compared to the life that Michael had. All Danny could do was tell him about his own life... but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

"Shit happens to everyone," Danny said, "Even me."

Michael sighed, hanging his head low. He just wanted it to be over, end the suffering. He wanted to die. He wouldn't kill himself, not at all, but if it happened by accident, if there was a chance of it happening, he'd let it happen. This is what it had come to.

Michael was going to let himself die.

 The Day of the Escape

'''Michael walked up to Reese, who looked at the clothes Michael was wearing. Reese looked him up and down, before walking over to a coat rack. He picked up a leather jacket, before going back to Michael.'''

"This is what you're missing," Reese said, handing him the jacket.

'''"Never knew fashion was your thing," Michael joked, putting on the jacket. '''

Reese smiled, "Fashion is the reason I live."

'''Michael laughed, before putting the ID and wallet in his jacket pocket. Reese led him outside, and they walked through the scrap yard. '''

'''Old cars everywhere. Burnt out, busted up and torn for parts. It was quite interesting, but only one thing was of importance there. In between the aisles of cars, one car that wasn't broken. Michael couldn't tell the make of it, but it was black. Reese stood at the back, unlocking the trunk. '''

'''He grabbed two license plates from it and closed the trunk. He bent down replacing the old license plate on the back of the car with the new one. He went around to the front and did the same.'''

'''"What was the point in that?" Michael asked.'''

"If they figure out it was me who broke you out," Reese explained, "They'll eventually find out that I bought a car. Then they'll end up finding you. I'm replacing these so you won't get caught."

'''"I'm taking this?" Michael asked.'''

'''"Did you think you were going to walk to Mexico?" Reese asked, standing up.'''

"Kiss my ass," Michael joked, laughing.

'''It felt nice to laugh again. For a moment he had actually forgotten the situation, forgotten the past. But, of course it came back to him, and the laughter rapidly died down.'''

Michael and Danny were still sitting on the porch as the bald man and the woman walked out. Both of them were carrying the body, now wrapped in a duvet. It was stained with blood. As they were about to walk down the steps of the porch, Danny quickly stood up.

"Here, let me," he said, taking the side of the legs from the woman.

She smiled at him, "Thanks."

She let Danny and the bald man take the body out a few yards from the house. She sat down next to Michael, the smile slowly leaving her face.

She took a look at him, expecting him to say something to her, but he kept quiet, and watched as Danny and the bald man carried the body. She didn't know the bald man, but trusted him more than Michael. Michael just seemed too shady.

"So... what’s your story?" she asked hesitantly.

Michael turned his head to her, before giving her half a smile. It was cheeky, but it had meaning. It was more of a "you don't wanna know" type of smile. He still stayed silent, even though she was trying her best to make conversation.

"What's your name?" she asked, finding a more appropriate question.

"Michael," Michael replied, and left it at that. No need to tell her his surname.

"I'm Holly," she noted, in a sweet and quiet little voice.

Michael wasn't bothered. He really just didn't care anymore. It was like a sudden bubble of depression surrounded him and he just didn't care anymore. But Michael wasn't cold, if she wanted a conversation he'd give her one, but he didn't want to talk.

"What's the other guy's name?" she asked, expecting to get more out of him.

Michael sighed, "Danny. He's um... He's okay."

Michael felt the need to tell her that. He had noticed when Danny took the end of the body from her that they gave each other that look. He might as well do one more good deed before biting the dust.

"That guy's name is Peter," Holly said, "He seems... wise. He just has this fatherly vibe."

"I ain't callin' him daddy," Michael joked, and when he heard her laugh, he felt a little better. It was as if her laugh was able to lift his spirits instantaneously. He still wanted to die, but at least he would die happy.

Danny and Peter set down the body on a patch of grass. They looked at the sheet, before giving the situation a thought.

"How are we gonna... dig a hole?" Danny asked.

Peter stayed quiet. He had no idea, he was usually good at this type of stuff but they had no shovels. There was no way they could bury him.

"You got any idea?" Danny asked.

"I have nothing," Peter admitted, "We're better off just leaving him in the house. We leave him out here, animals will get him."

"Animals?" Danny asked, "The only animals I've seen are zombies."

Peter had forgotten about them, they'd probably get to the body first, "There's boar around. Maybe some squirrels. It's basically all the food I've been able to get."

"How long have you been out here?" Danny asked.

"Three days," Peter said, "I've been out in these woods for three days. With nothing but my knives... I had a gun, but I ran out of ammo and ended up losing it."

Danny took out the handgun, "I'm not gonna lie. This is empty too."

Peter smiled, his smile was so friendly looking. He seemed to be a nice man, which made Danny smile too. Things seemed to be looking up, he felt safer with Peter. He was an older man, at least. He obviously knew more things than Michael, especially more things about survival.

"What's your name?" Danny asked.

"Peter," Peter replied, "I'm Peter Singer."

"Do you sing?" Danny joked.

"Only when I drink," Peter said, a smile on his face. A nice sense of humour, something Danny was fond of. That's the reason he had become friends with Michael so fast, because Michael was funny. Funniness is calm, and makes Danny feel easier.

"Well... I'm Danny Miller," Danny said.

Peter held out his hand, Danny was quick to shake it. He had known the guy for an hour, and he had already respected him. Danny looked up to the sky, it was already growing dark.

 The Day of the Escape

'''"This is it," Reese stated, as both he and Michael stood at the car. They just stood facing each other, trying to let the goodbye last as long as possible.'''

"We're uh-" Michael hesitated, "We'll see each other again, right?"

Reese smiled, a sad smile, "If we do... I'll let you know how Breaking Bad ends, okay?"

'''Michael burst out laughing, and went in to hug Reese. It was a brotherly hug. They had known each other for years, and this was most likely the last time they would see each other.'''

'''Holding in tears, they broke up the hug. They stood two feet apart, staring at each other. One last smile, pretending that this was a good thing. Michael held out his hand, waiting for Reese to shake it.'''

'''Of course, Reese reciprocated, taking Michael's hand. They shook hands, nodding at each other. It was a long goodbye, but one that was worth it.'''

"Thank you," Michael said, "For everything."

Reese shook his head, "I brought you into all of this. It's all my fault. You don't need to thank me."

Michael smiled, "I was the one who agreed to it. You had nothing to do with what happened. My mistakes are my mistakes."

Reese couldn't say anything anymore.

"Goodbye," Michael said, going towards the car door.

'''Reese nodded, if he said a word he'd cry. It seemed feminine, but he was sad. His best friend was leaving forever.'''

'''Michael opened the car door, and looked back at Reese. Reese stood there, his arms down at his sides. This was the end. Michael nodded, as did Reese. That was the signal, the last thing that they said to each other. The silent goodbye.'''

'''Michael sat in the car, readjusting his interior mirror to see Reese behind him. He sighed, and closed his eyes. He hated this. He hated having to say goodbye not only to his friend but to his entire life.'''

'''It was time to start anew. Save whatever bit of goodness that was left in his heart. He turned on the car, and took one final look. '''

Danny and Peter lay the body inside the kitchen on the ground. Michael made sure all the outside doors and windows were locked. They were going to stay there for the night. A much safer option than trekking through the woods.

They'd have to sleep in the living room, as the other rooms smelled dirty and damp, the living room just smelled of freshly cut grass. They offered the couch to Holly, and she took it. She needed something soft to sleep on. She was unusually perky for someone who was in the middle of an apocalypse.

Peter and Danny looked at the map, planning out their next course of action. Michael decided to stay in a corner, sitting on the ground, rolled up in a ball. He looked at Holly, who was staring at Danny, whose back was turned to her.

He smiled, he hadn't thought about romance in a long time. Even in the showers in prison... especially in the showers. Keeping a firm grip on the soap is the only advice you get in prison. He needed sleep so badly, he had absolutely no energy.

As Michael closed his eyes, footsteps made their way towards him. He opened his eyes, and looked up. Standing above him was Peter, his friendly smile was back.

"You can keep the knife," Peter said, "You need it. We all need some form of protection."

"Thanks..." Michael said, feeling a bit creeped out.

"I need your help, if you're up for it?" Peter asked, kneeling down.

"Now? I'm too tired to play hide and seek," Michael sighed.

Peter smiled, "Actually, I was wondering if you could help me get some wood. I took a look at the fire place, there's nothing blocking the chimney and it's pretty cold. It'll get colder through the night. A little fire would help us from getting pneumonia."

"Why can't Danny go?" Michael asked.

Peter looked back at Danny, who sat down next to Holly, "He said he should probably take care of Holly, since you're falling asleep. Besides, if you help me with the wood you'll be more tired and you'll fall asleep straight away."

Michael sighed, and then groaned, "Isn't there zombies outside? It's a bit dangerous."

"Not with two people," Peter corrected him.

There was no winning with this guy. Michael had no choice but to go out and gather some wood. But he didn't know if he could keep his eyes open.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Outside, cold and dark. It was scary, intense. The movement of the trees, the branches, the leaves brought shivers to Michael's body. Every noise made him jump, every breeze made him jump. There was no way he'd last long enough to get wood.

"Just get some thick branches," Peter whispered, "Make sure they're dry."

He looked around, hoping that there wouldn't be many zombies around. To his surprise, though, there were none. It was completely desolate. Although, they may have been attracted somewhere else. Hopefully they don't show up at an unfortunate time. Hopefully that didn't jinx it.

When Michael would bend down for branches, he'd nearly fall because he was so tired.

Peter grabbed a little amount, letting Michael grab more. He'd protect Michael if something happened. He was good with knives, which made Michael feel safer, but pissed him off because he wanted to die. Michael's arms were packed with branches.

"We done?" Michael asked, looking at Peter.

Peter was looking behind Michael, towards the house. A few feet away stood a man. Peter's eyes were wide open, his mouth even wider. Michael turned around, wondering what he was looking at. Then he saw.

It was the man. The man they had previously just watched slit his own throat. The man that was previously wrapped in a bloody duvet on the kitchen floor. But here he was, standing up, looking more alive than ever. He had a smile on his face, evil, devious. It was unsettling.

Michael didn't drop the branches, instead just standing in shock and staring at the man. There were no marks on the man, who was looking quite pale.

"How the..." Peter began.

The man walked a few feet forward, before Peter drew his knife.

"You come near us and I'll-"

"You won't do anything," the man interrupted him. The calmness and steadiness of his voice brought fear to both Michael and Peter, "You can't kill me."

"You wanna bet?" Peter asked, his knife now at the ready. Peter ran forward, he was too afraid to let this guy live. Peter wasn't a murderer, but he didn't care.

As he ran towards the man, the man lifted one arm, grabbing Peter under the arm and throwing him towards the porch. Peter landed on his back, painfully bashing against the ground. He screamed, the pain was horrible. The throw was super-human. There was no way someone had that much strength.

The man had barely moved, didn't even flinch. Michael now dropped the branches, still staring at the man. Now that he was facing death, he was too afraid to let it happen. He didn't know whether to run or not. But out came Danny and Holly.

Danny burst open the door, Holly close behind him. He had the gun aimed at the man, and when Danny saw his face as he slowly turned around, he was obviously shocked. He had seen weirder things. Holly helped Peter up as Danny kept the gun aimed at the man.

The man turned around towards Danny, and raised his arms, "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"You ain't me," Danny said, not his best comeback but it worked, "How the fuck are you alive?"

"Easy," the man laughed, "I can't die."

The man saw the shocked and confused faces on the porch, and decided to keep talking, "Here's how this will go. I tell you my name. My name is Dominic, you can call me Dom. I'm here to teach you guys something, something that I learned the hard way. The world has ended, and you are now the last few alive here. If you shoot me, or try to kill me... I won't save Michael."

Michael stood forward, the man's back was towards him. He was confused at what the man said. Michael knew the world was over, but hearing it from this guy made it sound legit.

"What do you mean save him?" Danny asked, the gun aimed at him.

"I want to help you guys," Dom said, "I want you to see what I see, feel what I feel. Do you want that?"

"What the hell are you?" Danny asked.

Dom smiled, "You'll see in just a moment."

Danny was half expecting him to turn into a dragon, or a monster. But something much more surprising happened.

A sudden swish of what look like a cape. First, it was small, then it was big. It took Danny a second to realise that it could have been a bird. But whatever it was, hit Michael. It happened in a split second. Michael fell on his knees. Danny didn't even hesitate.

He dropped the gun, running towards Michael. He passed Dom, who observed them. Danny dropped to the ground, onto his knees. He held Michael up, both were on their knees. Michael's eyes were opening and closing slowly, as if he was about to lose consciousness. But Danny knew what was happening.

"Hey," Danny said quietly, "Hey, hey, hey. Mike, stay with me, buddy. Stay with me, now."

Michael could barely hold his head up, his eyes were getting heavy, a sharp pain in his neck and back. Danny grabbed a hold of him, pulling him in and looking over his shoulder to observe his back. A stab wound in the middle, after catching the spine. Danny tried to keep pressure on it, and was about to get back to talking to Michael before noticing something else.

There was a bite mark on his neck. This wasn't a zombie bite mark, or an animal or a human's. Two little dots, lying on his neck. He knew what it was but... it couldn't be.

He pulled Michael away from him, looking at his face. Michael was still with him, still alive.

"It's not even that bad," Danny assured him, "It's not that bad. We're gonna patch you up, you'll be good as new."

"You know what you have to do," Dom said from behind.

Danny ignored him, holding Michael's head up.

"I can save him," Dom noted, "I can keep him alive. He'll be better, stronger. He'll be invincible."

Danny began to cry. He had known Michael a day or two, but he couldn't lose him now. He needed him, he didn't care about Peter or Holly at the moment. He just wanted Michael to survive.

"What are you gonna do?" Danny asked, still staring at Michael.

"I'm gonna make him what I am," Dom explained, "I'll take him away. Back to our lair... I guess that's what you would call it."

Danny didn't trust him. He didn't want him touching Michael. But he had no idea what to do. Maybe he could help, maybe this was the only option to keep Michael alive. And it was.

Danny sighed, "Do what you gotta do."

Dom walked towards them, and knelt down next to Danny and Michael. He put his hand up to his mouth, and bit his wrist. Blood oozed from it, dripping down his arm. He put his arm over Michael's mouth, making Michael swallow the blood.

Michael couldn't stop it, he hadn't the strength to move away. He drank what was given to him. The hand was taken away, and Dom stood up.

"Say your goodbyes," Dom said, as he walked a few feet away.

Danny looked at him, still holding Michael's head, "You said you could save him!"

"I am saving him," Dom snapped.

Michael smiled, blood around his mouth. Danny stared at him, as Michael tried to say something. Whatever he said, Danny couldn't hear. So Michael coughed, and gave his last bit of effort to say what he needed to say to Danny.

"I'm sorry..." he began, "I couldn't... get you to your... your sister."

Michael was crying, Danny was crying. Michael's faint smile faded away, his eyelids dropped down, his head dropped to Danny's shoulders. Danny lifted his face up.

"No, no, no, no," Danny whispered, "Hey... Michael. Mike!"

Michael was unresponsive. He was dead.

"MICHAEL!" Danny shouted, before bringing Michael's body in for a hug. He was hysterically crying. He had no idea why it was affecting him so much. But it felt like Michael was his friend for years, and now he was gone.

Peter and Holly watched from the porch, both with sad looks on their faces. It was horrible, devastating. Seeing Danny holding Michael's dead body was upsetting. Danny was distraught, a bit too distraught.

 Just Before the Crash

'''Michael drove down the long road. It was lonely out there, peaceful. The quietness was making him think, so he chose to interrupt that. No point in making himself more upset.'''

'''He went for the radio, turning it on. Don't Stop Believing.'''

'''This song always made him smile. Heart-warming, yet so cheesy. As he listened to it, he wondered what life was going to be like from now on. Things would definitely be different, but good different, or bad different?'''

'''He put his hand in his pocket, taking out the ID and wallet. He placed them on the passenger seat. He looked at them, that was his future.'''

'''He stared down the road... down to his future, whatever it was going to be. The song was calming him down.'''

'''He closed his eyes, it was almost like his body forgot that he was driving. He didn't see it coming, and that was probably best. '''

Don't stop-

"It's time for me to take him, Danny," Dom said, trying to grab Michael's body. Danny wouldn't let go, so Dom became aggressive.

Danny shot up, punching Dom in the face. It barely affected Dom, who grabbed Danny's arms so he couldn't hit him.

"He's dead!" Danny shouted, "You fucking dick! You said you'd save him but he's fucking dead you motherfucker!"

"I am gonna save him!" Dom shouted, pushing Danny to the ground, "You know what I am."

Danny was about to get up, try and hit him again. But Dom was gone before Danny could even blink. Danny stood up, looking around. He was definitely gone. But then Danny noticed that Michael's body was gone too. He looked around, not sure what to do. It was like he was back at square one again.

He saw something in the woods, something running across the trees, too fast for a human being. He knew what it was. He looked up to the sky, no point in chasing it, hearing Peter and Holly come up behind him.

"What just happened?" Holly asked, staring at Danny, not seeing what Danny saw in the woods.

Danny sighed, "He's gone. They both are."

"I don't mean to ask this at the wrong time but..." Peter asked, "What did he mean when he said that you know what he is?"

Danny turned around, looking at Peter. He looked serious, scarily serious. His charm was gone, and now he meant business.

"I know exactly what he is," Danny said, his voice now very low. He looked at both Peter and Holly, and was beginning to think of a plan.

"What is he?" Holly asked, not sure what the answer was going to be.

Danny took one more look up to the sky. His head cocked slightly sideways, not blinking at all. He stared at the moon, and the thing he was about to say next was something he'd never thought he'd come across in real life. Just one word.

"Vampire"

  Previous Issue: Issue 5|Next Issue: Issue 7

Credits

 * Michael Gunn
 * Danny Miller
 * Peter Singer
 * Holly Anderson
 * Reese
 * Dominic Halpert
 * Ted Grey (Mentioned)
 * Mitch (Mentioned)

Deaths

 * Michael Gunn

Title Meaning
"Down to the Wire" means a tense situation where the outcome is only decided in the last few seconds. This is obviously only referring to the ending, where Michael is killed and Danny has to decide whether or not to let Dom take him. But Dom doesn't give him the chance.

Trivia

 * Michael Gunn is the first main character to die.
 * The events following his death will be told in Volume 2.
 * Vampires are now introduced to the story.
 * This means that not only are there zombies, but there are more mythical creatures lurking around in the forest.
 * Other things will be introduced in the future ;)
 * This issue showed that the man who killed himself in the last issue, Dominic Halpert, is actually alive.
 * At the end, he being a vampire explained how he survived.
 * Dominic will be a sort of antagonist from here on out, or at least for the forseeable future.
 * Mostly, he just causes problems.
 * The end of Michael's flashbacks was a nod to the infamous ending of the multi award-winning series The Sopranos.
 * Reese mentions Breaking Bad to Michael.
 * This is actually a very important thing about Michael's past.
 * Since he said that he'll tell Michael how it ends, this means that Michael's flashbacks date to before September 2013.
 * In actual fact, his flashbacks are all set in 2012.
 * This episode sort of dealt with Michael's depression, which just creeped up in this issue.
 * The reason it hadn't happened before is because Michael hadn't come to terms with it. But now, it suddenly started to take over. He suddenly began to feel depressed.
 * Even though Michael is dead, this will continue to have an impact in the future.
 * Peter Singer is based off of John Locke's character in the hit series LOST.
 * Both characters are played by the same actor.
 * The next arc's protagonist will be Danny.
 * Danny's story will be told over a 6 issue arc.
 * Holly's perky attitude will be explained far into the future, when her own arc will take place.
 * Peter has strong knowledge about zombie lore.