Disclaimer: I do not own the 2004 film Dawn of the Dead and this story has no official ties with the film; this is a work of fan fiction. I do not receive any payment or any other type of gain from this fan fiction. All rights belong to Strike Entertainment and New Amsterdam Entertainment, as well as Universal Pictures.

Sun setting across the cityscape, disappearing below the horizon of the houses in the suburbs, the warm glow receded slowly. Twilight, when the blue sky had long vanished, overtaken by deep shades of orange and purple, a short while before the night would settle in. Before the outbreak had happened, Angela hardly ever gave a second thought about this time of day, always too busy wrapped up in her life. Now that she had all the time in the world at her hands, she had learnt to appreciate it - how peaceful it was.

Sat on a chair on the rooftop facing towards the sunset, a light breeze fluffed her brunette hair around her face. Watching the light fade away and shadows take their place, like a sea of darkness washing over everything, she closed her eyes. After sitting out there quite frequently, Angela was able to tune out the undead below, their moans like white noise now. It was nice to just sit there with her thoughts, without any interruption from anyone.

Despite the mall being a large domain, Angela had explored every inch of the place within the first week. With nowhere else to go and being around the same group of people all the time — even though she got along really well with everyone — it could all be overwhelming sometimes. That's when she would come to the roof and just sit, looking past the hordes of corpses and focus on what's beyond. She could imagine her life before the outbreak or her life if the outbreak never happened. The mundane.

Angela's eyes snapped open. She heard something over the hundreds of moans, a noise that didn't come from the undead. No, she was used to the crowds of zombies that surrounded the mall, knew every sound they produced. This was different. Listening closely, she abruptly sat up straight when she heard it again, in the distance.

A gunshot.

Even though she could just barely hear it, she knew whoever was firing the gun was near, at least close to the mall. At the thought of survivors out there but so close, Angela froze, not knowing what to do. Coming to the mall now would be a suicide mission since hundreds of infected crowded around the place; it was risky when the second group came in the truck, and there was nowhere near as many undead as there was currently. However, leaving the potential survivors out there defenceless would be unforgivable, Angela thought.

Standing from her chair, she was going to tell the rest of the group when another noise stopped her before she could take a step. It was a scream, echoing down the streets in the distance, followed by more gunfire. Five shots, one after another, quick and frantic. A rush of anxiety flooded her, a cold sweat overtaking her, despite the humidity. Turning to the general direction where the commotion was coming from, she walked to the edge of the roof. More screaming and gunfire. A group, she confirmed, since there were multiple voices and at least two different guns; some type of handgun and maybe a shotgun.

Heart pounding, Angela's eyes scanned the area, the possibility to see them since they were near. However, a small part of her hoped she didn't find them, feeling sick at the thought of what could happen next.

After a tense ten seconds, the screams started to dwindle, dropping one by one. The gunfire became a constant noise, shot after shot, only to suddenly stop. Holding her trembling breath, she strained to hear anything, when a blood-curdling scream vibrated in the air, Angela flinching at the sound. Bringing a knuckle to her mouth, teeth worrying the skin, she remained at the rooftop edge for a little while. Eyes unfocused, her ears concentrated out beyond in the distance. However, the normal lull of the undead below continued like always, not another sound breaking the white noise.

With a deep sigh that sagged her body, Angela closed her eyes, a single tear falling down her cheek. The sun had disappeared completely, the sky an inky wash of black and grey. Moonlight paled the mall, a cold glow illuminating the sadness across her face. Opening her eyes again, she looked down at the crowd below, a forest of silhouettes in the night. Shoes scuffing the gravel, she finally turned away and retreated inside where it was safe and secure. Where Angela couldn't listen for any more noise.