Disclaimer: Really shouldn't have to say this, but I don't own Left 4 Dead, or its sequel, in any way, shape, or form. And if I did, I would be so proud of myself. The only thing I do own, is my characters, which will be notable, so I'll save you from the early introduction.

My, my, it has been quite some time since I've written, so this'll be interesting. I know I'll probably have a difficult time writing all the characters perfectly so I'd love it if you guys helped me out a little. :)
Avid readers of mine (the few that there are :c): I'm writing a Portal fan fiction at the same time as this so I might jump from third person to first person on accident, and I'm sorry! Chapters are gunna be a little shorter than the norm, I wanna keep this casual. I have no idea which story is going to be out first, but, enough talk, here we go!
This story contains language, gore and suggestive content. Keeping your kids safe since 1988.

Help, I'm Alive
Prelude / Dead Center

Willow couldn't tell which came quicker: the joy that leapt into her heart when she heard the whirr of the helicopter's wings, or the dread that sank her stomach when she heard the sound growing further and further away. She had no clue that emotions could come and go so easily. As she gawked at the sky, watching the helicopter float away, she tried to convince herself that this was all a joke. The pilot was just playing a joke on her. He'd show back up in no time, he was just trying to get a laugh. Spook her a little. Of course, that's what they all did in emergency life or death you-need-to-get-the-hell-over-here situations, right? No. She cursed as her prediction grew more and more false and the helicopter swayed away into the afternoon sun. What was she thinking?

"The hell? I thought they were supposed to be savin' our asses!" The cry was a harsh one and came from in front of her, shaking her thoughts from her head. Willow's eyes lowered from the sky, focusing on the strangers in front of herself. She watched the back of their heads with curiosity, though she remained far from them, as she had the entire trip. No, she hadn't forgotten about the group - it was more like they'd forgotten about her. While they trudged through hallways and dashed upstairs together, she followed, a couple steps behind. It wasn't like she preferred to be alone. In fact, it was quite the opposite. It was nice to know that she wasn't completely alone while the world fell apart.

"Oh no, no no, this isn't happening, this isn't happening…" The woman chanted, a frustrated and shaking hand pressing against the roots of her hair that were dampened with sweat. She wiped her hand on the thigh of her jeans, still following the helicopter with terrified eyes.

Next to her was another man, bent over and panting from their previous frantic sprint up the stairs. He wore a white suit (well, it was white; now it was more of a beige), complete with shining dress shoes that tapped with every wobbly step he inched forward with. The man from before, a tall, dark-skinned, and large fellow, groaned disapprovingly and kicked at the metal fence that separated them from the edge of the building and a long drop.

"You've gotta be shittin' me," The southern drawl was new to her ears, and she instantly turned in the direction of the voice. He stood by the woman, a navy hat clinging to his short, brown waves. His t-shirt had already been dirtied, along with the mechanic jumpsuit clinging to his legs and wrapped tight around his waist. He stumbled closer to the fence, boots clunking loudly against the floor.

"So what the hell are we going to do now?" The burly man spoke again, this time, he spoke for everyone else. He eyed the group behind himself, expecting an answer from someone. After a short silence, Suity spoke up.

"There's only one thing to do." He lifted himself up slowly, brushing the dirts and dusts from his pant legs. "Get outta here on our own." Then there was another pause from the group. Willow scanned the crowd from behind, waiting for a reaction, or another order, but everyone simply watched the man with wary gazes. So then, she stepped forward, bare feet pattering on the floor.

"He's right. They're not coming back anytime soon." She must've stuck out like a sore thumb - her soft, round face amongst the rough ones. Her hair was short, soft dark brown curls hugging her chin and fringes falling across her forehead that were wet with sweat. She was a tiny girl, wearing a long sleeved gray sweater over a dark pair of jeans that clung to her skin.

The woman turned to face Willow, her features shocked to hear the mute finally speak up, but her eyebrows fell once she finished her sentence. "Alright. So, where to?" Her tone was optimistic, something that slowed Willow's racing heart.

The mechanic spoke up, his voice chipper with excitement. "Chopper looked like it was headin' toward the evacuation center at the mall downtown. I know these parts like the back of my hand, I can take ya'll down there!" He watched the group, eyes bright and giddy.

"The boy's right. Sounds like we got ourselves a plan," The bulky man said, finally turning away from the fence and facing the group. "Also sounds like we'll be stuck together until then. What's your names?"

"I'm Rochelle. I produce a news show." The woman turned to Willow, a welcoming smile on her lips. "You?"

"Willow. I just transferred to a college here." And what a smart decision that was, wasn't it? "Engineering major." Her final year. She was pretty much done with college until the zombies came along.

"Willow, like the tree? My mom used to have a real big one in 'er front yard but we had to get rid of it cause these weird maggot-beetle hybrids started callin' it home." The hic chuckled at his own story. "I'll remember that. Folks call me Ellis. I run an auto-shop 'round here."

"Good to meet a local. People just call me Coach." The tall man spoke again. "What about you, son?"

"Nick. Shouldn't matter, I ain't sticking around for long." Suity stood up to his full height, his profile facing the rest of us. He cracked his fingers.

"Let's try and stay together for a little while longer. Alright, Nick?" Coach extended an arm for a shake, but Nick simply stared. He closed his fingers and lowered his arm when he noticed the look.

"Great, we're friends now. That's done." Nick turned, slowly stepping away from the group and toward the door we'd barged in through. "Moving on. This building? It's on fire. So… I'd like to leave it. I suggest we all take advice from the helicopter and get the hell out of here."

There was a short silence before Willow spoke again. "… He's a great guy. We'll make an unstoppable team." She received a giggle from Rochelle, who shook her head in disbelief.

"Hate to admit it but he's right." Rochelle's expression fell grim for a moment with her next statement. "Those… things out there, they're dangerous. I've been hearing things… we should all grab weapons."

Willow nodded warily, her palms sweating with fear. She didn't want to go back out there. They'd been lucky enough to dodge those monsters on their first trip, but there's no escaping them this time. She swallowed hard and started to follow Nick's path, joined by the rest of the group. Next to the door was a white folding table scattered with weaponry: pistols, fire axes, and baseball bats. Nick was the first to grab a pistol, followed by Coach. Rochelle snatched a baseball bat, uttering a silent, "I know what to do with this." One pistol left.

Willow curled her fingers around the fire axe, lifting up its weight anxiously. Her heart was pounding, but she was ready. Her hands were still shaking from her last encounter, but her mind was prepared. Ellis must've noticed this, since the next thing she felt was a soft grip on her shoulder. She paused, flipping her head towards him with a bewildered stare.

"Hold up a sec. This'll probably do you better than it will me," He held out the final pistol in front of her, lips forming a quaint smirk. Willow looked down at the firearm, about to mumble, "What, you think I can't handle this?," until she realized how correct that statement was. She was a dancer. Great stamina, incredible flexibility, strong legs. While she knew her arms should be just as strong as her legs, they weren't, and a fire axe wouldn't be the greatest weapon to start out with. So, she lowered the axe with a sigh and gripped the pistol out of Ellis' palm, trading it for the handle of the axe. "Thanks, Ellis." She replied.

"Much obliged. Sorry 'bout that, you looked a bit spooked. Don't worry, I got this." He swung the axe over his shoulder with pride. "Ya know, I built myself a truck that was completely zombie-proof."

"Really?" Willow inquired, "How'd that work for you?"

"Well," Ellis scratched underneath his hat, searching for the words, "Turns out it was only 99 percent zombie-proof. And the other 1 percent tore the truck up to shit." Willow laughed, a short one, but warm one. Her smile remained planted on her face as Ellis gave her a final pat on the shoulder and retreated to the door beside Nick. Her first smile of the apocalypse. She didn't think it would come this quick and last so long.

"C'mon, let's get going!" Nick shouted, throwing the door open.

AN: Okay so it actually did turn out to be on the long side for a prelude but it doesn't matter. I hope you enjoyed it! I'd super appreciate it if you left a review to let me know what you think. :)