“So we’re getting smart are we?” said the man. Hugo’s ears rattled at the sound of his boots walking across the floor. They drew near to Hugo’s stall and their eyes met between the gap of the stall door.

Hugo held his breath. The other man inhaled and kicked the stall door in.

SLAM

A pistol was already on Hugo’s forehead.

“Don’t move.” The man was in his camo uniform. His dog tag swung across his neck; it read ‘Rodrigo Bryant, B POS,’ “Are you bit?”

“What?” said Hugo.

“Are you bit!” Bryant screamed, the pistol in his hand shook.

“No!” said Hugo.

“Where did my squad go?”

“I don’t know.”

“Which way did they go!”

“North!”

Bryant lowered his gun. “Dammit.” He lowered his head but picked himself up to Hugo. “Get lost. Go before I kill you.”

Hugo left the bathroom stall, starting with a slow creep and exited the cafe with a swift sprint. Coming out into the field of Griffith Observatory, it was the late evening now, and the horizon glowed a bright orange. The silhouette of the Hollywood Sign drew Hugo’s attention. At the top of the hill was the small platform and a single helicopter sat atop it.

Not wanting to wander in the dark, Hugo turned around and walked to the observatory.

“Hey! Get lost!” said Bryant. He came running into the field with his pistol out.

Hugo raised his hands. “Where am I supposed to go?!”

“Groaaaah!” said a single wanderer that remained behind the fence.

“I don't care. Get out of here!”

“But-”

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Bryant pointed his gun to the sky.

BAM BAM BAM

Distant groans came from the surrounding wildlife. They drew nearer.

“Okay! Okay! Stop!” Hugo walked away from the observatory and turned to the helicopter in the distance. Eyeing the copter, its blades started to spin. “No!” Hugo sprinted out of the field. Racing across the hills, he saw the copter lift away and disappear into the night sky. Stopping in his tracks, he took a breather. “Dammit, dammit, dammit!” His voice echoed lightly over the hills.

“Grah!” a wanderer groaned before Hugo. Hugo stumbled back, unable to see the wander in the darkness.

“No, no!” Hugo screamed. A light came on from behind him.

BAM

The wanderer’s head exploded and collapsed before Hugo.

“Get up, get up!” said Bryant. He came to Hugo from behind and pulled him by his arm.

Hugo stumbled to his feet, “What? What’s happening?” The sound of a plane grew from the south. Bryant turned to look at it with a face of horror, Hugo looked too. “Why is there a plane?”

From the cargo hold of the plane, it dropped items that were too dark to see in the night, but as they hit the ground they exploded.

“Firebombs,” said Bryant, the fiery glow of the bombs reflected in his eyes.

“Bombs?” Hugo repeated.

More planes followed from the south, dropping even more bombs. LA was sent into one last fiery blaze. “They’re doing it.”

“Doing what?”

Bryant turned to the platform behind the Hollywood sign and made a run for it.

“Wait!” said Hugo. He followed the light from Bryant’s flashlight as it was flung up and down in his clenched fist.

“Groooa!” said a nearby wanderer, hidden in the night. Others called after it.

As the planes continued dropping bombs, one explosion got dangerously close to the hills. Hugo and Bryant kept sprinting along the top of the hills. The city became a lake of fire and ash all around them. A line of bombs were being dropped over the hill behind the two.

“Ah!” said Hugo as he was pelted by dirt and rocks from the explosion.

Drawing near to the platform, Bryant’s flashlight exposed a gray suv parked just outside the gate. He took a small tool from one of his pockets and smashed the driver-side window. The car’s alarm started blasting, but Hugo could barely hear it over the bombing of LA. Bryant crawled into the car window as Hugo pulled on other door handles. To no success, Hugo went to the driver window to see Bryant under the wheel and picking at the wires.

The car’s engine revved, the lights came on and Bryant hit the gas. Hugo stood on the back bumper, holding on as tight as he could. Driving down the hills, Bryant found the interstate that drove through most of California and it was flooded with abandoned cars. Bryant stopped the car beside the road. Hugo looked into the back window to see Bryant running along the interstate. Hugo looked down the opposite end of the interstate to discover he was in the path of another plane.

The interstate sat in the crease between two hills. Without time to think, Hugo ran up the interstate. He found an exit that led to an alleyway. Lunging into cover, Hugo dodged the bombs as the plane flew by. There were more in the distance, but they didn't seem to be getting closer. He was sweating all over and his heartbeat could even attract nearby wanderers.

After catching his breath. Hugo emerged from the alley. Looking at the exit he followed, a giant sign had fallen over beside it. The sign read ‘Universal Studios Hollywood.’