Nightfall (DD)

"Nightfall" is the seventh episode and mid-season finale of Season 1 of Dark Days. It is the seventh episode overall. It premiered on November 30, 2018.

Synopsis
"Everything comes to a head at the university."

Plot
Warren steps back in disbelief, slowly walking away from the gates. He rubs his eyes, as they remain incredibly wide. Here before him is Kylie Washington, the meek pink-haired girl he had come to know as a friendly acquaintance before the outbreak. A soft-spoken girl full of self doubt, well known to act without thinking. Two quirks of hers that one would think to clash.

He considers hallucinations; there’s no way she’s alive, he saw her die with the rest of Caroline’s group. Is this some kind of subconscious regret? He didn’t talk to her much in the past, he assumed she had plenty of other friends. Had he pushed it to the back of his mind, that he could’ve tried harder to stop her from going?

“... oh my god…” Warren shakes his head slowly. No, it is her. Clinging weakly to the iron bars of the gate, slumped forward against them with a dreary expression on her muck covered face.

It is Kylie.

Dahlia is quick to act first, rushing to the ladder to clamber up to the lookout deck. She scrambles to the top in a hurry, grabbing the rope in an attempt to undo the knot. Kylie steps back from the gates the moment she feels the bars shake and rumble, and with a hiss and a screech, the metal shakes and scrapes along as Dahlia heaves to open the gate.

The sound attracts the attention from those in the area; those on the first floor of the university hear the gate open, and turn their attention to the windows. Parker takes one look, before turning around and hurrying out. The others watch him go; Pam, Virgil, Oliver, Gina, and Monica.

“... should we go investigate?” Monica asks.

Virgil hurries forward. “The front gates are opening, duh. We need to check this out. Let’s go already.”

As they nod in agreement and follow, someone watches them from afar; Kate, with her cult right behind her. She watches them exit, before glancing out the window herself.

“Well… today just continues to get more and more interesting.” She mutters, still smiling.

Chad looks out the window and grimaces. “Who cares about any of that.”

Kate turns. “Pardon?”

“I said who cares? Nothing matters right now.” Chad crosses his arms. “You said everything would go fine, that we’d be able to kill him.”

“I did say that, didn’t I?” Her smile doesn’t waver.

“What, do you not care anymore?” Chad throws his arms up. “We have the chance! Why are we giving up?!”

When Kate doesn’t reply, Erika steps in. “Ya know, when Ms. Collins died and you told us it was Parker’s fault, I thought you had a plan. But do you even know what you’re doing?”

“I always know what I’m doing.” Kate replies, lips pursing for a moment, before her smile returns.

“Really now?” Erika raises an eyebrow. “Really? Because if you did, would this shit have failed as horribly as it did? Would Clark still be alive?!”

“Erika, she has no idea what she’s doing. None of you do.” Chad reaches for his belt and removes a handgun. “When you gave me this and told me to save the one fucking bullet you had for an emergency, I didn’t think it would come to this.”

As he walks off to kill Parker, gun in hand, Kate immediately turns and grabs him by the arm. “You will not, you son of a bitch!”

Chad pulls away and turns, eyes widening; Kate’s smile is far more sinister and twitchy, alongside a cold, angry glare. “''You always save the last bullet for yourself. You do as I say and that is '''final! Do you hear me?!'”

“Fuck OFF, you crazy bitch!” Chad shoves Kate and steps away. “''If you wanna kill Parker, then do it! Otherwise, you’re fucking useless!''”

“So you’re going to disobey me? You’re going to go shoot him? And then what?” Kate approaches him slowly. “The rest of them, the ignorant ones, will turn on you. One by one they’ll pile on top of you and beat you to a pulp, until their fists have caved your pretty-boy face in.

“Your girlfriend will cry and sob and beg for forgiveness, turning traitor to save her own skin. But they will execute her on the spot. They will rise against us faster than they already desire to and this will fail. Everything you do will be in vain.

“So is that what you want?” Kate’s smile slowly softens. “To live and die a moronic douchebag who makes stupid decisions and gets everyone killed?”

Chad stands there in complete silence, allowing Kate to slip the gun from his hands. She steps back and points it at his chest. Erika gasps and runs to Chad, standing in front of him with pleading eyes.

“You and Erika both deserve to die for your recklessness right now. How dare you question me?” Kate still smiles, as she shakes her head. “Stacy, what should I do?”

“Shoot them!” Abbie shouts. “Just fucking shoot them!”

“Was I talking to you, Abbie?” Kate asks with a bit more rigidness in her voice. “Stacy, what’ll it be.”

The girl in question thinks for a moment. “... let them live. Let them live, until they learn their mistakes. Until they drop to their knees and beg for forgiveness. And then they can die.”

The woman does not hesitate in holstering the gun the moment the girl finishes her sentence. “So be it. Consider this temporary mercy. Now you two get out of here.”

Chad wastes no time in pulling Erika away with him, as they vanish down one of the halls.

“That decision was fucking dumb.” Abbie shakes her head. “We should’ve shot them dead. They need to listen to you better.”

Kate slowly turns to face her, and the others in the crowd do as well.

“And besides, nobody fucked up as badly as these two did.” Abbie gestures to Duncan and Edmond, who flip her off.

“Fuck you, you stupid cunt.” Duncan glares. “How were we supposed to know that blond bimbo would attack?”

“People make mistakes, get over it.” Edmond shrugs.

“If you two hadn’t fucked up, maybe we would’ve--” Abbie is silenced as Kate takes her by the cheeks and turns her head to face her.

“There, eye contact. That’s better.” Kate smiles and removes her hand. “You know what we talked about, Abbie. Back talking me and my decisions again would make you lose your weapon privileges. Hand me your knife.”

She sighs with a soft glare. “... do I have to?”

Kate nods, smile stretching a bit as she cocks her head.

Abbie rolls her eyes, handing her knife forcefully to Kate. “Fine, but you’re not my damn mother.”

Kate’s fingers close around the knife as she thrusts it upwards into Abbie’s throat. The girl’s eyes widen in surprise as she coughs, gurgling on her own blood. She backs up, but Kate follows, the rest watching in horror.

Kate pushes her back against the wall, the girl weakly trying to fight back. The woman rips the knife out, and Abbie collapses, weakly trying to cover the blood pouring from her neck and mouth. Finally, Kate kneels down and shoves the knife into Abbie’s forehead, killing her once and for all.

“Well…” Kate stands back up, turning to them, the girl’s blood on her face. She dusts her pants off slightly. And yet, she smiles. “Any more objections?”

They all shake their heads in silence.

“Good.”

The gates open as Warren steps back in disbelief. “... K-Kylie?”

She shrugs, slowly walking in. “... h-hey.” Before she collapses into Warren’s arms.

Parker arrives with his small entourage almost as soon as Kylie collapses, watching the girl’s legs wobble even as she falls. Warren holds the girl close, stumbling a bit to maintain balance from the sudden weight against him.

Dahlia shuts the gates and hops down from the landing, before hurrying over to Warren and Kylie. “Is she okay?!”

“I-I don’t know!” Warren tries to help Kylie stand up, the girl bloodied and exhausted looking. She pants, trying to make eye contact with the young man.

“S-So… t-tired…”

Pam stops behind Parker, eyes widening. “Ms. Washington…?”

“Kylie…?” Parker mutters.

Warren and Dahlia turn to the small posse in surprise, Warren putting one of Kylie’s arms around him as he keeps her standing.

Virgil walks around Parker slowly. “... she’s not dead?”

Pam hurriedly walks over, placing the back of her hand against Kylie’s muck covered forehead. “She’s incredibly warm. She might be coming down with a mild fever.”

“Well don’t just stand there, let’s get her to the infirmary! Right this instant!” Parker says. However, he just receives a few awkward stares, primarily directed at his hospital-like attire. “Forget my damn clothes, let’s move!”

They hurry back to the building to get to the infirmary, Warren giving Kylie to Parker for better support. The students lag behind as Gina eyes them. “What the hell happened out here?!”

“What the hell happened in there?!” Warren asks. “We run downstairs to find a man dead and Parker up and walking again. What the fuck went down?”

“Kate’s fucking cult went down.” Monica sighs. “They... were gonna kill Parker.”

Before the others can respond, Oliver looks back at them. “Can we not talk about this right now? It’s not important.”

Warren and Dahlia share a look, before they continue in silence to the infirmary.

Upon arrival, Kylie is helped with sitting down on the bed, able to regain her stamina with slow, careful breaths. Pam takes her temperature, and finds nothing severe. With worries of a fever eradicated, she quickly takes to cleaning her up. Parker, Warren, and Dahlia join them, while Gina, Monica, Oliver, and Virgil wait outside.

“You’re one very lucky girl.” Pam smiles, pulling the rag from Kylie’s face and tossing it in the sink. “We thought you were dead.”

“I thought I was too.” Kylie shrugs, half-smirking. “I guess… I really am lucky.”

“What about the others?” Parker asks. “Did anyone else make it out?”

Kylie’s smile fades, and her gaze falls to the floor. Her silence tells them everything, as each of them look down sadly.

“I saw Caroline and Sandra, and I thought they made it, but then Caroline fell…” Kylie shakes her head. “And then I tried to run, but Jackson grabbed me, and threw me, and then he vanished…”

“He got killed.” Dahlia mutters, crossing her arms. “We saw everything go down at the bridge with binoculars… we thought you got swarmed and killed too.”

Kylie briefly snorts with a shrug and a small smile, before it fads. “Welp, I’m not dead, sorry to say…”

“Huh? What’re you on about?” Warren asks. “We’re happy that you’re--”

“Oh shit, you’re really alive!” Suddenly, a grinning Raye rushes into the room, pushing past Pam and Parker and throwing his arms around the pink-haired girl. Kylie briefly gasps, before she slowly and awkwardly returns the hug.

“I thought Virgil was lying, but holy shit… it’s really you!” Raye steps back with a wide grin before looking around at the others. “Ha! Why didn’t anyone tell me about this?!”

Warren snorts. “Heh, well to be fair, we only just found out ourselves… how’d you figure it out?”

“I saw the crowd in the hall and asked what was up. Got me pretty antsy.” Raye replies. “Alex and I were upstairs, and I told him about… the thing, and well, we’re gonna clean it all up.”

“... oh, right.” Warren purses his lips. “Right, right… that.”

Pam looks with concern and confusion at Parker, who simply raises an eyebrow. “What ‘thing’ are you talking about…?”

“Well, sir, um…” Dahlia looks down, biting her lip. “... it’s about Mike and Melanie.”

The four outside the infirmary stand around in silence, awkwardly avoiding eye contact, and keeping from entering the infirmary. The recent travesty is still all too fresh in their minds. Gina crosses her arms, leaning against the wall, while looking around at the ceiling. She glances down, only to spot the blood in the area where Clark had died.

She squeezes her eyes shut, hissing a bit, before she looks to Monica. “Why’d you do it?”

The girl glances over. “Huh?”

“Why’d you side with them?” She asks. “It was completely out of nowhere, I had no clue you were even there.”

“Are you serious right now?” Monica glares. “I told you I didn’t stand with them.”

“Well then why the hell were you there?!”

“Cause I wanted to stop it!” Monica shouts. “They woulda just killed you, and killed Parker, and things would be even more fucked than they already are!”

“Well then dammit why the fuck don’t we just kill Kate?!” Gina throws her arms in the air. “All she’s done is fuck things up and try and get people killed! I fucking shot the janitor for shit’s sake! She dragged you into this, caused Oliver pain, manipulated a fuck load of people, tried to poison Parks, and has kept everything relatively fucked!”

“Because we don’t just kill people we don’t like!” Virgil intervenes. “Believe me, I fucking hate the bitch too. But we’re not gonna kill her. Lock her up, exile her, either works. But if we kill her, everyone she manipulated will act out and fight back. Blood must have blood. That’s how cults work, that’s how they’re based.”

“They’re out for blood already, don’t you know what just happened?!” Gina forcefully gestures to the blood on the floor. “Clark would be alive if they didn’t force shit!”

“She’s got a point…” Monica crosses her arms. “People don’t stop ‘til they’re stopped. It’s how Gina and I bullied people. You can talk back, submit, ignore them… but no matter what, as long as those people exist, they fight.”

Virgil looks between the two girls in silence. “... well what convinced you to stop?”

“Who said I ever stopped?” Monica smirks wryly. “Bitches are the strongest girls around. We get what we want. You’re lucky I want people to stop dying for no reason.”

“Well then we run it by vote, when everything with Kylie is settled.” Virgil gestures to the infirmary door. “Remember how we handled all those people at the gate in the early day?”

“... yeah, I guess.” Monica sighs, turning to walk away. “We all know Parker is gonna let her shit slide…”

Gina purses her lips and glances at Oliver and Virgil. “I’ll go calm her down.”

She hurries off, Virgil watching the two go, before he turns to look at Oliver, whose head is down. “You’ve been weirdly quiet.”

“Don’t talk to me.” He mutters quietly.

Virgil sighs. “Oliver, what’s going on?”

“I said don’t talk to me!” Oliver looks up at him, glaring with tears running down his red, blotchy face. He quickly looks back down. “D-Dammit, shut up…”

Virgil steps back in surprise, before he gets in front of Oliver and places his hands on his shoulders. “Hey, hey, come on… talk to me dude.”

Oliver sniffs and shakes his head, still looking at the floor. “Y-You probably hate me… don’t you…?”

“What? No, of course not.” Virgil raises an eyebrow. “Why would I?”

Oliver slowly raises his head, wiping away tears. He breathes slowly, steadying himself. “For… for taking Kate’s side. For trying to kill Principal Parker.”

The man looks him in the eyes and shakes his head. “It’s not in my blood to hate you, Oliver. I can’t do that. I physically can’t.”

They stand in silence for a bit, Virgil trying to make eye contact, but Oliver avoiding it.

“... do you remember the day your dad died?” Virgil breaks the silence. “I promised you on that day I’d never leave you.”

Oliver locks eyes briefly, and nods. “... yeah, I remember.”

“That still stands. I know you’re a good kid. I’ve known that for a long time.” The man smiles. “So what if you sided with Kate? You know that bitch was trying to get in your head. She used your stress against you.”

“I did what?” Suddenly the two turn to see Kate beside them, her cult behind her. She smiles, clasping her hands together. “And what is it you called me?”

Oliver steps back, as Virgil’s smile fades. “What do you want, Kate.”

“Oh, nothing much…” Kate winks. “I’d like to deliver a message to Mr. Blake. A message on why you shouldn’t think about crossing me.”

Oliver looks at Virgil, taking another step back. The man eyes them curiously. “What are you talking about…?”

“She’s saying Oliver’s gonna regret leaving us.” Alain steps forward from the crowd, crossing his arms. “Once you’re with us, there’s no going back. But if you wanna back out… you’ll pay for it.”

“What the fuck, Alain?” Oliver speaks up. “I thought we were friends dude, why are you siding with this crazy shitbird?”

“Hey, who fucking said you could talk?!” Alain snaps. “You bailed on us dude, when we coulda succeeded!”

“What the hell’s gotten into you?!” Oliver throws his arms up. “Do you seriously think-- do you ALL seriously think what you’re doing is a good thing?!”

“We know it is.” Alain nods. “It’s a cutthroat world, Oliver… take what you want, or die trying.”

Kate nods. “And fortunately, dying is not on our agenda… but I’d suggest putting it on yours.”

She walks off with the others, and Alain shoots them one last glare. “Watch your back, Blake.”

They leave down the hall, and Virgil looks back at Oliver. The two share one worried look in silence, before they leave in the other direction.

The moment Daniel walks back into the room, cigarette dangling from his lips, he walks right past a crossed-arm Candice. She glares coldly at him as he silently sets his jacket on the couch, before removing his cigarette and tossing it into the trash can.

“Do you want to tell me what the hell that was out there?!” Candice shouts at him.

“A student shot our janitor, so I have to handle that.” Daniel replies, not looking at her. “I can’t talk, I have things to attend to.”

“More important than actually talking to your damn wife?!” Candice approaches him. “And I mean telling me what the fuck is going on, you just keep letting this bad shit build up… what do you expect me to do?!”

“Hey, don’t pin this bad shit on me, okay?” Daniel turns around, glaring down at her. Though the height difference between them is slight, his harsh stare makes her feel significantly smaller. “I’m trying to protect everyone here, I have no time to sit down and rationalize all the bullshit everyone is dicking around in all day.”

“Hey!” The two turn, seeing Rocky enter from one of the rooms down the hall of the small makeshift apartment. He storms towards them and gets between the two, glaring up at Daniel. “Don’t fucking talk to her that way.”

“I didn’t say you could tell me what to do, boy.” Daniel huffs. “You’re not a part of this argument.”

“I’m gonna make myself part of it.” He glares back. “You won’t even tell me what’s going on. I can’t even go talk to my friends about this. The moment I chose to get involved, you basically imprisoned me as your… your fucking mute sidekick!”

“And what, you want me to shove some ‘you’re the Robin to my Batman’ bullshit down your throat?” Daniel snorts. “Don’t make me laugh, Rocky.”

“Do you even hear yourself?!” Candice snaps. “Do you even hear how much your head is stuck in your ass?!”

“Don’t fucking disrespect me like that, Candice!” Daniel shouts.

“Hey, don’t yell at her!” Rocky shoves the officer in the chest.

Daniel steps back, but grabs the boy and tosses him aside. “You don’t fucking touch me, boy!”

“What the fuck gives you the right to throw him!?” Candice screams.

“I said don’t fucking YELL at me Candice!” Daniel rears his arm back in anger and swings, striking the back of his hand across Candice’s face.

The woman gasps as she is hit, stumbling back half a step or so. Daniel’s hand hangs in the air, but he drops his arm to his side after a moment, realizing what he has just done. “... fuck, Candice, I didn’t want… no, I didn’t mean--”

Candice pulls a firearm out from her side and swings it around, pistol-whipping the man across the cheek. He grunts and puts a hand to his face, a large gash being left on it.

“You want to go put the ‘dick’ in ‘detective’, then just go.” Candice glares at him, tears running down her face. “Leave, and don’t come back. Not until you fix yourself and sort your shit out.”

Daniel stares at his wife in silence. He glances over at Rocky, who looks up from the floor at him, panting slightly. The man looks down and walks the other way, rounding the couch quickly and heading out of the apartment.

The woman watches him go, before she sighs, wiping tears away as she goes to sit down on the couch. She sits still, in near silence. Candice wipes more tears away, as Rocky stands up, and slowly goes to sit next to her.

The boy sighs, running a hand through his hair. “... what are we gonna do, mom?”

“I don’t know, Rocky. I don’t know.” Candice looks at him. “You shouldn’t have gotten involved. These aren’t your battles.”

“No, I have to get involved. These shouldn’t be ANYBODY’S battles.” He shakes his head. “I mean… I feel like I should’ve seen this coming. I thought the investigation would bring us together, but… Daniel doesn’t even care.”

Candice sighs. “I used to be upset you wouldn’t even try to call him ‘dad’ when we took you in, but… I’m not even tempted to call him my husband now.”

They sit in silence for a moment, before she puts an arm around Rocky. “I know you just wanted to get closer to him… I’d call it a valiant effort, I guess.”

He snorts and chuckles. “Valiant effort? Is that really what you’d call it?”

Candice smiles back at him. “All we can do is smile and persevere.”

Rocky smiles back, before he looks away. “... I think I get it now. I mean… I know you said Daniel has anger issues… is that why he’s always so distant? Has he ever hit you before…?”

The woman shakes her head. “Never before… but I expected it was coming. I think it’s the stress of everything getting to him, that’s making it harder for him to control his anger. But I’ve never seen him become this distant.”

“Do you think he’s becoming desperate?” Rocky suggests. “Like… he’s trying to distance himself from everyone so he doesn’t blow up?”

Candice simply stares at the door. “... I don’t know.”

Later in the day, around evening, as everything mostly settles down, Gina approaches the door to Parker’s office. She stops in front of it and breathes, looking around. Nobody else is nearby, so she grips the large door handle and pulls it open.

The moment she enters the office, she sees Parker standing at the far end of the room, behind his desk. He’s slowly pacing back and forth, observing a set of massive bookshelves. Hearing the door open, he looks over his shoulder to see Gina shutting it behind her.

“You don’t have to sneak in, you know.” He says.

Gina shrugs. “I don’t like people seeing me around like this...”

He smiles for a moment, but it fades soon after. “How are you doing?”

Gina crosses her arms and glances away. “... fine?”

“Really now.” Parker turns around to face her. “You tell me you’re fine? After everything that just happened?”

Gina slowly turns away completely, nodding. “... yes.”

“I was stabbed, then poisoned. A group of individuals with skewed perceptions of me took another, more direct attempt on my life. One of my own close subordinates is now conspiring against me.” Parker walks towards her. “And you took a man’s life… and after all of that, you’re fine?”

There’s an uneasy silence between them, before Gina sniffs. “... a-are you mad at me…?”

That response seems to briefly surprise Parker. He places a hand on her shoulder from behind. “... no. Not in the slightest.”

“H-Huh?” Gina shrugs him off and turns, stepping back. A few tears run down her cheeks as she quickly presses her hands to her face. “G-God, don’t say that shit! I-I shot Clark! I k-killed him!”

“Gina, please… I know why it happened.” Parker shakes his head. “I understand it was an accident… I’ve had time to think it over. Yes, it’s unfortunate we’ve lost him, but I don’t blame you.”

“I-I stole your gun, and I pulled the f-fucking trigger.” Gina shakes her head, sniffing more as she frivolously wipes tears from her face. “F-Fuck, I just couldn’t… couldn’t let any of them get in.”

“I know, I know you were trying to keep me safe.” Parker grabs her by the shoulders gently. “I understand, Gina. And none of that would have happened if it wasn’t for Kate.”

Gina sniffs once more, before she finally makes eye contact with the man. “... fuck that b-bitch.”

Parker doesn’t inherently acknowledge the insult. “We’re going to get this settled tonight. I promise you, she will be confronted, and this will be sorted out. If we just go and kill her right now, that won’t settle anything.”

“Well what’re we supposed to do…?” Gina blinks the last of the tears out of her eyes. “She’s just gonna cause trouble…”

“I’m aware, but I have a solution in mind. A good one. I promise you.” Parker smiles. “I’m not giving her any seconds chances… but killing her would prove that we’re just as bad as she is.”

The girl bites her lip. “... okay, if you say so.”

Parker nods, though the man’s smile fades yet again as he steps away, slowly approaching the windows and looking out at the evening sky.

“Sometimes, Gina, I wonder if Kate is right.”

“What?” Gina looks at him in shock. “What’re you talking about? She’s wrong as shit.”

“Is she now?” Parker glances at her. “These people have died under my watch… Timmons, Caroline, Martha… and now this terror has driven one of my students to commit murder, and then kill herself.”

“But none of that is your fault.” Gina shakes her head. “She’s using it all as… as blackmail or some shit.”

“Leverage, would be a better word.” Parker notes. “Regardless, I’m not doing what I can… I could have stopped Caroline and her people from leaving. And now, Ms. Washington is a bitter reminder that I failed. I cannot find the source of the invasion, and now these undead bastards are killing those close to me. People I’ve come to know as friends, I’ve considered my new family…

“Gina… I can’t do this anymore.” The man shakes his head. “I’m… I’m really not fit to be a leader, if I can’t protect the people I love.”

Gina stares at him, unable to form a proper sentence in her head for some time. The silence grows until she finally find the strength to break it. “... you protected me.”

The man narrows his gaze, raising an eyebrow at the girl. “Excuse me?”

“... no, I mean like… dammit.” Gina crosses her arms. “... you protected me this long. I mean, like, kept me in here, not out there. I’m still alive.

“Tons of people are still alive cause of you… you’re the best leader, you make smart choices. All Kate does is try and kill people. And besides, everything that everyone is doing… is cause of the zombies. But it’s their own choices and stuff…

“It’s like you said… it’s not my fault Clark died. It’s not your fault Caroline left. It’s not your fault walkers are getting in.” She shakes her head. “You’re doing your best, regardless of all the shit that’s happening.”

Parker stares at her in silence, unsure of how to respond. “... then, what do you suggest I do?”

“Keep leading… you’re good at it.” Gina nods. “Don’t strain yourself, Parks.”

He glances back at the windows. “Every day, I wonder what I can do better… and even now, I can’t see myself focusing on the right things. The problems I face, I turn a blind eye… I even did it when you bullied and abused people before the end times.

“I am a very flawed man, Gina… more so than you think. But I’ve devoted my life to keeping people safe and happy, and I don’t want to give that up. I want to try harder.” Parker faces her. “If that’s the path I so desire to walk on… then what is it I should do with my life?”

The silence hangs once more, but Gina smiles, her arms dropping to her sides. “Maybe start living it?”

Parker stares at her in silence, and he smiles.

That night, the meeting among staff is finally set in motion. Parker gathers with a few people on the fourth floor, near some of the dorms. Kate’s arms are crossed as she smiles at them all, with Virgil to her left, and three other professors nearby; a man in glasses known as Colton Drake, a brown-haired woman known as Olivia Dent, and an older man known as Peter Holmes.

“I think it’s certain what we intend to do here.” Drake says. “No pushing any of these issues around. We have to settle this here and now.”

“Agreed.” Olivia nods, crossing her arms. “Kate, you’re insane. The fact that we have to do this to one of our own is incredibly infuriating.”

“Oh I’m quite alright with it.” Kate says. “Just stay centered, and you can get through this.”

“Okay, shove your mantra up your ass and keep it down.” Virgil sighs. “Blaine, are we ready to figure out what to do with her?”

“You mean it hasn’t been decided that we just kill her?” Holmes asks, a bit bewildered.

“If killing me is what you desire, then I’m all for it.” She smiles. “After all… a decision cannot be reached with full cooperation from all of the council.”

“Everyone ignore her.” Drake says. “We aren’t gonna kill her, it’s what she wants. If we give her what she wants, then she wins.”

“So what do we do then?” Holmes asks. “If she lives, she wins, if she dies, she wins. You make it sound like no matter what, she’s fucked us.”

“That’s where I come in.” Parker speaks up, earning their attention. “I’ve come up with an idea. And I’d like you all to hear me out completely on what I have to say.”

Down the hall, Warren and Dahlia watch the meeting, with Oliver nearby.

“I hope we don’t have to deal with her anymore…” Dahlia mutters.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about all this.” Warren sighs. “I mean… yeah, she’s done a lot of bad shit, but I don’t think we should resort to killing her. But it’s cause of that that I’m… really not sure of what’s gonna happen.”

“Who knows.” Oliver shrugs, glancing at them. “She roped me into her little shit circle… and she deserves whatever’s coming to her cause of what she’s done to so many people here.”

“Damn right.” The three turn to see Raye and Alex approaching. Raye smiles. “Sorry, wasn’t entirely listening… but making dramatic entrances is my specialty.”

That seems to lighten the mood, more so when they notice Kenny behind them. Warren smiles. “Hey Ken… you doing alright?”

Kenny steps out from behind the others and nods. “Yeah, I think I’ll be fine… I’ve had time to think, and I know Mike and Mel wouldn’t want me moping like a bastard.”

Dahlia chuckles a bit. “Jeez… haven’t felt happy in a while. None of us have.”

“Making people happy is my other specialty.” Raye makes a pair of finger guns and blows on them. “And I’ve got plenty of happy bullets to go around.”

Alex snorts and elbows him playfully. “Dude, come on, you’re just looking like a big dork.”

“And third specialty activates!” Raye elbows him back, earning a laugh from the others.

Warren crosses his arms. “It’s weird, but… I’m looking forward to things going back to normal. By which I mean, solving the mystery of the undead invaders.”

“But our mystery gang has fallen apart, so to speak.” Dahlia says, shaking her head. “Fuck me for calling it that… everything we tried to do was all disjointed and disorganized.”

“Not to mention all the death that’s been going on.” Oliver adds. “And with Kate and her cult, we’ve made no progress in figuring anything out. Especially since Chad and Erika basically told everyone to fuck off.”

There’s a bit of a silence, until Raye speaks up. “... let’s just make a new crew then.” The others look at him, and he shrugs. “Who says we have to give up? They’re dealing with Kate, and I doubt they won’t double security on this place. We can get back to figuring out how the geeks are getting in here.”

“... heh, I guess I didn’t really think about that.” Dahlia smiles.

“We can work together to figure it all out, yeah.” Alex nods.

“It’s kinda weird, but… all this shit has kinda brought us closer together.” Warren adds. “We might as well. We can do this. Specifically us.”

“We’ll make a new gang, then.” Raye crosses his arms, looking around at them. Warren and Dahlia look at each other, and Alex and Kenny smile. Oliver nods as well.

“A new mystery gang, to figure everything out.” Raye smirks. “And I’ll be Scooby-Doo this time.”

“I don’t know if it’s much of a mystery this time…” Dahlia mutters, glancing at Kate Gardens down the hall.

Only to see, however, that she is approaching them, with Virgil behind her, holding a handgun.

Kenny glares at her. “Cut the smile, bitch. You’re creepy as hell.”

Kate seems unfazed. “You ought to learn to speak quieter, you know. It’s hard to focus on being prosecuted when you hear people insulting you from the sidelines.”

“Keep walking Kate.” Virgil sighs, aiming the handgun at the back of her head. “Just shut up and keep walking.”

“I get my one free phone call. I’m using it now.” Kate glances at Virgil with her knowing smile, before looking back at the others. “I can hear you praising that I’ll finally be ‘dealt with’, but you’re mistaken.”

“We know you’re not gonna be killed.” Dahlia says. “We already knew that. At the very least, being exiled is the same as being sentenced to death.”

“Still mistaken I see.” Kate responds. “I’m not going anywhere. Would you care to fill them in, Virgil?”

They all slowly turn to look at the man. He sighs, tightening his grip on the handgun. “She’s being kept in solitary confinement. We’re locking her in her dorm and she’s never leaving ever again.”

Dahlia raises an eyebrow. “And she won’t break out? Her cult won’t revolt?”

“There’s gonna be people watching her dorm at all times, armed. And the people who follow her aren’t gonna be allowed near that area anymore.” Virgil explains. “Ultimately… should we choose to leave this place, she’ll still be left to rot. She’s never seeing the light of day ever again.”

“And that’s fine.” Warren suddenly speaks up. “It doesn’t matter if you’re trapped in here or trapped out there, we’re gonna make everything better without you fucking things up any more. Be thankful you get to live long enough so you can enjoy your failure.”

There’s a silence that hangs around them, and Kate’s lips twitch. “... my influence will never be gone.”

“Okay, now you can keep walking.” Virgil kicks her ankle, making her stumble.

She begins to walk down the hall again. “Remember, Mr. Dotson, stay centered.”

“Fuck off.” Warren scoffs, and Virgil takes her away, as the other staff down the hall disperse.

“... I gotta admit, that was kinda badass, Warren.” Raye chuckles.

Warren smiles at the others. “It doesn’t matter what she says, or what they do with her. We’re gonna fix all the shit going wrong. We’re gonna solve this mystery and convince her and her cult that we’re in the right.”

As they nod, another voice adds in. “Count us in.”

They look to see Gina and Monica approaching them down the hall. Gina smirks. “Been a long day, could use some quality time with friends.”

“Plus it’s getting kinda boring not having anyone to pick on.” Monica jokes.

“The more the merrier.” Raye winks.

Gina groans as they approach the group. “Go back to being gay, you freak of nature.”

“So is this it?” Dahlia asks. “A new gang made of old friends?”

“I guess so.” Warren nods.

“... got room for one more…?”

Once again, the group turns to see Kylie standing down the hall. She slowly walks over to them. “I mean… I dunno. I know you guys don’t know me that well, and I just got back, but… I still wanna be useful or whatever…”

Warren smiles. “Well duh. As Raye said, the more the merrier.”

Dahlia smiles as well. “We’d love you on board, Kylie.”

For the first time since her return, Kylie smiles, and they all put their hands together in agreement.

“Tomorrow, it begins.” Warren says. “We’re gonna make this school a better place!”

Warren’s eyes slowly open, and he smiles, knowing it’s a brand new day. He rolls over and smiles, seeing Dahlia still asleep in his bed. He gently wakes her up, and the two share a kiss as they prepare for the day.

Raye and Alex share a smile, hands locked together, as they walk down the hall, knocking on Kenny’s door. The boy opens with a small smile, joining the two.

Gina awakens in Monica’s dorm, yawning. She stands up and smiles, seeing her best friend still snoozing with the headphones on. With a roll of her eyes, Gina doesn’t wake her, choosing to get ready and head out into the halls alone.

They all meet in the halls, sharing smiles and nods in silence, as they make their way to Kylie’s dorm, the girl stepping out, surprised to see them. She grins and joins them down the hall to meet Oliver, as he exits his dorm.

They all head down the stairs in silence, ready to plan their day.

“'SOMEONE, HURRY! HELP!!'”

The group stops dead in their tracks.

“Fuck, that was Virgil!” Oliver exclaims.

“He sounded like he’s in the library.” Dahlia quickly turns and sprints down the hall. “Hurry!”

The group of eight hurry down the halls and down a small set of steps, bursting through the semi open doors of the library.

They stop, eyes wide.

Virgil is on his knees in the center of the entrance, holding onto Alain. The boy squirms about in a puddle of his own blood, coughing and gurgling as he kicks about. He smacks and grabs at Virgil’s face, a large gash straight across his neck.

They watch in horror as his squirming slows down, and before long, Alain stops moving entirely. He slides from Virgil’s lap, the man staring down at his bloody hands in horror.

“O-Oh my god…!” Alex puts a hand to his mouth, looking away. “A-Alain…!”

“Jesus Christ, what the fuck happened?!” Dahlia almost screams.

Virgil slowly looks up at the others. “K-Kate escaped.”

Each member of the group shares worried glances, occasionally looking back at Alain’s corpse. The bloody gash on his throat is large and deep, almost a third of the way through his neck.

“M-Ms. Gardens did this…?” Kylie takes a step back. “Sh-She killed Alain?!”

“W-Wait…” Oliver looks around. “What… what about the rest of her cult? And where is she?”

As an uneasy silence settles in, they hear a growling sound. Warren looks down and gasps. “Virgil, look out!”

Virgil looks down and shouts as a reanimated Alain lunges at him, yet the man reacts surprisingly quickly, pulling a knife from his side and stabbing it straight into Alain’s temple. The boy stops growling, collapsing once again as Virgil tears the bloody knife from his skull.

Unease surrounds them all as the library goes quiet, until the echoes of growls throughout the room break the silence.

No words are shared as each university student pulls a knife from their pocket, save for Oliver, who hands his to Kylie and kneels down by Virgil and Alain’s body. The remaining seven disperse into the library to uncover the remaining cultists.

It’s not long into their search that Gina and Dahlia uncover a few of them, as they round one corner and see an undead Duncan stumbling towards them, a similarly deceased Edmond not far behind. The two have disgustingly thick gashes across their throats as well, and their skin, though pale, still has color. Their recent deaths, however, don’t stop their eyes from being a sickly milky white.

“Fucking douchebags got what was coming to them…” Gina mutters, readying her knife, though she briefly softens her grip on it as she nears Duncan. “... I’m sorry I never got to apologize for bullying you two.”

She thrusts it right into Duncan’s skull, and he collapses as she pulls it out. She turns to see Edmond coming for her, but Dahlia grabs him and stabs him in the side of the head, killing him as well. They nod solemnly to each other, and look down at the bodies.

Raye peers around a corner and sees Stacy stumbling around across from a table. She takes notice of him and begins to fumble towards him with a snarl. He sighs, seeing the gash that tears through her neck, and approaches her.

“Sorry for the migraine, Stace…” He mutters, shoving her back and swinging the knife around so it connects with the side of her skull. He rips it out and grimaces, almost dropping the knife.

He looks at the blood on his knuckle, as Alex and Kenny reach him, looking sadly down at Stacy.

Warren uneasily continues through the library, reaching the back of it as he follows the sound of the growling. He reaches a small area with bean bags and tables, and sees Clara somewhat slouched against the wall.

The moment she takes notice of him, she tries to stand up, and shambles along in his direction. Warren’s grip on his knife loosens, and as much as he tries to keep it tight, it falls from his grasp as he slowly walks backwards. He sniffs, a few tears running down his cheeks.

“N-None of you d-deserved this…” He shakes his head, looking down as Clara lunges at him.

“Gah!” Kylie pushes Warren back, shoving the knife through Clara’s skull, killing her before she can bite him.

Warren’s tears stop as he looks at the girl in surprise. She tears the knife from Clara’s head and looks over at him, before she reaches down, grabs his knife, and hands it to him. “... you okay?”

Warren looks at the knife, before he slowly takes it. He nods with a quiet “Yep,” before the two return to meet with the others.

Virgil and Oliver stand up as everyone meets back at the front of the library. “So uh… who did you guys find? Was Kate around?”

Gina shakes her head. “No sign of Kate, but Dahlia and I got Duncan and Edmond.”

“We found Stacy, and Raye put her down.” Kenny adds.

“I found Clara, and uh…” Warren shrugs.

“I took care of her.” Kylie nods, finishing for him.

“No signs of anyone else though. Kate’s not around.” Alex shakes his head. “Chad and Erika aren’t here either.”

“Are they not dead then?” Oliver asks. “Did Kate spare them? Or did… she get them, and are they roaming?”

And then suddenly, the doors fly back open as Chad and Erika storm in. Chad looks around with a glare. “What the fuck’s with the shouting? Who the hell needed help?”

Erika is about to speak up before her eyes fall on the corpse before her. “H-Holy shit, Alain!”

Chad notices, and his eyes widen. He sees Virgil with the knife and grabs the man by the collar of his shirt. “''You! What the fuck did you do?!''”

“''Hey! HEY!''” Oliver gets between them and shoves Chad back. “You dumbass, Kate did this. She killed all of them!”

“... wait, she… what?” Erika looks around. “But… isn’t she locked in her dorm?”

Chad looks slightly less irritated as he raises an eyebrow. “... the hell? Then where is she?”

The not-so-distant sound of an airhorn startles them all, as they look back at the doors. Chad quickly rushes back into the hall with Erika. “What the hell is that?!” He shouts.

“Is that a fucking air horn…?” Warren mutters.

“It’s coming from outside!” Virgil nudges Oliver, and the two follow Chad and Erika out of the library, while the rest look at each other unsure, and follow as well.

It’s not long before plenty of people convene in the lobby, students and Staff alike, with Parker and Pam appearing at the front as people rush outside.

The sound gets even louder as they open the door, only to find the front gates wide open and a mass of walkers heading for it. In front of the open gates is a woman, standing there and holding the air horn in question, tightly pressing down on it.

Kate.

“That woman’s gone completely insane!” Parker exclaims. “'Kate! What the fuck are you doing?!'”

Kate turns and smiles at them, almost wickedly.

“If I can’t have this school, no one can!”

And in an instant, Daniel is there, pushing others aside as he reaches the front of the crowd. He raises his pistol and fires.

Kate’s body jerks, the bullet striking her chest. Her smile fades, the air horn going silent. It falls from her still raised hand, clattering against the cobblestone terrain. She wobbles to and fro, before falling to her left, collapsing right to the ground, almost entirely unmoving, saving for her body twitching.

People stare in absolute terror as Daniel quickly walks over to her body. He looks down at her twitchy figure, her eyes still looking around slowly. They briefly lock onto Daniel’s, as the officer raises his gun and fires one round into her head. Blood splatters against the ground beneath her.

Nobody has time to react to Kate’s abrupt death before Daniel sprints from her corpse to the gate’s trying to close them as fast as possible before the undead can reach them. People begin to scream for him to get away, as he can barely push the gate on his own as the walkers near the entrance. Some even run to help him close them, but the gate still barely budges.

“''Daniel! Jesus Christ, get away from there!''” Candice screams. “''Get out of there! Come on!''”

“Hurry up, sir! Daniel, hurry!” Rocky shouts. He coughs a bit, straining his voice as he screams. It takes a lot of courage for him to scream once more. “DAD, GET AWAY FROM THERE!”

Something clicks in Daniel as he looks over his shoulder, searching for Candice and Rocky through the crowd.

A nearby snarl snaps him out of it as he stumbles back from the gates, walkers beginning to pile in. People are instantly grabbed from the gates and torn into by the jaws of several undead.

Daniel raises his gun and runs as he fires back at the undead, and the panic to get away ensues.

“''We have to save people! Let’s go!''” Dahlia screams, running for the people trying to flee. She pushes past a few and aims her handgun, shooting at three of the dead.

Candice runs from the crowd to get to Daniel, seeing him grabbed by a walker. “Daniel, I’m coming!”

Peter Holmes hurries over from the crowd, grabbing the walker and pulling it off of Daniel. However, it turns, and the man screams as it latches onto his neck. It tears out his jugular as he falls to the ground, writing in agony.

“Shit, get away!” Daniel pushes Candice, who screams in horror as the two run back to the crowd.

Left and right, more people fall as they try to get away from the undead. Parker looks around in fear, trying to spot anyone in need as people pass him to get inside.

He fails to notice an oncoming walker that grabs him.

“FUCK!” He snarls at him and latches onto his arm, biting at his chest.

A gunshot wrings out, and the zombie falls, before it can harm him. He pants, and looks over to see Pam, lowering a gun with shaking hands.

“P-Pam, you saved my life!” He runs back over to her.

“I-I’ve never shot one of these before, I don’t know what came over me, I-I…” Pam trembles as Parker points to the front doors.

“''Get inside now! Go!''” He shouts, and he follows her as she runs for the entrance.

A few more gunshots ring out, people attempting to fight back as best as they can. Raye stabs a nearby walker in the head when he hears a bloodcurdling scream.

“GYAAAAAAH!” He turns to see Alex struggling with a walker as it tears into his wrist.

“NOO, ALEX!” Raye screams, rage and terror overcoming him as he bolts to the undead and shoves it to the ground, repeatedly stabbing it over and over in the skull. “Piece of shit, HOW COULD YOU!?”

“R-RAYE!” Raye pants, looking back at Alex as the boy trembles, clutching his bloody arm.

He gets up and shoves Alex forward, pulling him back. “Get inside, I AM NOT LETTING YOU DIE!”

Walkers grab at them as they run, booking it to the door. Dahlia and Daniel shoot from the entrance, making a path for them to get inside. The herd barely reaches them as they throw themselves into the lobby, collapsing as the front doors are pushed shut. A few people quickly push benches in front of them, as a crowbar is wedged in between the handles.

People finally begin to calm down, mostly.

“Well… today has been interesting…” Parker pants, staring wide eyed at the undead outside. “I figured nightfall would bring better.”

Raye quickly pushes himself up with Alex. “'Someone HELP HIM! ALEX WAS BITTEN!'”

He pushes forward with Alex towards the infirmary, and Pam quickly follows them. People watch in shock and horror as they hurry off, before they stare back at the herd.

“Holy shit…” Warren breathes. “We’re… we’re trapped.”

Dahlia looks out at the undead with him. “... we’ll find a way out of this. I know we will.”

Warren nods, before a thought crosses his mind. “... hey, Dollie?”

“Yeah?”

“I’ve been meaning to ask you this for a few days, but…” Warren turns to her. “... where’d you get a gun?”

Dahlia looks down at the handgun in her grasp, then slowly back up at Warren.

Raye kicks the door of the infirmary open, rushing in and shoving Alex at the bed. The boy coughs a bit on impact and adjusts himself so he’s laying on his back, as Pam quickly goes to find her tools and supplies.

“You’re gonna be okay, you’re gonna be okay, you’re gonna be okay…” Raye mutters over and over again. “Dammit Pam, he’s gonna die!”

“Jesus, Raye, calm down!” Pam screams, acquiring her tools and searching for antibiotics. “We’re going to amputate him, but you need to relax!”

“How the fuck can I relax when my boyfriend is dying!?” Raye screams, tears running down his cheeks.

“Hey, Raye…” Alex smiles at him, shaking his head. “I’m gonna be fine, dummy…”

“Alex, I swear I’m not going anywhere.” Raye turns back to him and shakes his head, holding his unbitten hand tightly. “You’re going to be okay… I promise.”

“I’m not gonna be if you keep freaking out.” Alex chuckles. “Just stay calm, okay? Look at where we are. I’ll be fine.”

Raye nods. “... okay. How do you feel?”

“Honestly? Tired. Arm stings like hell.” Alex snorts, making Raye snort as well.

Pam walks over. “Mr. Michaels, for the following procedure, I’ll have to put you under. Mr. Pence, I’ll need you to leave the room.”

“What? No.” Raye stands up straight. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Raye, c’mon. Don’t argue.” Alex sighs. “Please? Just give us space.”

“I promise I will do my best with him.” Pam smiles. “He will be fine.”

He nods to Pam, before leaning down to place a kiss on Alex’s lips. “I’ll be here when you wake up.” And he steps away from the bed.

“... I love you.” Alex smiles at him.

Raye takes one last look at Alex, before he steps out of the infirmary. Closing the door, he starts pacing around almost instantly.

“He’ll be fine…” He mutters to himself. “I know he will… he’ll be fine, he’ll be fine… he’ll be fine.” And then something catches his eye.

An eye. An eye catches his eye.

Peering from the slightly ajar door to the basement, Raye notices the eye, before it vanishes and the door shuts. His eyes widen, a chill running down his spine.

He acts fast. He speedwalks to the door and yanks it open, staring down into the darkened, empty stairwell, to the dim light at the bottom.

“... did I really just see that…?” Raye rubs his eyes. “Or… no, that was real…”

He had seen someone watching him from the basement door. Completely out of nowhere, someone was watching him. Raye swallows, knowing he has to investigate. He slowly takes out his knife, and begins to descend down the stairwell, leaving the door open behind him to allow some light from above to flow into the dark below.

Raye peeks around the corner as he reaches the bottom of the stairwell, looking around the small room. Pipes, storage closets, more pipes, cobwebs, small windows against the ceiling, more cobwebs… nothing out of the ordinary. But it’s a small room, and only one of many in the basement of the university.

Raye steps off of the final step, knife gripped tightly in hand, as he begins to slowly move forward. Forward, and to the right, past one of the large tanks with at least four valves on it, is a door that leads further into the basement. He nears the tank, and peers to the right, and the left.

“RAAAAAAHH!”

“WHAT THE--?!” Raye immediately jerks to the right, stumbling in surprise as a man charges him, and plunges a knife into his stomach.

The young man’s eyes widen even more, his own knife flying from his grasp, as he lurches forward and stumbles back, the unknown stranger stepping back with a pant. He’s an older man, African-American with greying hair and a tattered suit.

The pain of the knife causes the young man to continue to stumble, and he wobbles forward, starting to collapse before the man.

Only to rip the knife out of his stomach last second, and thrust it at the stranger as hard as he can.

“GaaaaaAAHHH!” The man shrieks in agony as the knife lodges in his left shoulder, and he shoves the wobbling and weakened Raye away.

“F-Fucking--!” Raye slams against a support beam, holding his sides as he tries to conceal his wound. He looks up weakly, as the man, rage in his eyes, rips the knife from his shoulder, and charges towards him.

And Dahlia appears. “FUCKING HOLD IT!”

Raye looks over, gasping for air for a moment, as relief washes over him. The man stops charging, eyeing the girl in fear. He slowly raises his trembling hands, dropping the knife, but he winces and goes to cover his shoulder wound.

“D-Dahlia… h-holy sh-sh-shit…” Raye pants, trying to straighten himself out, while holding his wound, blood oozing from his stomach.

Dahlia aims her crossbow pointedly at the man. “What the fuck is going on here?!”

The man is silent as Raye pipes in. “H-He attacked me! C-Came out of nowhere!” The young man coughs for a moment as he manages to stand up a bit straighter. “H-He… st-stabbed me, Jesus…”

Dahlia looks between them, an anger building on her face.

Raye raises an eyebrow. “... D-Dahlia?”

The girl turns and fires her crossbow.

The bolt pierces Raye’s forehead, square in the center. His eyes train upward upon the bolt hitting him, his hands falling to his sides. With the last bit of strength he has, he takes one, wobbly step back, before collapsing to the floor against the back wall, his eyes closing.

Blood oozes from his head, as the girl lowers her crossbow.

The man looks at Raye’s corpse, breathing roughly as he winces at his wound again. “Did you really have to do that…?”

“I didn’t have a choice…” Dahlia tosses the crossbow aside, rushing to the man as she pulls a rag out from her pocket. She presses it to his wound. “Jesus… do you know how deep it is?”

“Shouldn’t be too d-deep…” The man shakes his head, allowing her to tend to his wound.

“Come on, come on…” Dahlia slowly turns him around, and walks him down the small hall to the right of the tank. They reach the door, and she slowly opens it. “Don’t worry, Wilkes…”

She looks out into the large, dimly lit room, full of tents, small lanterns, piles of clothes, and a large number of people.

“We’ll get you patched up.”

Other Cast
Special Guest Star
 * Morgan Freeman as Wilkes

Co-Stars

 * Rekha Sharma as Pam Anderson
 * Camryn Manheim as Candice Noire
 * Tommy Knight as Alain
 * Chris Owen as Duncan
 * Joey Bragg as Edmond
 * Angela Sarafyan as Abbie
 * Gia Mantegna as Stacy
 * Dallas Roberts as Colton Drake
 * Tiffany Morgan as Olivia Dent
 * Hugo Armstrong as Peter Holmes

Uncredited

 * Abbie Cobb as Clara

Deaths

 * Abbie
 * Alain (Alive and Zombified)
 * Duncan (Alive and Zombified)
 * Edmond (Alive and Zombified)
 * Stacy (Alive and Zombified)
 * Clara (Alive and Zombified)
 * Kate Gardens
 * Peter Holmes
 * Raye Pence
 * Numerous unnamed university survivors.

Trivia

 * First appearance of Colton Drake.
 * First appearance of Olivia Dent.
 * First appearance of Wilkes.
 * First (and last) appearance of Peter Holmes.
 * Last appearance of Abbie.
 * Last appearance of Duncan.
 * Last appearance of Edmond.
 * Last appearance of Stacy.
 * Last appearance of Clara.
 * Last appearance of Kate Gardens.
 * Last appearance of Raye Pence.
 * Raye is the first main character to die in the series.
 * He is also the first tritagonist to die.
 * The title of this episode refers to Blaine Parker's quote after being trapped by the herd, "I figured nightfall would bring better".
 * This episode features the most character deaths of the season up to this point, with nine deaths total in this one episode alone.