7:45 p.m.

Ambulance sirens filled the air. Paula managed to call 911, and Joe and Simon were lucky to escape alive.

Rick and Corey helped Rachael out of Shane's house.

"We need a paramedic! Now!" Rick shouted.

In no time, the young woman got placed onto a gurney while Rick told everyone about the attack.

"Guess I really nailed the role, huh?" Rachael snarked with a small smile.

"You did good, girl. You did good," Paula replied. She turned to Rick and said, "So did Tyler and you. Where did you even find a shotgun?"

"It sure did the trick," Paula said. Everybody laughed.

A few seconds later, Danny asked the paramedic, "Hey, can I go with Rachael?"

"I don't see why not," he responded. "Hop right in."

Danny did as he said, and the ambulance drove away, leaving just three survivors behind on a cold night.

"I... I don't know what to say," Simon said. "What we went through was... extraordinary, to say the least."

Joe agreed. "Not just us, but so many others, too."

"Something like this needs to be made into a book. It needs to uplift the voices of those who survived and those who were not as lucky. These stories must be told," Paula said.

She turned to Joe and Simon and said, "I have a feeling that's what Shane would want us to do."

The group had tears in their eyes at this point.

"I'll help you write it," Joe offered.

"I can edit it," Simon chimed in.

Paula smiled and said, "Sounds like a plan."

They started to walk to their cars. Before they left, they waved each other goodbye.

Then, they drove away to a new future.

THE END