As I walked past the store, I noticed a couple of big buildings to my left and figured I’d check them out. It was pretty quiet out here, but who knows how long that would last.

I went to the closest building, which was facing south. It had a little parking area right at the corner of the street. Using the fence for cover, I peeked over to the west side to see if there were any zombies lurking around. Luckily, it looked clear. I hopped over the fence and made my way to the door. There was a twisting staircase leading up to it; this must be the backdoor. I couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous about what might be inside. The door was locked, so I had no choice but to jump through the nearest window to get in.

I managed to squeeze through, but I had to leave my bag on the staircase first. With my gun in both hands, I stayed alert. I wasn’t looking to shoot anything unless I had to, but I was ready just in case. I figured there could be people hiding inside, and they might not be friendly. I honestly couldn’t blame them; it’s every person for themselves from now on.

When I stepped into the living room, it was empty, so I decided to leave my bag outside for now. If the house turned out to be dangerous, I wanted to be able to make a quick escape. The living room looked pretty tidy, which was a good sign—no zombies had apparently made it inside. But I still had to check out the whole place before I could relax. I quietly moved toward the kitchen, which was right next to the stairs.

The kitchen had nobody in it either, and it didn’t seem like it had been looted. Maybe the family that lived here had been outside when everything hit the fan? I decided to head upstairs, thankful that the stairs didn’t creak under my weight.

As I went up, there was only one way to go, so I felt a bit more at ease. When I reached the second floor, it still looked clear. The house only had two stories, and at this point, it was becoming clear that zombies probably weren’t around, but there could definitely be people hiding out.

I kept my eyes peeled and moved slowly. There were two rooms side by side and a balcony at the other end. I checked the first room I got to, and it was empty, so I moved to the second one—again, no one was there. The beds were neatly made, and everything looked organized. It was obvious that the family hadn’t been around when things went south.

This feels like a good place to stay for the night. Heading back to the living room, I took in the fact that this family had obviously done pretty well for themselves. They seemed happy too—I could tell just from the smiling family pictures scattered around the house. It made me a bit jealous, thinking about how my life could have turned out differently if someone had chosen to adopt me from the orphanage like the others. But that was all in the past; all I can do now is focus on surviving.

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Sinking into the yellow couch, I realized I had a lot on my mind. First off, I needed to figure out food and where to go next. Also, there was that whole thing about wanting to find other people. Oh, and I also have to think about how I can take advantage of my powers.

Since discovering my power, I’ve absorbed about five items, including a loaded magazine. The problem? I was at max capacity! It seemed like I could only hold five items at a time. I tried to focus on the items I had and hoped I could swap them out. To my surprise, I figured out how to remove one, and my bag of chips appeared in my lap.

Thank goodness for that! Now that I had a bit of time and a somewhat secure place, I decided I should board up the windows and doors. I almost forgot to retrieve my bag again! After securing the door with a chair against the knob and locking the windows, I finally felt like I had a fortified house.

Next up, I was ready to experiment in the kitchen and whip up some dinner for myself. I opened the fridge and fortunately found food inside. I decided to throw together a hefty sandwich with three eggs and some other stuff. I need that protein, especially in these times, but I have to be smart about how much I ate until I figure out how to use my powers effectively.

As I made the sandwich, I thought about the best ways to utilize my abilities. Multitasking while cooking isn’t easy, but I felt confident thanks to my experience working at food stalls. There were a few things I really wanted to find out: How big could an item be? What exactly counted as an item? Could I hold two items and store them as one? I was the one who came up with this whole ‘item’ idea, but I wondered if it was more than just simple storage or duplication.

I wanted to crack that mystery, but my stomach growled at me, reminding me to focus on food first. As I finished cooking, it was time to toast some bread on the stove.

Then came the question: should I try to find people? History shows that tough situations often bring out the worst in people. I knew people might band together in groups; I just had to keep in mind the potential for danger—not just zombies, but other survivors too.

In this kind of situation, there’s always a risk that someone would try to take charge for their own purposes. I don't want to get caught up in any drama, especially not on day one. With communication lines mostly down, it was clear that most people would still be in shock. Trying to reach the police earlier didn’t go anywhere, but I can't blame people for being 'people.' It was total chaos out there.

With my belly full and roof over my head, I decided to sleep on the couch. I hope that if tomorrow exists, it'll be better than today.