Richard pulled himself together, wiped his mouth once again and started to power walk towards his reserved hotel.
While walking, he thought that he had to get away from this place.
After a short while he took a rest stop on a nearby bench, and tried to calm down his erratic breathing.
What is going on and what are the next steps for him to do? Is it just here that things are going toward a shit show or how widespread the scope of the strange things are.
''This city? The whole country? Don't tell me that it's global phenomenon.''
He did not know any of the details about the scope of what was happening and it terrified him.
Pulling out his cellphone for map and directions he started to plot a route on wards and try to figure out what his next steps are, but before he has secured a safe location that can wait.
''Let's see... Turn right 3 blocks from now, straight ahead for a few hundred meters and should be on the right... Ookay let's do this. Right... Usually in apocalyptic movies food and water supply is of paramount importance.''
Strolling through the streets everything seemed seemingly normal and the road towards the hotel was uneventful: He just could not be bothered to admire the beauty of the city.
After what he witnessed today, it all was way out of his comfort zone.
All he wanted to do for the rest of the day was lie down, go wash himself, lie down again and hope that this day was just some hyper realistic nightmare.
''Calm down, deep breaths. It's all going to be alright. Kitties and puppies, think of kitties and puppies.''
In a dark hotel room where the only light was coming from was Tv, Richard laid in deep sleep on the bed.
Unaware of the surroundings he continued to sleep even as the television was on and was used to the sounds that it broadcast.
The program that was on flickered a few times before broadcasting emergency alert on repeat.
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** National emergency alert **
7th of April 2022
Effective immediately all services are suspended and curfew is in effect. Select essential workers are permitted to work during this time, immediate need such as medical reasons contact the nearest hospital for instructions.
Save food and drinks for a few days till this emergency is over.
Please do not panic, lock the doors and don't leave indoors for the time being.
May god help us all.
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When the broadcasting emergency news started, it was already in the middle of the night and did not cause too much waves.
Only a few select people that are up by night and sleep at day noticed the broadcast, so Richard blissfully slept his hangover and stress filled day and night away ready for a new day.
Sun was already shining slightly from the cracks of the window shaders and Richard rolled around still trying to sleep slightly uneasily.
In a half asleep state he complained out loud:
''It's still early in the morning, who are these assholes that try to mess with my sleep?''
While having these thoughts he was totally awake when he heard a crash from outside.
Feeling that his heart was starting to race faster and faster, he remembered yesterday's madness and a chilling feeling started to cramp up his gut.
Richard slowly walked towards the French balcony. Inching bit by bit towards the windows, he started to peek from the side of the shader.
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''What in the god's name is happening out there?'' He was reminded of his previous experience and felt a chill down to his bones.
Seeing a small bright green Tojota Jaris had crashed into the familiar super mercat he shopped before, he knew that shit had hit the fan.
While still hopeful that this was just a misunderstanding, Richard witnessed that the car had run over a few people.
The 5 meter or so long trail of blood behind the car told the cruel truth that things were out of control.
Few people were shambling towards the crashed car, and Richard knew what was about to happen.
''Someone plz pinch me...I think this week has been a total nightmare, it's time to wake up.''
Richard honestly did not know how to react.
Bunch of people surrounding the car and starting to smash the windows with their arms and heads.
When the glass finally broke, the ''things'' that used to be regular folk dragged the poor woman out of her driver's seat and started to rip her gut open and to feast upon her flesh.
Watching the gore show he had subconsciously already taken out his cellphone to call cops. Making the call to the authorities should normally be the right thing, but now the situation obviously was not normal.
Hearing only a busy line, Richard gave up after a brief moment.
There was realistically nothing he could do but watch such cruel fate unfold before his eyes, so Richard watched a little longer in hopes that someone could help her in time.
Of course he knew that it was unlikely but he could not avert his eyes from the scene.
He felt sick to his stomach again seeing someone lose her life in such a manner and felt something come up to his throat, but forced it down.
Richard believed that he needed to know whether that poor lady would stand up as a zombie or just die.
Wondering if it is just a coincidence that everything looks like some high budget zombie movie, he felt the need to confirm it.
Observing the poor lady he just became aware that the television had been on the whole night, but he was too preoccupied to notice it.
Richard started to pay attention to the television and he saw the national emergency broadcast, and he read it a few times and pondered what he could do now?
The Spanish military is probably fully mobilized dealing with this and so is the police, if this has happened all over... It would be best to wait out a little longer: To see if this can be resolved in a day or two...?
Finishing his thoughts, he looked over to the poor soul that was half eaten alive and saw it wasn't moving.
Richard sighed a sigh of relief and wiped his forehead from the cold sweat, maybe it is not some zombie virus?
He focused his attention back to the television and started to flip channels and every single channel broadcasted the same emergency message so he figured that there has to be more info online.
But before logging online, he felt it was better to call his parents to let them know he was ok and ask what is the situation back home
Richard picked up his phone and started to search his mother's contact info from the list and called. Silent sound of beeping was the only thing he heard before he exploded.
''COMEON FOR ONCE CAN YOU PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR PHONE WHEN I NEED YOU TO ANSWER.''
**This is voicemail for Maija Morrison, please leave a message after the beep ** Beep **
''FUCK MY LIFE! I better try dad too''
**The number you are calling is currently out of service, please try again later.**
'' ... I really should have preached them about the importance of keeping phone always with you for msgs and such when my Wazaaap messages were answered always one or two days later...FML''
After contemplating whether to bombard his mom with calls or call his friends, he decided on calling his best bro Samuel.
This time all he got was line busy signal, so he just left him a message on Wazaaap to let him know he's fine and if possible could he check up on his parents for him.
He saw the message get through and he started to move down the list on the next friend to let them know he's fine.
Scrolling down the previous messages list he saw two names that just seemed to haunt him.
''Hmmm... Should I inform my ex witch-bitch and her new boy toy? Trolololo of course not. If the situation back home is similar to here then it is likely that she is already dead, wandering naked on the streets biting every slightly hot guy she can find.''
Richard spoke these hateful thoughts when there was nobody to hear, but deep in his heart he wished that the person he once loved wholeheartedly would be fine.
''How very pathetic of you Richard... After all this I can't even bring myself to hate the bitch wholeheartedly.'' He slumped on the couch with phone in hand, feeling complicated.
Pretty soon he got himself back together and started to move on scrolling the list and suddenly the connection icon changed from 5G network to ''No Service''
''The fuck is this? No more service area ??? Internet connection is down, if it doesn't come back I will lose it!''
Cursing and swearing at the shitty coverage, he heard something different from the television: A news story about cell towers and internet providers.
**Breaking news, chaos on the streets, internet, cell towers and the satellites have stopped responding. So far government insists that everything is under control and everything should go back to normal within few days, public unrest is starting to boil as people that have died are rising back up on their feet or crawling through the streets**
''Oh this just keeps getting better and better...This must be hell? The Internet is not working and all the games nowadays require connection. Oh how I wish I still had the older ones like Command & Divide RTS games to kill time.''
Engaged in meaningless banter with himself, Richard got more downtrodden as one part of the internet came into his mind.
''What about porn?!!? A man has got his needs!! I can't rely on my imagination any more, the wide variety has spoiled me. Nooooooooooooooo!''
He cursed and raged for a while and then came to the silent acceptance: Slumping to the bed powerlessly with a grim look on his face.
He had no idea what is going on back in his home country Finland, are his parents fine and how his friends are doing.
He guessed that giving a few days to the government to get a handle on it, they should be fine with their gear and modern weaponry...Maybe?
Without the internet locked up in a mediocre hotel room Richard found out that there is literally nothing he can do but watch the television, all that there is in this got damned room is bathroom, bed, French balcony, mini cooler and water boiler.
''Maybe I can kill time working out, it can't possibly be bad call at the time like this?'' He muttered as he eyed the water canisters weighing 8 kgs.