When the future is uncertain, it is hard to make concrete plans.
Richard had concluded that in a concise manner and tossed all the pre-made, uncertain plans out of the window and took on the mindset of taking things as they come.
First thing that he did was to fortify the door with a night stand, mini-cooler and finally dragging the bed to support the previous items with its weight.
He adamantly refused to believe that anything would come from the French balcony, considering when his room was located on the 4th floor.
''Now there should not be living or the dead barging in so easily and I can wait out a few days till things get better. Until then I can just spend the time working out with the 8 liter water canisters as weights and improve my overall health.''
So began Richard's daily life routine for the next three days: Waking up, eating protein bars, working out, observing outside situations, working out, eating and sleeping.
While it was quite boring and mind-numbing for Richard, he felt that slowly but surely he could do more weights and for longer time.
On the 3rd day of the workout lockdown he felt the weights getting easier and lighter to lift.
He wiped the sweat on his forehead putting the makeshift weights away and posed in front of the mirror by the corridor.
''Is it just me being awesome or is it a lot easier to get in shape than usual?'' As if to respond to his mumbles he heard a peculiar new sound, and text floated in his field of vision.
Strength increased +1 [ 9 → 10 ]
Richard quickly opened the system panel and saw that his strength attribute has changed from 9 → 10. ''Hot damn!''
This boost of attribute gave him new motivation to continue training and he was always fan of something that could give him actual indication of getting clear results.
Otherwise it would just remain as a feeling and could not tell so easily whether you are improving or are you just imagining that you have gotten better at something.
''I wonder how much I could improve my attributes with this kind of training?'' He wondered, but then came to realize that he would eventually have to step through the door and get more food and water.
Truthfully, he was already sick and tired of eating the same shit every day.
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Ramen, candies, long life milk, protein bars and such.
''Oh how I would kill for a big cheesy pepperoni pizza...'' He started to imagine all sorts of his favorite foods until he heard his stomach growl in discontent.
Richard emptied all of his stuff on the floor and made a list of how much supplies he had left.
The estimate of 3 days came to mind with current consumption and it did not seem that the government would prove to be worth the taxes, and solved the catastrophe by then.
''So..I will still have to go out there and avoid those things... Seems like a shit situation, I wonder how is everyone doing back home.. With my current knowledge limited to what I can see out from that damn French balcony and sounds coming from nearby, I am basically totally ignorant of the actual situation. '' He thought to give it one more day and then if there is no change, he will go look for a way out from this city and look for greener pastures.
And so he spent the remainder of the day doing light workouts and earning extra +1 stamina points.
Feeling the growth and seeing the updated status made him ecstatic.
''It definitely feels a lot better to personally achieve extra stats, looking back now the stat upgrades I had in games feel just dumb.''
After flexing his muscles in front of the mirror, Richard started to pack up his stuff in his spacious back bag bought from the military during his active service.
''I can't possibly go out there empty handed, it would be an suicide if the things out there catch or surround me. Lets see, could there be something useful here?''
Richard contemplated what would be most useful in keeping the things away from him, he gazed up to the curtain pole above the window and instantly decided to take it with him.
''Yup, this should do just fine, just gotta take the curtains off it and it would prove to be useful as iron club/ staff to shove or bash them away from me.''
He took the curtain pole and started immediately trying to get used to the weight and the length, while simulating in his head ways to save as much energy as possible.
''Bashing the head is obviously the best possible solution. But if there are many of them, just shoveling them on the shoulder should make them fall on the ground. That should buy me enough time to make a run for it, right?''
Weighing the curtain pole in his hand he came to the conclusion that it weighed about 3-4 kilos and was making sure that the pole was sturdy enough.
After trying to bend it and hitting it a few times on the nightstand with it, he concluded that it should not break from a few hard hits.
Relieved from finding a suitable weapon for himself he started to think of the future, what to do, where to go and how.
'' Obviously I can't stay here, most people don't even speak English. So this place is not an option, optimally I could try to find a car with keys inside and just try driving northbound. I have been in Barcelona several times so there could be working airliners that could fly me back home? Alright, short term plan: towards the El Prat airport, preferably in sweet car and beauty next to me!''
Right now his mind was only focusing on making short term goals in this chaotic environment. The super mercat and the buildings next to it seemed to be in ruins and abandoned, he could see a great amount of smoke rising in the distance.
Richard saw on the streets that there were nothing else but multiple groups of zombies roaming the streets.
His life could be in jeopardy at any moment he steps through that barricaded door, so any extra information that would give him a better chance at survival was necessary.
All the personal problems and emotional instabilities were temporarily forgotten in the face of an unknown future, and he was just striving to do his absolute best tomorrow.
After doing his final check on everything, he did the routine check of his phone.
Like every night before he checked if there was a small chance that the reception or internet would come back, even for a moment, he would make a call for his parents.
''Still dead reception huh? Well it would have been nice to speak to dad and hear him hype me up to brave on but I'll make due with what I have.''
He tossed the cellphone to his back bag and zipped it shut, adjusted the straps to tight and went laying on the bed waiting for a new day and its challenges to come.
''I have waited enough now, if the help would have come, it should have been here already. Whatever could be prepared, have been prepared so I don't think I have any other option but to flee and try to survive.''
As he shut down the lights he mumbled in quiet voice '' Never I have ever been religious, but if there is any chance that You are listening, please keep me safe tomorrow.''