Day 2 8:32 PM
"It's eerily quiet," I whispered to Bennie while peaking at the window.
"Yeah, and it unnerves me like never before. It's quite different from what we see in the media. It fascinates me how people can even see at night in those instances." Bennie added. "The lack of gunshots, explosions, and traffic really scares the shit out of me. These unclean ones are so quiet it's scary to even think of doing stuff in the night."
With no source of electricity, the city looks like a haunted ghost town with the occasional fires and lumbering unclean ones I see in the distance. With only the full moon as a light source, it's unnerving to try and survive outside. It's hard to detect or see these creatures in the dark. Those movies didn't factor in that these unclean children would pose serious dangers during the night when they are hard to spot because of their height. We always see middle-aged men and women wreaking havoc in movies but in reality, these unclean children are the ones you need to look out for.
"You think the armed personnel already bugged out?" Bennie asked while rummaging and compiling supplies we could use tomorrow.
"Based on the wreckage and the unclean soldiers I see periodically. They were in the thick of it. A small portion probably fled with dignitaries but I'm sure some are just hiding somewhere. They probably figured out by now that gunfire will attract more trouble than they are worth un this situation. But I'm guessing based on the chaos we saw earlier in the day from the hill. Most of them are dead or unclean." I muttered. Where would they flee exactly in this god-forsaken land out of nowhere? No electricity, no communications, and no backup. They will have a better chance of holding up somewhere and start from there.
"Do you think this has something to do with those checks and rechecks they did with the population before we lived here? They said firearms weren't allowed but they will open stores that would sell them later on?" Bennie stated while emptying a small backpack on the table.
"Hmm.." I uttered. Yeah, they were thorough. How would you smuggle firearms when you need to pass at least 3 buildings checking your belongings, vehicles, and personal baggage anyway? It was also hell that day, people being violent and being dragged back out of the border, arguing about the right to bear arms or some shit. But I understood the local administration's logic though. I don't want anyone or a group of people to carry firearms in a newly established town. They would always be a threat to the local security force especially in a budding society. Them being outgunned and outnumbered by civilians is a risk in itself especially when the population is larger than the force guarding its security. Maybe we will be allowed to carry them after the number of security forces balances out but that is already out of the question now.
"Most of the survivors of this shit should be carrying hand-held weapons and firearms they scrounge up from the dead. I mean firearms are a good deterrent against other people but using that in our situation will be a death sentence right now." I added.
"But having one than having none is better right?" Bennie interjected. "Yeah. I agree." I replied. "We'll try to snatch some up from those unclean soldiers, the dead if we have time or if we can but it's not a priority right now." "Transport, like you said should be our priority. But as far as I can see Big Ben, there are only car wrecks in our immediate vicinity." I frowned.
"Which means we need to go deeper into the city center to find a suitable vehicle?" Bennie added. "Yeah," I answered. "Fuck," Bennie cursed.
"Walk?" Bennie questioned. "To where? Until when? will our supplies last? Coverage of distance compared to driving against walking?" I rebutted. Bennie nodded and I smirked back. You have to hand it to Bennie he always argued about the opposite side of an argument every time we needed to figure something out. Just like I'd do if he points out something. What a good friend can you ask for. He doesn't argue with an impossibility but only challenges your logic. Creating a good foundation for finding easy solutions to problems.
"You done organizing?" I asked. " Yeah, we got some canned goods, 2 easy-to-carry water bottles. Some perishables. Some toiletries, I also packed some toothbrushes and toothpaste. Found 3 lighters and a flashlight." Bennie elaborated. " It's split evenly in these 2 small bags I found. There's nothing much taking in this newly refurbished house," he added.
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"Not much but it'll do. We need mobility right now. We don't want to be encumbered and be cornered by the unclean." I added.
"Heavies?" I asked Bennie while double-checking the bag he was preparing. Heavies is our term for heavy melee weapons, he and I agreed on that jargon in our early airsoft days just because it sounded cool. "Not much, just some knives, wrenches, and tools but I found a hammer," Bennie exclaimed while waving a simple hammer around. This really is a newly furbished house.
"So that's about it. We have supplies that should last us at least 2 days, few light weapons and hopefully luck." I stated. " You think Abigail will be able to survive?" Bennie asked with a frown.
"If she wants to live, she has to adapt or she will die. It's as simple as that." I answered honestly.
"Let's call it a night. Make sure the doors and windows are locked, and close the curtains too. We don't want any Murphy visits tonight." I bellowed.
"Let's block the stairs with furniture just in case and lock the sleeping room door with a chair too just for extra protection," Bennie added.
"Agreed. You think Abigail will freak out once she finds us in the same room with her sleeping?" I asked Bennie. "Nah it's either she adapts to how we do things or she's out." I don't want to explain obvious stuff with her." Bennie answered. Bennie is right. It is much safer for us to sleep in one room than to sleep in separate ones right now. That way we will be able to watch over each other and won't be separated in case of emergency.
A few minutes later while checking and double-checking the security of our small haven, we slowly slipped inside the room Abigail was sleeping in. With mattresses on our hands, we set it up on the floor making preparations to sleep. Keeping our lifeline bags in arm's reach just in case. I kept the knife under my pillow and held it with my right hand. I slowly lied down and prepared to sleep. When Bennie called out to me in a whisper. " You think she's bit?"
I opened my eyes and stood up with the knife in my hand with a back hand grip. I looked at Abigail with caution when Bennie spoke. " Dude relax. I just said it as a possibility." Bennie chimed in while holding onto my arm and shoulder. "But we got to make sure right?" I asked. "Yeah, she isn't gonna like it but it has to be done. That includes us too." Bennie answered.
"That should be the new norm then. We don't want to be eaten during our sleep right?" I said to Bennie. " So how are we gonna do this?" Bennie asked me back while holding his waist.
"Like we always do," I answered.
~~~~
".. ock! Pape.. .. oot!.."
"Rock! ...aper!.. Sciss.. oot!.."
"Scissors! Shoot!"
I frantically opened my eyes, grabbed the knife under my pillow, and backed up from the bed I was sleeping. Whoever it is making a ruckus should be at least threatened with the knife in my hands. I held onto it firmly and pointed it to whoever was making those noises. "Get back!" I hissed. My eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness. I was ready to swipe at the threat but all I could see in the room with the moonlight illuminating a bit of the space I was occupying were two men. The said men were in a posture. In a rock-scissors-paper posture? They looked so stupid that they didn't move for a second until I sighed and said. " So are you here to rape me already?" I asked.
They stood up straight. Big Ben, a bit buff guy elbowed Richie, the one thinner than the two. Then Richie punched Big Ben in the shoulder. Probably because of an argument they had while I was asleep. But that doesn't answer my question. Why are they here? I thought they would be sleeping on the 1st floor or the other rooms for that matter. Also. why are they doing rock paper scissors? Deciding who will rape me first? But I won't go down without a fight though. I'd kill them first and if I can't do that I'll kill myself first. It was a mistake to give me this knife because I will use this to murder them.
"We need you to strip." Big Ben stated with all seriousness.
"I'll kill you, you fucking trash and if I can't do that I'll kill myself first than be violated by the likes of you," I answered with a growl.
Richie slapped his forehead with his right hand and muttered. "That's not how you ask about it you fucking muscle head!." I sat still clearly confused, thinking what the fuck is happening at this moment. It's as if the craziness outside isn't enough. Do I have to deal with these weirdos too?