Day 17

So today we took the plunge.

After a long night awake planning and going over and over what I knew, I woke Sam up at 8.15. We had a long day, so we had to move fast.

I explained my plan, step by step. The first stop would be the now derelict Woolworths building. The reason? Having worked there at the end I still vaguely remember the passcode for the security locked doors.
This still meant crossing a main road, bridge and about 200-300 metres of very risky area.

We tried to assess other places, but the only real option as a stopping ground was there; it was on the outskirts of the town centre, but big enough and with enough escape routes to save us.

But enough of the pretense, it doesn't really matter. What matters is what happens next

At 8.30 we left the house. Like every morning it was almost silent, but for the sound of our walking, it reminded me of hospital corridors with no one else in them, but memories are not the thing to focus on at a time like that. I shook it off, straining my ears to hear any noise, always praying for a bird call, or my dad waking me up for work, but as always it never came.

We crossed the main road and then walked across the roundabout, and decided as there was no sign of anything yet we would take the road until we saw something.

We had just passed a block of flats towards the underpass and I lost focus for a second and was about to ask Sam something about the previous night. But that was the fatal mistake I made. All of a sudden I was flung to the ground. A Rani was standing in wait by the underpass corner. Unlike Day -1 I was not so lucky that it rolled over me. Instead it latched on and took a swipe at me and I pulled the trigger of the rifle that I somehow managed to hold onto, but it was too close, the blood went everywhere, and although I turned my head it half covered my face. Sam grabbed me and pulled me up and towards the leisure pool. We burst through the doors in seconds, and round to the changing rooms, then through and before I knew it I felt myself thrown against a wall and water drain over me. I just stared down at my ripped clothing and the slow, haunting realisation that if the blood hadn't got me there, whatever lay beneath my clothes may have. I pulled my shirt up and it was red raw, but no real blood. Had it been enough to kill me? I really hope not, I don't want to die like that. After minutes I was pulled out and Sam slapped me and I focused slightly; looking straight at her I couldn't speak.

She saw the scratch, and ignored it, checking my head and eyes, to see if I was all clear there.

"Now, listen" she said, holding my head towards hers between her hands "I don't care if you are going to turn into one of them, I don't. Right now I'm holding you to what you said yesterday. I'm holding you to your promise, that we would follow the plan through regardless. Thing is I can't open the doors, I don't care how many times you tell me the code. I keep forgetting, so I'm taking you there. Got it?"

I was speechless, over everything. I had screwed up big time, and she knew, so, doing the only thing she could do to survive, she took control. I guess that proves she can make it on her own if she has to?

She picked up my things that she apparently took from me to stop them getting wet and told me to get dressed so I dried out, and went about looking for a bag to put my things in, settling for a child's P.E bag. She threw everything in and checked the rifle was still okay. I noticed she was shaking; she was terrified. I put my hand on hers and took the rifle and smiled for a second. Then we made our move again.

We left the building and proceeded back to where we were. I then saw the state the Rani was left in, somehow my shot had taken half the face off and left a terrible mess, but now I worried that the shot would be attracting the horde that was roaming the homes, so we increased our pace. Every now and again I felt my side as if I thought something would physically change as time went on.

Within moments we reached the bridge and paused. Possibly the most dangerous thing of the day; blind sides as we got to it, of which we both took one and both sides were clear along the river. We then slowly moved up to the crest of the bridge, around the cars which lay there. Including one which had broken through the stone so that the wall looked like it may collapse. All was clear for as far as we could see.

We moved up to the Orange Tree pub and still all things remained clear, I grew more and more concerned, but I also wondered if it was down to the horde now the other side of the river. Maybe they grouped together more and more until they were in one spot...

We took a back road, as it was the closest and after 5minutes of taking bold steps round blind corners we made it to one of the doors, and just before Sam's swing hit the windows I stopped her. Pointing towards the front of the store.

"There's already people been here. Theres a chance they still are. We'll go in the front way, and go to the closest door. We can decide if we look for people in there later." She nodded

We took the side path to the front and walked past empty stores, darkened by the lack of power, and finally, below the broken sign, we stepped in and over broken glass, as careful as we could. But no, luck would not shine; both of us broke glass as near enough the same time, and heard noises from below. So I rushed to the pad and entered, no luck. Entered, no luck. Could the lock be broken? I ran to the other door, it took far too long for my liking, but Sam kept on my heels. I tried and tried again and failed. Then I remembered, this lock; it turned the wrong way. We heard shambling, then the hellish groans we knew too well, a group amassed near us. I entered the code again and turned it the 'wrong' way, and we were in. I slammed the door behind us, and we were left in near darkness.

After turning on our torches we climbed the stairs. I explained that even with power the lifts were stuck while any of the doors were open, so no need to worry about that. And so we made it through, room by room, all was clear. So we set up in what used to be the break room. And using the tools we had picked up for such things we had removed the bars that stopped people getting out of the windows. Then we barricaded the doors and sat in the corner for a while.

When it reached 5pm I ate and opened the fire escape door to get a better look outside. Woolworths is ideal because it is one of the taller buildings, being about 4 stories high and has flat roof access which I would take advantage of. I climbed the ladder up and looked out on the silent world. By then it was too dark. We would have to wait until morning to get an idea of what was safe and not, so I climbed down.
When I got to the doors I saw Sam with handcuffs frowning.

"Now we're here I want to sleep, but I can't while you are free, you know that. I'll 'cuff you to the radiators, and leave one of the keys in the lock so you can get out easy if you have to."
Not exactly what I was hoping for right then, I had just got my mind off of it. I closed the fire doors again and walked to the corner, offering my arm up.

So here I am quite possibly for the last time. I swear if that scratch is what kills me I'm going to be pissed at it. Damn the police stab vests would eliminate that issue...

Are we so weak now? Have we always been? Can I get through this and save what's left of humanity? Can anyone...

I don't want to sleep, just in case, but I have to... I can't bare to be awake wondering, with Sam staring with wide eyes.

So I hope you make another day, and I hope I see the sunlight just once more. That or I hope I don't hurt Sam in my next life.