Day 26

This morning we saw Rani coming down the road, so we have decided to remain here for the day instead of having to avoid them all day. It does give me the chance to catch up on explaining things.

Day 2

I collapsed again and waited to catch my breath. It eventually slowed and I felt achy but relaxed. I looked at my watch. 10.45am. I sighed. Somehow I had to get away from these things.

Upon standing up I realised their noises had attracted a number of others. Surrounded, alone, scared; I didn't know what to do and I just paced back and forth. Before I knew it I was thirsty, and looking again at my watch it was now 11.30 and the Rani were not backing down. How could they maintain their ferocity for such a length of time?

I thought as hard and as quick as I could. The only two plans I could come up with were:

• Take a running jump and see how far I got
• Balance my way across the fence and try to climb through into the house

Neither seemed good. One relied on luck. The other required my balance, then body strength. I thought about it and wondered; my luck HAD been pretty astounding the past couple of days, could I push it further, or was this the limit?

I took a deep breath again and looked all around. A choice of semi-green land or the way I came. I knew both ways vaguely. I decided on the road. Mostly due to my knee was killing me as it was (bad knee you see) and I didn't want to risk injuring my feet by a bad placement on rough ground. I exhaled. I ran. I leapt

I landed (13), almost to my knees. I pushed out with my arms as I leant forwards so that I wouldn't fall down and face death.

Then I realised something quite profound. I didn't know what was around that corner; I didn't have an alternate route if there were more of them. I didn't plan ahead. I made a note to think ahead much more clearly. I remembered that once I did a calculation years ago, and that there were something like 600-700 people per kilometre squared. Behind me were 100-200 Rani, and although a km squared is quite big, it's not massive.

I had to ditch them somehow. But for the moment I just ran. I ran again until my lungs were burning. I ran again until my legs felt like lead. I ran until my vision started to fade. Through and around cars, trees and bushes until somehow I was concentrating so badly I ran into the door of a house. Those moments are unclear to me, but I faintly remember looking behind me for an instant, I must just have been running faster than I thought I was.

The door was open. I stepped in and locked the door. The place was a mess; it looked like people had left in a hurry. I grabbed everything I could and threw it at the door. Then I checked all over exits and secured them.

I went upstairs and made sure all windows were shut. I wasn't going to die like him. Then I used the rest of my energy to pull a wardrobe out of a bedroom and lay it blocking the path up the stairs. At the least it would give me time.
I checked the loft moments later with it occurring to me. Nothing there and no chance of anything getting there.

I then lay there almost passing out. Time: 1.14pm. I had run breakneck speed for the best part of 2 and a half hours.

I heard bashing at the doors and their groans, but I was too tired to move. Too tired to care.

I hope you make another day