Day 31

It was cold last night, and it was chilly this morning. I'd prefer to have the heating on, but as Sam rightly says; if we change anything in any house we are in then people can tell that people have been there.

It looked to be a bleak and dingy day. It was. We moved through the streets unheeded to find a better place to stay; more secure, more vantage points, more 'home comforts'. Eventually just as the sun was setting we found it. A house with no broken windows, and upon inspection, it was clear and safe. So we locked up and settled. We both needed sleep.

Day 2

8:52pm. I stared at this beast slowly moving down the road. I was so intent on it I realised a number of small details. Trainers, shorts. Walking a slightly skew line across the road. Matted hair that glistened in the light of the lamp post.
Another scream. At least it was past 9pm now. Pity that it would mean that I wouldn't be getting much sleep on this day.
Then at the furthest of my vision I saw another Rani staggering towards the screamer. When it finally reached her it slowed to a shamble fast enough to keep up with her.
by the time she had left my view it was 1:08am and she had picked up a few more followers

Day 3

I thought about what I had seen, and even in my semi-delirious state I was concerned. A pied-piper of the Rani or some sort of horde leader? Neither rang well in my mind. Though even to today I haven't seen another.
I guess certain criteria are needed to make one of them (I think the easiest way is to dub it a Screamer considering that is what distinguishes it from other Rani).
I collapsed into bed with the sounds of her fading from earshot.

That night I slept restlessly, waking in sheet sweat frequently. Nightmares of my days crept up on me. The faces of the dead rushed past my face. The quite possible death of my parents, brothers and most likely my wider family seemed to dawn on me while I dozed. Occasionally I would wake with hearing a noise and I sat bolt upright for minutes at a time, straining my ears to hear something, before succumbing to sleep again.

Eventually I woke and in somewhat of a daze made my way out of the building. I followed the road for a couple of hours with my hands tightly grasping my bags in case I had to run.
I rounded the wrong corner however and there the Screamer stood. She turned upon hearing me and I saw, in daylight, the horror of her. She had scratched half the skin and muscle off of her face and pieces of it peeled down to her neck.
She made that inhuman noise again and from nowhere dozens of Rani descended upon me. I ran and ran, eventually ditching my bags just to keep ahead of them, but still more came from every alley, every street. I found myself backed into an alley which ended in a 7foot wall. It towered above me and I made the jump. As I pulled myself up I felt their bloodied hands on my legs pulling me down. I fell and felt them rip me apart inside. Excruciating pain. Then darkness. I woke again in the bed struggling to breathe. The time was 9:46am.

I was tempted not to mention the dream. But in the end I have. Why? Because for the most part it explains why I am like this. For some reason my mind tells me I know the worst to come, so all I need do is concentrate to make sure that it doesn't happen for as long as possible. Since then I haven't gotten distracted (excluding the Day with Sam) and my temper has been more controlled.
All I can think is that it is a defence mechanism. All I care is that it has helped me survive.

I hope you make another day