Trying to Survive (Part 1) Read Free

too, man, but I don’t think we really have a choice.”
       I came to a stop and faced him. “What if the military is on the way to start clearing them out and saving people? If we just hold up for a few more days, something could change. These things might even start leaving when they can’t find any more people to eat. Then we can get out there and search the other homes for food and water.”
       Walt bleakly replied “Do you really think anyone’s coming to help us, James?”
       I closed my eyes and let out a long sigh. “…No, I don’t.”
       Walt walked past me and started heading up the cherry-wood lined staircase near the front door. The second step loudly creaked and he slowed his pace. “Well, then push all that shit outta your head and let’s do this.”
       As we both eased our way up the stairs, doing our best not to make any noise, I whispered “If we don’t see anything promising in town, I think we should try and get to the highway and head towards Daytona. There’re a lot more people there… Hopefully, cops too.”
       “I highly doubt there’s an organized police force anymore... I haven’t heard any sirens since last night, have you?”
       “No… I guess we just have to get out there and go with our best options as they present themselves.”
       “Exactly… And I have a feeling we’ll run into a large group of people working together to survive – or something like that… Actually, do you know where the police station is?”
       “Not a clue.”
       Neither of us spoke again until we reached the front bedroom upstairs. It felt strange to walk through my dark home, knowing that once we leave I may never see it again. The life I’d worked so hard to create no longer had any meaning. Everything I own, everything that’s precious to me would have to be left behind.
       When we entered the room, I noticed the moonlight coming through the window and casting a glare across the picture of our parents I kept on the nightstand. When I walked over to remove it from the frame so I could take it with me, Walt asked “What are you doing?”
       I didn’t reply. I simply finished taking it out of the frame, turned around and showed it to him. His face softened for a moment, and he said “Glad you thought of that.” Then I joined him by the window and handed him the picture so he could put it in the duffle-bag.
       Walt peered out to make sure they weren’t looking in our direction, then flipped over the horizontal latch and slowly pushed the window open. “What do you think? I’m not sure it can get much darker than this... All the street lights are still working.”
       I took out one of the large firecrackers and began searching for my lighter. “This one just sits still and puts off a bunch of tiny explosions for about a minute. It should draw in all of them within a mile radius... Judging by how fast they are, it shouldn’t take long.”
       Just as I was about to light the small fuse I stopped and took out a cigarette. Walt tilted his head in a questioning manner, so I proceeded to explain myself. “It’ll be easier this way and it’ll save lighter fluid. I’ve had this lighter for a while – it could be close to dead.”
       “I’ve got one too.”
       “Still better to conserve.”
       I lit the cigarette and took a heavy draw, purposely prolonging the exhale as I temporarily blinded myself with the smoke. Walt started shaking his head as he leaned left and looked down the street. Any confidence in his voice had vanished when he said “Holy shit, man… Come over by me and look down the road... There’re hundreds of them.”
       I clenched my jaw, slightly crushing the filter with my lips before I took another long drag. I honestly didn’t even want to look, but I forced myself to walk over by him and peer down the road… To my dismay, he wasn’t over-exaggerating at all…
       My house was at the end of a dead-end street.