January 8th

Jan 8th, 2010

Jimmy Varn here and I am still alive. I’m about five pounds lighter from shitting myself in terror but hey, I’m still alive.

Yesterday I went on a scavenging run. It was just next door but I got prepared. I took a leather jacket that was too short for me and wrapped it around my left arm. This is what they recommend you do if you have to fight someone with a knife, but I figure it would work for a biting zombie. In my other hand I had my trusty lead pipe. I also had a big backpack that I found in the basement. I thought I was ready.

You know, I don’t have a key for the place? I can lock it from the inside, but I have no way to lock it from the outside and get back in? That is the definition of sucking. I left the door unlocked and prayed.

I went outside and nothing leaped at me from the bushes. I did notice that Home Base had a fence around the back yard, and there was a stack of boxes in front of the gate. I think Chuck must have put it there to block the gate. The boxes had Halloween decorations and some summer clothes. I think he must have gotten them from Home Base, but as crowded as Home Base is, I wonder where they were stored originally. Funny how I obsess about these things.

The neighbor’s house was locked. I got to do something that I only had seen in movies, I got to kick a door in. My first kick was weak. I was holding back subconsciously. Kicking a door in is not something you are supposed to do. I stood there, well aware that zombies could be coming down the street, and psyched myself up to kick the door in.

KICK! This time the door flew open. The sound was deafening. The door flew back and hit a wall and came back around again. I looked around but other than a bored zombie across the street, no one seemed alerted by the sound.

I went in fast. I poked my head into the living room: all clear. The Christmas tree made me pause. It had gifts under the tree. Do I open them? I decided to keep searching the house first.

I poked my head into the bedroom: all clear. I ignored the stairs and poked my head into the dining room: all clear. After that, I went into the kitchen.

Did you see the bonehead mistake I did?

The kitchen was great. These people cooked. They had fruit out but it was old. It was the same for the three different bags of bread. The fridge had a lot of juices but I didn’t trust them. I took the butter, the cheese and some lunchmeats. They were sealed which was good enough for me.

I also found a 12 pack of Coca-cola. I opened and chugged one can right there. Fuck, I missed caffeine. I felt instantly upbeat. Or maybe I was just wired. It was the best damn coke ever.

It was the freezer that made me happy. Being January, it hadn’t really warmed up at all the last few days. The power was out that freezer was still cold. They had frozen chicken, bags of vegetables and even a few dessert pie slices. The big find was two glorious steaks. Holy shit, I didn’t know how I was going to cook them in my toaster over but I was sure as fuck going to try.

The shelves were full of canned food. It was mostly beans and tomato sauce but I grabbed them. My pack was getting heavy but I was too damn hungry to care. The thought of leaving anything behind was unthinkable. I put way too fucking much in my pack and barely got it closed back up.

My pack was full and there were 2 cases of bottled water sitting on the shelf. I would need both hands to carry it but that would mean putting down my lead pipe. I decided to just take the food and come back for the water to put in my pack. I knew I wouldn’t be able to raid this house in one trip.

Ha, I’m a raider now.

Anyway, I headed back. The kitchen had a way through the living room so I went there. I walked between the dead TV and the couch that was up against the wall.

That was when I saw the zombie lying on the couch. He had one arm under his head and was chilling. He was staring at the television like he was watching something.

It is also when he saw me.

I screamed. The zombie moaned. I jumped and fell backwards from the weight in the pack. The zombie sat up and stumbled towards me. I slipped out of the pack strap and stood up. Couch Zombie reached for me like I reached for those steaks in the fridge.

I pretty much freaked out. I mean, what the fuck? I thought the place was clear and I had been in the house for at least thirty minutes. It had been here the whole time?

I went ape-shit on it. I hit it in the head with my pipe, and it sort of fell over sideways slowly. My lead pipe was already smacking into the legs before it had finished hitting the ground. I just kept hitting it over and over again. It would twitch and move and I would keep hitting it. The crunching of the bones and soft squishy meat sounds blurred together.

Fuck. I was still alive. To be fair, it wasn’t even close to being a fair fight but damn, I was shaking. I couldn’t believe how I had missed him. I felt so vulnerable. I picked my pack up and ran back to Home Base. I never did go back for the water.

That was yesterday. I fired up the toaster oven and am broiling the steak now. I smothered it in garlic powder and onion powder. Maybe after I eat the steak, I will go for the water.

Maybe I will just stay here.