121 days in hell

4

Chapter 4.

The storm's noises were getting louder and closer, in my memory storms weren't like this, but I clearly didn't have time to think about how a storm looked like 4 years ago.
Quickly i started feel nauseous but i couldn't stop now, the buildings were getting closer and so the storm..
It started raining, small drops from time to time, while i was trotting between the dilapidated buildings i could make a small description of this place in my head.
The buildings weren't very tall, but were probably considered big years ago, there was a sign on one of the buildings, "suburban supermarket" i was in the suburban.. I wasn't surprised to discover that, only the city center was secured, people were selfish. They only cared about their own safety, and never the others, it has always been like this.

I shaked my head and headed for the supermarket, despite the night I easily entered it. I scanned the entrance with my eyes, there was no movement, no light, just the sound of raindrops and thunder.
With hesitation, I entered the automatic entrance door, the door were made of glass, broken glass. I pushed one of the doors and it crashed to the floor, the noise startled me, and in panic I quickly turned my head from right to left.
Despite the fact this place was abandoned, i was sure someone heard me, or the Crevards, in any case I should not stay here.
I put my bag on the floor, and searched for the flashlight I've stolen from the lab, i took it and at the same time thunder rumbled again, it was much louder, and the rain was getting aggressive.
I quickly packed my stuff and ran in the supermarket without even thinking to turn on my flashlight.
[...]
I was walking in the abandoned place for 10 minutes, according to my incorrect calculations, my flashlight was probably broken, every time the light died i would bang it against a wall or something close to me.
5 minutes later my life saver was out of battery, so with that, i decided to stop my adventure.
It was extremely dark, i didn't noticed it at first, the heat had dropped drastically due to the storm, it was cold, but i had to stop moving, my whole body hurted and i felt even more nauseous.
I started patting around to find a place to sit, when i found a fragment of wall (probably) i sat against it and put my bag at my feet, i closed my eyes and sighed.
"What am I going to do now?"
The sound of the rain was putting me to sleep, but the thunder took me straight out of my seconds of slumber.
I opened my bag and took out a loaf of bread, "It will do the job as a meal." I sadly thought. I ate it while looking around, there was still no sign of life, it didn't really bothered me, I was unable to defend myself, and I didn't want company at the moment.

The storm was getting more and more violent outside, but my fatigue was going to take me into the world of dreams at any moment. I closed my eyes and feel asleep short after.

[...]

My eyes opened and a doctor smiled at me, i was confused that i couldn't control my body, nothing felt real, it was a dream.
I was in my hospital bed, three doctors standing in front of me, the same ones who told me about my virus.
They came up to me and said something that I couldn't remember, they left the folder that they had the first time i saw them next to me, and they disappeared in the dark of the hospital corridor.
I still couldn't move, I was probably paralyzed during the time of this memory.
After some times someone opened the door, it looked like a tall women, her face was from an unknown person, at least from what I remember. She walked to me and sat next to the folder the doctors left earlier.
The woman stayed quiet for a long time, until she decided to talk.
- Good morning patient zero.
She took the folder and opened it, then mumbled something. I couldn't hear clearly what she said. "At least [...] of the first [...]"
She read a few pages of the folder, then looked at me.
- I hope you can understand the reason we keep you in this hospital.
I looked back at her and nodded.
- It's for my safety!
I said that with a childish voice. I was now sure to be in a dream. The old women smiled and shortly after another person entered the white room, i was definitely sure it was my mother, but my dream started to fade, i was waking up.
I tried to stay asleep but a noise woke me up suddenly. My heart was racing, my clothes were all sweaty and dusty, I wiped my forehead with my hand and looked around, the storm has stopped and now the sun was up in the sky, it was huge, it looked like a ball of fire that was about to fall on earth, and the heat it gave off was overwhelming.
I patted near my feet to find my bag, I had a sigh of relief when I found out it was still there.
I opened the small bag and took out a shawl, it belonged to one of the doctors who had died three years ago.
I put it around my neck and pulled it up my nose, in addition to the dust and toxic air, the heat made the ordeal of breathing even more complicated.
I sat for 10 minutes staring at the inside of the supermarket, it was huge.

I could see some objetcs that could be useful, despite my awful headache i stood up, my vision blurred and i was feeling extremely dizzy. "probably the heat" I thought, wanting to forget the disease that gnawed at me.
I took my bag and put it on one shoulder, i staggered towards the objects i had noticed, i crouched down next to a pile of tin cans, there was a foul smell in the air, i turned my head and saw the most disturbing thing in my life, rotting meat.
My stomach tightened and i didn't wait a second for looking away, holding my stomach.
I took the tin cans and quickly walked away, that smell was unbearable, and the heat made everything worse.
A disgusting idea crossed my mind when i thought about the meat, "maybe it was..." I shaked my head, convinced that i was only making up my mind. It couldn't be that.
To my surprise i was able to find other useful items, including a knife.
I kept sinking into the building and took the escalators, that had stopped working a long time ago.
Once i got to the top floor, the sunlight started fading, i took the knife with one hand while holding the other things with my free arm.
I continued my walk in the unknown with a knot in my stomach.
There was not much upstairs, I still found some food, but all expired. I continued my research when i passed a room, the room was bathed in darkness, i stopped in front of it, my knife brandished in front of me, i waited there without moving, the fear of what was in that room paralyzed me.
I heard my breathing quicken, I was staring into the void, the seconds seemed like hours, time has stopped.
A movement took me out of my paralysis, I screamed and backed up in panic, my hands were shaking and all the tin cans fell, the noise made me squint.
I kept backing away until I hit the barrier, I could stop staring at the room where movement was seen, when I heard a noise coming from this same place, it was similar to a growl.

Time stopped again, and I remained leaning against the barrier with my knife in the direction of the entrance.
Someone ran out of the room screaming, and with a jump he crashed into the barrier a few centimeters from me.
I screamed again and started running away, the person shook his head and resumed his hunt without hesitation, he was determined to catch me.
My whole body was shaking, my legs were hurting like hell, but I kept running, the weirdo was screaming at me to stop but under the adrenaline I couldn't even hear him.
I approached the escalator, and in a last turn I rushed downhill, I tripped over a piece of debris and crashed on the ground a few meters further.
I stood up groaning in pain and looked behind me, the person, the Crevard, was upstairs, looking at me. He had blood in his mouth and his whole body was covered with wounds, he had filthy hair and ragged clothes. The madman started laughing hysterically, then he stopped and screamed, but I had already started sprinting again, when he saw me leave he yelled an incomprehensible word but was cut off with a shot. I fell back and sprawled on the ground, I heard footsteps behind me and whispers. I couldn't hear anything, there was a deafening noise ringing in my ears.
I tried to get up but in vain, I collapsed again and again, until my strength completely left me and my vision blurred, then the void.

"He fainted!"