Imoh

Chapter 1

Honestly, if I have known it would end like this, I would not have survived the apocalypse. I'm telling you; the constant fear, the constant hunger, the constant rummaging in rubbish to find food. Believe me, not worth it.

You get sick fast to live after the world has ended. Don't get me wrong, the silence is a-ma-zing. No more traffic jams, traffic horns, traffic lights.

Alright, enough with the traffic.

Ah yeah. No more email, phone calls, work. It could be paradise. But nope, I have to endure this nagging annoying voice which keeps on pestering me day and night. My kingdom for peace and quiet in my own head!

Careful what you wish for.

What? Wishing for you to stop yapping for five minutes? Why careful?

Because this temporary silence could become permanent.

Are you threatening me to shut up for good? And why would that be a problem, prey tell?

Pay attention to your surroundings, dummy!

OMG! How could I've been so stupid? I almost forgot why I'm suddenly annoyed. The tingling sensation between my shoulders is still there. It's telling me that my neck is the imminent bull's eye of a hammer, or any other object which is about to become blunt on my back.

Being the giant doe I am, freezing is my flight or fight response.

Rolling eyes out loud.

Mine are shut closed waiting for the blow. Which is not coming. What's going on?

How on earth?!... In this day and age when only your spider sense keeps you alive? When eyes behind your head is the only way to look for food without becoming part of the menu yourself? How could she have crept so close without me noticing or even hearing her?

We are staring at each other, ready to pounce in the opposite direction, depending of the other one's next move. I am not moving a muscle finally paying proper attention to my surroundings.

All my senses are on alert, listening to any sounds, focusing to detect any movement, smelling and even tasting the air to try and spot anything out of the ordinary.

"Ordinary" needs to be taken with a handful ofsalt when we are standing in a private garden, surrounded by previously posh but now trashed three storeys' apartments buildings. In this deserted British town, the rare human survivors are trying to find what could be left of food in the pillaged habitations.

She doesn't look much but look can be deceiving. I will not fall again for the helpless little rabbit trick who turns out to have wolf's teeth. Hu-hu, not me, not after the lesson was learned so painfully.

She does look tiny and mousy. She won't be much of an adversary. But she's a perfect decoy.

I scan frantically all around me. If this frightened skinny squirrel is still alive, she must have one or several strong bears protecting her. Visions of huge crocodiles surging out of a river to grab thirsty wildebeests flash in my mind and almost throw me in a panic.

Brandishing my bat with both hands, I turn in all directions hoping to whack them on the head as soon as they show their ugly mugs.

Maybe her role is to make "first contact", get me to relax and set the trap. Once they are sure I'm alone, they can find out where I live, attack me, kill me or worse and steal my home and my stuffs! 

Oh no, you won't! My fierce look of defiance is lost on her, however, as she's also searching wildly the vicinity. Staring in disbelief, I'm watching her taking small steps in my direction while anxiously inspecting the area.