Short Story Collection

Day to Day

"Damn sun is up already?" I stumbled out of my makeshift bed, like I do every single morning now.

Here's how my days go. I get up, check the doors, windows, hoes in the walls, anything that they can get through. If those are clear I go outside and check my traps. My traps are supposed to catch just animals but sometimes they just stumble right into them. If I caught an animal then I take it inside, skin it, cook it, and eat it. Then I clean up. I pick up any trace of my presence. Then I start walking. My handgun bounces on one hip while my hunting knife bounces on the other.

I used to have a group. Just some typical family that I ran across toward the beginning. But of course they were too slow and too clumsy. They died within a month. Sure I was a little upset by it but I've learned to get over it and just keep moving. My destination is in Florida. My grandparents owned a little home in a gated community. I haven't heard anything about that area being overrun so I guess not knowing is what is keeping my feet pointed south.

Days aren't too hard when you're on your own. You don't have to worry about protecting anyone, you don't make as much noise when you're moving, and you only have to find enough food for yourself. I like my life like this. It's calm in a way. I am more in tune with my inner self than I ever was before the shit hit the fan. So every day I repeat my routine. Get up, check things out, and eat if I can, walk, find a place to sleep, set traps, scavenge for food, sleep and repeat.

Sometime the routine is thrown off. Like a few days ago I ran into a pack of them, they ended up being trapped in the apartment building right next to the place I was staying. When I was checking my

traps I triggered one and it snapped a branch in half, sending one half through the glass door holding them back. They caught my scent and got out. I ran through the night. I was too scared to stop. I just kept going. Eventually I had just passed out in the street.

Anyway, the house I'm staying in tonight is not too far from my grandparents' old house. I should be able to finally make it there by tomorrow night.

This house makes a lot of noise. It sounds like the roof is going to cave in.

I'm too tired to leave this house and set up camp somewhere else. If the roof does come in at least I won't have to go through my routine in the morning.