Six weeks (Frerard)

Chapter 4 "When will someone save us, Gerard?"

It was already the fourth day in the supermarket. There weren't rescuers, and it felt like... No, of course not! They will come and save the healthy people. They can't expose people to the danger of death. There must have been some problems, but sooner or later they'll save everyone that's here.

People have started going crazy. Yesterday's murder, four days without home and relatives… But then I thought it would be just like a wild ride, and there will be happy ending! Today I woke up thinking that this may be my last morning in life. People were angry; nervous. Anyone could be in the place of the preacher killed yesterday.

I noticed that Frank began to toss and turn in a dream, and then opened his eyes.

"Good morning..." He said sleepily and indistinct.

"'Good'," I said and turned to him. I held out his bread with peanut butter. I must say that all of us are lucky enough to be locked up in the supermarket, instead of the pharmacy, for example, or the flower shop.

"When will someone save us, Gerard?"

'Frank, if only I knew... If only I knew!'

I wanted to know the answer to his question, but all I could tell him right then was:

"Soon... "

Frank anxiously looked somewhere behind my back. When I turned, I saw Ron. He sat down next to us.

"How are you, guys?" The man looked first at me and then at Frank.

I said nothing and stared at the floor. Ron could understand everything without words. Here everything sucked. He understood me. He was separated from his wife and son. I had no one... But here I met Frank.

With a sigh, he patted me on the shoulder and went to another group of people located near us.

After a few minutes I heard Ron’s scream. Well, everyone heard it.

"Calm down! Don't ever leave here! This was the decision of the government; you go against it. We were asked to wait together!"

"Go to hell with your help! He needed to get away before we all killed each other."

"What are you talking about? The case of Toro-Ortiz was unfortunate."

"Toro-Ortiz! Look in the toilet; do you know that a man was killed? Just because he tried to steal a bottle of water! "

I couldn't believe it. Another murder? I looked at Frank. He was as terrified as I was. I could see in his eyes something like: 'They killed another man? So, I could be next?'

Ron rushed into the bathroom stalls. After a minute he brought out the body. I’d seen this man in the supermarket; he had been standing beside me during the performance of the preacher, and he passed by us in search of products. And now he's dead. In my head I just couldn't get it. I wanted to wake up and find that it's just a nightmare.

It was a red herring, or I don't know what, that brought me to my senses. Ron had begun to look for a woman who had been trying to escape. He was joined by other people, but the search went unsuccessful. She was nowhere to be found. Then one girl realised that another man was gone: the man who shot the preacher yesterday. No words can describe the panic that began in the supermarket. Everyone was shouting something, apart from myself and Frank. We were sitting in our corner, wild-eyed watching this entire scene. I can't say whether was I afraid or just kept precautions...

I felt Frank touch me. He took my hand and squeezed it. I felt all the fear and all the pain that he felt... And I became calmer. I felt that I was not alone. I felt that Frank was with me.

"That bastard knocked the door from the reserve entrance!" Came the fierce cry from Ron. He, as a guard, was responsible for everyone who was in the supermarket. Two were already dead, and another two had escaped.

Stocks here were finished... staying here had become really dangerous, because the situation had turned into a game of survival. I don't know whether it would be better to be free, but you could not stay here.

"We need to escape from here." My words were converted into the void. I was staring, thinking for a while about my idea... But I accepted the decision. "Frank, we need to escape from here," I said, looking straight into the eyes of Frank.

First, he wanted to argue, but he looked away to the side. He was silent for a few seconds, then looked at me and just nodded. I could see he was terrified. Now he looked like the same person as the one I met that first day: pale, emotionless, empty eyes. I wanted to help him. I would agree to do anything to see his smile.

Three more people escaped before evening. Ron didn’t try to lock the door, it still worn with ease. I heard a conversation between a couple who discussed escape. It was clear that the help wouldn’t arrive... Maybe we could

get out of Milford ourselves.

I think it was about midnight when Frank and I intended to leave the supermarket. Ron slept with a large group of people. If we were quiet and gentle, we a chance to go unnoticed.

I made a sign to Frank, and we went to the back door. It was completely dark, and important that we didn’t step on someone or noisy packaging that would foil the plan.

We got to the desired exit soundly.

'It is the path to salvation or death,' was the last thought I had before I opened the door. It looked like someone had already gone a few minutes ago. Frank looked at me, then sighed and went out. We hadn't left the supermarket for four days... It's like the first walk after being in prison. It was very dark, and we could see almost nothing. In the supermarket there were no lights or any means of self-defence that we could take, not even the kitchen knives or scissors. So, empty handed we left, extricating ourselves from the government and security service.