Like Caged Rats

Chapter 2-Like Caged Rats

Chapter 2-

I woke up at dawn like I did everyday.  I took a cold shower in my tiny bathroom and put on my comfy warm clothes. They consisted of jeans and layers of t-shirts and jumpers. I remember when my sister and I would get dressed up to go out on the town. We would always compete with each other to see who could pull first. My sister usually won. She had more confidence than me and she just seemed to say all the right things. The boys practically came in herds with my sister.

I slipped on my big hiking boots that I wore every day. They were scruffy and had a few holes in them but shoes weren't really on my top ten to do list.

When I was midway up the stairs I lifted up one of the wooden boards and took out my father's gun that I hid there. My father wasn't a violent person but he believed you could never be too careful. I slipped it in the waistband of my jeans and headed out of the house.

What used to be beautiful town houses faced me as I stepped onto the large street. Now they were covered in overgrown plants and had bricks crumbling off of them.

I shivered as I felt eyes on me. Although the diseased could go out in the sunlight they tended to prefer the night because they were more prone to sunburn then humans.

I walked to the right down the street heading to what used to be the centre of the town. If I had walked left I would have been heading for the woods which surrounded half of the town. Beyond the woods was the ocean. At first my family and I had tried to escape in the water seeing if there was a way past the wall that was situated deep into the water. But there wasn't. Whoever had decided to cut us off had done a thorough job.

I could faintly see the barrier from where I stood. Where they had cut us off and left us to die, forgetting we ever existed. It was so typical for human beings to bury their problems instead of facing them. There had been no rescue mission. No attempt to save us.

As I walked further I began to feel more uncomfortable. I could feel their eyes on me from the derelict buildings on either side of me. Sometimes I wonder if I imagine the feeling of being watched. I sometimes wonder how long it will be before I go crazy from no socialization. I try to talk to the rats as much as I can to keep me sane.

Maybe I already have gone crazy. How many people talk to rats that aren't loopy?

Although I was feeling uncomfortable I wasn't that scared. I didn't really feel anything anymore except anger. I should be scared, I always used to be. But I have come to a point of not caring. So what if I died? Who would know? Care?

Sometimes I think death could be my saviour. How easy it would be to just die and let everything go. But I wanted to make my father proud. I wanted England to be back the way it was, where familes could grow together happily. The way it was supposed to be.

If I found the cure at least my life would be worthwhile. At least it would have a meaning and maybe my work would help before it was too late. Before the diseased would find a way out of England and destroy the rest of the world. Before they destroyed humanity, which I knew they would.

Where have these diseased creatures come from!? I had asked that question to myself so many times  but there was no likely answer I could come up with.

No I didn't care about myself but I would not give up. Not when the rest of the world was lying in my hands.

I had reached my destination now. It was an old cinema in the centre of town. It was big and dark; perfect for the diseased to hide out in daylight. I took out the vial of blood I had prepared a few days ago and slowly walked towards the building being as quiet as I could. I sprinkled the blood by the entrance of the cinema and quickly retreated into the shadows of the street opposite drawing out my gun and aiming straight ahead.

The diseased wouldn't be able to resist the blood even if it meant getting a bit of sunburn. I cocked my gun and prepared myself knowing I had to get my shot just right. It had to be in between the eyes just above the nose. Anywhere else would just harm them but they would recover. At first I hated the idea of shooting the creature even if it was a blood thirsty monster. But as the anger slowly ate away at me I began to see that it was necessary.

The time passed and my arm began to ache from holding it steady. I was starting to feel unsure and confused. This had never happened before, no matter what the creatures could not resist the smell of blood.

It was dangerous to lure them out but there were usually only two or three of them together at once. At most four. That's the only reason I was able to get samples because if they travelled in bigger numbers I wouldn't be able to get what I needed. They weren't very clever, it was amazing what they had accomplished even though they were as thick as rats. Didn't they realise if they were to travel in numbers they could do a lot more.

I lowered my gun but waited a little longer to see if any would appear....

Nothing.

I was getting frustrated so I decided to head back.  As I began walking I heard a faint 'tap tap tap...'

My reactions kicked in quickly and I raised my gun towards the entrance of the cinema.

But there was nothing there.

Great so hearing things had begun, wasn't that the first sign of crazy..?

'tap tap tap'

Because I was straining to hear something I had more of an idea of where the noise had come from. I pointed my gun upwards towards the second story of the cinema. At first I didn't see anything because the windows were tinted black. But as I continued to stare I saw the faint outline of something beyond the window.

A person.

Or more accurately, a diseased.

Just standing there and staring. Not making any attempt to move or attack me.

As I continued to stare I saw the corners of their mouth lift ever so slightly. It was too dark to make anything else out like features and they all had the same sorts of features anyway. Their skin is a sickly grey colour as are their eyes.

My breathing increased. Why was it just standing there and not making any move to attack me! Or being driven outside by the smell of blood?

I started to slowly move backwards and sideward's still holding it's gaze. When I thought I was far enough away I turned and ran for my life.