Surviving The Apocalypse *serious editing*

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I woke up in a cold sweat, panting. Images of mom, Anne, what I imagine Julie and Henry looks like, Ryan, and the man flash through my mind. In a month everyone that I loved and cared for was dead or too far away that they might as well have been dead. My dad wasn't going to make it three thousand miles and over two mountain ranges to find me. Hell, I probably wont even survive the thousand mile trek. I was on my own from here on out.

I felt sick. How was I supposed to make it a thousand miles alone? But then again who could I trust?

I shivered and got up. If I kept thinking this way I would never get up again, never walk another mile, never make it to Georgia. I couldn't let these thoughts overwhelm me. I need to keep my wits about me.

I wiped the dirt from my clothes, even though it didn't make much of a difference, they were filthy. After sleeping on the ground for a week the dirt has become apart of me, just like my brown hair. I haven't bathed or cleaned my clothes, and have actually stopped noticing the smell.

Its the second week of June and the weather stays hot all week. The nights are nice but during the day Ive been accustomed to rolling up my jeans and keeping my jacket around my shoulders. My backpack has gotten lighter from me eating my food and also getting used to the weight of it on my back. I must had lost at least ten pounds in water weight but gained just as many in muscle.

At first I couldn't walk more than a few miles before I had to stop and rest. My legs hurt and had blisters on my blisters. I had to stop for an entire day because I couldn't even put my boots on over my sore feet. My shoulders and back also were killing me. Then slowly my shoulders, back, calves, and thighs have become much more toned and defined. I even have abs for the first time in my life. My feet callused over and became accustomed to walking more and more every day. Now seven days later Ive walked just under thirty miles and made camp out side of New Haven.

New Havens a small beach town in Connecticut I used to visit a lot. My grandpa grew up in New Havens so every few years my family would come and enjoy a day at the beach. In the old days it would take a little less than an hour to drive to New Haven, now it's a week long journey.

The once familiar streets and beaches now look alien to me. As I walked down a side street I could see people peaking out from behind their shutters, watching me pass. If I made eye contact with anyone in the windows, they would instantly draw the curtains shut, afraid I might come for them.

I had hoped that New Haven would have gotten together and had some sort of community that I could trade with. Maybe I could trade some granola bars for some medical supplies (I had used most of my gauze wrapping my torn up feet).

I could have just skipped by New Haven without going too deep into it, but I also needed more water. I ran out yesterday and could already feel dehydration setting in.

All the stores were pretty well looted, smashed windows, what's left of the merchandise was strewn across the floor. I had to go into five different stores until I found some water. It wasn't much, three bottles, but as soon as I found then I drained a whole bottle. I felt a little sick after drinking it all. I must have drank too much at once.

I had water, sure it wasn't much but it was something. I hadn't found any streams that I trusted to drink from, but I kept all of my used bottles just in case I found a little stream that didn't look too polluted.

I made it by New Haven with no problem, once I was on the southern side of the city I breathed a sigh of relief. Going near a city is a huge risk. They could be able to trade with me or help me in some way. But they could also be crazy. Cities have always had higher levels of violence and now that there was no system to keep people in line things could get dangerous. I only entered large towns if it was absolutely necessary.