Yesterday was pretty hectic. I was at work, and headed over to the mall for lunch... lots of cars, but it seemed pretty slow for mid-day. There were only a few people, probably thinking the same thing as me - wondering where everyone was. Little did I know this was the calm before the storm. Apparently others had got wind of what was to come and had already fled. Not knowing, I took some extra time and checked all the stores-- nothing... by the time I headed back to the entrance, no one was left in the mall. My heart was racing... it was like that scene from Vanilla Sky when Cruise dreamt he was in the middle of Times Square and there was not a soul in sight. So surreal...

Thankfully, I left just in time. As I left and surveyed the parking lot, I spotted movement over the surrounding land. King St. was devoid of traffic; the highway in the distance had no vehicles; it was easy to spot the awkward movement of people over a distance, but they weren't moving like one would think. At first I thought maybe there was a big accident and they were wounded, needing help, but then more movement caught my eye at the bench to my left just outside the door -- someone appeared climbing out of the ground through a bush, then more silhouettes peaked over the hills in other directions, some crossed King St., some appeared from around the corners of the mall... My natural instincts kicked in. Well, common sense at least, driven by stories told in movie and tv and video games....
I couldn't get back to my workplace... and what would I do there anyway? It was a dead end. So I ran.

...the more I ran, the more it seemed people came out of the woodwork. Northern Waterloo isn't really "urban" per se, but the area I was at was pretty populated. I couldn't plan a route to escape, or even think of a place to go, so I just ran wherever it seemed like there were less people, less danger... less 'zombies'.

I had to get out of the city, so I made my way up and out to the countryside, heading towards St.Jacobs. It had a farmer's market, so maybe I could think ahead a bit and nab some essential nutrients, food and liquid. But when I got there, most of it was gone... the owners had probably been proactive and packed everything up before fleeing. Smart people. I scrounged for what I could, staying as hidden and covert as possible. It's amazing what playing survival video games can teach you!

Anyhow, it took all night, but I was able to make my way around the city, avoiding groups of zombies, probably doing the same thing as I had, only their source of interest wasn't fruit, vegetables, bread... but humans... me. Every so often I'd pass a house with lights on, and was tempted to see if anyone was there... but realized that if anyone was there, and was alive, the last thing they'd do would be leave a light on. So I thought better of that idea. Over the course of the night I heard distant echoes of gunfire. It's rare to hear in this region. Even for hunting.
When the world is silent, the dull reverberation of a shotgun fire a mile distant is quite serene... makes the world seem distant and immense... intensifies the lonliness.

The night passed on as my feet led me forward.
As the sunrise broke through the scattered trees on the horizon, I found myself on the outskirts of Mannheim, a small growing town in the country. I had a couple of friends who lived in the area. I had to risk contact. I couldn't be alone - there's safety in numbers. At least in theory... that theory might be moot when dealing with zombies. I lowered myself into a ditch along the side of the road and inched along, watching intently over the edge. There was a small trickle of water at my feet, tainted with a thin hue of red. What on any ordinary day one might consider typical roadkill was today scattered limbs... a finger here or there... an arm... a foot... tattered clothes... all roughly torn... bitten... I did all I could to fight the gagging. You'd think we'd be desinsitized to this kind of thing, but seeing it all in real life -- well it's not surreal any more.

I made it to a friend's house. The cars weren't there and the front door was wide open. Slinking through what shadows remained of the night, I peaked in the house, finding it empty. Careful not to make any noise or sudden movements, I crept in and checked the rooms. Nothing. No one. I slid a blanket and some cushions into the basement in a far, dark corner, and attempted to get some rest.

And now I'm here... all the doors are locked, windows closed and covered. I moved essentials down to the basement and broke some light bulbs around the inner perimeter of the floors in case someone showed up... through a door... through a window. I spent the morning proofing the house. I haven't looked outside. It's been quiet. Time has been passing at a snails pace. But the computer still worked, and the phone still worked... I decided to reach out and find out what had happened out there in the rest of the world. Thankfully, though frighteningly, a number of you also made it to this point... And now I'm writing this. Maybe someone will read it, whoever's left. Well, if you're reading this, then you've made it too. But it's doubtful you'd be anywhere close enough to help, or vice versa. At least we can rest in knowing we're not totally alone.

Where are you? ...where did the world go?


[BLITEOTW, the day after]