Chapter 4: Running out of food

Another day in which he wakes up with a backache. He should really change his sleeping position.

This is the fifth day since he moved here. He gave this place a good cleaning, and now it looked quite decent. He tried to find himself something to occupy his time with.

Cleaning can be actually calming sometimes. Never in his whole life would he thought that he would be happy to have so much dust to clean. After making this place sparkle, he tried to work out a little since he has so much spare time. It was harder than he remembered.

But each time he was looking in the mirror, his motivation for buffing himself up was ignited.

Even if he never has big muscles, he was still having a quite decent figure. But now? He was feeling like a rained chicken.

All was good, but he was running out of food. All the workout was giving him a big appetite. After searching the whole house, he found quite a bit of food. But now his whole stocks were made off of two bean cans, one meat can, 5 fruit cans, one pasta packet and two chocolate bars.

There were also some bottles of potable water. The water in the fridge has finished two days ago, but he boiled a lot of water from the tap and filled the empty bottles. He was totally fine after drinking it, so there were low changes that there was a problem with it.

For now he still has enough to eat for a few days if he tried to save on food.

But this was not a solution in the long run.

So he has to go out.

He decided to go out, but he wasn't going to leave the building. Only the apartments on his floor.

After a filling breakfast, he grabs a big rucksack that he found around and leaves his temporary home.

'Wich one should I enter first?'

There were 4 apartments on each floor. With a total of 8 floors, and he was on the last one.

With a bit of hesitation, he enters the one with the open door and a rotten corpse inside close to it. Being as careful as he could, he avoid it and go further inside. Fortunately, there were no more corpses around.

All the rooms were having their doors closed, so he didn't bother with them and goes directly to the kitchen. He cracks opens the door a little and observe it for a bit. There was no one inside.

So, he starts to search for anything still comestibles.

Again, the fridge was a no zone.

This one smelled even worse than the one at his place, but he still found a few dozes of juice and coffee. So, he didn't sacrifice his nose for nothing.

Happy with his prey, he was preparing to leave. He was almost out, but then he heard a sound coming from one room. He stops and turn around and stare at the door for a bit.

'What if there is someone inside?'

Maybe he should go and check. What if that person is hurt or need help?

He glanced at his bulging rucksack and started to feel bad.

'I don't think my conscience will let me sleep at night if I don't take a look,'

After making up his mind, he puts down his rucksack and walked toward the door.

He puts his ear against it and listened with attention.

𝑇ℎ𝑢𝑑!

'There really was someone inside!'

"Hey, are you alright?"

There was another sound heard inside, but much louder this time.

"Hang in there, I am coming in, ok?"

So, he grabbed the door knob and was about to open it, but suddenly hiss whole body shivered and stopped what it was doing.

'What was this?'

He was feeling like shouldn't go in.

𝑇ℎ𝑢𝑑!

Another sound was heard from inside, bringing him back from his thoughts.

"Don't be scared, I'm coming!"

And so he did. But he froze for a second after doing so. Because on the big bed there was an almost naked woman gagged and tied up with ropes. She was struggling to break free from them. The sound from earlier was made when she was hitting her head against the bed board while struggling. Seeing me, she was even more excited in her escape. He would have described her as a hot woman if it wasn't for the dead eyes and signs of decay on her body.

"F*CK!"

Kyle gets out of the room, slamming the door behind himself.

He picks up his things and runs back home. Once inside, he locks the door and collapses on the couch. His hands were still trembling a bit.

He pulls out a dose of juice from the backpack at his feet and drinks it all in a few gulps.

"God damn it!"

Kyle trows away the dose against the floor with enough force for it to jump back up in and fly in the other corner of the room.

"How can I be so f*ucking stupid!?"

He stands up and walk around in circles.

'That woman was no human. She was dead for sure. She shouldn't move,'

Then why?

At the place where her hands and feet a were tied, her flesh was so torn and rotten. The blood was brownish and stinky. Her eyes were muddy and with no focus. There were also visible bluish black veins under her skin. She looked like out of a horror movie.

No. Not she. It. Since that thing is no longer human. So, it should be it.

Who the hell cares if it is a she or a it?

That thing is an f*king monster. Like those human eating monsters from the street.

What if it wasn't tied up?

Oh, God!

"I could have been eaten by that damn thing!"

A good hour later after completely exhausting himself with walking around the living and rumbling by himself, Kyle takes a seat to rest.

He covered his face with a hand and groan in annoyance at his own stupidity. This was almost as tiring as high work out.

He rubs his face a few time and grab the rucksack and goes to the kitchen.

'Time to sort this things up,'

He soon finished sorting his food supplies and putting them in their place.

It was time for lunch already. He didn't really have an appetite, but still ate a bit. It was planned to finish looting all the floor for today, but all the shit from earlier ruined all of his mood.

So, he just goes to his room and trow himself in his bed to take a nap.

He didn't even remember the last time he took an afternoon nap. He was always busy with work before all this. And now he was too stressed out for it. Maybe it was time for a break.

Just for today.

Why did he have to go through something like this? Being alone and confused was really stressful.

Was he lonely?

Maybe when he heard the sound inside that room, he was really hoping to find someone inside.

Having somebody around would be quite nice.

Humans were social animals, after all.

He chuckled a bit at that thought.

He closed his eyes and emptied his mind, soon falling asleep. But it didn't last long because of some noises.

He looks at the source of the sound. It was something across the wall, on which was supported the head of his bed.

𝑇ℎ𝑢𝑑!

It wasn't very loud, but in this quiet environment it was heard pretty clear.

What is it? It doesn't matter anyway. Anything that it is, it's after that wall. But that really ruined his sleep. Now he wasn't sleepy anymore. So, he gets up and decided that it was time for some simple work out. His routine was consisting of squat, crunches and push-ups since he didn't have more equipment to work with.

He would do them until he was tired, then he takes a break and then continue. And he keeps repeating this circle until night comes.

After a cold and refreshing shower, he cooks himself a simple diner. Thanks God, the gas is still functioning.It was bad enough that he has to wash in cold water.If he also needed to eat cold food, he would really be depressed.

With a full stomach, he lies in his warm bed and close his eyes to sleep.

'What a tiring day?'

And he soon falls asleep.

𝑇ℎ𝑢𝑑!

Kyle opens his eyes and listened attentively.

𝑇ℎ𝑢𝑑!

He heard it again. That annoying sound.

𝑇ℎ𝑢𝑑!

What is it?

𝑇ℎ𝑢𝑑!

This time it was louder.

Wait a second. The apartment next door is the one he entered today.

𝑇ℎ𝑢𝑑!

So, this room should be next to the room that thing was inside!

𝑇ℎ𝑢𝑑!

It's still tied up and even if it escapes it can't get here. So, there's no danger.

'I should go back to sleep,'

Kyle makes himself comfortable and goes back to sleep.

𝑇ℎ𝑢𝑑!

𝑇ℎ𝑢𝑑!

𝑇ℎ𝑢𝑑!

𝑇𝐻𝑈𝐷!

𝑇𝐻𝑈𝐷!!

𝑇𝐻𝑈𝐷!!!

"THAT F*CKING DEAD B*TCH!"