Today has been one of the best days since I've started this journal. Finally, I didn't have a nightmare. Rather, it was actually a nice dream. Kat and I were having a picnic on the beach back home in Maine. We must have decided to adopt Sandra, because she was with us drawing in the sand. The surf played its part as a natural Etch-A-Sketch, erasing everything Sandra drew. She just laughed and drew some more. Kat and I snuck off to a cave and left Sandra to her drawings, and we started having passionate sex. I remembered in the dream that I had to cover her mouth because her moans were echoing off the cave walls. The pleasant dream turned into a wet dream, and I woke up feeling my semen stuck to my shorts.
Kat was still asleep, but no way could I go back to bed in the condition I was in, so I slid out of bed extremely slowly as not to stir her. I tip-toed in the hallway several rooms down to use a washroom with the hopes of not waking anyone, and just as I finished cleaning up, I turned around and there was Sandra. She ran to me and hugged me close. I asked if she was ok not expecting a verbal answer, but she actually told me she couldn't sleep! Well, I'm not excited that she said she couldn't sleep, but just that she could speak again. It's only been a day, since she went into shock, but it's a huge relief just to know she won't be any longer.
I told Sandra to come with me, that she could sleep in our room. Kat and I woke up with a twelve year old girl in between us. Kat was a little concerned about a child that old sleeping in the same bed with two grown ups, but I told her it's her way of coping. She needed it. Sandra was growing on us, and I guess that's what triggered me to have that dream of the picnic. We actually talked a little bit about it, and it felt like a good idea. Unofficially, she would be our adopted daughter!
After breakfast of bland flavorless oatmeal (God, how I miss Augustina), Jonathan accompanied me to go get the battery from the truck across the river while Hector and Timothy hung back to watch the girls. It was all clear to the boat and all clear on the other side of the river. We got the battery out of the truck, grabbed the empty gas can and siphon hose and siphoned gas from the truck until the can was full.
Now, I'm not one to really believe in God. I'm more agnostic than I am atheist. I definitely don't discount that there is a God but if there is one, he's usually a prick. I know that sounds blasphemous to you if you are a theist, but can you really blame me? Just look at the condition of the world you're living in. It doesn't speak highly of a "loving Father". Anyway, if there is a God, He's finally said enough is enough and cut me a break.
The battery fit in the ambulance perfectly! Not only that, but the damned thing started up after only a couple of cranks! We poured the gas from the can into the ambulance's tank, and get this. The tank was almost full! The needle on the gauge was just slightly under the F. I have no idea how many miles per gallon ambulances get, but with this much gas, we should be be able to move at least 200 miles! I had to force myself to try to remain calm in case this God decided to be a cruel asshole and play Job on me again.
We gathered for one final meeting in the hospital. I wanted to go immediately west, but it was no longer just Kat and me traveling. Maybe somebody else wanted to go elsewhere. Jonathan actually wanted to find some friends that were living in Idaho while Hector said he didn't mind returning to California. Timothy was down for anything, and of course Sandra was coming with us. Terrific! We're all going to head west!
By the way, Timothy's ribs are indeed cracked and he's been having trouble breathing, but we taped up his chest as best as we could. We don't have him doing anything laborious, and he's been breathing a bit easier today than he was yesterday, so he's healing. My forearm's looking like its healing as well. It's still red, but it doesn't look like it's from actual infection. Besides, a zombie infection turns the skin a gangrenous color. I'm pretty sure I'm going to be fine! The great news just keeps rolling in!
We packed up the ambulance to the brim, and I mean absolute brim! Food, medical supplies, water, clothing. Every compartment in the back was filled with something. We even had water jugs filled with gas that we siphoned from the other ambulance! Also threw in a wheelchair for Kat. I decided to take the first shift driving, and we slowly pulled out of the garage while everyone else looked back on what was our home. It was a bit of a downer having to leave the security of the place, but after the attack, it didn't feel secure anymore.
We were able to take back roads along Bald Eagle Creek until we came to Eagle Valley Road, about where the bridge was that Dustin blew up so many days ago. We road Eagle Valley southwest roughly 20 miles until it connected with I-80. I had to read my previous entries again to remember which interstate I needed. Before we got on, we approached a Travel Centers of America and decided to get out and see if we could find any gas. It just simply amazes me the luck I was having today! Three gas cans - THREE! - were left in the lobby. We took them all and put them in the ambulance and continued on.
There were many cars abandoned on I-80 scattered about like Lego bricks on the floor in a child's playroom, yet none proved to be in our way enough to get out and actually move. We did an average of 60 miles per hour and covered close to 400 miles. I decided it was time to start traveling southwest a bit, so we took I-71 into Columbus, OH when the sun had already set close to an hour ago. Almost six hours of driving, and we still had a bit of gas in the tank. I wish I knew how big the gas tank was because without that info, I can't calculate the MPG.
Columbus was a war zone, though. All the buildings we saw were victims of shattered windows and burned walls, some of them collapsed. There must have been some kind of rioting going on and the military must have been called in to clean up. Many wrecked civilian vehicles but no sign of any military. If they were indeed were here, they had little interest to stick around.
The day ended with us taking shelter in the Columbus Downtown High School. The place was literally sterilized, not seeing a zombie around as far as the eye could see. We've been entirely too lucky today, something that no one's complained about, but I'm actually starting to worry about.
Until tomorrow.
No comments:
Post a Comment