Even though it appears as though the world is ending, so far things aren't that bad. Everything is still working. We still have running water and power. I guess those things are just still turned on. Part of me knows that most likely won't last. I start going through my mental check list of all of the survival shows I used to watch and I start making my plans in case I need to survive on my own. Being that most everyone disappeared at least supplies aren't really a problem. I'm sure it would become tiresome but there is enough canned food for everyone to survive a really long time.
There are still a few other people in my apartment building. None of us really knew each other before the disappearing act but we are bonding quickly now. The girl on the first floor likes me. I think she was married and had a child or two as well. She is probably just lonely now so I guess I can't really blame her.
All of us tenants start spending a lot of time together. We discuss plans for the future, errand lists, and options. What should we do? Should we just stay put? There were some stores nearby so it was relatively easy to make supply runs now that demand was so low. What about the other people that are left? We would hear things at night sometimes but nothing ever really came close to us. On one night in particular it sounded like a group of people hit one of the car dealerships and set up a Daytona 500 track around the city. I guess some of that is to be expected.
During one of our meetings my son asked if it was ok for him to stay home alone. He is 4 years old and he is a good boy. I wasn't leaving the building so I didn't see too much of an issue with it. He knew exactly where I would be and I set him out a snack and a water bottle and told him I would be back soon. I went downstairs for our meeting. About an hour into it there was some unfamiliar noise coming from the lobby area. We were using the former management office for our hangout. We heard someone trying to come into the building. We all ran out to check and see who was out there. We let in a homeless man that smelled badly of Whiskey and grime. He started babbling uncontrollably about a gang that had tried to kill him. He told us that they were forcing people to join them and if anyone resisted they were killed and their bodies were hung from street lamps. He told us that the men were forced to follow the leaders orders, whatever they may be. The women were forced to do what men have always forced women to do. It was a horrifying story, made even more nerve wracking by the fact that we didn't know if it was true or not. This guy could be completely full of shit.....or he could be right. There was a large bang a floor or two above us. I saw my sons face in my mind and I raced upstairs without saying a word to anyone. I burst through my apartment door and yelled for my boy. I did not get an answer. I searched everywhere, tearing my place apart. I found nothing. I screamed his name over and over as pure hysteria began to overwhelm me. I stumbled back out of my front door and noticed that a door was cracked open a short ways down the hall. I sprinted towards the door and entered the apartment, again yelling for my son. I heard a shuffle in the kitchen and he emerged from the cabinet under the sink, tears welling in his eyes. He looked so precious in his pajamas that he was still wearing. They had Ninja Turtles on them. He had also put on his Superman cape and we was carrying the little stuffed cat that he loved. The cats name was meow meow.
The relief and love that I felt in that moment cannot be explained. In that instant, nothing else mattered. I knew that I would never let my son out of my sight again. We were all that we had left. Mommy and brother were gone and they probably weren't coming back. It was just me and him now and nothing would ever take him away from me. I would move heaven and earth to prevent that. I always loved my family and my children but the world I now lived in brought a protective instinct for my son so strong that I can only describe it as feral.
Later that day, when things calmed down a little for everyone, we had another meeting. The homeless man left as soon as he had come, leaving fear and anxiety in his wake. What now? What was that noise upstairs? Did someone break in? Is there someone else still living here that we don't know about? What about this alleged gang? What if they were real and they made their way here? Questions filled the air and unfortunately, few answers to follow them. One thing was sure, we needed to think a lot more about security. I was in the Military and this duty was assigned to me. We needed to get a little more serious about our situation here, otherwise we were all sitting ducks. I knew one thing though. If anyone tried to threaten me, my friends, or my son, I was ready for war. I have killed my enemies in my past life. I am willing to continue the profession in this life as well.
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