Chapter 3

I woke up the next morning to the sound of a door opening. The creaking sound alarmed me that my eyes opened quickly and my grip on my knife tightened. I quickly got on my feet as if I wasn't asleep. Mom was surprised with me suddenly waking up.

"Oh dear, I'm very sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up. You know this old door, it always makes that loud noise."

I put the knife down.

"Pheene, sweetie, you look tired. You should go back to sleep."

"No, I had plenty of sleep, Mom," I shook my head.

Mom didn't speak another word and enters the bathroom. I then scanned the bedroom and found Lolu still sleeping on a mattress on the floor. From the looks of it, no one has left the room since I fell asleep. I am relieved knowing the two had slept well.

I then turn at the bedroom door and find it locked, it was me who locked it of course. I pressed my ear against the wooden door, quiet. Goodness, I'm lowkey paranoid. But it's better than being carefree.

I unlocked the door, gently twisted the knob, and slowly opened the door. I peered outside, checking if there was a zombie that manage to enter our house even though that's impossible because I secured every door and window that leads outside. When I was sure that the coast is clear, I finally stepped out of the master bedroom. Even though the surroundings inside our house is peaceful, I kept my hard grip on the knife's handle and had it ready. I looked around the house slowly. I checked every room and every ground, first floor, and second floor, and found no zombie. When I realized that there was no zombie within our house, I was finally able to breathe. I lowered my knife but kept my grip on it because after assuring that our house is undead free, it's time to check on the zombies outside.

I went to the back-door of the house to see if there was also a zombie inside the gates, luckily none. I then went to the garage to observe the zombies' behavioral patterns. I made a short sound and only one looked in my way. When it saw me, from moving sluggishly it went to overdrive and tried to get me. But because of the gate standing between me and the zombie, it was stuck on the other side. I starred at the zombie. I wonder if they have the same weakness as the one in movies. I prepared my knife and aimed for the head. I then raise the knife above my head and stabs the zombie's forehead. It wasn't easy as a hot knife on butter. The head is as hard as I expected it to be. I pushed the blade all the way in. When it reached the brain, the zombie then stopped moving.

"Neat," I grinned.

I went back inside the house and locked the front doors and the back door. I went to grab my phone and turned on the data and wrote a message that I sent to multiple people.

"Day 1, still alive and household still complete. Let's update each other's condition daily at just a certain hour...maybe 4pm every day up until 5pm to conserve phone battery. This morning I killed a zombie by stabbing its head. Just in case you didn't know yet with the sudden loss of electricity and all. But I highly suggest you all use a blunt object to kill them instead of bladed weapons unless you're very skilled at it. Try to hide for as long as possible, stay safe guys!"

After sending the message, I quickly turned my data and phone off. I didn't wait for any reply. I'll go online again later at 4pm. For now, I'm going to manage our food supply.

The raw rice grains and the canned goods are the true MVP here. We'll only cook 2 cups of rice every day to make our 5 kilos last for about a month and beyond. I decided not to thaw down the meat and fish yet, they should remain frozen to save up supply. So I took the cooler that we barely ever used unless we have a family outing. I then opened the cooler, it's clean but I still wiped it with a dry cloth. After that, I placed all of the frozen food we've got. I placed the vegetables inside a plastic bag and put them in the cooler too to keep them chilled. I will only perform various ways of food preservation once the ice melts.

I then went to check if the water is still running, it still does. I find it weird but it's the kind of weird that I would not say no to. Imagine pooping without flush, that would be unsanitary.

For the entire day, I did all sorts of exercises to lose weight. By noon I made us lunch and we ate together. After eating I took a break and watched the zombies do their thing. When the food has been digested, I went back to exercising. At 3pm I went to take a bath, doesn't mean there's an outbreak doesn't mean I have to be stinky.

4pm I opened my phone and data connection. I received multiple messages all responding to the one I sent earlier. They are updating me with their personal findings and problems. After reading all of them, I turned off the data connection and the phone again. I then looked for an empty notebook and wrote a journal. After writing it's already past 5pm and it's getting dark outside. I then invited my mom and Lolu to sleep for the rest of the evening to conserve our energy and supplies. They both agreed with me and we all went inside the master bedroom and we all went to sleep. Mom and Lolu sleep on the bed while I sleep sitting with my back against the bedroom door with SPE in hand.

For the first 4 days, we were doing well and so our supplies. The water was never cut out. I have also drastically lost weight and also felt stronger but it's the opposite for my mom and my brother Lolu. The two were barely moving for all those four days. Mom's only exercise was sweeping and mopping the floor of the first and second floor. Lolu's just sitting and complaining about the absence of the internet.

Within those 4 days too, a lot of people I was talking to stopped responding. I'm not sure if they were dead or alive but it sure does affect my mental well-being.

I continued budgeting our food supply and it's good that we still have plenty. It was three days ago that I started preserving the meat by drying them. It's 2 days ago when I started preserving the vegetables. So far so good. But then I hope the rescue would arrive soon.

The zombies outside lessen in numbers. I would take the roaming ones out by calling their attention and stabbing their heads between bars of our gate.

I have been thinking that since the neighborhood is circular and not highly populated, it's possible to reclaim it. But I will need man-power to do it. The closest sibling I have that can help me is Frodery, our homes are less than a kilometer away. But the zombies will be worrisome.

I'm thinking of my neighbors, there should be some left at least. If ever, will they work with me? Will they acknowledge my idea of reclaiming Horseshoe Drive street? Maybe I shouldn't think that far ahead yet. Reclaiming the street and then the military suddenly arrives to rescue us, will be pointless. I should probably wait for announcements from the government before reclaiming any territory from the undead.

One week since the outbreak started, I lost 10% of my weight. It's satisfying that I lost so much of my excess weight. Once I lose about 40% of unwanted weight then I will start building up strength.

A week and a half since the outbreak started, Frodery suddenly called mom that they're running out of supplies. He was asking if there's any way he and his family can move in with us. He was pleading for help because he's having a hard time being the leader of the household. Mom panicked and knew not what to do. We can't simply go out and pick them up. When mom panicked, I stole the phone from her hand. I then talked to Frodery myself.

"Frodery."

"Pheene? Is this you?"

"Yes, tell me how much you have left?"

"Not very much, it won't make up until tomorrow."

"How does it look like there?? How many zombies are roaming around?"

"Wait, I'll go check...About a couple dozen."

I paused and think, before going back at him again. During daylight the zombies are active and agile when they have a target; at night time they are stiff but may still lock on a target. But I don't really know how they behave at night, I have only observed them during the night once. After that night, I have never observed them again because I sleep for the entire evening.

"Frodery, have you observed their behavior during night time?"

"No, we've been hiding all this time."

"I see, alright, you may expect me this evening. No exact time just evening. I need you and your family to be ready to go."

"Alright, thank you, Pheene." And he hung up.