Just Trying to Survive

I don’t know how much longer I can keep running before I collapse. It’s especially hard with this fan blade strapped to my back. I would ditch it but the whole reason I went outside today was to get it. I was searching for hours and finally found one in the old junkyard before these wild dogs caught sight of me. It's too hot for this.

I ran around a corner, skidding on the blacktop as I rushed onto Main Street. I don’t need to look back to know that the dogs are hot on my tail, I can hear it from their rabid barking and the skittering of their claws. I frantically cast my eyes around for any means of escape and…

There.

I pushed myself as fast as my legs could carry me. My legs tensed and I leaped up into the tree, grabbing a low branch. I used all my remaining strength to swing myself up before the dogs could catch me. The blade banged into my back but I ignored it. I cling to the branch as the wild dogs barked and clawed at the tree to no avail. I was grateful that it was only wild dogs and not mountain lions. Wild dogs can’t climb.

I laid there for a long time, struggling to catch my breath in the toxic air. Wildfires had thinned the air and what was left of it was smothered in ash. I hacked on it, trying in vain to contain my panting. It was a full two minutes before I could breathe normally. It’s not good to be running in this toxic air but it was either run or be eaten. I chose the former and it’s a choice I’ve had to make many times since this all started.

When I could breathe, I sat up and wiped the sweat from my eyes but the drops were instantly replaced by more. It must be over a hundred degrees today but I shouldn’t be surprised, it's been this temperature for nearly two years with no change. Which is considerably stranger when you know that it’s winter. Still, the oppressive heat is easier to survive then the wildfires, violently shifting weather patterns, food shortage, ashy water, or killer animals.

“Yep, just another day at the end of the world,” I say sarcastically, though I’m not sure who I’m talking to. The dogs?

I pull my Glock from its holster at my hip and I aim at the largest dog, figuring that I’d get the most of a meal out of it. I pause when I recognized it. That was Mrs. Foster’s dog, a German Shepherd named Zeus. They had lived down the street from me only two years ago.

I shake my head, clearing away the thoughts. I can’t afford to be sentimental, not right now. It doesn’t matter who this dog belonged to--past tense. Judging by the blood coating his muzzle, he probably ate Mrs. Foster after they ran out of food. Even a loyal dog like Zeus will turn savage when desperate.

I took the shot. The dog yelps and falls to the pavement, a bullet through its head. The other two dogs run off at the sound but there would be more soon. That boom is a dinner bell for some of the wilder ones. I waited until they were out of sight before climbing down and approaching the body. I knelt and checked that the dog was dead by stabbing its leg with a knife. When it didn’t react, I lifted the heavy mutt onto my shoulders and hurried out of there.

I found a quiet place a few blocks away and set the dog down. I swatted one of the flies that constantly buzzed around my head when it tried to land on my eyeball. Man, I wish that I could take a shower but there’s no running water--anywhere--and it's too dangerous to bathe in the river, I learned that the hard way.

The animals are rarely out during mid-day, I shouldn’t be either but I need this fan blade. I checked to make sure it was still strapped securely to my back, it could be fatal to lose it after all of this. Good, it's still there. I pulled out my knife from its holster on my lower back, a six-inch blade that I had scored when ransacking houses. It’s not like anyone was still living in them, everyone was either driven out by the animals or eaten by them. I’m all that's left. 

I knelt and made quick work of the dog, wanting to get out of there before anything smelled it. I took all that I could carry from the dog and stuffed it into a plastic bag. The sight of raw meat still makes me gag but I forced it back, it’s the only way that I’ll survive. I need to get this home before it spoils, which can happen within the hour in such heat. I slung the plastic bag over my shoulder and started home. It’s not too far away, just a couple of blocks. I just hope that the sun doesn’t drain me before I get there.

I call it home but it’s just the gas station near the center of town. I’d claimed it as my own over a year ago since it was the only place that was still fully stocked. I stopped at the second corner and peeked out from behind the old police station. I could see the deserted parking lot from here, the only thing standing between me and the safety of the gas station doors. I stand there for a full minute, every fiber of my body attuned to every movement and sound as I scan the area. A leaf skittered across the pavement, a distant howl from a few blocks away, the familiar buzz of the flies constantly swarming me. Nothing else. I hurried across the open area, my head on a swivel for anything with fangs and claws. Nothing, good.

I hurried through the boarded-up doors, the glass broken long ago. I dumped the plastic bag into the freezer and stood in the open door for a good long minute. The generator outback is my lifeline, it runs the AC and the freezer but doesn’t have enough power for anything else. I forced myself to close the freezer door before the meat spoiled. 

I unstrapped the fan blade from my back, wincing at the sunburns that I had obtained while looking for it. There’s no point wearing a shirt, I would just end up taking it off in this oppressive heat. I’m a patchwork of sunburns, tanned skin, and grime. My pants are old and torn, I’ll need a new pair soon. I grabbed a water bottle from the freezer and downed half of it before forcing myself to stop. Clean water is hard to come by but I also have to be careful not to get dehydrated. I sit down, slumped against the freezer’s cold glass door. I pushed my rats-nest of black hair out of my face. It’s getting long again, I need to cut it.

I pull the Glock out of its holster and check the bullets. Three bullets. I sigh, muttering, “That ain’t good.” I only have a box left and I can’t find bullets anywhere. I would have more if that pack of wild dogs hadn't attacked me three days ago. They’re really making a nuisance of themselves. They weren’t much of a problem until about six months ago when they joined up with that pack of wolves that roamed the forest. Maybe I should do something about them… No, it’s best to leave them alone. They’re good food and I don’t know how many other animals are still stalking around here that are catchable and editable.

I take another drink of water before putting it back in the freezer. I look over the shelf, four and a half bottles left. That’s dangerously low. I’ll need to go scavenging for more. I would do it now but I have to fix the AC, that’s what the fan blade is for. I press my forehead to the cool glass again, taking a deep, cooling breath. I don't want to move, the freezer feels sooo good. But, once I get the AC back on, it’ll cool down. I force myself to move away from the freezer and strap the fan to my back again. I headed outside, keeping watch for animals as I sneak around the back of the building and up the ladder that leads to the roof. The metal ladder had been in the shade for most of the day, making it bearable to touch. On the roof, the sun beats down on me, and sweat immediately begins to pour down my back. I moved over to the AC, a metal box that usually put out a constant hum but was now dead silent. I had taken it apart this morning to see what had gone wrong. One of the blades broke when a family of nasty squirrels had started to make a home. I got rid of them but they wouldn’t leave without a fight. I managed to stop the bleeding from the pests’ teeth, but now I’m almost out of antibiotics.

I unstrapped the new part from my back and put it into place, tightening the bolts around it. I had taken a few engineering classes before the world ended. I hated them but I got an A in the class, the second unit had been about air conditioners and furnaces. Just goes to show you, you never know what you’ll need to know in an apocalypse. That’s what this is. The world is burning, water is running out, animals are eating humans for food. I’m the last one left in this backwater town. The entire town just seemed to disappear overnight, especially after the animals started attacking.

I tighten up the last bolt. Finally, the AC was fixed. I flipped the switch and… Well, it was supposed to be fixed. Was there something else wrong? Ugh, this heat is killing me and what looks like two hawks have started circling high above me. They’ll dive soon and I’m a sitting duck up here. Why won’t this thing work! With a shout and more energy than I thought I could possibly have after being blasted by the sun for the past half hour up here, I kicked the side of the AC as hard as I could. My foot clanged against the metal. I gave a cry and hopped away, trying to grab my injured foot and stay balanced, which I soon learned was an impossible feat. I flopped down on my back, groaning.

Just then, a dull hum sounded up from somewhere to my left. Huh, apparently some good old fashion anger can get the job done better than brains. Yeah, that’s definitely not something to take to heart. The hawks cawed above me, signaling their attack. As I hurried to the ladder, hoping to be faster than the birds, I decided to go out looking for more water and bullets tomorrow. Right now, I just need to get inside without being pecked to death and enjoy the AC.

I’m just glad this apocalypse is zombie-free.