« Do you know that life is the nightmare of those who dream it ? » Apocalypse Now
Day 2 :
We got up at 6 a.m., realizing that it was too dangerous to stay in the city center. The buildings were threatening to collapse at any moment, and the fact that we hadn't seen anyone since yesterday only added to our anxiety. Some of us started gathering supplies : food, water, medicine. Our aim was to reach the suburbs as quickly as possible, hoping to find help and our families…
Around 9 a.m., we took a short break, our first since leaving. As we walked, we passed several people in agony, even dead – a terrible sight. Two other survivors, Remy and Jane, who were on vacation here, joined our group.
We reached the edge of the suburb, but still no sign of the police or other residents… We walked through a maze of ruined streets and alleys.
Around 3 p.m., when we reached a narrow street, we realized that Aline and Gianelly had disappeared. We formed groups of two or three and split up to look for them.
By 7 p.m., unfortunately, we still hadn't entered the suburbs and hadn't found Aline and Gianelly. With night falling and the danger growing, we had to abandon the search for the night…
Night from Day 2 to Day 3 :
Chris, Alendra, Luc, and I couldn't sleep. We couldn't wait until morning to continue our search. We went outside and split into two groups. Chris and Alendra headed north, while Luc and I headed south. We found a pair of walkie-talkies in one of the houses, which we borrowed to keep in touch. After two hours of fruitless searching, fatigue and the cold got the better of us, and we decided to head back… I'm writing this under a streetlamp.
Day 3 :
I'm Kaany, Eden has disappeared, as has Luc. Chris and Alendra informed us of their disappearance. They searched for hem, but found only their walkie-talkie and Eden's journal. We'll keep this journal until she returns, on condition that she does...
I'm Alendra, my best friend Eden has disappeared. I'm afraid for her and the others. We've looked everywhere for them, but Lona suggested they might not be in the center but in the suburbs. Now we have no choice but to go.
I'm Maxence, we're in the suburbs, and there's still no sign of Aline, Gianelly, Luc, and Eden. It's now 1 p.m., although the sun is hidden by clouds. We're all afraid of disappearing too, so it's time to act.
I'm Lona, and people call me paranoid, but I really feel that we've been watched since we arrived in the suburbs. Nobody believes me, except Remy and Alendra, who feel the same way I do. We're not safe here, we need something to defend ourselves !
I'm Alendra, again. Night fell quickly. We've taken shelter in a house that's in good condition, but the feeling of insecurity that Lona, Remy, and I feel doesn't leave us. The suburbs are as deserted as the city center. The inhabitants seem to have disappeared as soon as the disaster struck. We can't text or call, which leaves us baffled. The town seems to have been emptied of its entire population in less than an hour. How can this be ? what's going on ? is the whole world affected ? and above all, are our families all right ?
Day 5 :
It's Lona. Yesterday, we couldn't write because something happened. While we were in the suburbs, a group of survivors (apparently we're not the only ones to have survived) surrounded us without warning. Their leader ordered us to leave, saying we had nothing to do here. Nobody dared move, and they pulled out guns. In the confusion, we were quickly separated.
I'm Alendra. We had to flee through the alleyways to lose them. Once we reached a small square with Jaime, we realized they were no longer following us. There was a heavy silence, and we didn't know where the others were. Thanks to our walkie-talkie, we were able to contact those who had the second one. Lucy, Lona, and Maxence answered. They were in a square parallel to ours, connected by a long, narrow alley. Once the five of us were together, we decided to look for the others. We came across Tommy near a bridge. Max suggested we run away, but this time nobody listened to him, and we went back in search of the others. He seems to want to abandon everyone – he's just a fool.
I'm Maxence. They call me a fool, but I'm just thinking about the survival of the group ! Alendra, I'm not a fool, I'm a survivor !
I'm Lucy. It's now 7 p.m., everyone's arguing and no one's finished telling the story, so I carry on. I was with Alendra, Maxence, Jaime, Tommy, and Lona. We searched for the others, avoiding the enemies. With night falling, it was hard to find the others, but once we were all together and certain we'd escaped our pursuers, we took shelter in a building until the next day.
Day 6 :
Lucy again. Rereading, I noticed that Lona wanted something to defend herself with : bats, knives, anything that might be useful for our survival. The situation doesn't improve, as several members of the group are now showing strange symptoms.
I'm Tommy. We're having trouble making progress, the sick people are slowing us down. We don't know why they're like this, they've eaten and drunk the same things we have. If it's not the food, then it's something else, but I don't know what yet.
I'm Jaime. The day ends, and the night falls. We're currently alone in an abandoned house, the occupants of which seem to have left recently. The electricity still works, but the water is undrinkable. Unfortunately, as in all the houses we've been in, the TVs have been stolen, so we can't get any information. The streets are covered with corpses, and the town is in ruins… We still have no news of our loved ones or those who have disappeared…
Day 7 :
It's Max. Another loss… We don't understand how it could have happened. We all went to bed and no one was missing. When we woke up, we realized that Al had disappeared ! he was sick too… The situation is getting more and more dangerous, and we can't afford to stop. We need to move on as quickly as possible and get out of this town at last.
I'm Anna. No one has been able to contact our families and friends. It's as if everything has collapsed… We're lost on the outskirts of our city, with no news of our missing loved ones. It's worrying, and to make matters worse, Max has ordered us not to stop ! the sick can't keep up, and we now find ourselves split into two groups.
I'm Tina. The separation is due to Max's decision. I'm in the group with Jaime, Alendra, Anna, Rémy (sick), Jane (sick), and Lona (sick). The other group is Max, Lucy, Chris, Kaany and Tommy. Alendra gave Lucy one of the walkie-talkies, so we could keep in touch. She didn't want to go with Max, but Alendra asked her to do so to look after Tommy, who is starting to show symptoms of this “illness”.
Day 8 :
It's Anna. We're the ones who kept Eden's diary. Alendra and Lucy have assured us that we'll all meet up outside town, and if Max refuses, Lucy will wait with Tommy. A week has passed since the Catastrophe. We've found a radio that works, as the TVs have disappeared. The news is not encouraging… After a week, they still don't know what happened. Earthquakes and bomb explosions have affected the whole world. Is it a war ? they've ordered the survivors to leave the big cities, to go to the countryside where there are fewer people, to isolate themselves completely until the situation improves, but it doesn't ! they caused this disaster and then left us alone… The President has made an announcement, urging solidarity and strength in this ordeal. Maybe it would be easier if we had some help !
I'm Alendra. Rémy is getting worse and worse. He's very pale and vomiting blood. We're in a house, and we don't know what to do. Anna's right, maybe we'd be better off if the President sent help or the Army… It's almost midnight, it's been a long day. We also met other survivors ! they warned us not to go east, saying it was a real carnage there. They seemed so disturbed... They didn't say anything more to us, except “Good luck and watch out for the Dead”. We didn't understand what they meant by that. I called Lucy to tell her about it, and she explained that, unlike us, they hadn't run into anyone since we split up. Lucy told me that Max no longer wants to take breaks, even to rest. That means they're now several miles ahead of us…
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