A lot has happened since two days ago, when I brought Elena here. Elena’s stomach-ache got really bad that first night, but I could not contact the Policinico hospital. We tried to walk there, as it’s only about a fifteen-minute walk from my place – but we only got two blocks before we saw more of those things – the Morto – the undead! They were coming right at us, so we turned back and ran back to my building. Poor Elena had a terrible night and was crying a lot.
Where is the government, I wonder? There is very little information on the television. ‘Stay in your residence’ is about the only thing that they are saying. Where is the cure? Where is the army?
Yesterday was a bad day for Elena. She was feeling worse all the time. By last night, she started to get feverish. I was frantic! But we can’t get anybody to help us! The police don’t even pick up the phone anymore! Also, we can’t leave the building anymore because I see four of the undead outside. They are hanging around the door like they are waiting for us!
As I was helping Elena up from the couch to my room, she told me ‘Darsi all’ippica’. That means something like giving yourself to the horse race – but what it really means is ‘I give up’. That was a very sad moment. We cried together.
I got her finally into bed, but she was having a lot of pain, so I gave her some of my painkillers. Actually, I gave her lots of painkillers!
I did not sleep well at all the last couple of nights. The couch is not so comfortable, and the noises outside have me on edge. Last night I heard some guy screaming in the building – I think it was upstairs somewhere. I didn’t want to leave my apartment, but I snuck up to my door and looked through the peep hole. I don’t know why I did that. It’s not like I can see up the stairwell and down the hall. I was really scared. I expected to see a dead person on the other side of the door, looking right at me! But there was nothing there. By that point, the screaming had ended so I crept back to my couch.
This morning it’s quiet, but at the same time not – you know? It’s quiet because I can’t hear any airplanes, hardly any cars, and what’s worse hardly any people. It’s not quiet because I constantly hear movement, like people bumping into furniture upstairs, or things being dropped. And of course, there are the bells from the Catedrale. They go on and on and on. They drive me crazy!
I should go see how Elena is doing. I’m worried I gave her too many of those painkillers... Maybe she is still sleeping.
I hope she is still sleeping...
I will go check on her now.
Chapter Twenty-four
Shelley
October 28, 4:55 P.M.
‘Clack.’
The echo of the locks sliding into place reverberated through the hall. Shelley felt conflicted. On one hand she felt that they had locked the dangerous world out. On the other hand, she immediately started feeling claustrophobic. Was this school their safe haven, or their prison?
For a moment, everybody was stunned by a mixture of shock and fear. The silence was overwhelming.
Shelley looked around. The artificial lighting gave everybody a slight yellowish tinge. The group looked as if they were frozen in place, eerily similar to the undead outside.
She didn’t want to be the first person to say something. That wasn’t how she was put together. Just then, thankfully, somebody made a noise – somewhere between a sigh and a moan. This broke the spell, and people started looking around at their surroundings. Some looked each other up and down, sizing up their co-inhabitants.
Shelley was never the most social or confident person. Growing up third generation American, her characteristics nevertheless were still dominated by her Japanese roots. She was prone to the traditional oriental traits of being polite, respectful and shy. Exactly the polar opposite of her colleagues at the hospital. They were always jokingly mocking her for only speaking when spoken to, always being punctual, and following the direction of others without argument. But that was just who she was.
So, she hung back and watched the scene play out.
The rich guy was the first to speak up. “Um... All right.” He started off.
The entire group turned to the man. He briefly balanced on the edge of withering under the scrutiny, before manning up and continuing.
“Ok people. We need to do what the guy said. We should make sure all the doors and windows are shut,” He hesitated slightly as Joe Collins took a step towards him “...and secured.”
He had introduced himself on the bus earlier that day, just like a few of the others had. But the events of the day had driven his name out of Shelley’s mind. She knew he was rich, based on the clothes he wore and the mansion that he and his trophy wife were extracted from.
Joe Collins took another step towards the rich man, puffed up his chest and spoke up. “Now who made you the boss?!” The big African American was using his size to intimidate the smaller man. Shelley could tell that it was working.
The rich guy raised his hands in a placating manner. “Hey, I’m just repeating what that soldier guy told us.”
“Yeah, well you ain’t running the show here!”
That started several folks up with murmurs of discontent. All the while, Joe was staring down the rich guy.
He’s enjoying that. That asshole. Off to one side, she could see the solid looking guy with the prosthetic being held back by his wife.
Ern – the old guy – spoke up at that moment to break the tension. “We’ve got a few
