Entry 4

I almost died today.

I looked for water and food because I felt really weak. I travelled through the ducts that go to the canteen level. I figured this would be the best place to find what I need.

There was noise in the corridor that leads there. I listened carefully to see if it was someone or a monster. If it was a human, I would head to the opposite direction because a monster would be there soon. And if it was a monster, I would have stayed there until it went away.

Two men were there. I heard them talking. They said a lot of bad words. I'm sure Mom would have covered my ears if she had been there. I tried to look in their direction when I was leaving. They were building up the entrance to the canteen, blocking the way. I knew it would not help them for long.

I also knew they would not survive more than a few minutes by making so much noise. The good thing in seeing them both alive was that the monsters were not there yet, but not for long. So I went back and headed in direction of the dormitory level where all the apartments are. While I was crawling and making as little as noise as possible, I heard a single gunshot and screams behind me.

They were dead too.

I waited for a long time before moving again, just in case they would get closer to me, but nothing happened. I moved forward until I reached the dormitory section. There is more damage there than anywhere else on the colony. The walls used to be as white as the infirmary, but now it looks like corpses exploded next to them. Blood is everywhere.

I tried not to look, but I had to. I could follow someone's hand prints on the wall. He or she didn't get far because the prints stop at the ceiling. I think the person was dragged up there.

The smell made me want to puke my breakfast if only I had one. I went into some rooms and started by taking a backpack that was big enough to store some things but small enough for me to carry it. In this first room I found a blanket that I managed to put in my bag, but not much more could fit.

In this same apartment, I opened the fridge and the kitchen cupboards to see if I could find food and water. Luckily enough, I did. There wasn't much food in the kitchens since everyone was supposed to go to the canteen to eat most meals, but everybody had some cans and things to drink.

I stayed in a dark corner and ate slowly. I found enough water to drink and to store in the bag. I put some cans in the bag too, and I put the tool to open them in the front pocket of my overalls.

Then, I explored some rooms of other apartments and took some other things that could fit in my pockets. I got a new pen in case mine would not work anymore, some collars of pearls to play with Casey, and some socks. I put the pearls in the socks to make no noise on the way back.

It was very strange to be in those abandoned apartments, I felt happy to take whatever I needed, and I will most likely come back for more, but, it is also really sad that all these people died. I found another kid's unfinished snack and an adult's coffee cup that was only half empty. I didn't want to look at the pictures of happy families because that would remind me of mine.

When I was ready to head back to my place, I heard some noise close by in a hallway. To hide myself in the dark room, I sat facing a corner and put the bag on my back. I thought I would be small enough to hide behind it, but the noise got closer.

When it was in the room, I could tell it was human. I heard a woman breathing and crying. I was really hoping she would go away before the monsters came. Then she started to switch on ALL the lights in the apartment.

She was making way too much noise. She moved all the furniture of all the rooms to barricade the door. Then she grabbed my bag and screamed when she found me behind it. She pulled a knife out of her boot and waved it at me. I wanted to cry and run away but she was blocking the way. I got my arms out of the backpack. I almost yelled when I saw her face.

She was covered in blood. Her hair was almost gone, and her face was badly injured.

"Oh my baby!" she screamed and forced me into her arms. I was really scared because I had never seen this woman before.

"I'm going to protect you, Nothing will happen to you. I promise, Helen!" I wanted to tell her that my name was Rebecca and not Helen, but I was scared to talk. I don't think she would have understood me anyway.

But I started to panic because she was holding me way too tightly. I didn't want to, but I grabbed a small picture frame on the table next to me and hit her.

Then she looked at me and asked who I was and where was Helen. I didn't answer her, but she kept bothering me. She tried to force me into her arms again. That was terrible. She was definitely crazy, I am sure of it. She grabbed me and started to hit me on the back and on my legs. I couldn't get out. I was ready to scream but I couldn't breathe.

Plus, I knew I had to leave this place and leave the bag and the woman behind me. She was screaming so loudly that I knew the monsters would be there at any minute.

I bit her arm to make her let go and pushed her as hard as I could. It was going to be me or her or both of us in a few minutes.

What I am about to write is horrible, I know it, but this is EXACTLY what I felt and thought about in that room: I had to escape and leave her there as bait.

I grabbed the bag and opened an air shaft located behind the "bar" of the kitchen. Every apartment has one, I'm sure of it. I took a knife from the counter and put it in the front pocket of my overalls and pushed the bag in the duct first. As I got in, the woman grabbed my ankle and dragged me out. I still had the knife in my pocket. I thought she was going to notice it because my pocket was quite full already, but she was in her own world instead. She carried me to the bed and forced me to lie down for a "goodnight" kiss, as she said.

Something banged on the door of the apartment suddenly. It was here. I heard a monster screaming and pushing faster and faster through the door and the furniture to get in. I only had a few seconds left, I had to act fast.

The woman turned her back on me, so I grabbed the knife and tried to stab her in the back. But I didn't know it would be that hard to plant a knife into someone. So she hit me in the face, and I fell on the floor. I crawled under the bed.

I saw her feet walking around the bed, and she was screaming at me. I saw the light of the corridor coming in the room as the monster rushed on her. Her feet were not touching the floor anymore, but they were shaking in the air.

I knew the monster would find me under the bed, so I ran to the kitchen and crouched in the duct. I managed to close the shaft mostly, at least to hide myself in there. I pushed the bag farther and slowly in front of me and realized that it was a very bad idea because it was blocking the way.

I stopped moving when I heard the monster coming in the kitchen. I buried my mouth in my arm to avoid making any noise. I could see the monster's face through the shaft.

It knew I was here.

It opened his mouth and a fast and strong other mouth came out like a tongue. The new little mouth opened the small shaft that I hadn't close properly.

When I saw that, I pushed the bag farther and crawled over it to escape. My left foot got stuck in the straps so I dragged it with me. The monster couldn't get in the vent, so it didn't get me. It must have been pretty mad about not catching me. The escape felt like it took hours. At some point I stopped just to take a minute to think. I removed the bag I was dragging with my foot, put it on my back and took a minute to rest. Then I headed in the direction of the den.

And here I am writing again. I managed to get back here. I was very careful and took my time.

I am still scared because I hear screams every now and then. Some adults are still trying to survive, but unless they stay quiet and hide, I don't think they will be abble able to make it.

I am really tired. I am going to try to sleep a little bit. Tomorrow, I do not know what I will do.

It's really scary to go out, and I don't think I will trust a human ever again.