It was strange seeing something so familiar with everything that had gone on. It was odd seeing my neighbours houses abandoned and left by the people I'd chat to on a daily basis. I was scared to go inside, scared of the horrors waiting for me, but I needed to. I didn't know what Michael would think about me bringing 3 strange men into our home, but Michael wasn't here anymore - he hadn't been around for a long time and I needed to stop dwelling on that fact, especially as surviving was hard enough without getting upset over a dead husband.
"This is it," I sighed as we walked up to the door. "This is my old home. The place I used to live. Scavenge what you want while I'm gone guys, I thought I took everything but you never know. I'm gonna go into the basement and hope there's some decent weapons down there." We walked in and were welcomed by an open back door and three biters limping into the room. "You sort that out, I'll run for the guns." I said to Andy, Drew and Jackson, knowing they'd have a better chance against the biters than I did. I took my time walking around, feeling strange. I'd said goodbye to this house and left it forever a few days ago - why was I back? I'd put everything behind me, the sense of home, safeness and security just for survival and now I was facing it again due to my own will. I looked at the walls where pictures of me and my family used to hang, only to see spaces left. I wanted to crawl up and cry, but I didn't have time to waste. I made my way to the basement and walked down the steps, into a place I'd abandoned long before the whole world turned to crap.
It was dusty and gross, but I was also proud of what it held. Flags and photos Michael had hung on the wall adorned the place, making it feel homely and not as threatening. I wanted to stay down here forever, feeling safe, but I knew it wouldn't work and I'd just end up depressed. I made my way over to the drawers where Michael kept all of his gear, and found a few hand guns he'd bought for safety at home, as well as boxes of shells. But that wasn't all, there were some impressive-looking guns kept in a cabinet on display that I had to have. Michael was very fond of his guns, and I felt bad about taking them, but I knew that's what he would've wanted. He would have wanted to be here to protect me too, but that wasn't possible.
After staying in the basement for a few minutes, I decided it was time to leave before I got too emotional. I took whatever I felt necessary and ran upstairs to grab more clothes and whatever else I'd foolishly left. The guys were waiting in the kitchen, holding all of my crockery and cutlery.
"Really?" I asked.
"We need to eat out of something." Andy said. "Oh, and I took the last of your toilet roll as well." I laughed tearily, and decided it was time to go.
"Are we okay out there?" Jackson asked Drew who was standing at the window by the front of the house.
"We seem to have attracted a crowd, but they look like hopeless buggers anyway. Let's just leave and stop dithering, huh?" he suggested. I smiled and we all bundled into the car, finally ready to get Stewart and get home.