Entry Nine

 

Deary Diary,

      Today everything changed. While waiting for Joe to come back, around three days now, I

organised a BOB (Bug Out Bag for those uninitiated in the ways of the American Prepper) each for

the kids, another for Joe and myself. The Black-Eyed Street Kids have increased in number and

violence, as have the reanimated over 10s. I have noticed before a reanimated turns up, a few cats appear first. These run though the neighbour, I swear doing recon for the reanimated. Without fail, whenever a cat enters a building where a Black-Eyed-Kid (BEK) is hiding, they flush them out for the reanimated to catch. Sometimes they are successful, I try and help if I am in range, but if not I look away, can't hide from the screams though, especially horrific when the BEK obviously knows the reanimated attacking them. Brrrrr! Even the memory gives me chicken-flesh!

      Anyway, I had the kids on the roof with me today, them in their snow suits, me in HAZMAT. April in her car-carrier, Thomas and Casey played in the sandpit. I was picking the last of the tomatoes in the greenhouse when a beeeeeep! Beeeeeeep! Beeeeeeeep! Turned into the vrummm, vrummm of an engine at odds with its driver, and ended with a screech of tires at my front gate. Joe wound down the driver's window of the yellow school bus and screamed at me to get in! 

     “Are you insane!” I screamed back over the side of the roof.

     “Get the kids, we have to go! Now!” Joe screamed back.

     My heart thumped fit to shatter a rib. Thomas and Casey hung over the edge of the roof with me. Thomas waved at Joe, thumb in mouth.  Joe got out, climbed over the gate, came to stand below us.      

     “Lower April down to me!” he said.

      It was his kid. I got the rope, tied it to her carrier, placing her and Joe's BOB on top. 

      Joe kicked away a cat, then another.  “Something really bad is coming, Jenny, I know you think you're safe here, but you're not! Trust me, Jen! Get the kids down here, now!” He kicked another cat, a marmalade one this time. 

      That decision was the hardest I have ever had to make. How could I trust Joe? I hardly knew him. But why would he lie? He had gone looking for answers, and from the look on his face, he had found something bad.

      I tossed all the BOBs down, then the rope ladder over the side. Casey climbed slowly, scared of heights. Thomas, I put on my hip and we climbed down one handed. On Terra Firma Joe took the kids to the bus while I ran to the garden shed, pulled out a bag of guns and ammo hidden under the top step and got on board. It wasn't just us on the bus, twenty or so BEKs huddled in the seats. They didn't make a noise, except one little girl who kept pulling on Joe's sleeve and begging him to drive.       Before I took the seat behind him, the bus bunny-hopped as Joe struggled with the gears.  Then we were off, breaking all Dad's rules by leaving the security of the house. I wanted to change my mind, but the ocean of cats now seething outside the windows, filling the road, deterred me.

      The road was pretty clear, because the virus hit so fast I suppose, and everyone who could drive went with FEMA or succumbed at home. Now that we have reached the highway and Joe doesn't have to change gears, it's smooth enough to fill you in. Oh, I found my polaroid in the gun bag! Dad hid it when he thought I was taking naked selfies for the football team. Anyway that's another story! Took this pic as we left town. 

 

Update Soon.