"Don't know nuthin' 'bout no virus." Lou said with his usual plucky distemper. "Jus' seen a whole lotta people dun up an lef without payin their bills." He tossed me a bottled water and I guzzled it almost instantly. It wasnt cold, but it was wet, and it tasted much better than that flat soda I found in the van. I wiped the remaining drops from my lips and crumpled the bottle. Tossing it out into the crowd of zombies below us we watched it bounce off the head of a large balding zombie. Lou sniggered and I thought I heard him say "bullseye" under his breath.
I looked up at this wonderful, fascinating man. He couldn't be younger than 60 years old, and his stubbly grey beard contrasted with the black watch cap he had pulled down to his eyebrows. His silvery unkempt hair poked out from under the edges and by the smell I was pretty sure he hadn't showered in a month. He seemed relaxed, as though the end of the world was just another tour in 'nam and he had it all figured out. He didnt look hungry or thirsty either, which meant he was well stocked.
"Lou, are my storage units..." I was almost afraid to ask. I looked at him expectantly. He nodded and gestured toward a ladder he had propped up against the side of the roof. "Been watchin' that gol' dern truck drive circles round this place. Figured it was only a matter of time before you ran out of gas. If you'd pulled up to the front I'da just letchoo in." He spat on the roof and grabbed the top of the ladder, swinging his legs down over the edge onto the third rung. I stood there for a second, realizing now that I could have avoided the danger of the past few hours. "I didn't know you were even alive." I said, following him onto the ladder. The air became instantly quieter as we slipped down between the insulated buildings and away from the clamor of the undead outside the fence. "Most of the world's population has been transformed into the walking dead, so I naturally assumed you were the same." I said, reveling in the silence for a moment.
The storage units around us were all open, much of their contents spread out in organized piles. Old sofas, box spring and mattress sets, and bins of dusty books were sitting out in stacks. "Taking inventory of your supplies?" I asked, a hint of accusation in my tone. His sideways glance and downturned frown told me he didn't think it was my business. We rounded the corner where one of my units sat and I saw boxes of MREs sitting open. Nearly half the supply was gone, but I was so hungry I didn't care. I raced to the boxes and grabbed the first packet I could. Using my teeth to tear the chocolate colored vinyl, I removed a tan colored packet with the words "Turkey and Potatoes," on it. I shoved it in my mouth and poured in half of the sauce, chewing frantically.
I'd only been this hungry one other time in my life. I was fifteen and was going camping with my Boy Scout troop. We were working on our "50-miler" badge and it felt like we had been hiking for at least a year. To add insult to injury, it rained on us for the last several miles. By the time we arrived at our camp that evening it had been dark for several hours and I was so tired that I didn't even eat, I just collapsed into bed and slept for eight hours. The next morning our scout leaders woke us with an all we could eat bacon, eggs, and pancake breakfast, and I swear I ate a whole pig myself. I smiled as I remembered the taste of bacon but was so hungry that I didn't care that my turkey has the consistency of rubber cement and the sauce had hints of turpentine. After eating three full meals, I collapsed into a folding camp chair sitting next to a tower of bottled water.
"You didn't think I was coming back, did you Lou?" I asked, patting the water stack next to me. "So you've been feasting on my supplies." Lou looked at me blankly."Thems doors was closed until a week ago" he said, looking me right in the eyes. "I didn't touch it till she got here."
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