Chapter 3

 

Stepping out into his backyard was liberating. The knowledge that he would be going beyond his own safe boundaries was both exciting and frightening. Slade turned his face up into the sun, and took a moment to take a clarifying deep breath. Once he felt steady, he looked around the neighborhood. It was pretty boring and predictable as sub-divisions went. Rows of duplexes, then rows of ranchers like his, then two-story's, and then duplexes again. All of the houses looked basically the same. Planned communities from the '80's tended to be pretty bland.

 

Slade had always liked it though. It was a comfortable, nice community, and he realized with a pang, that he really missed his neighbor's. The Johnsons and their dogs included. He'd never understand how a person could have so many dogs, and stay sane. But they were like babies to the Johnsons and each one was loved.

 

Slade walked next door, looking in the Aldershot's house. Greg and Marsha Aldershot had just had a baby before the disaster: little Sierra had only been a couple weeks old when the evacuations had started. He really hoped they were doing okay. He'd never met a couple more in love than they'd been. Totally content with their slice of suburbia, only to have it snatched away so soon after the birth of their first child.

 

He knew Greg would be totally fine with him taking whatever he needed, but he still felt guilty as he lifted up the mat in back, and found the spare key.

 

Unlocking the door, Greg, poked his head inside. He was positive Greg and Marsha had left in the first wave, but just in case he shouted out to them.

 

“Greg? Marsha? Anyone home?” He called loudly. Silence was his only answer and he slipped inside. He searched the kitchen first. He rooted through the cupboards, not much was good anymore. Marsha had been into organic food, so it seemed most had spoiled shortly after the evacuations.

 

He was just about to give up in the kitchen when he spotted a case of cola in a bottom cupboard.

 

“Score!” he said to himself. Cola would be a nice little treat, and he was excited to have found some. Before the disaster he'd been a soda addict. He'd had at least one can a day. That habit had long since died.

 

He turned his attention to the rest of the house and was elated to find a few things he could use. In the bathroom he'd found toilet paper and Tylenol. A nearly full bottle of it. He'd also found a first aid kit. He piled the new supplies up with his Cola. A pang of guilt hit him again as he realized he was stealing from new parents. With a sigh, he walked over to the fridge and scrawled a note on the white surface:

 

Dear Greg and Marsha,

Sorry I had to borrow some supplies from you. If this ever ends and you get to come home I owe you:

1 Case Cola

1 24 Pack Double Rolls Toilet Paper

1 Bottle of Tylenol

1 First Aid Kit.

So sorry. Please forgive me,

Slade from next door

 

With that done, Slade felt a bit of relief from his guilt. He gathered up his finds, and headed back to his place to drop them off before he ventured further away. Although he knew some of his neighbor's would have been fine with him taking their things, the amount of guilt he was feeling over the Aldershot's house was getting to him.

 

He knew it was a ridiculous sentiment. For all he knew his neighbors were never coming back. Hell, they could be dead. He certainly hoped they weren't though. Still, his next house would have to be quite a bit further away. He didn't want to be thinking himself in circles about the fate of his neighbors each time he borrowed something.

 

Looking up at the sun, which was lower in the sky than he would have liked, he decided that he would start at the next street over, instead of a few over. It was just too late in the day, and he really didn't want to be outside at night. Years of zombie flicks had made him a tad paranoid at night now that the streets were deserted. Not that there was a zombie apocalypse or anything, just that he would inevitably end up creeping himself out. The quiet was so eerie, especially in the dark.

 

Slade decided the best way to assuage his guilt for now would be to just make sure he only took a few things from each house. Then he wouldn't be cleaning anyone out, should they come back.