April 23rd 2022

  The sky looks like someone spilled peach juice through a blender

  The storm is gone, like I predicated. An unusually short one, but I could feel it, almost like how my grandfather could tell the weather by whenever his arthritis acted up.

  My friend woke up early.

  I didn’t, much. Or, at least I think I did? It’s hard to tell anymore, everything tends to just happen when I close then open my eyes.

  We went out into town. With our now refined knowledge of the area, I almost felt like we were a couple of girl scouts braving the wilderness we studied for.

  She stayed close the whole time. She always does. I noticed these days that she doesn’t talk unless she has something useful to say, a good quality to have.

  So, we made it to that smashed delivery truck, the one that’s basically welded to the front entrance.

  Luckily we found a side window and I smashed it open with my crowbar.

  Once we got inside though, it was… honestly disappointing. It wasn’t empty or anything, just it looked like a mumbly had been in charge of inventory. Shit all over the pce.

  Still, we found some good stuff. Duct tape. Work gloves. A small toolbox. A headmp that actually still works. Even found a set of screws and nails, which is amazing cause I was starting to run out.

  My friend found a few packs of batteries and held them up like they were treasure.

  Honestly, yeah. If I can't figure out the generator thing, we can at least put those bad boys into some fshlights. I’d be able to go out scavenging at night. I haven't been able to cause my fshlight ran out of batteries over a week ago, I think.

  Sadly my cat mask doesn’t grant me the ability of nightvision.

  Midday?

  We were heading back when we saw someone. Not surprised. I had a feeling some wackjob would show up sooner or ter.

  He was standing half in the road like he’d been waiting for us. Kinda creepy.

  And the rifle he was holding didn’t make me think any better. He wasn’t pointing it at us, but it was in his hands, more than enough for me.

  The weirdo stared at me first the longest, but then gnced at my friend, making a really awkward attempt at conversation.

  My friend stood behind while we listened to him say ‘hey’ and ‘are you alright?’

  For some reason, he seemed more interested in my friend and spoke as if I wasn’t even there. Rude as fuck. I told him, “She’s fine.” but he didn't even look at me when I said it.

  He told me “I’m not asking you.”

  Like, what? Excuse me?

  Oh. Okay. So he’s one of those.

  After that, he kept trying to talk to my friend, saying shit like she should go with him, he can help her. All this weird, crazy nonsense. The fuck was he talking about? People are so dramatic.

  I told him, very calmly, that he was being weird and rude. This got him to finally pay attention and respond to me. He gave me a weird look and asked ‘what the hell are you?’

  A wild thing to say to me. What? He didn’t like that I wore a super cute mask? I’m not cospying or something. If anything, I’m a woman with excellent taste and a firearm too. That’s what.

  But what I said didn’t seem to matter to him. He kept right on coaxing my friend to leave me.

  I don’t like people telling my friend what to do.

  I don’t like people acting like I’m not there.

  I don’t like people trying to take things.

  At this point, I told him to fuck off and grabbed my friend’s hand, walking away.

  He followed us, and called out to my friend some other bullshit. He kept talking. And talking. And more talking until my head started to hurt.

  I don’t even want to write about it anymore because it was irritating and I’m so over it. But, long story short, this guy didn’t let up. He became loud, and I hate noise.

  So, I fixed the problem.

  He shut up, end of story. That’s all.

  When we finally made it back home, my friend didn’t speak the entire way back. Not one word.

  She must be tired.