The sight of the boarded-up final floors sparked a surge of frustration within me.
"Fuck," I muttered, the curse a whisper against the oppressive silence of the building.
It was a clear sign that the upper levels were occupied, and if the state of the world was any indication, those inhabitants were unlikely to welcome a stranger.
The grim realization that any encounter with the building's current occupants could turn hostile made me even more cautious.
I carefully pried open a window, easing myself into the dim interior of my chosen floor.
The absence of electricity was expected, yet the stark reality of it, the complete absence of light save for the feeble illumination from the window, lent an eerie quality to the surroundings.
I moved with deliberate silence through the narrow hallways, the beam of my flashlight cutting through the darkness.
