In the days that followed, Brian would take Sarah and Kelly for a morning run under the strange gazes of passersby.
Sometimes they visited Yarman's house. The old man was a medic soldier and his daughter June was also a head nurse. It happened that they could also ask them about first aid and nursing knowledge.
Of course, Brian was embarrassed to take advantage of the other party in vain, so he would bring some food every time he came, which could be considered as a form of reward.
Every time he went for a run in the mornings, he chose different avenues to observe the pharmacies, trying to find a way to sneak in without being discovered.
On one occasion, they accidentally discovered a small inconspicuous hole in the edge of a pharmacy. They took the opportunity to outwit the guard at the door and entered in silence. However, just as they were planning to sneak in completely, someone discovered them before they could do so.
But later, the man made some noise while stealing the medicine and was heard by the guard at the door. After searching the interior, they caught it and the hole was blocked.
One morning, as he was running past the management office, Brian was shocked to find that the people queuing inside were almost squeezed into the street, and most of them were either parents with their children or men and women who were in a romantic relationship.
It seems that many people have made up their minds and decided on their own. When assignments begin to be made, it will not be convenient for family members or close people to be assigned to different isolation areas.
As for the rest of the time, save for food and rest, everyone gathered around Osborne and heard him talk about the use and methods of marksmanship of pistols, shotguns, and assault rifles without bullets.
They even dismantled all the firearms into parts, teaching them the function of each part, how to assemble the firearms step by step, and how to effectively maintain and replace them.
A week later, military radio announced that all information had been collected from citizens in Dallas and that an internal lottery would be held to select citizens who could enter the quarantine area. Once the lottery is completed, the list would be posted at the designated place per district.
When he heard the news, Brian couldn't help but roll his eyes. It turned out to be exactly what I expected.
The waiting time is always extremely tortuous. Since the announcement was made, the atmosphere throughout the city instantly became extremely strange, and everyone looked sad.
When Brian was running in the morning, he could clearly feel the nervous expressions and anxious moods of the people around him. Some people even clasped their hands together and prayed for good luck, even the normally quiet Osborne was lying down at night, in his bed, tossing and turning and couldn't sleep.
Of course, this kind of anxiety doesn't feel that way at all for him, who has voluntarily gone to the quarantine zone in Atlanta.
He still goes about his daily routine. From time to time, when he passes by a particular bookstore, he pulls out some storybooks to read. When he gets bored, he takes them to spice things up a bit before the end of the world. That bookstore, which used to go unnoticed by everyone, now, after the apocalypse, no longer attracts anyone's attention. Except for the fuel needed to start a fire, no one runs in without a purpose.
.....
October 11, 2013
Another week after the broadcast announcement, the list of survivors who had entered the Dallas quarantine zone was finally posted on bulletin boards in various areas under the expectant gaze of all.
"Don't crowd together, come one by one!" ... Okay, I get it." Stop pushing each other, we're going to cross the red line!"
In front of the bulletin board, hundreds of people were crowded there. If it wasn't for the soldiers guarding the area and the red circle that bounded the area, I'm afraid that these rushing crowds would overwhelm the bulletin board in an instant.
"Dad, we're up there!"
Kelly excitedly walked out of the crowd in front of the bulletin board, holding her ID card in her hand and saying excitedly.
Although the dense numbers and names on the list can be a bit confusing, in fact, you can easily tell if you're on the list by matching the first letter and the ID card suffix number to the name.
"Well, that's great." When he heard that both he and his daughter were on the list, Osborne's originally calm face flashed a rare smile and touched Kelly's head, looking very happy.
Brian and Sarah heard the news and looked at each other. They were also happy that father and daughter were able to enter the isolation area, and their anxious hearts slowly relaxed.
But some people are happy and some are sad. Some people are lucky enough to enter the quarantine area in Dallas, and naturally some people will be assigned to other quarantine areas near or farther away.
On the way back, many people, in Brian's opinion, showed signs of depression. Although being assigned to other areas of isolation didn't make them cry, the anxiety and restlessness in their hearts were still evident.
When they returned to the RV, Osborne and Kelly began packing their things. After the list was published, the announcement began notifying all residents on the list to prepare their belongings. Starting tomorrow, arrangements will be made to gradually enter the quarantine area.
Since the RV couldn't get into the quarantine area, the firearms and food had to be handed over, so they just packed some thicker clothes and didn't take anything else, leaving it to the two people who stayed behind.
"Antoine, aren't you going to look at the list?"
While Osborne and Kelly were rummaging through and packing things in the RV, Brian was sitting outside and asked curiously when he saw Antoine still drinking a drink with a comfortable expression on his face.
"There's nothing to see." Antoine sat down at the door of the car, his face flushed as usual. He looked at Brian and said nonchalantly.
Then he remembered something, and his face became sad for a moment. He got up and was about to go back to his car, just as he was about to get into the car, he suddenly turned his head and said to the two of them, "Goodbye, children..."
Sarah looked at Antoine, who suddenly became depressed for some reason and wondered what was wrong with him.
"What happened to him?"
"I don't know, maybe... he drank too much..." Brian was also a little confused by her reaction. You should know that although Antoine loves to drink, he usually laughs, but he has never seen it like this.
That night, none of the four felt sleepy at all, and they all had mixed feelings about tomorrow's goodbye.
They put a lot of food on the table, ate big bites, told each other about the past, and laughed out loud from time to time, having the final reunion.
"Brian, listen carefully to what I'm going to say next." Just as the four of them chatted happily, Osborne suddenly said with a serious face, "I know you're very smart, you're not like an ordinary child. But since we're about to break up, I'll tell you what I think as advice."
"Well, tell me." Seeing that Osborne suddenly became so serious, Brian put aside his smile, nodded and said quietly.
"The world has changed beyond recognition. It's good that we have military guards inside the quarantine area, but you have to be careful outside," Osborne said, taking advantage of a rare opportunity to open a bottle of beer and drink freely.
"You have never experienced the cruelty of war. You don't know how much the darkest desires of a group of people can grow when they survive in a chaotic environment. The atmosphere in this apocalyptic world is much worse than war. As food becomes more and more scarce, people will become more terrifying."
"You are smart and calm, you may be able to deal with the infected..."
That said, Osborne seemed to remember some bad moments. He squeezed the beer in his hand, took a big sip, and said coldly, "But actually, there are things more terrifying than those ferocious-looking monsters... It is often the human heart, freed from the chains of morality, that is most dangerous."
As soon as these words came out, the temperature in the RV seemed to drop suddenly. The shiver penetrated through the clothes of the body, penetrated the pores of the skin, and penetrated the hearts of everyone.
Kelly and Sarah were silent and involuntarily removed their cotton puffer jackets. These words now seemed too heavy to them.
"Well, I know."
For Brian, who is familiar with apocalyptic novels, he can bring a lot of theoretical knowledge about these cruel principles of human nature.
But it's one thing to know, but it's another thing when something actually happens in front of him. For someone who hasn't experienced it personally, no matter how many theories they come up with, they're pie in the sky and unrealistic.
"I don't know if the end of the world is really as cruel as I imagined, but... I think I'll have my own judgment on these things!"
Osborne looked deeply at Brian, slightly raised the corners of his mouth, and said, "I said, this is just my advice. As for the choice you want to make, it's your business."
"hehe..."
Brian laughed too, reached out, and opened a bottle of beer. Although minors are not allowed to drink, but the world is like this now, who cares about these things? After taking a big sip, he raised the bottle, said seriously: "Then... I'll see you later."
Looking at the opponent's actions with some surprise, Osborne's smile became more cheerful. He also picked up his own bottle and lightly touched it with the opponent's, making a metallic sound.
"Well, see you later!"