After a good sleep, the sunny weather and the silence around me were comforting. There were no bird sounds, no animal noises. Just an incredible silence. I felt safe—for now. Because anything could happen at any moment. I had to be prepared.
With the bottle in my hand and the tourniquet and bandages from my first aid kit, I made a primitive slingshot and collected small stones to carry with me as I continued on my way.
But my water supply had run out. I needed to find water and food as soon as possible. If I kept going like this, I would become weak, and my energy would be depleted. I had to hurry.
Oh no—I've spotted armed people again as soon as I entered the city. Changing my route seemed like a good idea because I had no strength to fight back. If I had a gun, that would be different, but I didn't. These were looters. It looked like everyone was forming their own groups. PUBG came to my mind. But the difference between a game and real life was staggering. I was actually living through this.
I entered a building quietly without making a sound.
"Is anyone inside?" I called out.
No response.
I shut the door behind me, took out my slingshot, loaded a stone into it, and cautiously stepped inside. I checked the rooms one by one.
Clear.
Then I walked into the kitchen. I turned on the tap, but no water came out.
Not surprising—this was normal in this situation.
I opened the refrigerator, but the stench was unbearable. I couldn't hold it in—I threw up. There was no way to describe that smell. Meat, chicken, vegetables, sauces—everything was there, but all had gone rotten.
After pulling myself together, I rummaged through the drawers and found a chocolate bar with peanuts. I immediately opened it and ate it. But I was still incredibly thirsty.
Then, I noticed a large water container—completely full. The water looked clean, but I needed to take precautions. I had to boil it, and for that, I needed fire. The stove didn't work—there was no natural gas.
I gathered some trash and debris on the balcony and started a fire. I placed my canteen over it and boiled the water.
I could stay here and rest until my water supply ran out, but I still needed a weapon.
After drinking my water, I rested. I was too exhausted to explore the building now—I would do that later.