Z365 – 026 – Unfamiliar
February 10, 2021For someone who has been living in the city for years—and without means of personal transportation—one would expect that I’d know the streets not too far from my home, but I’m moving through unfamiliar territory. I’m also really bad with directions when I’m stressed out, and let’s just say that watching that crazy get flattened into a bloody pancake doesn’t help to ease my mind. That could have been me. Actually, if I hadn’t stumbled from getting pushed, that would have been me. Why of all things that’s the thought my brain sinks its teeth into, I don’t know, but…
Z365 – 025 – Down, down, down
I run—or at least I do my best to keep up with him. It’s not that easy, in flip flops, tired—and severely out of shape. It doesn’t get much easier when a lot more people join us…
Z365 – 024 – Freeze
I freeze, all lessons I learned last night forgotten. Enough people are milling around the tent that I don’t have a clear view of the entrance—that’s doubling as the only exit, I realize, in my frantic casting…
Z365 – 023 – Tents
I’ve never been in any of the catastrophe relief FEMA camps, but the inside of the tent I walk into about rises to my expectations—everything is utilitarian going on spartan, but it’s something that would do in…
Z365 – 022 – Processing
Echoing the asshole’s sentiment that being “processed” doesn’t sound ominous at all is one thing. Leaving the safety of the gathered crowd is quite another. Nobody is pushing me forward, and I’m sure nobody would hold me…
Z365 – 021 – General
“I’m General Howard Mason. US Army, retired,” blares the megaphone. It takes me a few seconds to focus on the distinguished-looking elder gentleman the voice belongs to—as distinguished as one can look in an army field uniform…
Z365 – 020 – Camp
Once I step into the intersection, I get a good look at what has been hidden behind the buildings until now. The people milling around the parking lot are just one half of the camp, if you…
Z365 – 019 – Sun
There are people on the street. Not a lot at first, but as the sun starts to beat down on the waking city, more and more people start coming out of whatever hiding places they spent the…
Z365 – 018 – Thoughts Over Breakfast
I dig into my pack for a protein bar for an early—or very, very late—breakfast as I try to make up my mind what to do now. Part of me is still expecting me to wake up…
Z365 – 017 – Up Up Up
Up, up, up the stairs I creep, doing my best to find my way without bumping into anything. It takes me fucking forever to reach the roof, and I’m quite sure that behind two separate windows something…
Z365 – 016 – Stupid
I’m sure most people who live in this city are smart; probably smarter than me, seeing as I’m crouching underneath a picnic table, afraid to even draw breath as not to alert anyone or anything. They likely…