The sky was forebodingly beginning to turn a stop-sign red by the time Otto neared the store. A trip that would have taken him less than five minutes before the zombies had appeared quickly turned into a half-hour stealth route. Even during their resting hour, he had to be sure to stay out of sight and avoid making any sudden movements. They were partially blind without the full strength of the midday sun and even then they seemed more concerned with following noises than they were using their eyes.
The first part of his journey involved a lot of zig-zagging between empty alleyways to avoid notice. It became less imperative to do so as he moved away from near where he lived and rows of apartment buildings turned into suburban sprawl. There were always fewer threats the further away you were from any major shopping or living areas. It gave him ample time to slow down and even enjoy his sunset walk. It helped that the houses in this wealthier part of town were absolutely beautiful.
They stood tall and proud, black against the rainbow sky, and for a moment Otto let himself imagine what it would be like to live in a place so big. It was worlds away from his tiny studio apartment. The houses were mostly empty, but he didn’t feel right making home in one. A house meant too many exits. His small apartment also provided the only sense of familiarity he had nowadays. If he wanted to, given that no item had a price tag after the outbreak happened, it wouldn’t be hard to shop for affordable hardware store supplies for renovating. Cheltenham as a suburb felt like it was all his own playground given the few survivors he had seen, and he could easily begin building his dream house if he wanted to. Given he didn’t make much noise during the process, of course.
He checked off the supplies he would need once more in his head to make sure he had it committed to memory as he neared the store. Electrical and plumbing were fine. The wooden panels boarding his window needed to be replaced. Timber, nails and a new hammer were top priority. Metal and gardening supplies to begin growing food was second. It wouldn’t hurt to also pick up any other quality building supplies. Cheltenham stores hadn’t been severely emptied yet but from the many zombie movies he had begun to research in his spare time, he assumed he couldn’t safely believe that they wouldn’t be eventually.
A growl from behind him interrupted his thoughts. He didn’t even bother to turn before he sprinted. There was a house a few metres away. He would make it if he was quick. He had heard that sound thousands of times. A zombie had spotted him. Heart racing, every second between him and the property felt like hours. He didn’t even bother to look behind him as he slammed the door. Something thudded against it a few seconds later. He breathed a sigh of relief even as the thudding continued. For now, hiding was all he could do.