i had The Dream again
The one about the zombies.
This time we were at Keefermansion west (somewhere in Cali i guess). Our supplies were running low and i knew we had to make a run for higher ground. There had to be more food and maybe even a government beachhead out there. i dreaded leaving the relative safety of our bunker for a run out in the open -in what was still, basically, zombie country. i didn't like the idea of trying to make it past the roving pressgangs either, but... desperate times.
The worst part was the cats. Oh, man, what are we going to do with the cats? We've had them for ten years. That's longer than most friends. It's practically family. You can't just Leave 'em, but... you can't take 'em with you either. You know you can't. What do you do? What do we do...
Upstairs i left as much catfood and water out as i could. i filled bowls and bowls and bowls of water. i put one of those babygates with a catdoor up on the stairs itself. Then i put another one on the back door. Then i sawed a cat-sized door into the back fence. That should give them a decent chance against zombie dogs or rabid raccoons. Three gates, two floors, and a house in which they knew all the hidey places. Then i put more waterbowls out on the patio and a bucket under the drainpipe. It's not going to be enough though. This summer's going to be another hot one.
Spent as much time with them that last day as we could. They loved it. They always love it. They don't even know there ARE any zombies out there. Or that we have to leave soon.
As we turned to head out onto the road, of course i had to look back one last time. Of course they were there. Crying out, but we couldn't hear them. They had their faces against the window and were crawling over eachother to get a better look at us as we walked away. Weirdly enough it was the saddest moment of the whole zombpocalypse so far. Everything else was a horror or a terror or some numb disbelief. This was just... sad.
The odds were against us making it back for them. It might be months, maybe even years. If at all.
We've had them for all those years and been locked in this cage with them for the past three months, but we were probably never going to see them again.
i woke up feeling like such a failure.