a couple of breakfast bars and two bottles of water, I ate one bar and gave the other to Spirit. Looking around, I saw an empty fruit bowl on a side table, emptying one of the bottles of water into it. I set it down in front of Spirit who, with that large tongue, lapped it up.
Sitting on the edge of the couch that was against the front doors I drank my bottle of water and watched as Spirit finished hers and lay down on the floor. Looking over my shoulder, I could see outside through the safety glass. Where yesterday had started with a really deep thick fog, today had started with a bright blue sky and high wispy clouds, nothing seemed out of place and outside that I could see. I sat up and let my legs dangle off the couch. Grabbing my boots, I started to pull them on when I noticed that Spirit wasn’t anywhere in sight.
“Spirit, here girl.” I called out.
I waited a few seconds and shouted for her again. Standing up, I stamped my boots and looked round. I could hear a low growling coming from behind the reception desk.
I walked over to the desk and said “Spirit! You ok girl?” looking over the desk and seeing her looking at the door to the corridor with her tail between her legs and her ears plastered to her head. She turned her head and quickly looked at me before turning back to the door and continued her growling at the door. I was puzzled because we had been through that door last night and there had been nothing out of the ordinary through there that we had been able to see.
I leaned over to give Spirit’s fur a rub, her head quickly turned and she snapped at my hand.
“Whoa! What the fuck has got your fur in a twist?” I asked, quickly pulling my hand away.
She turned back to the door and resumed her growling at the door. I walked over to the door and she let out a single sharp bark. I turned to look at her and she resumed her growling. She must have sensed something on the other side of the door. There were two choices; I could investigate and hope that there wasn’t anything there, or I could pack my gear and head out to the truck and get away.
Let’s just say that my intelligence must have taken a beating since the infected came on the scene. I walked over to the door and started to push the couch out of the way when Spirit ran across the room and started to pull on my pant leg with her mouth. This time I did what she wanted and back away from the door. Turning my back to the door, I started back to my rucksack when I heard a thud and turned to see the door pushing against the couch. Running to where I slept, I grabbed my stuff and shoved it into the rucksack. The sleeping bag I just rolled up into a bag and fastened it to the rucksack.
Spirit was near the front door whining to be out and the couch was still against the door. Dropping the rucksack near the couch, I shoved hard against the couch, feeling the muscles in my legs and arms straining against the heavy couch. The feet of the couch scrapped against the carpet pulling it into furrows. There was another thud against the door behind me and I shoved harder.
There was just enough room for me to get through when I heard a loud bang from behind me. I turned to look and saw the couch that had been in front of the other door on its side. Grabbing the rucksack, I pushed the door open and clambered past with Spirit weaving through my legs. I was lucky the stupid dog didn’t trip me up. Just as I squeezed through, I risked a look back and saw a large hand gripping the edge of the door and a loud grunting sound. The hand looked to be at least twice the size of mine. I decided that I really didn’t want to find out what the body on the end of that arm looked like. I ran into the car park and stopped dead.
Someone had stolen my truck. The parking spot where I had parked it the night before was empty. I looked around thinking that there might have been a chance I had parked it elsewhere in the car park. But the more I looked, the more my heart