Carefully..

Judging by the sound of the beast's breath and their wild panting, they were struggling to keep up with me. I had the motorcycle topped out and I worried how much longer it would be until I out ran them, but what if there are more? Ahead I could see what faintly looked like a large bridge, as I sped closer I believed it to be in good condition. Just as I began to cross the bridge I heard the beast's howl as if they were in pain. I hurried to the opposite end of the bridge and turned around on my bike to see what had happened. I removed the flashlight from inside my sweater and lit it to see how close they had come and what caused them to stop. The light revealed a large cloud of dust, I could hear frantic rustling in the dirt. I continued to watch until the dust settled and found two pairs of gleaming red eyes staring after me.

Why would they halt just before the bridge? Could they be afraid of heights or possibly the water down below? I shined my flashlight down over the side of the bridge. No trace of water in sight. How could the water, all of the water be drained from the river bed? If there's no water below, these beast's must be afraid of the extreme height. What could these things be, and why the hell are they chasing me!?

I dare not linger any longer, I straightened my bike and continued down the road. Listening carefully to be sure i'm not being followed. Close to an hour down the road I came up on a large, empty gas station.  Not a single car was in sight, at least this building didn't seem to have caught fire at any point. Could there still be gas somewhere? Considering my recent chase from the beasts, I'm incredibly nervous to climb off the motorcycle. "After I find gas, I need to get my hands on a weapon of some sort.", "Preferably a gun". I whispered to myself. I walked my motorcycle around the back of the gas station and positioned it somewhere fairly hidden but easy to grab in a hurry, just in case. I made my way in through the back door, it had been left slightly open. I turned my flashlight on and dimmed it just slightly so I wouldn't be quite as noticeable. As I walked in, looking ahead I noticed cans lined the front of the store. "I hope they're full of gasoline" I thought. I approached one can and read the paper taped to the top. It read "89 octane". My heart fluttered when I picked up the can and learned it was full. I grabbed two and carefully, and quietly made my way back to my motorcycle. I poured as much as I could of one can into the bike, and strapped the other securely to the opposite side of my pack on the back end. It's fairly heavy, I hope that doesn't affect my ability to drive the motorcycle.

Back in the gas station, I went in search of more water. I had one gallon left that I hadn't touched, but I don't dare hold on to just that when I can have more with me. I gathered another gallon and a few bottles along with more jerky and other filling items, such as breads, and potato chips. I also managed to find a couple of first aid kits and sanitary supplies. My backpack is beginning to fill and the small pack on the motorcycle is already full with the water and bike cover. Before I can think about searching for another bag, I have to find a weapon. Behind the counter I found a fairly large knife and a nine millimeter pistol. Crossing my fingers tightly I continued to search behind the counter for bullets. What turned up was an extra clip, loaded and a small box a little over half full of bullets. In my mind I felt thrilled, but my stomach began to turn at the thought of actually needing these things.  I have literally run out of room in my backpack with the bullets and my other supplies. I placed the gun back in the holster I found it in and strapped it to my pants. Hopefully farther down the road I'll be able to come across a larger backpack and pack for my bike.

Antsy at the feeling I had been at the gas station too long, I made my way to the restroom to clean up a bit and be on my way. What I found in the restroom will haunt me forever, a man lay across the floor in a pool of blood. In his hands were another nine millimeter pistol, and a news paper. The pistol he held was in poor condition and badly jammed. I carefully placed it back in his hand as I found it. I took the newspaper and read the headline. "The End of The World Has Come". I began to feel nauseous as I stepped over the body and puked into the nearest toilet. I stuffed the paper into my backpack, quickly cleaned myself up and dashed out of the restroom. I couldn't get to my motorcycle quick enough.

Climbing on I realized I was right about the weight of the gas can on the back, it'll take some adjusting. Pulling away from the gas station I looked back to see if there were anything outside that could be of use. Down the road I came close to a stop as I looked backward at the dimly lit gas station. Something caught my eye, the front door of the gas station was suddenly flung open. I froze and halted the motorcycle to put my foot down. The man, the one in the restroom, was standing just outside the door. How could he be standing there when I know without a doubt in my mind, he lay dead on the floor just moments ago. He struggled to move and hung his head, seeming numb and blind he slowly staggered back and forth. He didn't even notice me. The motorcycle still ran and my lights were still on but he never once looked my way. He fell to the ground and began to crawl and occasionally roll back and forth. For some odd reason I felt no pity for the man, but more of a curiosity as to why he was incapable of noticing me. I shook myself back into focus from the sheer terror my body felt. I've seen enough, it's time to go.

The things I have witnessed in the past twenty four hours are enough to keep me from sleeping. I am now terrified to travel and come across any other people dead or alive, let alone more beasts. What am I going to do? What has Andy done to survive? Has he too seen what I have seen? Has he even survived? I hope to find him soon and stick with him, maybe at that point we can find a way to keep each other safe. "How.. am I going to do this? I don't want to end up like that man, a mindless, and senseless creature".