Blatant LOPE Ripoff Thirteen (Where is Everybody?)

June sixth. I just realized, I lost track of the days. I followed my entries again to catch up. It is now Sunday again, and this is one day I would allow myself to relax.

I don't want to be a complete and total bastard and cause someone else to suffer from inaction, yet Pickering has been awfully weak the past five days. Out of all of us, she has been the one who has had the lion's share of the meat we have been having. Most of us have gone vegetarian, to imply we haven't been in the first place. Those of us who still eat it have been doing so in small amounts, always countered with vegetables and beer in greater amounts. After the power had gone out, only that gasoline generator has been keeping the refrigerator running, and the grocery stores' meat has undoubtedly all expired by now. The only meat we're going to have now is whatever jerky is laying around the grocery stores. Pickering may not be able to thrive without meat like the rest of us can, or on minimal meat consumption.

At six I got up and decided to wake everyone up and prepare for a trip to the grocer. And Sweet Stuff was coming with me, whether she liked it or not. And I think it would be nice to have Monica come with us. I have not been alone with Monica (Or alone with at least one other) for quite a while. I like his company. And I still think that being a former cop and having a feminine name captured my attention and made me wonder to begin with. Those were the hooks. And the fact he has someone he knows with him, which the rest of us lack. He may make it easier to get this mare to open her mouth.

When I came into her room, she told me to go away and leave her alone. I told her she wasn't the only one to lose something important to her. Afterwards, waking the others was a breeze as I hoped it would be. Monica was ecstatic to come with us. The three of us would take that cart we've been using to go to the market. Pickering, Vinnie, and Sam would go to another to find what they need. We have ten milk crates, and each of us would take five with us to fill with whatever we find that's still good. This would be the first time we went to the grocer after the power had failed.

Pickering had not been the only one to eat the leftover beef, pork, and poultry in the freezer, but she had been the only one to get ecstatic about it, as well as being the one who usually handles it over the stove. Vinnie, Sam, and Val have been having some, but they could likely survive without it. Since we ran out, they have been fine. Vinnie has been eating only the scrap iron she has been finding, and Val has not had solids in the last five or three days. Sam has been eating vegetables alone for the same period. So have the rest of us. Pickering has been doing this too, but she hasn't been feeling spry as she has been for the past week.

I'll make a mental note to find some jerky if the store we're going to has any. Meat immersed in salt, honey, or vinegar is the key. Of course, that's finite stuff, so when it runs out, she'll be in bad shape. Or we will be. I hope this doesn't come to that. If we don't find some animals soon, she will be in very bad shape. I hope she can adapt to a meatless world, cause even if she ate us, she'd be right in the same boat, only no one to look after her.

As planned, we went to the grocery, Monica, Sweet Stuff and me, and we got back around 10:00. Monica hasn't said much, other than directing us around the grocery, and Sweets was even less outspoken. From 8:05 when packing out crates into the cart and seeing the other party, Vinnie, Pick, and Sam off, to coming back with the spoils, we learned much.

They took longer and aren't back yet. Monica escorted us to the freezer and warned me to be ready to shut it the moment I opened it. I asked why and he glared at me. I found out why pretty quickly. I slammed it shut instantly when our nostrils were assaulted by bad meat.

He wanted me to see why we furthermore must wean off meat besides the other reason. It makes me worry more. When the jerky runs out...

We went to the canned aisle and took everything we could without overloading ourselves. An entire crate was filled.

We soon came back to the front where we picked all the jerky we could find.

When we left, the entire five crates were full with nuts, seeds, beans, live edible plants, salt, honey, vinegar, and whatever non perishable you could care to name. On our way out, Monica and I loaded the crates into the cart and ushered Sweet Stuff into it.

Now that we've come back, The other three should be here soon. They have sent us a message on our one way that they have found some preserved beef, and are trying to focus only on that. They have discovered loads of honey jars, liquor bottles, vinegar, and salt cans which could be useful if we ever find any fresh meat.

5:00 PM

They are finally back, and they have told us there seems to be a raid on the refrigerated areas of some of them.

Pickering: "There are claw marks on the doors, torn and emptied Styrofoam and film packets with dried blood in them, even missing containers altogether. I suspect that there may be somep-- somebody else out there, or something. I think we may have cause for worry, but let's not get ahead of ourselves."

The others all seemed quite calm for this, and none too concerned about it. Val De Lump even said he wouldn't mind having another emotion capsule to suck the feelings out of.

"Maybe it's a wolf. Or a dog. Or a coyote."

Sam then spoke and chuckled: "No, I doubt that. The marks weren't teeth marks, they were claw marks."

Then Sweet Stuff made a suggestion: "Don't you think it's possible those raids happened before everybody vanished?"

Vinnie then spoke up: "You would think there'd be signs of a struggle, knocked over shelves, broken glass, blood pools, or the like if that were the case. Besides, the electricity didn't go out till quite recently."

We then all went to bed early tonight. Tomorrow, I want to learn more about any animals that may be here, and I want to know more about that weird helicopter I saw yesterday morning. Till tomorrow, Alex Chance Torrez.