I sat with my back to the door. The chewing has subsided now, but I can still hear them on the other side.
I reached up and clicked the lock on the door, holding my breath.
Light flickered in from the holes I'd burned.
Faint shadows of the horrors on the other side weaved in-between the beams of light.
I was whimpering quietly. I didn't want the ghouls to know I was here.
I wasn't sure what to do?
Could I out last them?
Maybe some poor sap might catch their attention and clear up the entrance way ? The army might roll or they might just blow this town to hell ?
I could just open the door and get this over with?
No. Not after what happened to the last guy. That's no way to go.
The blowtorch was still on the ground I went over to it and switched it on. It still had a bit of juice left.
I grabbed an old pallet and tried to drag it over to the door panting as I did so. I was about to put the pallet over the door when a splinter sunk into my finger. I stupidly yelled out and the pallet fell onto the metal door. Clanking as did so. The ghouls on the other side started to wail loudly and banging on the door.
Shit. They knew I was down here. Thankfully the door held.
I stood still frozen in place. The pain in my finger snapped me out of my fugue state. I held up my hand. I hesitated and then pulled it out. Blood streamed down my finger.
The smell of myself finally hit me as the adrenaline subsided. I gagged and coughed covering my mouth. I smelled like Nurgle's asshole.
I needed a wash.
The first time I actually cared about my hygiene. I took the torch over to where the sink was at the back of the basement.
I hungrily lapped up water from the sink.
I was so thirsty. It made a change from an energy drink.
I threw off my clothes and wiped myself down with a bar of soap and a towel. I frowned as I ran the water over my finger and applied soap. Damn I'm a wimp.
I went over to my 'room' and sat on my bed.
I curled up in a ball in my side.
I was restless and alone with my thoughts.
Exhausted but I couldn't sleep. I could still hear the ghouls banging loudly on the door.
I prayed the door would stay shut this time. I shivered again. The basement was colder than I remembered.
I was truly alone now. My loneliness had probably kept me alive. But at what cost?
I could live down here until the food ran out but I would probably go mad without any distractions.
I remembered the apocalypse supplies on the other side of the basement. There had to be some candles or a lamp there. I could distract myself for a time and look through those.
I couldn't see much but my other senses were heightened. I could smell the dampness of the basement and the mixture of puke and soap on my body. I walked over to where the supplies were. My foot steps echoing. I kept looking over my shoulder. There was an alcove with old wooden shelving. Boxes were stacked high with labels on them.
I used the blow torch to take a closer look. Some morbid part of me wished for a gun or some pills. Go out easy. I shook off the thought for now.
There were cans of various foods. Some spare clothes, toiletries and a first aid kit. I found a box with some old books in and some pencils and paper. I used to draw when I was younger. Comic book characters, heroes and villains. I stopped that off when my step dad had ripped them all up calling them childish in my teens.
At least those things could help me pass the time.
I put a couple candles around the hallways and went back to the storage area and put some of the candles on the shelves.
I started to take stock of what there was and spent a couple hours looking through boxes. I snacked on some crackers and juice I'd found. The banging didn't let up on the door.
I thought of episodes of TV shows and movies I'd seen to distract myself. Going as far as to pretend I was on a podcast talking about them.
When I had grown tired I decided it was time to go to sleep. I walked past the door again grimacing as I stared at it. I decided to grab a few more heavy objects and drag them over. I was sweating and out of breath. Satisfied that the barricade would hold or at least slow them down I went to bed. The exhaustion helped me drift off easily.
Time was lost on me now. I roughly made out the days when the flickers of light glared in from the holes in the door and then disappear at night. I attempted to mark down the days. It had been about five daya since I had cowardly shut the door on that man. I heard his screams in my sleep.
The noises near the door hadn't subsided.But I might have just gotten used to the constant drone. It has become background noise now. The ghouls didn't seem to sleep or want for anything other than me. It was nice to feel wanted.
I spent my hours looking around the basement. Eating away my feelings. I would have to cut down if I wanted it to last.
I had started drawing by candlelight like some luddite. I had sketched out a comic book of a hero fighting off hoards of monsters.
I took some joy in this and it kept my mind occupied. I'd also taken to reading. They were mainly old classics, kinda boring but I pushed through. The power looked like it wasn't going to come back on.
I missed browsing online. I was having brain rot withdrawals. But those would hopefully subsided over time.
I caught my reflection in the now dead monitor screens. I was out of shape and more disheveled than usual. I had a hard time barricading the door.
I was ashamed of myself. I started to take laps around the basement and lifted cans of beans. Thinking up ideas for my comic books to keep me somewhat sane.
My body felt healthier but my mind wasn't. I still heard that man screaming in my sleep. I saw the faces of those monsters in my dreams.
Mr Jenkins dead mangled body. I felt guilty.
When over a month had passed my reflection in the computer screens now started to resemble other people. Some I recognised. It could just be a trick of the light. I had heard of that happening with mirrors in fire light. Images can disort.
It wasn't just a trick of light now, the reflections had started to talk to me.
I now spoke to the reflections for company. actually had started to miss people.
This had helped with the loneliness until they started talking back.
The conversations were mundane at first. Until they took a sour turn. Mr Jenkins had the harshest words to offer. " You let me die"
" I should have never let you stay" " Useless coward"
I got up and pushed the screens off the desk. Stomping them with my feet. Glass sprayed on the floor.
A wave of sadness swept over me and I started to cry. I'd hung a rope up over in the corner of the basement in case anything went south. I completed ending things on my own terms. This was all just karma for those hacking jobs I did online. I screwed with peoples lives and this is what I deserved.
I had written a note in case anyone came down here. Explain who I was and why I was here. Not that anyone would care. Although, some conspiracy theorists online might get a kick out of it. The wanted hacker found dead in the basement during an apocalypse.
I didn't believe anyone was coming, there wasn't any other way out.
I got up from my computer chair with the note in hand. I grabbed a stool and dragged it over to the rope. I climbed up. I stared at the rope for a few seconds. Swallowed hard and put the noose around my neck. I stood there for a minute or two with the noose around my neck. I must look like an idiot. I was stalling. I just needed to kick out the stool.
But that's when the banging on the door had finally stopped. Where the monsters gone ? I carefully took off the rope and got down from the stool. Slightly relieved I might not have to end it just yet.
When I got closer to the door I heard a faint noise. A popping sound. Gun shots maybe? Had someone finally come? I carefully moved some of the objects blocking the door. I dared a look outside. The ghouls had started to disperse up the stairs. They had heard the sound too. Some of them still remained, probably about four stragglers.
Maybe this was my chance to escape? I looked over to where I had hung the rope. I thought the comic I'd written. How the characters in that wouldn't give up so easily.
So I decided to come up with a plan. I spent the next few hours packing a bug out bag. Water, toiletries, food, candles. I also packed my sketch book and pencils.
I found a bag of tools that could work as weapons.
I could take a ghoul out one at a time. Lure one in shut the door and repeat.They seemed to go down when you hit them in the head.
I peered out the burn holes one last time. Thank God the rest had not returned.
I held my breath and opened the door slightly.
A ghoul poked it's head in. I held up a hammer, hesitant at first and then brought it down. Blood and brains splattered out. But the thing hadn't gone down.
The ghoul edged more of its body through the gap and made it wider.
I tried again harder this time. The hammer struck but it got stuck in the ghouls cranium.
I pulled out the hammer with some effort and I fell back in the process.
The dead ghouls body was now jammed between the gap in the door. The other monsters took the opportunity and started clambering in.
I quickly went over to the bag of tools to get another weapon. I searched through the bag. Then something grabbed me. One of the ghouls was crawling on the floor. I tried to shake it off and fell. It was on me now. I reached out and grabbed the first thing I could find. A saw of all things. I smacked it in the head a few times and then pushed it off.
The others where crawling in now.
I panicked and ran hiding in the storage alcove.
I could hear the ghouls food steps echoing in the basement. I peered out and could see the shambling monsters distorted shadows reflecting in the candlelight.
I looked at the shelves of supplies. I grabbed some tins from the shelves and threw them down the corridor. The ghouls seem to take the bait and follow the sound. I hid as they went past me.
I then got up from my hiding spot and ran for the door. Grabbing my bug out bag as I did so.
I ran up the stairs and to the world above. Closing the door to the basement for the last time behind me.