It’s been a while since he’s gone out
To the small town, a little south
From where he settled down alone
Self-sufficient, his food home-grown
So when it seems a little different
He, not wanting to seem ignorant
Ignores all the early warning signs
Assumes they’re figments of his mind
He nods his head by way of greeting
But all the smiles that used to meet him
Seem to have disappeared, been traded
For cold, dead stares, all kindness faded
He has to wonder, as folks pass by
And another limp catches his eye
What could have caused the injuries
Plaguing damn near everyone he sees
He passes the baker, and the little café
But no sweet aromas come drifting his way
They’re open, but empty; no people, no food
The unsettling vibe is affecting his mood
Then there’s his target, the hardware store
Where the owner, Carl, is blocking the door
Joe greets him politely, but Carl glares in silence
Exuding an air of barely repressed violence
Joe tries to ignore that growing feeling of dread
Keeps telling himself that it’s all in his head
Yet from Carl’s pallid face he just can’t look away
His eyes drawn to what seem to be signs of decay
He starts to ask Carl if he’s feeling alright
But falters and chokes when Carl’s mouth opens wide
The stench is horrendous, the view cavernous, black
Instinctively, Joe finds himself stepping back
He aims his gaze at some point down the road
Trying to keep down the bile in his throat
“See you, Carl”, he mutters, though that might not be true
As he thinks of how the man’s skin’s turning blue
Attempting to avoid seeing more ghastly faces
Joe picks up his pace as he rushes past places
That have seen better days, like the old town square
Looking dilapidated and in need of repair
The town’s eerie quiet, which he’d been ignoring
Now seems overwhelming, deafening, roaring
The silence at home so much a part of his soul
It took time for the lack of sound to start taking its toll
The town’s renowned busker just stands there, not playing
Her guitar hanging limply, strings seemingly fraying
There’re no cyclists, no cars, no planes in the sky
Joe’s starting to panic, though he couldn’t say why
He stops at the corner near the grocery store
And mostly out of habit, his hand reaches for
The treats in his pocket, for the sweet orange stray
Who doesn’t appear to be around today
He whistles, clicks his tongue, but the cat doesn’t show
Its absence leaving room for his fears to grow
No cats, dogs, or insects, not a bird to be heard
The whole situation seems frankly absurd
He finds himself shivering from a chill up his spine
And seriously doubts that all is just fine
The uneaten treats he leaves on the ground
Holding out hope his little stray’ll come ‘round
While he rushes along past darkened houses
He knows whatever’s touched this town has
Drained its light, its life, its power
Left gardens filled with wilted flowers
It takes getting out and away from the town
For his heartbeat to finally start slowing down
The oppressive gloom all around him is lifted
And it feels as if his reality has shifted
Someone else had to have noticed, right?
Or had whatever this was occurred overnight?
He guessed it could still be all in his head
And yet it’d felt real, this town filled with the dead
He should check the local paper, or maybe online
He’s aware that he’s fallen behind the times
Virtually and literally, he’s been off the grid
He’d considered disconnecting the best thing he did
But now regret’s seeping in, at being so unaware
That he has no idea what he’s witnessed out there
Could it be drugs, a pandemic, or worse?
Could this be how the apocalypse occurs?
He has a phone somewhere, but he knows it’s outdated
His computer died long ago, its scrap parts now crated
Sometimes his old neighbour had passed him her paper
But it’d been many years since the last visit he’d paid her
It takes him a while to find his phone and turn it on
Time he spends debating if he should call his brother John
Two rings, then to voicemail, the call’s been rejected
Sad, but not surprised, he puts the phone down, dejected
He sits and stares at the wall, until his thoughts realign
Realising the lack of light means he’s lost track of time
At least he’s made up his mind, regrettably so
He needs to help get things back to the old status quo
For the first time ever, he kind of wishes
He’d been into that doomsday prepping business
As he scrambles to assemble weapons, armour
Things he assumed he’d never have use for
Suppressing every thought that centres
On dissuading himself from this adventure
Unsure of what precautions he should be taking
He can’t seem to stop his hands from shaking
He tries going to sleep, but keeps jolting awake
Plagued by the thought he must’ve had a mental break
So as soon as the day breaks, he’s up to finish preparing
Shaking his head at the makeshift getup he’s wearing
On his way to the town, he feels his confidence waver
He takes a deep breath, and wishes he could be braver
He halts for a moment, tries to swallow his fears
When the sounds of the bustling town reach his ears
Certain now, that his wits must have left him
He still carries on, although confusion sets in
Once near the first houses, the difference is stark
Unlike before, they don’t seem gloomy or dark
There’s laughter and shouting, a car buzzes past
As Joe waits for his thoughts to catch up at last
Aghast that it must’ve been all in his mind
He’s numbly stumbling on, brain lagging behind
He wants to go home, but his feet keep him moving
Every step that he takes seems intent on disproving
All that he expected to find here today
For there’s nothing unholy, not a sign of dismay
It takes quite a while for him to connect
The looks that he gets to the gear that he’s packed
It makes him self-conscious; he dislikes attention
He packs everything up, hopes it’ll never get mentioned
Still expecting the noise to be fading away
He fears the air will turn cold, that the smiles will make way
For the sneers and the glares that he’s encountered before
So it’s with caution he opens the hardware store’s door
“It’s been a while Joe, how ya been?”
Carl greets him with a wave and a grin
“I’ve been…” He falters. Maybe losing my mind?
“… Kinda busy.” He answers. “You? Shop’s doing fine?”
“Can’t complain, can’t complain. You need some supplies?”
Joe nods out of habit, but hard as he tries
He can’t seem to remember what he’d intended to get here
Resorts to glancing at shelves, choosing items he’s near
With a bag full of stuff he’s quite sure he doesn’t need
He says goodbye to Carl, and steps out onto the street
He’s got so many questions, but no one he can ask
And finding answers on his own won’t be an easy task
Thoughts twisting and turning, he wanders through town
Despite the friendly faces, he can’t feel anything but down
Until, there, at the corner, right where he hadn’t left him
He spots his four-legged friend, and breaks out into a grin
He sighs, relieved, though the cat just looks wary
Completely ignoring the area where he
Puts down some treats, hand outstretched for petting
But the cat’s wide-eyed stare is a little upsetting
It’s just a cat being weird, he rationalises
They’re fickle and funny, and full of surprises
Yet this feline had, until now, never failed
To appear friendly, and cuddly, and happy-tailed
Joe looks up when a dog trots heavily past them
Dragging its paws, keeping its eyes downcast when
A ball bounces past, and a child follows, shouting
Inside, Joe can feel a new seed of doubt sprouting
He watches the dog leave, its golden fur faded
And desperately wishes he could still be persuaded
To believe all was fine, that it was all in his mind,
That this town wasn’t caught in some terrible bind
He notices then, the birds aren’t singing, just screeching
He looks down at the cat staring up at him, beseeching
Its eyes remain trained on him, ignoring the treats
And Joe knows he can’t bear to leave it here on these streets
He scoops it up gently, feels its small body tensing
But then it curls up, almost as if it’s sensing
Joe will get them to safety, away from this mess
And it starts to purr quietly, lessening Joe’s stress
Breathing deeply, slowly, while his thoughts and heartbeat race
Joe thinks about his options, subtly picking up his pace
Doesn’t want to look suspicious, the cat held closely to his chest
But drawing stares regardless, looking obviously stressed
They pass the last few houses, and with a sudden sense of yearning
He looks back one last time, to where he’ll never be returning
He has to come to terms with this abrupt realisation
But with it comes a wave of devastating isolation
Gaze on the horizon, he marches on, still rushing
Uncertainty clinging on to him so tightly that it’s crushing
The incessant meowing in his arms sounds distant, dull, and dim
Until soft paws use tiny claws to try to get through to him
He stops and stares down at the cat, who’s pawing at his skin
Slows his breathing, looks around, his surroundings sinking in
His house is right in front of them, the place that he called home
A quiet haven just last week, but now a lonely dome
He sighs and pets his furry friend, calming himself down
“It’s time for change”, he whispers. “Time for another town.”
He sets the kitty on the ground and walks up to his door
Loyally, it follows him, as if it wonders what’s in store
Inside he looks at all his things, collected through the years
He wonders who will take them, if he’d just disappear
He packs the bare necessities, can’t bear to stay much longer
That urge to flee immediately continues to grow stronger
Completely starting over, he’s done it once before
He’s older now, and tired, but he feels down to his core
That staying here would kill him, a slow and lonely end
He needs another shot at life, as does his furry friend
He leaves a letter on the desk, “To whom it may concern”
A farewell and a warning, regarding things he’s learned
“Here, kitty”, he whistles, and soon his friend appears
“You need a name”, he muses, scratching behind its ears
The cat purrs in response, eyes closed, looking content
And Joe thinks of the chances leaving could present
He smiles to himself, grabbing the remaining bags
Followed closely by his cat, whose scruffy tail now wags
The door closes behind them, his car’s good to go
“C’mon bud, get in. Let’s get this show on the road.”
Relieved to be moving, he spares no backwards glance
Just smiles, pets his buddy, and says “I’m naming you ‘Chance’.”
Based on the following writing prompt:
Living a secluded life off the grid was also something you wanted to do and have been doing for the past 20 years, only heading to the nearest town 20 miles away to get some odd supplies every 6 months. On your latest visit, you are greeted by the dead roaming the streets.