Follow-Up.

I saw something fall down in the Conference Room and I thought it was coming toward the door. It was a person, or at least it looked like one. I saw it briefly as it passed in front of a shaded window that allowed a bit of light to penetrate the room. I know I saw an arm coming up, but then it was going down sideways and I lost it in the gloom. I sure as hell wasn't going to take any chances what with being by myself and weaponless like that. Stupid is what that was and I'm damned lucky to be alive and writing this right now. Well, I guess I am. Shit, I really don't know anything about anything that was going on in that room. I just know I was scared out of my mind. God, I'm actually coated with sweat.

I don't think my heart beat once in the time it took me to race across the lobby. And I don't know how I found the nerve (though not thinking about it at all probably helped), but I sprinted straight for the Conference Room and swung the door shut, heard it latch and then grabbed a heavy wooden chair that was sitting nearby and propped it under the handle.

So, I guess I either locked in a streetwalker, or I locked in someone who's hurt or injured or just needs help and was reaching out to me. Shit. But I was all alone and I didn't know and... Shit!

Sitting.

I'm sitting in the lobby now. Just me. I came down here to think and, I don't know, to make this all somehow real. Sitting up there looking out the window, it's like watching a movie or something. There's some new ones here, now. The fat lady's gone, but there's an old man now banging on the door with his cane. Somehow, he hasn't lost, let go, or just plain forgotten about it. And she's still here.

I'm calling her Crystal because she reminds me of a girl from the neighborhood I grew up in. She has this sweetness in her eyes. I won't be able to stay here long, I can already see their numbers growing as they push harder and harder against the glass. Even Crystal's mouth is open in a snarl now. How many days has it been. My god, maybe we were wrong. I mean it's how many degrees out there every day and there they stand but they're not decaying or atrophying or rigor mortis-ing or whatever you'd think dead bodies would start to do. Even the fellow on the floor is starting to decay... and smell. But they don't eat then, do they? How long has Crystal been standing here with nary a bite to eat. Why, she's got to be positively starving.

But I remember enough about Romero's "Dead" movies to know what they probably want to eat--

Shit, sorry, lost my train of thought. there was a noise off to the left and I thought someone had come down. Oh, that's right. We never did find out what was making that noise in the Conference Room. And me with the lobby desk between me and the stairwell. Can't even see around it to see that side of the lobby, sitting on the floor. Listening as hard as I can, but I can't hear anything.

I can't see anything in there now. Of course, standing up like this, keying into a Blackberry with a pen lid like a moron, whatever's in there can probably see me. It's pitch black in the depths of that room. Maybe I should just close the door and bar it with a chair.

Shit, if it's been in there all this time and it hasn't been eating then it's gotta be

Lin.

Oh my god, it was Lin. I saw her name and I couldn't believe it. I don't know if I've breathed since--

I couldn't make out much, but it was her voice. I know she said Alex' name but she was crying, but was it joy or sorrow or what and I tried to talk to her but then I just wanted to listen, remembering that someone had once told me I can't hear them talking if I'm talking on a cell phone. Hell, I don't know I'm stupid about phones, but it was her and I could hear her, but the signal was shit.

When it faded to static and I'd still not made out anything comprehensible save Alex' name, I started shouting, I love you, I love you, I love you into the phone. She's alive. Somehow, somewhere and maybe it's okay where she's at. Maybe it's just fucked up here and maybe she and Alex and Boka and Copper and everyone is okay out there and god can you imagine?

What if it is just here and they're coming and the world is going on as normal out there somewhere and... I've gotta tell Kat. Maybe she can reach her husband, now. Maybe it's

Tension.

Everybody stinks, everybody has cabin fever and these people all suck! Man wasn't meant to spend this much time with coworkers. Elisabeth and Sara got into it today. Sara's the Accountant's secretary. His name is Mr. Cain. I'm sure he has a first name, but he's not deemed us worthy of knowing it, I guess, and Sara hasn't offered it up either.

I came in late, and didn't know what they were arguing about, and just walked on by because quite frankly, I don't care anymore. Sara has tried picking fights with everyone on the floor at one time or another. She did it to me once and I just turned around and walked back to my office without saying a word to her. Inside and locked the door. She shouted through it for awhile, but eventually walked away. Didn't talk to me the rest of the day. Maybe I should walk away from her more often.

I made my way to my old desk. Kat and I had gotten to calling the office we slept in our office, but this day I went to my original desk. I sat there for a bit, sketching up some cartoons and trying to write a little bit until I couldn't take it anymore. "Jesus fucking Christ," I shouted. "Just shut the fuck up or go outside and fight about it!"

This was our new solution to any bickering or arguments. For whomever was fighting or getting on our nerves to go outside. Funny, stuff I know. I never did find out what they were arguing about, but it ended with an office door slamming. This time it was Sara who slammed the door, as Elisabeth stomped past me and to the windows by Virginia's desk.

I tried again to concentrate on the poem I was trying to write, but her breathing was heavy and I just knew she was breathing that way on purpose so someone would go over there and let her vent. God, I finally gave it up altogether and got up quiety and went into the Cyber Cafe to work. Gregg and Bryan were in there playing that stupid collectible card game they'd found and now played all the time. I tried to sit in once, but they told me there weren't enough cards for all three of us to play. I waited a moment to see if either would offer to get up and let me play, but it didn't happen. I don't even ask anymore. I swear to god, if it weren't for Kat being here, I think I might go mad. Locked up for day son ends with geeks is hard. Even if I am a geek myself, which I'm sure I am. It's something about historic wars and having Charlemagne go up against Genghis Khan or Napoleon or whatever.

So now I'm back in the office and the poem is gone so I'm writing this. Haven't been updating as much, but I think I've been in a bit of a funk. Same thing every day. I'm so fucking sick of snack machine food I could burst. I can see the little convenience store in the lobby of the Met Square across the street. Only a couple hundred streetwalkers between me and food variety. I would kill for one of Tarzan's rope vines right about now. Swoop down from the second floor to the first over there and eat like a king. How the hell I'd get out is another matter altogether.

I've been turning on my phone only for about thirty minutes each day to check messages and stay alive. I seem to have a signal, but still can't reach Lin or anyone. Haven't found a charger that works for mine here but... holy shit, it's ringing!

Happy Anniversary.

We've been trapped in this damned building for a solid week now. People are starting to smell, and Gregg's breath is positively reeking! Plus, he's been out of cigarettes for a few days and he gets really pissy when he doesn't get his fix. I'm glad the offices lock so I can get away for awhile.

Calgon, take me away!