Page 5 of Purgatory (Devil Dogs of the Apocalypse #1)

Alessandra

I walk, tentatively, into the grocery store.

Eager to get back to the safety of my newly acquired bungalow.

While the house, itself, seems safe enough, the only food I could find was a few crackers and some tomato sauce.

While it is something, it’s not exactly substantial enough to last past tonight and since I still have a few hours of daylight left, I might as well be proactive.

The front door was obviously busted open by looters before me.

The broken glass crunching under my feet as well as the over grown, well, everything, reminds me that this town must have been empty for a while.

All the better for me while I’m trying to, actively, avoid confrontation as I loot and pillage through the local market.

“ Let’s see what’s left...”

Doesn’t look like much...

“Anything is better than nothing.”

I grab my pack, open it and wander the dilapidated stacks, throwing what little I can find in it as I do.

I don’t even try to wander in the produce, frozen, deli or meat departments.

It’s not worth the disappointment. Lack of electricity or anyone to turn on a generator means spoiled and rotten food.

I can smell it from here. Turning down the fourth aisle in pantry and shelf stable goods, I sigh at the limited selection.

I kind of figured with the broken in doorway that this place had already been ransacked, but I was also sort of hoping, just a little bit, that they might have left a little something for me.

But no one gets what they need by simply hoping for it, and it’s proven once again as I find no ready to eat meals left.

Even the little tuna packets with the crackers are gone and who, in their right mind, actually likes those?

The only people that I’ve ever seen eat them are those who are on a diet and have to convince themselves that they taste amazing just to swallow the yuckiness down.

But who am I kidding? At this point I’d eat them and thank my lucky stars for the opportunity.

After perusing what’s left, I end up finding only a few cans of beans, a couple bags of chips, or rather bags of crumbs with maybe 5 whole chips in them at this point, and. ..

“OH. MY. GOD...”

It's like a chorus of angels singing “Hallelujah” in the background of aisle eight with a big, bright, magnificent light directing me toward them.

I send a silent prayer of thanks to The Big Guy and every other deity I might have missed.

Someone up there loves me and deserves recognition because this is heaven sent.

Shit, I never sent them when I was able to before, but this deserves a thank you letter.

Special stationary, wax seal, the works.

“FUCKING MARSHMALLOWS!”

I do a victory dance right there. Snatching every single bag on the shelf, I shove them into my backpack until there is no more room left, leaving one for me to carry by hand and devour on the trip home. No room to judge, remember?

“Score! Those land pirates can keep their ramen, I don’t need it when I have these treasures.”

With my bag filled to the brim, soft, squishy goodness in my mouth, and a smile on my face, I tell myself that I’ve done a good job for now and it’s time to start walking back. I turn on my heel and head out, content with my haul and ready to finish exploring my new home away from home.