The old commercial and bar district

A few moments into the walk you realize you could spend days or even weeks and only explore a block or two. Maybe that was smart? Your mind was jumping all over the place now. It was from lack of sleep, food, energy. But it did seem like a good idea. You could just hole up in the building you were in now. Each day going out to explore a new building or area nearby. The old apartments, mall, bars, office buildings would take days to go through all the floors.

You realized you were daydreaming and quickly pull your attention back aware of your surroundings. One wrong step and it could be over quick. Raiders always ran in packs and always had looks outs. Also most people these days lived by the shoot first and ask questions later mentality, so being gunned down by someone could happen simply because they knew it was better you than them. And then there were the Mad. Possessed and brutal just as much as they were lost and crazy. Some would hold conversations doing their best to seem natural and normal. But you could always tell by that look in their eyes. Crazy, lost and savage. Others would just wander past you not even acknowledging you were there. Or they would come out of nowhere with a primal rage. Most bodies found after they were done would turn anyone's stomach.

The occasional sound of a gunshot or a loud car could be heard from time to time. They were far off and didn't cause any worry. Hell for all you knew it was just someone that found a sweet car and were joyriding it on the empty interstates. You had done that a few times the past few years. Finding a nice sports car and keys in a house. The occupants dead or just long gone now. It was hard telling, the population of the world had dropped by more than half just with the pandemic. Since then how many more?

You slow and round the last office building before the open parking lots come into view. A strip of businesses just across the street. A mix of stores and shops. A wing shop and place to cash checks. Chinese take out a coffee shop. Probably not a lot here. Further down you see the parking garage for the mall, a huge complex that took up the better part of the city block. And past that on the far side of the street were various little bars and restaurants scattered about. So far you have heard no noise anywhere around you. Nothing alarming yet so you look back and forth weighing your options as the sun gets ready to set soon.