Volume II - Episode 43 Where: Melbourne, Australia When: 1 month and 2 days after E-Day, 10:42 am I made my way towards Quinn Hill, one of the most expensive suburbs in Melbourne's outer east. Since I had to look for a new home, I figured I might as well find an upgrade. My eyes were bleary and unfocused. I was desperately tired. The sleepiness came in waves; one minute I was relatively fine aside from a few phantom aches and pains, the next minute it was all I could do keep from driving off the side of the road. When I saw the first hand-painted sign by the side of Kempson Highway, I thought that I was dreaming. I literally wiped my eyes and squinted at it, blinking.

SIGN AHEAD!

I passed the sign and continued along the six-lane suburban highway. The next one came into view a few hundred metres beyond it:

DON'T FREAK OUT!

If ever a written sign had failed at its purpose, it was that one. I was in too fragile an emotional and physical state to cope with coy signs by the side of the road. I was freaking out. The next sign was huge. It hung from one of the pedestrian footbridges that straddled the highway's enormous width.

APOCALYPTIC CO-OP MARKET NUNAWADING TOWN HALL 10 AM - 4 PM MON, WED, FRI

Then, two hundred metres later:

YES, THERE ARE PEOPLE STILL ALIVE! YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

The next sign was nailed onto the side of a police station.

WE HAVE FRESH FOOD, VEGETABLES, MEAT, AND BAKED GOODS!

And finally:

COME SAY HI TO OTHER SURVIVORS!

My stomach growled at the mention of fresh food (and baked goods!), but I was in no state to converse with humans. I looked, and felt, a mess. I had always been a shy, socially-awkward person at the best of times, but after two nights of no sleep, I was a mess. So I headed away from Nunawading Town Hall and made a mental note to maybe come back on Friday to check it out...if I could work up the courage....and if I could actually manage to get some sleep by then.