May 5th 2022

  I don’t know what time it is. The sky is still bleeding. The amount of red I see, it’s bright but also dark. I tried looking outside, it feels like the sun is running low on battery today.

  Aside from that, today sucks really bad. I want to break something.

  I’m tired of being forced to stay aside because the clouds keep dumping incredibly spicy kool-aid on everything. I used my makeshift hazmat suit to go out for a stroll around town, get some air, y’know?

  Things were going fine and good until I got home.

  I keep an ugly brown carpet at the front door to rub the soles of my shoes on, so I don’t get my hardwood floors dirty. But I didn't wipe my hands enough, or maybe my gloves had tiny holes in them.

  Went to y on the couch and write in my diary, but something smelled sour. I get up and look, my hello kitty bnket has blotches of the blood rain on it.

  It’s ruined.

  I want to cry, but my face won’t move.

  Why does the bnket have to get destroyed? WHY IS MY FACE

  I’ve been noticing the grass on my wn looks like brown mush these days. The bushes by the once white picket fence, now rust colored, are starting to curl in on themselves and turn brown ‘n mushy.

  All the trees around town look anorexic, as if they’ve been doing hard drugs for a decade, branches of bony witch fingers. No leaves.

  I only started to pay attention cause my friend is mentioning how we need to start paying closer attention to the water situation. He’s very serious about it too. And honestly? I feel that.

  It’s been so long since I thought about water, so him bringing this up was a bit interesting. I don’t really drink much water, so it never crossed my mind to worry about it.

  But he’s right, if the blood storms keep happening, it’s going to ruin more than just our clothes and stuff.

  It’s true. All that blood rain is super gnarly and definitely poisoning natural water supplies.

  Annoying. If I want to be able to have more friends, I’ll need ample food and water. If water is all fucked, that’ll cause problems.

  But it’s like, why can’t people just ration their water like me? So inefficient.

  Later

  We tried collecting rain once, just to test it, to see if it can be boiled or filtered. Big mistake.

  The bucket we used had this weird film in it afterward, like chalk and metal had a weird abomination baby. It was all pinky and rust looking, and wouldn't come off with no amount of cleaning products I used.

  Also had that lovely, sour, battery acid smell to it. So yeah. Not drinking that.

  My friend said even if we boil it, it’ll likely be unsafe regardless. Something about “chemical contamination” and “you can’t boil out acid,” which is yikes on a bike.

  I wish science was more convenient.

  My friend is quite… knowledgeable. I actually feel a bit self conscious.

  He started devising up pns to create sustainable food and water for the long haul. “If pnts can’t survive, that means animals can’t either. Which means no rabbits, no birds, no bugs, no normal ecosystem. Even critters hiding underground can’t escape the rain soaking into the earth.”

  But I’m like, what are we supposed to do? Call the ndlord? Tell God to hire a plumber?

  I mean, I guess we could grow tomatoes in my bathtub?

  My friend said some people might have wells or filtration systems, if they’re organized. He mentioned the compound rumor again in the next town over.

  People seem to keep mentioning this pce. I wonder what’s so special about it.

  I should find out sometime.

  But, in regards to this whole tainted water saga, it’s whatever.

  Meat has plenty of moisture in it. We’ll be fine. Just facts.

  My friend didn’t like that answer very much. He gave me a look, but he knows better than to start needless fights.

  He kept quiet.

  End of day, I think

  I’m using the radio again.

  Static.

  Buzzing.

  Interference.

  I hear something. I hear people.