November 1
8:45a
Can't stop shivering. Hard to write. Have to find better shelter, but Val is too scared to leave. We're in Schmitz Park, but luckily it's heavily-wooded enough that none of those people have come in. Heard something come nosing around the tent last night, probably just a raccoon.
November 1
12:30p
Just ate our last tin of sardines. Not sure if we can drink this creek water; it's moving fast but we're near a road. I worry there's all kinds of funk in there. No avoiding it - I have to go find some supplies.
5:45p
I broke into a house. I knocked and waited for probably 15 minutes, but no one came. I knew no one would, the city feels like it's been abandoned, but it still felt wrong. I smashed the window on the door and reached in to unlock it. I stood outside the door for probably another 15 minutes before I finally worked up the guts to walk in.
I don't know what I expected, but the house looked almost pristine. I guess I sort of thought it would be all torn apart, like someone had looted it or people had to pack everything in a hurry, but the owners could just as easily have been out at work. I found some cans of chili and soup and a bag of extremely stale potato chips. Most everything else was rotten; I thought seriously about just scraping the fuzz off their bread but I didn't want to risk it.
November 33:30p
One too many nights in the rain. I convinced Valerie to come with me to the house. Taking the tent with us, obviously.
November 5
3:30a
Starting to lose track of time. If not for my watch I would have no idea what day it even is. Haven't really been able to sleep since we got here. House is small, but enough for us. Found some old photos: looks like an older couple lived here. Wonder if they're o
November 6
5:50p
Trying to write in the dark. Those things won't stop screaming! Must've seen the light from my flashlight last night when I was writing. I heard the first crack against the front door and hoped it was just the house settling. When it kept going I snuffed the light and told Val to hide under the bed.
I booked it to the top of the stairs - one of them heard my footsteps because she started freaking out, bellowing at the top of her lungs. She came to the bottom of the steps right after I made it to the top. She saw me and let out this scream - it was unearthly. I didn't know humans could make noise like that. She started scrabbling up the stairs on all fours, like some kind of animal. She was so FAST. Her eyes were red, but it might've been the blood all over her face. It was running out of her mouth.
There was a chair near the stairwell. I grabbed it, without thinking really, and threw it at her. It hit her right in the face and stunned her; she fell backward. I started throwing pictures, shoes, towels, whatever I could find in the hall closet down the stairwell.I screamed for Val to help me and she pushed a trunk out of the bedroom. More of them were crowding around the stairs as they spilled in through the window. They were so thick on the stairs they were slowing each other down. We threw the trunk down the stairs and it lodged between the bannister and the wall, blocking off the stairs about 3/4 of the way down.
That gave me enough time to raid the rest of the house: we threw an end table, two more chairs, a box spring and mattress, a dresser, and a closet full of clothes until finally they couldn't seem to make any progress around our blockade.Now we're stuck up here while they sit down there, waiting. They still try to clamor over the stuff blocking the stairs, so Val and I take turns watching. I was worried they'd find a way up while we slept, but sleep doesn't seem to be happening any time soon. They won't stop howling and screeching.
The food is down there, too.
November 7
5:45a
These people aren't really people any more. They don't respond to words, they don't seem to be able to speak, and I haven't seen any of them stop to eat or drink anything. They only seem to want to get up the stairs and grab us.
3:00p
Getting really fatigued without food. Going to make a run for it tonight. Have to go out the window to the backyard; seems to be the only way I can see. I'm worried we might break an ankle or something; I can't imagine being stuck down there with those people swarming around.
November 11
11:00a
Been awhile since I had time to write. I guess it's been awhile since I even felt like writing. I'm trying to make sense of what's going on; I just feel so lost.
Val and I made it out of the house. We wound up tying some sheets and clothes together to try and form a rope, but it came apart when I was coming down and I fell flat on my back. Knocked the wind out of me and gave me a pretty bad bruise, but I think I'm gonna live. Those…things inside heard us and immediately started pounding on the back door. Luckily it opened inward and they couldn't figure it out before we booked it out of there.
My lower back hurts like hell. It's really slowed us down. Should be at the evacuation point tomorrow. Hope they have some Advil.
November 12
8:00p
Made it to the community center. Nothing here. A truck is overturned and on its side. The pavement in front of the building is covered in dried blood. No bodies? Looks like there was a fire across the street.
November 13
10:30a
Heard a helicopter for a few seconds. Too cloudy to see where it was, but it was definitely a helicopter. My back is so tight now I can barely stand up straight to look. Heading into the community center to see if there are supplies.
4:00p
I found where the missing bodies were. Some of them were still moving. I don't know what's happening any more. This is like a nightmare: I keep expecting to wake up but it never happens. Maybe I was in some kind of accident and I'm trapped in a coma. This can't be the real world. These things don't happen.
November 16
8:45a
Early start today. We're slowly working our way East. Val had a cousin who was stationed at an air force base outside the city. I have to figure if anyone's still up and running it's the military, although I haven't heard any planes for awhile now. They're probably all evacuating people.
THREE MEN
ARMED
November 20
6:00p
Been on the move for two days now. Happy Thanksgiving, maybe? I don't remember if this would be a Thursday or not. Val and I saw a pick-up truck with three guys in it tearing ass down the frontage road, ducking into the median and ditches to avoid cars stopped on the pavement. Probably militia or something. Tried to flag them down but I don't think they saw us. Hopefully we can catch up. They looked well-supplied. Could use some help.
4:30p
Currently holed up in a gas station choking down canned Sloppy Joe meat. Pretty sure I just heard gunfire. Sounded like an automatic or rapid fire or something. Wish I knew more about weapons. Wish I HAD a weapon. Sounds like it's getting closer. Getting out of here and heading back to the tent.
November 26
3:00p
Hasn't stopped raining in weeks. Val's got some gnarly fungus or something growing on her feet. I would kill for a shower.
November 30
2:30p
I hear vehicles.
Flickr photo Petrol Bomb The Terminator by StooMathiesen used under a Creative Commons License.