Thread: Survival Diary

Dec. 8th Unknown time of night.

I sit here in the freezer of a butcher's store. It's rather creepy with all the gutted pigs and shit hanging around but I have no time to think about that now, looks like I might freeze to death in here. I guess I better write down everything that has happened, and how I'm in this pathetic situation.

On my way back to Tick's place, I decided to rest inside a butcher's store. The windows were barred and the door was of what appeared to be fairly strong metal, must have been the poor part of the city back when the infected were not dominant species. So naturally I felt it was safe to take a quick nap...well that nap turned into a long sleep...only to be awakened to what looked like 100 zombies clawing at the bars and door. I searched for another way out only to find the freezer. Going back to the front knowing that was the only way out I lifted the shotgun, pointed it at the door, I figured I would get a decent shot at them through the door, and....big mistake, the shotgun ripped a neat hole in the door for those things to get inside. So it appears now that I destroyed the only thing that protected me from them...realizing my mistake I ran back to the freezer and locked myself inside.

So now here I am writing in my journal, what will likely be my last entry...what a stupid death, I went through so much to die like this? Frozen in a fucking butcher's store freezer? Well either that or I can go outside and join the ranks of the infected...oh well I hope it won't come to that, despite there being so little hope...I guess I'll take some time to ponder my situation, and see if I can't at least come up with some more interesting way to die...so now I wait...


This is boring...

-Lucky

***Thanks Tick. Also Added a few dates****

Dec. 4th Afternoon

I pulled the loaded truck out into the empty street and headed across town. My cell phone was sitting on the dash searching desperately for signal. I was hoping for some word on my family, my friends, hell, a wrong number would have been good at this point. I didn’t realize it then, but I was so pressed for time. I rolled through the small downtown strip. A lot of the shops looked looted. However I wasn't shopping for furniture, I needed food. The grocery store was the last place I really wanted to be but I hoped it hadn’t been picked clean. I parked out front and locked up the truck. I wasn’t worried as much about infected as I was other people. I smashed the glass in the sliding door with the butt of the M1 and made my way inside. I had shopped at this store for the past year and I knew the layout. Canned food was all the way in the back.

I drug a cart into the store and proceeded to the back, lighting the way with my flash light. I rounded the corner past the deli. I could have swore something dashed across the aisle way at the end. I un-holstered the kimber. I scanned down every aisle with the light, praying nothing was there.

The eerie silence was pierced by the most horrifying guttural howl I had ever heard. Every hair in my body was on end. I heard shuffling behind me, I turned……..There stood a man, maybe my age. I hesitated. He looked strangely familiar, maybe I had him in one of my classes. An instant later I realized he was infected as he lunged at me. I squeezed the trigger and the pistol bucked against my hand, and he fell to the floor. No time now, have to run.

I made a mad dash for the canned meats and grabbed anything and everything. Tuna, Vienna Sausages, spam, Wolf Brand chili. Next aisle, campbells in those retarded racks, grabbed the cheaper stuff I could shovel off the shelf into the cart. Next aisle, fruits, vegetables, I just ran down the aisle grabbing what I could and I made a mad dash to the exit.

I drug everything outside and started throwing it into the truck. I threw the cart to the side and scanned the streets. They weren’t empty anymore. I could see infected shuffling through the ghost town, like a slow dirge towards the grocery store. I un-slung the M1 and took aim. First one, an older woman, I paused, then fired. She hit the ground before I heard the bullet strike. I turned, a man in a suit. Another shot, another kill. I scanned again and I could see more infected coming out of buildings. They must have made their way into town from the highway. It was futile to try and fight them all. I had to move. I unlocked the truck and jumped in. I turned out onto the street and I saw infected down the length. As well as a few burned abandoned vehicles. Highway 77 would most likely be impassible, and I headed out on the country roads.

Once out of town I found a good clearing and stopped the truck. I pulled out my atlas and checked out my route I had planned that morning. I looked at my phone. The time was 1:45 PM. With a little luck I could make Ingleside before dark.

****I did a lot of writing tonight ****

Dec 4th Evening

It was 6:30 PM, and getting dark quickly. I looked across the bay and I could see Corpus Christi, burning. No one was around to stop the fires. Out on the horizon towards the mouth of the bay I saw what looked like a ship on fire. Odd. After finding a gap between the abandoned vehicles on the highway large enough to drive my truck between I headed down the road to the Naval Station Ingleside. Hopefully I could find safety there.

The fences at the base had been hastily reinforced with whatever they had laying around. 2 Humvee’s made a roadblock and the gate. I saw a guard with his M4 drawn. I stopped the truck and stepped out with my hands up. He yelled at me “Are you infected?”

I replied, “No, no wounds. Honestly I haven’t seen too many down here”

“Yeah well you are lucky. You here for the evacuation?”

“Yeah.”

“Well there is none. Not anymore. The Base is closed”

“What the hell do you mean the base is closed, where the fuck am I supposed to go.”

“Commander’s orders. On your way in did you see the ship burning out in the channel?”

“Yeah I thought that’s what it was, what about it.”

“We were soaking up refugees yesterday, mostly people wandering out of Corpus and from the highway. The CO made us quarantine them for a few days, so we figured we could throw them on a transport with some food for a few days and then everything would be cool.” My blood ran cold, I could already see where this was going.
“Someone was bitten, and turned…..we towed her out this afternoon and set her ablaze. She broke free from her anchor and now she is blocking the channel. So we can’t afford anymore mouths to feed. You are on your own.”

I stood there in shock. “What about the coast guard station in Port O’Conner, are they still evacuating?”

The guard shook his head. “We lost contact with them last night. Sorry. Raymondville went down sooner. My advice would be to head north. That’s where it originated but the Army guys are saying there seems to be a few pockets of people. That would be your best bet.”

I stood staring at him. This guard wasn’t even 20 years old. A kid. “Hey man, listen, just let me in. I have my own food and water. I just need a safe place to hole up. I won’t be a bother and I can help you guys around that base”

The guard was quiet for a second. “I can’t man, once all those people turned on the boat, the CO lost it and issued the orders that no one else is allowed on base. If I let you in he would probably shoot you himself. Trust me, you don’t want to be here.”

“Fine, good luck.”

“You too” he replied.

And I climbed into my truck and headed out of town.

Dec 5th Morning

I parked the truck in a farmer’s barn overnight. A cold front had blown in and I was chilled to the bones. I peeked out the window to make sure no infected were about. I pulled out my atlas. I was near Bayside and I had to figure out a plan of action. I grabbed my phone and stepped outside. I walked in circles looking for signal before I finally got one. 2 precious bars. I immediately called mom and dad. The phone rang once before I heard them pick up.

“Are you okay son!!! Where are you??”

“Mom I am okay, I am near Bayside, I tried to evacuate from Ingleside but the base is closed now. What does it look like out west? Can I head that way?”

There was a disturbingly long pause “No……the army pulled back to Crystal City and we went with them. They are fortifying the town and told us not to tell anyone to come. Everyone gets shot on sight…..I’m sorry”

“Doesn’t matter, it’s probably too far for me to make anyway. I don’t know the roads well enough. I am going to go back home and try and ride it out at the house or keep heading north and find a pocket of resistance.”

“If you are in safe spot now just stay put, we can have the Lieutenant get in contact with other people to come get you and…”

I cut her short “Mom you know that won’t happen. The army isn’t going to go searching through all this mess for some college student. Don’t worry about me. I will be fine. I love you. Tell dad I love him too”

I heard her start crying over the phone. I spoke again, “And I know you love me. Take care of yourselves, and I will see you again, I promise.”

And then I hung up. I sat down on the ground and fought the tears.

Journal Entry 2 and 3: Dec 5th Afternoon and Evening

I was up on the roof of my house when I saw the first infected at about 2:00 pm. It was a man, about six feet tall, wearing overalls. Through the scope on my .270 i could tell that he was from one of the nearby Seadrift plants. He did'nt seem like he knew where he was going, but he was coming in the direction of our house and that was enough for me. Taking careful aim i put the crosshairs on his head and waited for a shot. He was about 200 yards away, perfect range. Taking a breath, i held, and then squeezed the trigger. His head split in two and he fell to the ground...god damn do i love 125 grain hollow points!

About two hours later i had'nt seen a single infected. 'Maybe we are safe here' i thought. However, i took a look through my scope toward my local town of Vanderbilt. The sight was not to my liking. Down the road hundreds of infected were walking toward my home, but it wasn't the infected that caught my attention. A family, our neighbors, were trying to retreat on foot through the freshly tilled cornfield, but they were not unnoticed. The infected noticed their presence and began to charge at them. They were at least 600 yards away and protecting them would be almost impossible, but i had to try, there were children with them! Rushing to the other end of my roof i dropped to get a better shot. The survivors noticed the oncoming horde and their pace quickened. An infected was closing on them..... My thoughts raced, "Take the shot Cleric...TAKE IT!!" Quickly taking the best rest i could i aimed.....took a breath....and fired. My shot rang out, deafening my ears with its resonance, the bullet caught the oncoming infected directly in the face, dropping it to the ground. Before i could admire my shot, the reality brought me back and i quickly breached the spent shell and loaded another. The horde was right upon them now, my heart racing, i squeezed off another round catching another oncoming infected in the head.....but it was not enough. The horde overwhelmed the survivors and i had to turn my head away to not watch, their screams of agony echoing in the wind.

I got off my roof, ran back inside, and re-barricaded the front door. My dad was gazing out the bathroom window at the oncoming infected, taking shots with his AR-15.

He ceases fire and turned to me, a shocking look on his face, "Break out the Judge."

God damnit Tractor.....where are you!!!!

OOC: Very good stuff, Tractor and Cleric! Even though it breaks the chronological order some, that won't be a problem come article time.. Besides.. backstory is good.

OOC: Yeah I might be able to alter it a bit to sync it up better walker. Let me know if you have some suggestions

Originally Posted by Tractorpull

OOC:  Yeah I might be able to alter it a bit to sync it up better walker.  Let me know if you have some suggestions

OOC: I say keep doin what yer doin til you're caught up to date.. We can always do them as a stand alone "backstory" article, or slip them in as prologs to the next few articles that come out... or hell, just put them in as they fit with the actual thread chronology.

This is fiction/creative writing.. anything can happen

Could be that your journals were "discovered later" after the Case File had been made

.........oh.. oh idea. Keep writing your backstory.. but allow Flea and Tick (or whomever your characters intend to come in contact with) to move your present story along in their journals til yours catch up... have a little paradox workin

OOC: Sounds like a plan. We have the date of the 8th when we find Flea so thats what we are heading too.