Entry 17: Miriam Prager

Finally ready to get out of the metro area.  Zombie horde was bunched around half of the highways and with all the snow we didn't trust driving off of the road.  The roads weren't plowed either and it just keeps getting worse, so we had to head back into town for a couple days and gather more supplies.  Someone ended up losing the voice recorder when we were moved some basic supplies to the municipal building we hunkered down in.  Hard to imagine that after Z-A Day that our biggest obstacle ends up being something so simple as snow.  Found a few voice recorders in the building here, but we were so busy this is the first time one of us has had the time to talk.  Plenty of them filled with some snippets of things we've laughed at.  Some that before Z-A Day we would have been in outrage to hear.  Plenty of sealed snacks in the vending machines.  Seems most of the government offices here were evacuated before the rest of the city was even notified.  Cowards.  Few of the officials I know stayed to help, but far too few of them.  We've found snowplows and firetrucks, and Vergil came up with a pretty good idea.  We're going to drive out the firetrucks slowly for a bit, then turn on the sirens and run off.  Should draw the zoms and keep them busy as they try to get into them.  After a short bit we drive two of the strongest plows out in front and the van behind them.  The van's even had a plow added to the front of it.  Unfortunately, we know there is going to be a mass of cars in the way on the highway, but we'll go off-road until we're past it.  I think we're going to be okay.  It's going to be a new year.

Entry 16: Unknown

*long static, then unknown voice one*  Hey, look what I found! *unknown voice two hissing* Keep it down.  *voice one*  Sorry.  Right.  Looks like a voice recorder of some kind.  Huh.  Still active it looks like.  I wonder who lost it.  *voice two*  Doesn't really matter now, does it?  Just turn the damn thing off and let's get back to searching the vehicles.  There's got to be something worth taking.  *recording ends*

Entry 15: Jamie Bryce

Jamie Bryce, survivor.  Christmas Eve.  The blizzard seems to be dying down a bit, but its still loud enough that everyone is singing Christmas carols.  Even Vergil, though it took about four songs before he joined in.  He's actually got a pretty good voice on him.  Never would have known or thought to ask.  Just...  Something to lighten the mood I guess.  We plan to leave tomorrow and start our journey to South Dakota.  There won't be time for anyone to really be recording until we're at least out of the city since the bombs will definitely draw a lot to their sound, and we won't want to miss anything crucial we may want or need as we leave.  Everyone is glad to be going.  The best present we can give each other this year is getting out of this alive without forgetting anything we'll need later.  Guess I'll go back to the rest while Steve takes watch, and then rest up.  We're all going to need it.

Entry 14: Jane Knight

Jane once again.  Looks like we're planning on South Dakota for when we leave.  Maybe my uncle is still safe and we can go to the ranch.  If he's not there, but its still secure, it'd still be a good location to start off.  Though, we'll need to work towards growing food and such.  Hard to imagine that last year our biggest worries were getting people Christmas gifts that showed we cared.  I think we'll do okay once we get out there.  Population being spaced out, plenty of wildlife.  Lots of horses if people haven't taken them all already.  Definitely want to keep the van for moving things, but having a few horse will make travel easier if we don't have to worry about fuel.  Plus, smaller stores are less likely to be raided.  Heck, there might even be a few small towns that don't even know what happened to the world yet...  I envy them if they don't know.  At least it means they're safe.  I wish the people across the street had just held out another couple weeks, we could be taking them with us.  I wish people had worked together a lot earlier.  I wish that the big Z-A day had never happened.  Guess I'll be disappointed this Christmas, just like when Dad had said he'd visit when I was ten.  I didn't get my wish then, and what's happened did.  I just...  I wish that things will get better where we're going.

Entry 13: Billy Grayson

Fuck.  Richard has the bombs set, but we're going to have to wait to try it.  Blizzard just keeps growing stronger and stronger.  Should minimize the zom presence soon, but we're already loading up the van for leaving the library once we have the bombs set for our distractions.  At least since the blizzard is going we don't have to worry about zombies sneaking up on us while we load up what we can into the van, since they can't smell or hear us, hell, we can barely see each other a few feet away, so we're more worried about frostbite than anything else.  The drawbridge watch is more for warming up than in case someone might be wanting to get into the building now.  No one who hasn't already tried to get in would be crazy enough to try in this weather.  Damn icicles hanging off of Steve's nose worse than the rest of us since he already had a runny nose.  I've got no clue where we'll be going after we're all set, other than to get the tires and batteries.  Richard suggested heading further north where it'll be cold more of the year, since we're obviously having lower zom problems than other cities were before the television stations all cut out.  As Vergil and Steve pointed out though, it'll be harder to keep supplied and survive, but it is a possibility we're looking at.  Vergil thinks its best to stay away from woodland areas, because if we get cornered by zoms on a road, it'll be a hell of a lot more difficult to find an alternate route fast.  Jamie brought up maybe going to Chicago or another big city, but the higher the population was before ZA-Day, the larger the infestation of infected will be.  Not to mention the survivors still there will be violent and paranoid.  Jane thinks maybe further toward the Dakotas would be better with the wide expanses of land and being able to see zoms far away while still having a highway to travel on.  The others seem to be leaning that way the most out of the suggestions, and as for me, I don't think any place will be perfectly safe, but it never hurts to take as many precautions as we can.

Entry 12: Vergil

I fucking hate winter!  Damn heat died down completely today, the fucking library has air leaking in somewhere upstairs.  Frost isn't on any of the stone yet, but we can all feel it.  The girls are gathering up every single book that seems to be of any potential use and packing them up to fit into the van in case we have to leave.  At least for now the blankets are keeping us from getting too cold, but its hard to stay awake after a while if we don't keep moving around.  Richard is getting those bombs setup now.  Once they're all set we're going to load up the van with everything that we're taking with us.  Despite hating all these fucking books at least the library was secure, but we've got to be ready to just leave after getting the tires and batteries.  If we stay in here for too much longer we'll freeze to death.

Entry 11: Richard Dolan

Billy, Vergil and I got all that we needed and marked out a few of the vehicles for where to set off the small bombs once they're finished.  Jane was a bit snappish when we got back, chewed me out for making a racket when I dropped one of the bags of chemicals.  Thankfully the wind is roaring loud enough that the zombies couldn't possibly have heard it.  I just hope that it doesn't keep snowing this hard or we might have difficulty getting the van over to the tires and batteries when we make our move.  Steve has bundled up heavily in the study room and seems to be on the recovery from his cold.  Either way, we'll probably need to have Jamie go with us instead of him when we move the supplies.  Can't have him alerting the infected on the way.  Getting really cold in here and we've checked all the windows.  Seems like the heating finally stopped, though the pipes haven't cooled off yet.  Hard to tell with how loud the wind is.  At least we have a few blankets, but we may need to collect some more.  Time for watch, Richard Dolan, signing off for now.

Entry 10: Jamie Bryce

Jamie here.  My bro's sneezing pretty nastily, but at least that's the only thing.  Definitely not infected, but it is winter.  Good thing he's holed up in one of the study rooms the library has.  The sound doesn't travel in or out of those very easily, so he won't be drawing any zoms to us.  The other guys should be back tomorrow, the radios definitely work and they don't seem to be having much trouble aside from having to keep adjusting their paths to avoid larger clusters of zombies.  They've got almost everything already, so we should be getting ready to raid those tires and batteries in a day or two more I think.  Jane's shaking a bit, but that's to be expected I guess.  Miriam's been talking to her about some books they found and I don't know, just too much estrogen around here or something.  Feel like aside from watch, all I'm doing is just trying to keep busy.

Entry 9: Jane Knight

Jane again.  Steve and Miriam didn't get me any cigs.  Miriam says they looked, but only found chewing tobacco.  I'd rather go cold turkey than that gunk.  Jamie said that'd probably be a good idea anyways since we don't know when or even if we'll find any more.  One of the key items people looted when things went down.  Rubbing alcohol even was gone, and the mouthwash, let alone beer.  I'm sure someone has some where they holed up, or maybe with them if they fled the city.  Been saying for years I'd stop smoking and drinking so much when partying, and now it looks like I'm being forced to keep my word.  I guess we could setup a still, but we definitely aren't doing that here.  We need all the food we can get, and can't guarantee we'll be staying here long enough for things for ferment into moonshine.  Seen a few raccoons digging around in the trash before the zoms tried cornering them.  The cold is definitely making some of them slower, but the ones that were prepared for cold weather before the infection took over them are still moving relatively normal.  Still not fast enough to catch a coon though.  It's just a good thing that so far the virus doesn't seem to jump to animals.  Hate to have to worry about that if it comes down to hunting our own food eventually.

Entry 8: Miriam Prager

I'm Miriam...  Survivor.  I...  I thought I was over this, but I haven't had to talk about it with the others.  I've barely spoken to them at all.  It's just a fucking recorder.  Everyone I know is dead except Steven.  After what I did to him, I wouldn't have blamed him if he had just left me to the zombies when he saw them.  My parents had me home and one of their neighbors was hacking up loudly for about an hour before my dad decided to see if he could help him out.  We hadn't been watching the news on tv at all, we didn't know.  The incubation period for the infection meant no one we knew had it yet, and it hadn't ended up in the papers.  After my dad didn't come back, my mom went to check on him and barely got into the yard before screaming.  Mr. Jackson had knocked dad out and was biting him in his yard until he heard mom.  He...  Zoms aren't just shambling wrecks when they're fresh.  They don't slow by much until they take damage or dehydrate or start to starve.  He climbed half over the chain-link fence before falling onto our side.  Mom tried to head out the front gate to go check on dad, but Mr. Jackson...  The zom got up and attacked her.  I grabbed my softball bat and ran out to start hitting him.  He just kept biting until she stopped struggling.  I thought he killed her and dad.  I...  I hit him over and over and he still kept coming and I pushed him out into the street.  A few other zoms surrounded him and started coming toward me.  I heard mom tell me to run.  I felt like I was in a nightmare, that I could maybe just wake up and it'd be fine.  But I ran anyways.

Three days later I was trapped in the park when I saw a van going by.  I screamed out and then saw who was in it.  Steven driving, Richard with him.  I could see him look at me and I thought he'd just keep going, but he slammed through a few of the zombies and got me out.  Richard had a shotgun, he fired at a few zoms as I climbed in.  I looked into the hoard as we drove off.  My parents...  What used to be my parents had been heading toward my scream.  Steven saw it too and gripped the steering wheel tighter.  He told me they were gone.  Richard thought he meant the zoms.  I just nodded, bawling a fist against my mouth as I cried.  Despite...  Fuck.  Its still too raw.  I need to get some tissues.

Entry 7: Steven Bryce

Steve Bryce here, survivor.  Miriam and I got back from scavenging last night.  Scraped up and I had some blood on my neck, but it wasn't mine.  It wasn't a zom's either, just...  *laughs lightly*  Just fucking chicken blood.  Spilled some on me when Miriam and I were trying to get some food.  We need the protein, so I figured if the zoms had left any meat in this supermarket we should take it.  Got six bags from a back freezer, among some other stuff.  The zoms hadn't gotten back there yet.  Damn snowstorm kicked up and Miriam and I didn't want to have to face that and the zoms.  Hunkered down in a building and defrosted one chicken in an apartment.  Thankfully even if the electricity is out the gas is still going for now.  Don't know for how much longer though.  Kept the rest of the perishables near the window so they wouldn't start to melt or thaw.  Chicken though...  Soon as I thought it looked thawed enough to cook I stabbed it to make sure.  And got blood splashing up onto my shoulder.  Can understand why Billy freaked.  *silence*

At least I know he'll do the right thing if it comes down to it.  I...  I don't think Jamie would.  If I ever do get infected I can spare Jamie seeing me slowly turn.  We celebrated today after Jane checked Miriam and I out.  Fuck, we had ice cream, despite it being winter.  Rocky Road.  The zoms left all the produce alone, so we grabbed a few dozen oranges and some carrots.  They're still fresh, though most of the rest of the produce was starting to go bad.  Plus, we'll need the vitamins.  The other five chickens still, about three pounds of ground beef, a few packages of bacon.  Plenty of bread and peanut butter.  Lots.  Some canned fruits and vegetables, some canned beans.  Tried avoiding grabbing things we'd have to cook.  Candy bars, trail mix.  Jerky.  I hate jerky.  Grabbed a few emergency blankets.  Lighter than what we had, and they'll keep in the heat better.  Roadside kit.  First-Aid Kits.  Only found it because it was in the back room.  Half the shelves were empty in the supermarket, but I guess people started realizing they just needed to leave instead of looting everything.  Located a few auto shops when we were out there.  Figure next time we should grab few spare tires and spare batteries for the van.  Going to need a lot of distractions if we move the van to get them though.  Billy and Richard think they can rig up a few timed explosions if they get the right supplies first.  Vergil says if they make them small enough he can point out which cars have alarms, which means they could get the zoms moving in a particular direction before getting to one of the car ramps or something...  Let them attack the various car alarms there before they give up.  Should buy us a few hours if its done right.  Hopefully. 

Vergil wants Merriam and I to rest up while he goes with Billy and Richard to get the right supplies and scout out for the plan.  Oh, we also got a few radios and earpieces.  They're fifteen mile ones, but we shouldn't ever be more than a mile or two at max away from each other.  Grabbed about four or five hundred batteries so there should be enough for them and the recorder.  Also grabbed three digital cameras.  More for being able to snap details while out scavenging than anything else.  They're taking two with them while the rest of us stay here.  Wish we had found another gun store while we were out there, but the one Billy had said was in the direction we searched in had burned down.  Don't know how that happened, but at least we got something out of our travels.  Jane's on watch tonight, then I guess I will be tomorrow.  Going to get some rest.

Entry 6: Billy Grayson

Billy again.  Steve and Miriam were supposed to be back last night.  Hopefully it was just the snow being so deep that delayed them, not...  I've seen the others look at me because of the things I say, hell, Jamie knocked the wind out of me when I said his brother might be zombie chow.  Vergil though, I was just joking around before, trying to be the one to lighten the mood for once, but I hit dead-on with what I thought was being witty.  How the hell was I supposed to know he's dyslexic?  I mean, bigger concerns with the world crumbling around us than being politically correct and polite.  Still.  At least Richard is helping him keep occupied.  Says his cousin had it too, so he knows what a struggle it is.  Fucking books though, I mean, where's a book on how to deal with all this?  The power was already out before we got here, so its not like we could use the terminals to even bother searching the net.  Jamie's grabbing everything he can on wilderness survival and looking through them, but I already told him they don't deal with what we have to face.  At least not in the city.  Guess it doesn't hurt though and maybe might help later.  I don't see us staying here and gathering up supplies to stay alive, shut in until the zoms leave.  I don't think there's any chance of that ever happening.  *loud thump noise*  What the hell?  You're supposed to be on watch Jane!  *muffled voice*  What?  They're back?  *more thumps*  Oh crap, you guys look terrible.  Is...  Is that a bite?  *new male voice comes in*  "We're not infected Billy.  Billy!  Put the gun down, Jane can check us over to make sure.  Thank you."  *Billy's voice again*  Just being cautious man...  Jamie, don't give me that look.  *muffled voice*  No, screw this, you all watch them while Jane checks them over.  I'm going to watch near the drawbridge.  *muffled voice*  Because someone has to!  We're not the only ones still left, in case you forgot!  And turn that damn thing off!

Entry 5: Vergil

*half-mumbling*  I'm Vergil, still hanging on.  *sighs*  These chumps are driving me crazy.  We should be out there grabbing anything and everything we can with just two of us rotating watch of the drawbridge.  All this talk, talk, talk, trying to rationalize this shit instead of taking action.  If I hadn't been trying to boost a car when this all happened I wouldn't be here with these loonies.  Stevie took notice and told me to come along.  I don't know why the hell I listened to him, but I gave up on the car's anti-theft system and went with him and Miriam and Rich.  Just as well I went with for their sake.  They would have been zom chow if I hadn't got the van running.  And if I hadn't told Miriam which car to chuck that rock at we wouldn't have had that distraction from the car alarm long enough to get out of that street and off to get Stevie's brother.  Jane and Billy nearly got pancaked when they ran in front of the van, but Stevie took pity on them.  Waste of time.  I can just eat from cans I don't need no damn vet telling me if food is safe.  And Billy, that guy's a nutcase.  I'd swear he was already infected if not for his aim being so good.  Definitely doesn't have the shakes, and none of us have any symptoms that I know of so far.  I don't care what the others say, if I see one of them start hacking up their lungs when they haven't been outside, I'm going to put whoever it is down while there's still time.  I spotted a motorcycle further down the street, if I get the chance I'm going to use that to get out of the city if things get too hairy here.  I mean, I hate this place.  What good is a library going to do me?  *muffled voice of another in the background.*  What?  Hey fuck you Billy!  What are you looking at Jamie?  Huh?  Fuck you all!

Entry 4: Jamie Bryce

Honestly, I don't really give a fuck why all this happened.  All I know is that it did, and that we're still alive.  Those of us in the library I mean.  Mom and Dad died years before all this happened, it's just Steve and me left.  Well, and the other four Steve had grabbed along the way to finding me.  Jane's okay I guess.  She was a veterinarian before things went to shit.  Billy and Dick just piss me off.  Yeah, I know, he prefers Richard since that's his name, but I call him what he is.  Damn prick keeps going on about finding a cure when he didn't even finish high school.  Sure, he worked in some chemical lab or whatever, but I know a janitor uniform when I see one.  Even if it is caked in mud and blood.  Billy is just a pessimist, but at least he knows his guns, even if they're too nosy to use unless we absolutely have to.  I think he was a waiter at this restaurant I went to with a girlfriend once.  Miriam, hell, I don't know what the hell she used to do, she only ever talks to Steve.  She's got one hell of a throw though, I swear I saw that girl took out three zoms with just rocks.  Maybe she was on a college softball team or something.  Definitely saw the zoms' take their rock to the head, collapse and shake on the ground for a minute before they stopped moving for good.  Didn't crush their skulls, but maybe internal bleeding or something, hell, what do I know?  I'm just a journeyman carpenter.  Vergil, I don't even know where to start with that guy...  Some sort of mechanic or something I think, he got the van running that the others used to collect me.  Steve doesn't talk about him much, and Vergil doesn't say much unless someone asks.  Guess I'm going to get whatever rest I can before my shift on watch.  Hope Steve and Miriam get back soon.  The snow is getting pretty deep out there.  At least the zoms have stopped banging on the door across the street, but I guess I'll hear them in my dreams, along with the screams.  Get back safe bro.  I'm Jamie Bryce, and because of my brother and these people, I'm a survivor.  For now at least.

Entry 3: Richard Dolan

Richard Dolan here, survivor.  The idiots across the street have six zoms pounding on their door now.  We can't really do anything for them, the only other way in or out of their building is a fire escape and a burning bus is in the way.  It's been going for a couple hours now since one of the idiots threw a Molotov Cocktail out and lit up the leaking oil underneath it.  The zoms here seem to be avoiding the fire, but I've already seen other zoms run through fire to get to their food when someone tried to use a wall of burning tires as a defense.  Didn't go so well.  It's snowing lightly now, so the fires should get put out soon enough once the accelerants get spread out a bit.  Steve and Miriam are bundled up against the cold, but I hope they get back before a snowstorm blows through.  The zoms seem to be moving slower now than they were a week ago, most likely due to frostbite.  There's still so much about them that we don't know, I wish it were possible to capture one for study.  Steve is one of the only others who agrees with me, but we both know we don't have the facilities or equipment to even bother trying right now.  So, here's what I've figured out so far, for what it's worth:

One, the graveyards aren't disturbed, so it isn't the dead coming back to life from prior to whenever this all started.  Two, the people who've committed suicide or died from other means aren't coming back to life either, so there is that I guess.  Damnit, sounds like the wind is picking up.  Three, at some point after the initial infection, zoms need to keep from dehydrating and starvation.  They're not completely stupid.  I've seen a few drinking straight out of puddles and the river, and I have no idea if they're affected by any of the diseases those contain.  I've also seen them tear into catfood bags and chow down when nothing else seemed visible.  They're not going for canned food or fruits and vegetables though.  Mostly meat, fat and oils.  One ate a stick of butter by itself, wrapper and all.  Four, they want to spread the infection.  It doesn't seem to affect other animals so far, but at the very least the zoms are going after humans.  The starving ones are eating flesh if they find it, but the fresher ones, the better fed ones, they just bite and then start dragging people away.  Its terrifying how they're both so stupid and instinctively intelligent at the same time.  Five, they get telangiestsia all over eventually but not right away.  Uh, sorry I was a med student, spider veins for the layman.  Blood trickles out of their eye sockets, nostrils and mouth, even if they haven't fed yet, but that seems to be after the spider veins.  Still don't know what the timeline is on the symptoms or how it initially spread, since I've seen a lot of the zoms that don't have visible bite marks, the older ones I mean.  Guess that's all for now, its my turn to go up and watch by the drawbridge.

Entry 2: Jane Knight

God what I wouldn't do for a hot shower right now...  Alright then, I'm Jane Knight and I'm a survivor.  Steve has us all recording our thoughts and such for future generations.  Here's hoping there are any.  *clink of glass on metal*  For now we're hunkered down in a library because its made of thick stone with only two doorways in, a loading dock, and windows too high up for the zoms to reach.  Plenty to read to keep us occupied while Steve and Miriam are out getting supplies I guess, plus if it gets cold there's plenty to burn.  So far the gas-lines are on, and the power, but who knows how long that will last?  We've got a makeshift drawbridge setup on the roof we can lower to get to the building next door, some kind of artist dorms or something I guess.  Steve said it's best to not unbar our doors unless we absolutely have to, and if we use the drawbridge then there's no way the infected can get to us if we keep our heads on straight.  Haven't gone out of the library since we've gotten here, though it'll be my rotation to get supplies in another couple days.  Hope they come back with some chocolate and maybe a few packs of smokes.  Don't even care what kind right now.  Everyone's tense and bit jumpy.  We hate to use our guns because the noise draws them in, but someone across the street fired a couple rounds earlier when one of the zoms got too close to their building.  Hopefully the zoms won't head our way once they cluster in the street if we keep quiet.

Entry 1: Billy Grayson

Testing, one, two, three?  Don't know why I'm going along with this crazy idea, but Steve says people will need to know eventually, blah blah blah, something about preservation for future generations.  The only preservation going on around here is the lack thereof in the residents of every deadhead in the country.  He says recording it on tape like this will still playback and can be dictated at a later date, but I really don't see anyone giving a flying fuck when they find the recorder.  Not to mention the batteries will eventually stop working that will fit in this thing, expiration date and all that crap.  But, here goes.  I'm Billy Grayson and I'm a survivor.  I was there when it happened.  Shit.  Gunfire up top.  Guess I'll have to continue later.  How the fuck do you stop this thing...  Oh, there it is.