ZAD 7:32 AM (Gallion, Ohio):

SFX: Wind howling.

SFX:  Radio Static

Alex:  "Guys, can any of you hear me?"

SFX:  Radio Static

Alex:  "Shit...  Well, still here...  Few of the soldiers went out to get more ammunition and supplies to fortify the store for now at least....  Before the storm picked up.  Not sure how far they can even see out there."

SFX:  Wind Howling.

Alex:  "The others are getting a bit nervous.  Some of the people buying things got stuck in here with us and are laying down wherever they can, hoping like me that the wind dies down..."

SFX:  Radio Static.

Alex:  "But a few of them came in a bit sick and just keep getting sicker.  Hell, two of them had to be restrained and tied down with belts because of their violent fevers."

SFX:  Rattling and distant shouts.

Alex:  "Hopefully they'll live long enough to get cured from whatever they have.  Not the same as Jana, so I've got no idea..."

Alex:  "Well...  Huh.  Guess the soldiers managed to get back after-"

SFX:  Loud scream cut off with a loud thump.

Alex:  "What the crap was that?!"

1 Day BZAD (Gallion, Ohio):

Cal: "Sounds like the wind is starting to let up."

Jana:  "Nnnghhh...  Shhh-shut up until it's actually stopped."

Cal:  "You okay?"

Jana:  "Just...  Fucking hate the cold right now and you moved the blankets when you got up."

Cal:  "Jeez, sorry."

Jana:  "'S alright...  Still need to keep bundled up Georgie said, keep taking the pills and trying to keep my body from having difficulty fighting off the rest of the... thing."

Cal:  "Still hard to just call it that... The plague."

Jana:  "Which is why I didn't say that, dumbass.  It's...  Not the same thing.  Not when we have cures.  It's not the fucking middle ages and shit."

Cal:  "Alright, alright, I got it.  Still, with all that's been happening since the rats appeared...  What about for those who didn't get the cure or didn't get someone like Francine and Georgette around to figure out what it was?"

Jana:  "Ron."

Cal:  "What?"

Jana:  "Ron's the one who picked up on it first.  Didn't know what to make of it, but...  I'd probably be dead without his messed up head."

Cal:  "...  True enough."

Jana:  "Anyways...  I really would rather not talk about it...  Bad enough thinking about still trying to keep fighting it off, let alone what might have happened to others around the city."

2 Days BZAD (Gallion, Ohio):

Alex (over radio):  "Bit better now, right?"

Jake:  "Yeah, we read you loud and clear."

Georgette:  "You said last night that the soldier were trying to get through to the CDC?  Did they get through?"

Alex (over radio):  "No, no response from them. A couple of the cell towers are down and the landlines are out for some reason still.  Hell, power outages in our neighborhood seem to be spreading to other ones as well.  The soldiers plan to check there tomorrow if they get no word.  Should be able to find out why the grid is failing."

Cal:  "Crowd control, whatever this outbreak is, they're probably behind it or know all about it, keeping the general panic down."

Jana:  "If those assholes are behind this we'll need to get Alex out of there, the sooner the better."

Alex (over radio):  "No, no, everything is okay over here..."  *crackling*  "Damn, seems like the wind is picking up.  Going-" *crackling* "to keep a stable channel.  Can you-" *crackling* *hiss*

Jake:  "Shit."

Georgette:  "Just what we need...  Nngh.  Another snowstorm."

Jana:  "Fuck, it's cold enough in here as it is..."

Cal:  "Best get to warming each other up."

Jana:  "Gross.  Perv."

3 Days BZAD (Gallion, Ohio):

Georgette:  "Seems your fever has gone down at least."

Jana:  "Yeah, though I'm still drowsy and have a major headache."

Georgette:  "Well, you still need rest and the asprin should help with the headache."

Jana:  "Nnn.  Probably right.  Going to take another nap."

SFX: Static

Cal:  "Alex, you there?"

Alex (over radio):  "Got-" *crackling* "-message.  Glad she's-" *crackingly* "fine.  We're good over here, the store is mostly sold out of a lot though, storm picking up-" *crackling* "your way I think."

Jake:  "Damn.  I thought I saw the rats leaving for a moment, but they just started carrying in some of the snow and eating it."

Georgette:  "What did you say?"

Jake:  "I thought I saw the rats leaving, but I was wrong."

Georgette:  "No no, what were they eating?  Snow?"

Alex (over radio):  "Same going on over-" *crackling* "water sold out.  People eating-" *crackling*  "didn't seem to matter if it was clean or not."

Cal:  "You think that's important?"

Georgette:  "Maybe."

Jake:  "What are you thinking?"

Georgette:  "The snow... It's mostly just water.  Despite their survival instincts to stay away from humans, the rats aren't completely devoid of them...  They know to keep hydrated instinctually still...  To eat, though they won't turn on each other..."

Cal:  "Even though they've got to be starving."

Jake:  "Maybe they're eating insects and such?  I mean, except for them all going to get snow they haven't left as a group, but there are enough we probably wouldn't see if one or two went underground for a bit..."

Georgette:  "Probably, makes sense anyways, but they somehow see humans as better food since they still keep swarming around the stairs...  I think the fungus I extracted from Mr. Barker I told you about, the one the rats seem to have is making it so they don't smell each other as food...  But what if it's also making them drawn to our own scent?  Like some kind of parasite..."

Alex (over radio):  "Soldiers keep trying-" *crackling* "medics and the CDC, but-" *crackling* "through.  Gotta change batteries and get rest.  Will radio again in a few hours."