by TW Brown
I sat there. In the dark. I listened to my daughter’s breathing, Erin’s pounding, and the intermittent gunfire, sirens…and screaming.
The screams were the worst. I’ve never heard anything like it. It was like taking the worst pain-scream and the worst fear-scream and combining them. One time, I thought I heard something outside the house. Whatever it was seemed to bounce off the walls a few times, then…nothing.
* * * * *
Some nut-jobs managed to break into one of the local radio stations. We’ve had the television and radio on this whole time in case the EBS had anything helpful. So, whoever these guys are, they start carrying on about ‘walking dead’ and ‘zombies’! They were saying that police, and fire, and military are almost gone because they fell in ‘the first wave’! Well, I was almost hooked until I heard commands of, “This is the United States Army. We are ordering you to cease and desist all activities this moment!” Then…
Silence.
So much for the first wave.
I think writing this helped. I’m gonna take a little nap.
Monday, January 21
Early morning
I may lose my mind entirely. The pounding just keeps going on, and on, and on! People say that after a while you can get used to a sound and your mind will block it out. Like, if you live next to railroad tracks or an airport, in time, you just stop hearing it. Well, that is not the case here.
I’ve decided that I have to do something. If you are reading this and in the area, I’ve hung a blue bed sheet out of a second floor window. Please…help my daughter. If I fail, she’ll be all alone. She is so sick, showing the same problems, or symptoms, or whatever, that Erin had. But I must do something. I’m going to try and tie Erin down so she’ll stop the pounding. God forgive me, but I will try to gag her also.
Evening
It worked! I managed to get Erin tied down. But damn, I strongly suggest you take that EBS recommendation about restraining anybody you know that is possibly infected. Erin was more like an animal than a human being. Oddly, her expression barely changed except when she opened her mouth wide and tried to take a bite out of me. That only came in handy when I had to stuff the hand-towel into her mouth, which, by the way, was not very easy to secure; I managed by using a ripped pillowcase. So, the Erin “problem” is at least under control. For now.
The radio and television have had repeat warnings about Martial Law. It has now been set for 5 p.m. There have also been recommendations that you not leave your home at all. But if you do, several FEMA crisis centers have been set up. Mostly at high schools. There is no way I’m leaving Erin. Beth is too sick to move right now. And, honestly, I don’t really relish the idea of being jammed into a big open room full of strangers.
Here is something strange. I keep seeing people wandering around. They look like Erin. Sick. Discolored. They are alone mostly. Sometimes a group will pass by. What is most distressing is that some of them look pretty bloodied up.
I’m starting to wonder about those guys who took over that radio station for a brief moment.
But really. Zombies?
Tuesday, January 22
I’ve wrestled with this decision for a day and a half. I have no choice. I carried Beth up to her room and she is now securely tied down in her bed. I hadn’t been upstairs, other than tying down Erin, and this morning I took the time to look around once I had secured my daughter and changed her bandages (that stench is so overpowering).
From the second floor I get a much clearer view of the surrounding neighborhood. It is obvious there have been a few fires. A few blocks over, I can see one house still burning. No sign of any sort of emergency crews. Just how bad is it out there?
The other thing I am seeing is more disturbing. Today I saw something that my mind does not want to accept. It is too preposterous to even consider. Yet…
Okay. Getting a grip.
There was this man. Rather what was left of him. From the waist down he was a mass of torn flesh. His entire lower half was just gone! He was on his stomach…dragging himself down the street by his hands! What had to be the spinal column was twitching back and forth like an alligator’s tail. Strands of who knows what dragged behind. I got a really good look at him. It took over an hour for him to drag himself to the end of the block where he vanished behind a parked car. I watched other people just stumble past as if nothing was wrong! What the hell is going on!?!
Every time I would check, there he would be, just dragging himself along. Those guys on the radio don’t seem so insane now.
Beth is getting sicker. Her wound is smelling worse by the hour. Her skin is taking on that same gray, slick, waxy pallor that her mother’s did.
Somebody is screaming.
* * * * *
Even seeing it firsthand. Even hearing what those guys said on the radio…I still struggle to accept this. If this is real, then that means Erin is a…
So, here is what I saw. That screaming was so close, I had to at least see if there was anything I could do. I had to go in Erin’s room (this time the smell made me vomit) and look out her bedroom window. Her room is in the back of the house and looks out over the backyard.
The backyard is fenced with tall wooden slats about six feet high. But, from the second floor, I could see into the neighboring backyards on all three sides. In the backyard directly behind us was a woman. She looked to be about twentyish. She had tried to climb the fence leading into the yard behind and to the left of ours. Her shirt was snagged and two little boys no older than ten had her by a leg. Each one was trying to bite her! She was so busy kicking and struggling to free herself that she didn’t see this other man…
This is where it gets crazy again.
This man had most of the right side of his face torn off. It made his mouth seem huge. Once I stopped focusing on his terrible injury, I noticed something that was, for me, more terrifying. His skin. It looked just like Erin’s! That of course made me glance back at her. She was still straining against her bindings. Straining to get at me. Then I looked into her eyes. They were dull and milky white with a bloodshot look that was especially creepy since, instead of reddish, it was almost black. At first I thought it was a trick of the shadows on her face. Then I leaned closer for a better look with the daylight hitting her directly.
No trick.
I took a look out back again as that lady was grabbed by the man she hadn’t seen coming. I know what you’re thinking. I should’ve helped. Yelled. Something.
Okay. Then what? Really. What in the hell could I do after that? And what if they come after me? My daughter?
Anyway, what I saw next has me believing in the unbelievable. That man grabbed the woman by the head and bit into her at the top of one arm, just below the joint. He tore away a chunk of flesh. And then I heard that terrible scream. Next, one of those boys got through the jeans and took a bite out of her calf. That’s when I stopped watching.
The screams lasted another couple of minutes, but it seemed like forever. That was an hour ago. The man and those two boys are gone.
She’s not.
Still stuck on the fence though.
Only now, she’s missing one arm and part of a leg from about the knee. And she’s moving. Just like Erin was. Like that man and those boys were…slowly, with occasional jerks and fits.
Wednesday, January 23
Early yesterday evening, Beth came to. She can’t remember anything. That may be best. I would hate for her to have the last memories of her mom being so terrible.
When I heard her call me, I can’t tell you how completely surprised I was. I rushed in to find her crying and trying to get free of the restraints I had fashioned. Once I got her untied, I scooped her up and just held her. She was too weak to do anything so I carried her downstairs. (Her room reeks and the smell was upsetting her).
We were just sitting quietly. Well, I was sitting with her nestled up under my arm when the EBS broke its silence:
“The CDC has issued a state
ment confirming that the recently deceased are seeming to re-animate. They then become hostile and attack the living. Certain mythologies suggest head trauma may be the only way to deactivate the mobile corpses.”
That loop ran for about two hours before it went silent in mid-sentence. Ten minutes later, the EBS signal on the television went dead. There is nothing but a blank screen. Once, it flickered, and a man sitting behind a desk came on, but it was gone in a blink. Beth didn’t seem to notice any of it.
She has come in and out of consciousness the past several hours. The sun has been up for a while now. The last time I glanced at the clock it was almost 9 a.m. I’m torn between just sitting here, holding my daughter…or tying her back up. I don’t know if she’ll get better or not. If she doesn’t, I don’t want her dying, tied up like an animal. I did manage to get a good look at her eyes when I was carrying her downstairs. They aren’t milky, but the blood vessels are almost black. I must’ve been staring hard because she did ask me what was wrong.
“Nothing,” I lied.
* * * * *
My daughter, Elizabeth Marie Todd, died this evening at 4:19 p.m. I checked for a pulse. Tried CPR. I know what dead is. She was dead.
At 4:23, she sat up.
I led her up the stairs and into her mom’s room. They should at least be together.
Thursday, January 24
There are starting to be more of those things. I didn’t sleep well last night because I kept hearing them stumbling around outside. You would be surprised how much more ambient noise you hear when the world has gone silent.
I’ve shut off all the lights. I honestly don’t know how much longer power will last. It has been sporadic the past several hours. The television never did come back with so much as an EBS screen. I pressed SEEK on my radio and it is just scanning. That means none of the towers are even sending a carrier signal. Every hour I switch between AM and FM.
My cell phone still has bars, but nothing happens when I try to call. I can’t even check my voice mail. I’m pretty sure the world has shut down on a massive level.
I went out to the garage and found a bag with softballs, gloves, cleats…and three aluminum bats. Erin was as freaky about guns as I was, and apparently, so was her boyfriend. Those bats will be my only source of protection now.
I have considered going in and…dispatching… (that’s as clean of a word as I can find) my ex-wife and daughter. I’ve even gone in there a couple of times. They really get agitated when they see me. I tried to convince myself that they were just happy to see me. But that’s a lie.
They want to eat me.
* * * * *
A car sped through our neighborhood just past two in the afternoon! A herd—over a hundred—of those damned things were following in this pack that plowed along leaving a trail of ruin in their wake. Yards, fences, some mailboxes, just plain smashed. They wandered through like they didn’t notice any-thing. The only time they diverted from their course is when they came to a parked car.
Once the main pack passed, I watched as stragglers continued to filter by. I saw a couple stop all of a sudden, and I was terrified that they possessed some sort of sense that told them where I was. Instead, it turned out that a cat caught their eye. They went after it, but it outran the pair in a blur of fur. However, I watched somewhat fascinated as the couple continued on in that direction. Like they were in pursuit and oblivious to the idea that they can’t possibly catch the kitty. Also, some of the other stragglers turned and followed.
My conclusions? They are very single-minded; also, they exhibit pack-type mentality. So if you attract one, expect some friends.
Friday, January 25
The power went out just after sunrise and hasn’t come back. I’ve committed to keeping a journal. Somebody needs to document what I am now convinced is the end of humanity.
To that end, I have managed to stay quiet. It is clear from observation that sound will attract attention just as quick as making yourself visible.
I was upstairs getting a look around to see how bad things are. That is when I noticed a house surrounded on all sides by bunches of those things. Eventually, the surge of bodies trying to get at whomever or whatever was inside broke through a big front room window.
(The screams proved it to be a whomever.)
I have seen a few actual living people. Some alone. Some not. They raid a house. Sometimes they leave in minutes. Sometimes hours. One block over, out front from our place, I saw what looked like five or six guys disappear into a really nice place. They climbed up onto the second floor balcony that ran the length of the back of the house. (I’m pretty sure that place would have a perfect view of Mt. Hood from that vantage.) They haven’t emerged. That was six or seven hours ago now.
I’ve moved everything upstairs. I don’t want to risk being seen moving around on the first floor. Unless something specific gains their attention, I’ve noticed those things don’t do a lot of looking up. Also, I am trying to figure out a route out of this place once I solve one other problem.
Where the hell will I go?
* * * * *
I was napping when a series of gunshots from nearby woke me up. Apparently that group of guys attracted some unwanted attention. It also seems like they weren’t very smart.
I’ve already made my mind up that if I am ever noticed and those things start moving for the house, I’m running for it. A handful becomes a horde in minutes. Once they get ten or so deep, there is no escape. Those guys decided they didn’t want to leave. I heard gunfire, but for the longest time I couldn’t see much. Just those things gathering in greater and greater numbers.
Finally, one of the guys crawled out onto the balcony. Those things came pouring out of the windows, oblivious to the glass shattering and cutting into their flesh. He did manage to re-load one magazine into the handgun he was using. Then, three of them got to him. I saw them topple into the writhing mass in the backyard reaching up, clawing at air. Then I heard a horrible scream. Then…
Silence.
Sunday, January 27
It’s surprising how many noises you hear when you sit in absolute silence.
Yesterday scared me so bad I’ve been sitting in a corner in the hallway outside of what used to be Erin’s room listening for them outside and hoping to God that they wouldn’t come for me.
I can’t stay much longer.
Somehow, Erin managed to get loose. But what has me freaked is just how quietly she moved up on me. Had I not seen her shadow…or worse…been asleep…?
The only thing I could do is take her down with the bat. I was so scared and surprised. I hit her enough to probably break all of her ribs. I know I shattered one arm. She never even slowed down trying to get at me.
Let me tell you something about the skull. The front takes a handful of solid shots before it breaks. And that is only after you’ve knocked one down and have a fairly solid surface underneath.
My biggest worry was that I’d made enough noise to attract more of those things out there. Fortunately, I did a quick check out all windows and the area is clear. So far.
Still, I’ve decided that I can’t allow my daughter to exist as one of them. I am going to take care of her right before I leave.
Tomorrow.
Monday, January 28
Painted on a bed sheet and nailed to the roof:
Wednesday, January 30
I never imagined it to be so bad!
I got up just before sunrise. I figured, for some idiotic reason, that if I left early, there would be less problems with those things. I left out one major piece of the equation…they don’t sleep!
In the few minutes it took me to hang my sign, (I had the hammer head wrapped in cloth to dampen the sound, but the world is so quiet it didn’t help much) I already began attracting a crowd. I had to knock a couple of them out of the way as I got to my car. Funny thing is that I had managed to load the car earlier without even seeing one of those things. Once I turned the engine over, it go
t dicey fast. Those things came out from every direction.
I had already scouted a nice open lot about a block from the grocery store, and decided that was where I would park so as not to lead those…zombies…(there, I said it) to my objective; food and supplies. I even cut the engine so I could coast part way and try to lessen the attention I would draw. I came to a stop with a bunch of those zombies in pursuit. They may be slow, but they never stop.
My daughter had a teddy bear with a wind up music box built in. I tossed it one direction and ran the other. That was diversion attempt number one. It actually drew a small crowd. Unfortunately, by now, I would guess upwards of two hundred of them were coming from every direction.
I made my way to a house that bordered the store. I knew that this was a portion of my plan that could go terribly wrong. I didn’t even slow down as I ran at the front room window. Pulling my coat over my head, I dove through.
Let me explain something here in case you might think I just jeopardized others. The house was new, and for sale. It is part of this new development being built in what had once been a walnut-tree grove back when I was in high school.
So…I dove through. That is not nearly as cool as it looks in the movies. The impact damn near knocked the wind out of me. One piece of glass stuck in the back of my hand almost deep enough to punch through my palm. Between adrenaline and shock, I didn’t notice it until I snuck out back and climbed the fence. I snatched the shard out, tossed it and took a look. I was by the loading docks. I climbed up onto one of the trucks and scurried across the trailer. From there it was not hard to climb a portion of pipe that led to the roof.
