Zomblog II

by TW Brown

  Now…if only this baby would GET THE HELL OUT OF ME!

  Wednesday, April 1

  Only forty-eight hours into this employment exile and I’m ready to go insane. If one more person asks me if I’m okay, I may kill them. Don’t get me wrong, I was no fan of the automated routine this place subscribes to, I’m just sick of doing abso-friggin’-lutely nothing.

  Please, God, if you’re out there, and you’re listening, get this baby out of me. Oh yeah! And make him or her healthy.

  Amen.

  Saturday, April 4

  It’s dark. It’s late. But something feels strange.

  Sunday, April 5

  Note from Janie: At 7:55 this morning Snoe Elana Gainey was born. Labor lasted seventeen hours. Doctors Dennis VanDelay and Gene Cameriski were assited by Monica Campinelli. Snoe was seven pounds, four ounces, bald as a cueball, and possessed a healthy set of lungs along with her mother’s temper.

  Lindsay Wells held the cord while Janie Wells (me!) cut it. Both mother and daughter are doing fine! Rules were ‘violated’ and we transmitted our first outgoing message to another community. The people of the Sunset Fortress sent their best wishes!

  Monday, April 6

  Note to self: Those little pains that I thought were contractions? Ha! There was nothing about that experience that I care to ever repeat. That said, Snoe is absolutely precious. Her namesake would approve.

  Janie and Lindsay approached me late last night, and I could tell they were both nervous. I told them to just spit it out. I knew by their hesitation that it was Snoe-related. Breast-feeding. This place has a fairly interesting, if not archaic program. Wet-nurses. Yep, women whose sole function it is to breast-feed babies.

  I thought it over. It makes sense actually. There certainly isn’t a surplus of formula to be had. I agreed to feed Snoe for the first week or so. They already have a lady selected. They wanted to know if I’d like to meet her. I thought it over and I decided that I would, but only because I can see how much it means to those two.

  All three of us have been given ten days off from work to have time with the baby. Two of “us” are thrilled. One of us just wants to get on her feet and gear up for a trip outside the fence. Is it weird to miss killing zombies? I’m gonna vote yes, but accept it as who I am now.

  Tuesday, April 7

  I took a long walk today. Just hung to the perimeter and walked. I carried Snoe in a contraption that was sorta like a sling. She seemed to like it. A few times I felt a slight tug in my heart, like maybe I should stay. Maybe this life isn’t so bad. Then my brain would wake up. Also, I had to stop periodically to feed the baby. Maybe something is wrong with me, but I don’t much care for it. I’d be one of those mothers that people tsk-tsk’d because I would have been a bottle feeder if there was a choice.

  She is an absolute doll–-when she isn’t screaming. Also, I’d like to correct an early report that Snoe is bald. She has fine, wispy hair that—at least to my eyes—shows a touch of red. I bet she grows up to be a redhead or a strawberry-blonde.

  I did face some hurt feelings when I got back from my walk. Janie and Lindsay were both hurt that, not only did I NOT tell them what I was doing today, but I didn’t invite either or both of them. At first I was ready to give them a little piece of my mind; then I remembered that Snoe is their daughter, technically.

  Wednesday, April 8

  WE went for a walk today. After two hours, the gals were ready to pack it in. From there on, they walked with me in shifts. I don’t think that those two realize what it takes to survive out there.

  As for Snoe, she loves it. Sometimes, I glance down and see her just staring up at me, her tiny face peeking out of the tightly wrapped swaddling blanket. I don’t care what anybody thinks or says, that child is studying me, like she is trying to remember every detail.

  Thursday, April 9

  Today I left Snoe with Janie and Lindsay. I thought they were both gonna start crying. Seems that they wanted some quality time with her, but didn’t want to say anything. I guess they were worried that I’d be mad.

  Today I started jogging. Short intervals. Ten minutes at a time followed by brisk walking. My mommy parts still feel like somebody hit them with a bush-axe. Doctor Gene pulled me up at one point and told me “The zombies aren’t all gonna vanish, Meredith. Try to ease into things a bit.” Uh, what does he think I’ve been doing?

  My request to go out on a search, scavenge, and scouting run was denied! Something about how I might end up a liability if things get tight. These people have no idea who they’re talking to. They’ve lived their past year or more behind a fence. I’ve been out there!

  One major change since Snoe’s birth here: this place now stays in regular contact with the folks at Sunset. There is talk of a possible merge! While some see that as great, I see it as further reason to be out of here soon.

  Saturday, April 11

  I got a bunch of strange looks today. I did a walk-jog-run combo carrying a backpack loaded with thirty pounds. These people really do not understand why I want to leave.

  One of the newcomers joined me at one point and asked why I would willingly go back out there. I tried my best to explain how living behind a fence and a barricade isn’t living. That there is a difference between living and existing. He didn’t understand. I just don’t like living in a cage, no matter how gilded it may be.

  Monday, April 13

  Today I sat down with Tom, Monica, Dennis, and Doctor Gene. Tomorrow is as good a day as any to leave. I asked them what I would be “allowed” to take. They said I had carte blanche to gear up any way I’d like. And of course I would always be welcome back. They even asked if I wanted a radio. I told them “Thanks, but no thanks.”

  I really liked my wheeled, harnessed cart. So today, I loaded up with a case of water that’s been filtered through a purifier. Also I took a nifty water-bottle that has a filter built in and about a hundred little disc-cartridges to swap out as needed (they claim to be good for up to three months). I have an assortment of food. My big luxury is a jar of peanut butter. Then there is my weapons load, 10-gauge shotgun with a hundred shells, twin military-issue .45 caliber handguns and five hundred rounds, plus four spare magazines, a .22 caliber Remington rifle, 1000 rounds, a sweet 18-inch blade that I can wear on my back, a crossbow (yay!) with fifty bolts for it, and last, but not least, a special set of gloves. They are lined with a fine mesh inside, but come with an attachment that goes over the knuckles that has a four inch spike. It is padded enough so as not to bust up the hand. How cool is that?

  Also, I have some spare clothes, some heavy stuff for bad weather, two sets of leather arm and leg guards with the mesh lining and studs, and a cap that has an extension that wraps around the neck. I got a Kevlar vest, it’s bulky, but I love it. Then there is the standard camping load out. I’m set.

  This evening I will spend time with Janie, Lindsay, and Snoe. I know the girls will be excited to have the baby to themselves. Tonight we will just hang out. I’ll leave in the morning with Lindsay. I can hitch a ride to the plot that her team works and start out from there. I need to get this to Monica so she can make a copy of it. I asked if it could be given to Snoe when she’s old enough.

  Tuesday, April 14

  Staying tonight in an old barn. It is kinda cold and drafty, but I love it! I’m sitting in a loft only accessible by a half-ladder that somebody cut the bottom off of so that you have to climb up on a sawhorse then jump to catch the bottom rung. I got up, tested the planked floor, then pulled my gear up.

  Right now I am sitting in the open doorway, looking out at the Coastal Range, watching the sun set in a beautiful display of reds, pinks, oranges, and purples. In the field that stretches out before me I see a trio of zombies. They are veering away from me, towards some distant trees. Weird…but they were the first mobile ones I’ve seen all day. Of course, this is this boonies. There isn’t another house for another couple miles in either direction.

  Doctor Gene would be
happy. He told me I needed to take things a bit slower. First day out and I didn’t need to kill anything. I walked maybe a dozen miles. I didn’t run or even have to climb until I got inside this barn. I think I’ll go to sleep watching the stars.

  Wednesday, April 15

  Another year and I forgot to do my taxes. Damn! Oh well, all is not lost. I learned a very valuable lesson today. Be careful when you wake up.

  I had to work a lot harder than if I’d been more aware and a little less programmed. I woke to the sound of Snoe crying. I probably called out three or four times, “Janie! You gonna get that?” The last couple days she and Lindsay had insisted that they get up with the baby. (The nurse always leaves plenty for overnights.)

  Finally I sat up, just a bit annoyed at how Janie was so obviously not taking care of things as she should. Then, I noticed where I was. That evil sound drifted up to me. (Did I mention that I get all leaky when I hear a baby cry? I sure hope those wells dry up soon!) I looked down and saw a shadowy form wandering in and out of the empty stalls below. Then I heard a low moan drifting on the morning breeze. I scrambled to that open door that had allowed me such a beautiful view last night. Four more shadowy figures were pawing at the wooden double-doors trying to get in. A crash had me scurrying back to the ladder going down. Five more were coming through the wide open entrance on the opposite end, and now I could see more of them down below. There had to be at least three pinballing off each other in the stall just to my left, and another couple in the one just to my right. Beyond that, I couldn’t see.

  Great. I sighed and sat back to wait for a little sunlight to kill by, as long as it doesn’t get too much more crowded, I should be able to handle it. And there couldn’t possibly be enough of those things nearby to be that much of a threat. Could there? So, I sat and hoped that a herd didn’t show up in the meantime.

  By the time the sun rose enough for me to see worth a damn, there were a total of twenty-three down below. Some inside and some outside the barn. Their single-mindedness never ceases to amaze me. The group outside, clawing and gnawing on the wall, were still there going at it. Those were the easy kills. I took top-shots with my trusty crossbow. The problem came later when I went out to retrieve my bolts. Two had to be dug out of the body cavity and one had to be liberated from the leg! Very gross.

  Once I dealt with the easy targets, it was a matter of lining up my shots on the ones inside the barn. Thinking back, I was a little hasty. I was so anxious to take them out that I never thought until after that they were coming right to me. I could’ve let them cluster down below and taken them out the same way I’d done the others outside.

  Once I finished that task, retrieved my bolts, and cleaned them, I set out again. I’d already had breakfast in the terminally long time it seemed to take for the sun to come up, so I was eager to start walking. I noticed how “soft” I’d become. The harness straps felt like they were sawing into my shoulders, my legs felt as dead as that stack of meat I’d left behind at the barn, and then there was some residual pain in the mommy parts region that did not so much hinder as annoy. Oh…and I’m still leaky.

  I’ve found a very interesting place to sleep tonight. I’m in the attic of a non-descript house. I have a perfect view of a small airfield. The airfield looks like it was a hastily thrown together project by the military. There are several dozen military vehicles inside the fenced perimeter. A lot of them look like they’ve been shot up, in many cases with rockets or something like that.

  Oh boy! My first little adventure! First thing tomorrow of course. I won’t risk a run inside at night. Oh yeah, did I mention that a small, single-engine Cessna-type plane landed just after dark? At least one person is alive in there.

  Thursday, April 16

  Jeff Young and Rodney Glenn are a pair of Special Forces soldiers. They are the only two survivors of a sixty-man unit that came in seven months ago. They’d moved up from Salem. Before that, they’d been up in Washington State at Fort Lewis. When things disintegrated, a couple of battalions of Army Rangers fought it out amongst themselves! No wonder this country fell apart so damned quick, when those responsible for our safety turn out to be just as bass-ackward as the lunatics that have been running wild out here, it doesn’t bode well.

  These two did have some interesting news. They’ve been flying out, usually early morning or at dusk, making circular patterns to see what sort of survivability exists. They know of a dozen sites like Sam’s compound and Sunset. Then there are other smaller pockets (they guess close to a hundred!) that show what they deem con-siderable activity.

  They’ve considered trying to link up with one of the larger compounds, feeling that they could offer enough upside that they would be welcome. I told them that, while I can’t speak for either group, both places I’d been recently would probably be tickled pink. I asked them about all the vehicles scattered around inside the fence. Most of them are what they termed “broke-dick” or FUBAR. In addition to that, so much of the road system is unusable, and a lot of the gas out there is bad.

  They’ve told me that they would fly me over The Genesis Brotherhood compound. They know right where it is, and say that those wackos have even taken shots at them whenever they’ve flown over. When I gave them a shortened version of my own knowledge, they both offered to come along! Tomorrow, I ride in an airplane!

  Friday, April 17

  That was crazy, amazing, and just plain (no pun intended) fun! We took off about two hours before sunrise. They put me in the front seat with Jeff, and Rodney sat in back. They pointed out a few sights on the way, but I’ve seen The Genesis Brotherhood compound. We used a video camera with that green night-vision stuff. Took some great footage that they will be helping me dissect today.

  Saw Sunset, and they even took me over the compound where Snoe is. We were back on the ground just as the pre-dawn light began to paint the eastern horizon. That made me think of Irony. I haven’t told these guys about it. I don’t think I will. Those folks have done well staying hidden and under the proverbial radar.

  The next couple of days will be about preparation. This is kinda cool. I’m getting ready for a mission with some real-life Army Rangers. This is the ‘adventure’ I was craving. I feel alive again. Maybe I should’ve gone into the military when I graduated. Only, then I’d probably be dead, because so much of the military and Civil Defense Public Works—police, fire, and medical personnel—died in the first days because nobody knew or could believe what was happening.

  Jeff is gonna show me how to properly maintain my weapons. He said that I needed serious work on my blade sharpening skills, and that he would show me how to strip my weapons more efficiently, also how to keep my crossbow in better condition. He told me that if I didn’t take better care of it, it would probably not last me the year. I thought I’d been doing okay with my basic knowledge. But since these two make fighting and killing a life choice, I plan on using this to my advantage.

  Saturday, April 18

  Today we spent the whole time looking at that video. I don’t know if it is just because we were high up and things look smaller, but that place doesn’t look so tough. Although there were a couple dozen shapes moving around down there. No idea to tell if they were men or women. Also, it was so early, and there was still that much activity. They are either early risers, or there are a whole bunch of those crazies living there.

  The next few days will be about gathering up supplies. I get the feeling that Jeff and Rodney are ready to be done with this place. Maybe I’ve found a couple of kindred spirits. I could certainly do worse than a pair of Rangers.

  We’re coming for you, boys. You’d best get yourselves right with the God you claim to serve.

  Tuesday, April 21

  Wow! What a day. We’re at Sunset. It’s great to see a few faces. Of course they radioed The Compound and told them that I was safe. I imagine they also let it be known about my two new friends.

  Right now, Jeff and Rodney are like sailors on shore leave. T
he women here have a way of making the guys feel welcome, I’ll give ‘em that. Jonathan greeted me with a smile and a hug. Then he ruined it by saying something about how much more “appealing to the eye” I was now that I wasn’t pregnant. That was a little piggish of him, but I guess it can’t be helped. He is a male after all. Jenifer was all smiles. I think she even missed me. Shari continues to avoid me. I’m not exactly sure why, but she just doesn’t seem to like me very much. Whatever.

  There were a few faces missing. I guess that skirmish we listened to on the radio took its toll. The saddest is the loss of that little girl, Hope. Imagine surviving something so horrible as a zombie attack, only to die by a stray bullet. It seems that the worst part was that it took two days to find her. She’d crawled under some crates and boxes. They found her by smell. I had no idea that the group of raiders had managed to gain access to the parking garage.

  After talking with Jenifer, I get the feeling that there is a handful of people here that believe it was an inside job. The raiders seemed to know too well where to attack. Perhaps humanity won’t be happy until it has completely erased itself.

  There is one more interesting development. It seems that the raiders had a dog. A female Rottweiler. The community held a vote and named her Cheyenne. Coach has a girlfriend!