The Dead Lands Diary Vol. II)

by S. David Staggs

  THE

  DEAD LANDS

  DIARY

  Vol. II

  WAR

  S. David Staggs

  Disclaimer. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events and incidents are either products of the authors imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  To my daughter, my world, who inspires me.

  A thanks to Max Brooks, who inspired this volume and format.

  We arrived at The Haven in the spring of 2017. It’s now 2018. The time went by quickly and doesn’t feel like it’s been over a year. A lot has happened over this short period of time. Haven has grown and welcomed many new survivors into the community. We’ve endured but also suffered loss.

  Alan Flynn ended up putting me in charge of interviewing survivors after he discovered my “hobby” of documenting. These pages are filled first with interviews I conducted in the early weeks we arrived. Interviews with those already living within the community walls.

  Following them are survival accounts of a few that came after, as well as personal logs of what we’ve gone through to keep us alive.

  Alan Flynn was the man who organized The Haven quickly in the early days of the outbreak. He and his family, as well as those in the neighborhood, stood firm and erected the walls around us. We begin with him.

  I’m more than gracious you’ve welcomed my friends and myself to live here. I think Kelly was beginning to give up out there...

  We’ve been very careful since it all began. We had some try to force themselves in while we were putting up the walls. It wasn’t fuckin’ pleasant. And this feels weird...being interviewed like this [laughs]

  [laughs] When we were out there, they didn’t quite understand my wanting of recording everything...after awhile though, it just became the norm, ya know? Didn’t notice it anymore. I usually write at night anyway. Here anyway...out there I wrote and transferred recording whenever I had down time...which wasn’t often. Anyway, what troubles did you have?

  Well, as I said...we had some people try to make their way in and not in a friendly way. Travis saw them running in around one of the semi trailers we had set up...the walls were nowhere near complete. Two older fellas. They rushed into the yards and had guns. Two rifles...they started shouting and pointing their guns..scaring everybody, ya know? Luckily, most of us were armed well before everything went to shit. My son, Ray, came out of the house with a shotgun to try and even the odds, though he was obviously still outnumbered two to one. Thankfully, Larry and Todd had circled around with pistols and we didn’t even notice...neither did they. You know how much of assholes those two are but they really helped our asses that day. Larry was sober, so that helped. I guess he figured it was his ass on the line, too...probably the only reason he bothered to help. Todd on the other hand...prick that he is, I think he cares for the rest of us. Doesn’t much show it.

  Larry reminds me of a man we knew back home...

  Miserable bastard ya mean?

  You can definitely say that. Grade A prick. Never once bothered to help us or make himself available for a damn thing. Ended up hanging himself. Name was Stan. We left the street shortly after and made our way out to this area.

  Pricks, I tell ya. But as I was saying...they got the jump on the intruders and told them to drop their guns, one did, but the other tried to pull a quick spin around and shoot. Todd shot him dead. Hit him quite a few times. He bled out in the yard...his companion was ducked down with his hands over his head begging us not to shoot. For a moment, I thought Todd was just going to shoot him, too. He didn’t but I think he was damn close!

  So what did you do with the other guy?

  Eventually, we set free. He seemed more scared and skittish than aggressive. I don’t think he’d wanted to be there in the first place. He said the man we shot was a neighbor of his that he didn’t know well. He just went with him because there was nowhere else to go or to go with.

  Was there any resistance to freeing him?

  Oh yeah! Fuck yeah...Larry for starters. My son, too. Travis wasn’t happy about it, either. They insisted that letting him go was dangerous. What if he came back for revenge...and with friends? I mean, sure...it was a concern I had. I still wonder about it...but it’s been over a year. I doubt he’s ever coming back. Poor fuck is probably dead.

  What did Todd have to say on it?

  Overall, he didn’t say much at all. Typically, he’s vocal on just about every issue. He wasn’t right for a few weeks after killing someone. He never said it, but I think he was hoping we’d release him. After some time though, he bounced back. He was back to sipping beer with Larry and being a dick in no time. You guys have been here for a couple weeks now...you adjusting good?

  We are, very much so! Kelly seems finally happy. Ben has been well, spends a lot of time with your daughter and her friends. They’re a little older but not by much. He lost so much...lost it all.

  And Jim? Reggie?

  Jim is relaxing with Kelly a lot and Reggie is going around mingling with everyone, I’m sure you noticed. He’s always been that way.

  He’s a good guy. He’s really brightened some people’s moods, that’s for sure. It was needed.

  He got us through a lot mentally. He really kept me going. He became my best friend. A brother. I mean, we all became family of course. But I have a special bond with Reggie. Hey...I thought I was doing the interview? [laughs].

  Right you are! [laugh] as you were, please.

  Who’s idea was it for a wall?

  You’d think it’d be the first thing one would fuckin’ think of, right? But no. We resigned to hiding quietly in our homes for awhile first. But, who didn’t? While we looked out the windows, watching those fuckers wander and hunt through our yards, Rachel said we needed walls. My daughter made an obvious statement in a time of absolute panic. During the nights her, Ray and myself spoke of the matter. We invited others in for their ideas. Rachel’s friend Tina made the suggestion of using semi trailers. We knew those would be the easiest thing to find and line up. It’d be much harder to put up chain link fence...and where would we get it? Only places were in more populated areas. And it would have been damn stupid anyway. Those things would push the fences down. And the fast fuckers would just scale over it. We needed something denser as well as something that would keep us out of the line of sight of them. As long as we stayed relatively quiet we wouldn’t attract anything. Any wandering by wouldn’t even see us. The only ones we really worried about were the fast fuckers...if they got wind of us they’d be over those walls in a second!

  Right.

  But, yeah. That’s the story of the walls...those of us that can drive a truck went around and gathered trailers. Found ourselves a backhoe as well! That really helped place them where we needed them. The rest is history. We just add more walls as we go to accommodate more people. It’s just slow going since we need to find trailers and we gotta keep going further out to do so. It’s getting more dangerous to expand our community. Something just occurred to me...going off subject. You’re thing is to document things, how’d you like to be in charge of doing the interviews for people we find? Seems right up your alley and would save me some time. I personally hate it and you seem to enjoy it. You seem a good judge of character, too.

  Really? Well, sure. I’m fine with that...least I’ll have somewhat of a job around here besides helping with the walls.

  Okay, great! Any other questions for this interview?

  I think that’s about it. I want to go around and get an interview from everyone here.

  I think most will be receptive. Good luck with Larry and Todd though. />
  Rachel is now 18 years old and is the youngest of Alan’s two children. I found her to be pleasant from meeting her when we arrived.

  So it was your idea for walls, eh?

  Well...it was just more so me being the first person to blurt out something obvious. I’m sure after a bit someone else would have said it of course. My dad was in panic mode and well, my brother is a little slow. Don’t tell him I said that!

  [laughs] I won’t. So when everything happened, how did you react? What went through your mind?

  Well, mainly I thought about how screwed we were. Everything happened so fast. It spread quickly. Not as fast out here but fast enough. I’m just telling you shit you already know. We stayed cautious and eventually those afflicted started to come around. We stayed indoors and kept quiet. Especially when we saw large groups or fast ones. Travis had to kill one of those. Beat it to death with a tire iron. Well, sounds funny when you say beat it to death...how do you kill what you know isn’t even alive? I’m rambling now...

  No, it’s fine. So your friend thought up the semi trailers?

  Yeah, Tina. Everyone was scratching their heads when we were trying to figure it all out. Typical fencing would never do! Larry, while drunk, suggested just digging a moat around everything [laughs] such a moron, I swear. Come to think of it, might not be a bad idea to dig some trenches on the outside of the walls though...I should bring that up to my dad.

  Actually, yes...that’s a good idea. That’ll give people work and help our security greatly.

  Yeah...I’m for sure bringing that up. Ha, thanks Larry. His shitty idea sparked a good one. Good for him. He’s now contributed. Aside from the one incident.

  The people that tried to raid you?

  Yeah. That was scary. But I was thankful for Larry and Todd that day. They suck but when the shit hit they were there and ready. So, I’ll give them credit that’s due.

  How did you feel about it all? The shooting and freeing the other?

  The shooting was terrible. I witnessed it firsthand. Didn’t sleep well for awhile. Todd wasn’t the same for a few either. I can see why. But he really didn’t have a choice. Totally self defense...it was either shoot him or get shot. Letting the other go? I don’t know. I was scared I think of both options. But, he never came back and that’s all the matters.

  Of course. So what was it like around here in the beginning? Did you lose anyone from it all?

  We had to go around looking for some supplies here and there when things got low. I saw a few people I knew when we were out. All dead...or kinda dead...whatever. I can’t say I lost them...just knew them from school or around the area. Like Mr. Hone, my math teacher. I saw him sitting on a sidewalk eating a dog. That was troubling. Extremely. Really hit you that it was all real and happening. That people you once knew from school were gone. Either dead or just not here. Many fled. Trying to get to family or a government safe camp...

  Yeah...we know how that went.

  Yeah, I know plenty of people went to them. More than half my school probably went and now they’re all dead. Sobering thoughts, aren’t they?

  Too sobering. We had some neighbors that went to the zones. When we saw what happened, we knew they were dead, of course. So you stayed calm in the face of it all?

  Umm, mostly I guess. I’m the type that can stay calm and keep a clear head and retain rational thought in a chaotic situation. Probably why “we need walls” popped in my head while everyone else was running around, like freaking out.

  Well, on the plus side, your closest friends made there way here.

  We’re a close knit group, so we talked while everything went to shit. All our parents are friends...or were.

  What do you mean?

  Well, they all came here when it started getting really bad. Most of the homes around here were empty from people fleeing, so we had plenty of room for people around here. My friends were brought here by their parents and they stayed awhile themselves, but they had that stupid idea of going the damn fucking zones! Their parents got together and said they were going to go and at least check it out. They left their kids here since they knew they’d be safe and said they would return for them. But, they never returned. I mean, Travis...his mom stayed behind...but the rest didn’t. Mrs. Shaw was a nice woman...everyone liked her. You’d have thought that...since she had a son, she’d have pulled herself together. But when her husband never returned, she overdosed on pills.

  ...I..I’m sorry. That’s horrible. I had no idea. You’re the first to tell me this. I won’t bring up anything about their parents when I talk to them unless they bring it up.

  Yeah, they’re all orphans now...Travis you noticed has a temper, he always has...but after that it became worse. He’s very bitter and I get it. I would be, too. He seems to have taken to Ben, though. I was surprised...he closes people out.

  That’s because Ben told him what he went through. So they have something in common.

  What happened?

  A pack of Bolters...the fast ones...they got inside his home. His mother and father and little brother were torn apart. He managed to get upstairs and into the attic. He remained there for a long time before coming out. We found him living in a bowling alley. He’d been there two weeks before we found him. He’s been through hell.

  Oh my...wow. That’s horrid! That poor kid.

  He’s tougher than he looks, that’s for sure. One brave kid. Even after all that he would get angry if we didn’t sometimes let him come along to scavenge for supplies.

  Well, that’s impressive...at his age..had that happened to me..I’d probably never leave the house.

  I hear you. This has been a pretty hard and personal interview...I think that’ll do, dear. I don’t wanna ask anything else.

  Okay, thank you. I appreciate it...but if you have important questions later just come find me.

  Next I decided to interview Travis Shaw while he was fresh in my mind from Rachel’s story. I was curious to learn more about he and Ben’s newly formed bond. Travis was one of the ones that found us and I hadn’t gotten a chance to really get to know him...the same goes for Ray and Kurt who were also there.

  How do you like living here?

  Well, considering what it’s like beyond these walls, I like it pretty damn well. Others have it worse out there. You would know more than me.

  Yes...that’s a very true statement. You can read my first set of records sometime if you’re curious about how bad it is out there.

  I might take you up on that some time. Maybe. Maybe I don’t even want to fucking know. Not..I’m sorry...I didn’t mean it to sound like I don’t give a shit what happened to you guys...I only meant I’m not sure I want to know more of what it’s like out there...I learned enough from Ben.

  I noticed you guys hang out a lot. He’s a good kid. Been through a lot.

  He has. I have too, but he had it far worse...so I should stop feeling sorry for myself. Ben kinda inspired me a little bit, ya know? You feel like an asshole when you see someone who’s gone through worse and they act better than you do. Anyway, this has been real! Can I go now? Not feeling this shit. I’m not a spotlight kinda guy.

  Yeah, that’s fine. Have a good day, Travis.

  Kurt Holt is the best friend of Travis Shaw, however I was told that ever since the safe zones were destroyed Travis pushed most people away. Ben seems to be pulling him from that slump though. Kurt seems a very sensitive soul who’s trying his best to grow tougher skin and adjust to the new world.

  Word is that you’re the artsy type?

  [laughs] yeah...that’s where I excelled. Art class is where I basically lived, sir.

  Please. No. You’re gonna make me feel old [laughs]. I feel old enough now after the past year.

  Sorry! It’s cool, I can only imagine what you’ve been through. But yeah...art is...was..my life. Not much use for an artist anymore.

  Well, I’d say there’s nothing wrong with doing it..I mean, for yourself. It is a joy and even now, it can be
therapeutic.

  That’s exactly right...I still sketch in a book. The landscapes around here...people manning the walls...gardening. Not the dead though. I won’t draw them...but yes, sir I still...oops, sorry! Yes, I still draw...just saying...not much use to anyone else.

  Well, you contribute. You were with Ray and Travis when you found me and the others. You go out looking for people with them?

  We mostly just go out looking for supplies...it’s the only time any of us go out for anything. If we find someone and they don’t look like total freaks, then we’ll try to initiate a dialogue. The only reason we found you guys was because of all the damn explosions you caused. We were out on a supply run and were close enough to hear...you know all this. But yeah...we don’t intentionally look for people. It’s not why we go out...but we’re grateful when we find decent people. Strength in numbers...it’s why we keep expanding the walls.