Day 365 – Zomblog: Year Two

My name is Alex Mathews. One year ago today, the Kharon Outbreak began and spread around the globe in a miraculous eight days. Those infected with the fatal virus had their corpses reanimate in what can only be described as “zombies.”

For the last year, I (along with a group of survivors) have lived barricaded inside a grocery store ten miles from my childhood home. Our goal was to outlast the zombies while their flesh-and-bone bodies succumbed to rot. I spent this year with my father, Ryan Mathews, as we learned how to adapt and survive in this post-apocalyptic world. He broadcasted an on-line blog during our time within the grocery store to be a record of our time and hopefully a survival manual for those outside the contagion zones.

For reasons that I cannot explain, I am immune to the Kharon Virus. We discovered this only after I was bitten and the virus refused to take hold in my body. Unfortunately, I must get this immunity from my mom because in an effort to get me to the government, my dad was bit and succumbed to the virus. In his dying words, he begged me to get to the government because he believed that I – and others like me – would be the puzzle piece needed to break this thing.

We have arrived in Oklahoma City and found the military. So now we are waiting to see just what the next move is.

My father’s blog was his legacy. I have chosen to take up where he left off. This is the voice of the survivors. This is the voice of the resistance. We are still here. We are still alive.

And Year Two of the Zombie Apocalypse begins tomorrow…

Day 361 – Fever

I am struggling to type but I want you to know. Last night, I started showing signs of fever and the nausea is getting pretty bad. Whatever immunity Alex has, he doesn’t get it from me. I am going to succumb to the Kharon Virus. It is not a question of if. It is a question of when.

I am so sorry for my son. I am sorry for leaving him alone in this world gone so horribly wrong. I can only hope that this last year has prepared him for the journey he is about to face. So many times, I just wanted to give him a happy life. I just love him so much and I am so scared for him.

But I am scared for me too. I don’t know what lies beyond. I hope I know. I hope it is all I imagine. Maybe it will not be so bad. I hope that He is there to answer my questions. If things go the way people say they go, then I will finally get to see my mom again and I have missed her more than I could possibly describe in this blogg.

I’mm just so sorry for all my failures in this life. I always tried to be the best man that I could be. I cannot say that I was always a big successful but I always want to tried so hard.

I hope that Alex is the key to solving this thing and hope my friends can get him to whoever charges in control of things now. I am leaving him alone and I just want him to be safety.

I hurt so much. Like fire. I love you son. Whereever you are going, know that I am with you and I love you. Please remember me for the rest of your life and know that I only wanted your best in life. I am so proud of you.

Hope this blog saved someones life or kept you going. It saved my life. Hope it saved yours. Please fight. Fight to the end. Life is precious. I love you, Alex. Please find a good wife and grow old. Have kids. You were the greatest thing I ever did. So sorry I got bite.

Going to rest. Sorry I did not make it a year.

Remember me and know I love you.

Goodbye.

Day 360 – Compromised

As we were making repairs to the bus, our crew was besieged by a large group of zombies. We are now back on the road and heading south. I am sorry to report that in the ensuing melee and escape attempt, we lost Yulonda. She went out like a warrior and she went quick.

There is no doubt in my mind that because of my actions Shala and Jennifer are still alive and I prevented a fairly large contingent from getting on one of the buses. But in doing so, I was bitten on my forearm and on my shoulder blade.

There was talk of amputation and if it was just on my arm, I would have consented but getting tagged on the shoulder blade… Well, there is not much they can do about that.

I do still have an ace in the hole. Maybe the Mathews side of the family carries the “immunity gene.” Maybe Alex gets it from me.  

I hope. My God, I hope. I am not ready. I’m not…

Day 360 – Outside Catoosa: Flat Tire

News flash. Apparently some school buses don’t use spare tires. Wish we knew that beforehand. If it was a back wheel we could probably just roll on but the fuel bus hit some debris and one of the front tires were compromised.

Thankfully we are close to the Catoosa high school and we are looking to salvage a replacement. Things are quiet and we are not ready to abandon the three rig convoy just yet. I am just happy we stuck with this multi-vehicle plan as it is paying off dividends now.

More news when we are back on the road.

Day 360 – Last Entry from Home Base

This is my last entry from our home base of operations in Langley, Oklahoma. I did a test with the aircard and we are still up and running, so I will be blogging from the road as we make our trip to Oklahoma City.

We loaded the last of the supplies late last night and everyone is eating our last breakfast together around our table. The goal is to head to Tulsa, circumnavigating the trouble spots and use the old turnpike to get us to OKC.

Maybe with luck we will merge in with a convoy of other survivors heading the EBS broadcast telling us to get to the capital or even get a military escort to a safe zone. It is risky but the potential reward is worth it.

News as it warrants. We are heading out. Wish us luck.

Day 359 – Travel Plans

In order to maximize efficiency and give us the most redundancy in our skill sets, we have divided our group into three teams: Bus One, Bus Two, and the Fuel Bus. We have stacked bunks on all the buses, enough for everyone to have their own mattress. We’ve secured the motorcycles to give us scouting capabilities. I feel really strong about this. Aside from being in an RV, one of those half-a-million touring coaches, or a tank, this is a pretty solid option.

BUS ONE

Jennifer Brown
Justin Burkes
Brad Chambers
Kim Chambers
Nicki Silvestri
Kasondra Taylor

BUS TWO

Kimber Caskey
Shala Martin
Alex Mathews
Ryan Mathews
Eric Nestor
Yulonda Veloquio

FUEL BUS

Lance Wiggington
Hunter Woolsman

Day 359 – Goodbye to the Fortress of Solitude

From the moment I started this blog, I wanted you to know who we were. I wanted to paint a clear mental picture for you. Maybe it was the storyteller in me. I wanted you to understand where we were living and how we were lucky enough to survive this whole thing.

As we are preparing to leave, it is almost like saying goodbye to an old friend that has sheltered us, kept us safe, and provided us with a literal boat load of food. I can say that without hyperbole. We have/had literally a boat load of food.

Part of me is going to be sad to leave her behind but I am very much ready to move on. Now here comes the tough part. Nolan Lang, Judy Myers, and Jenny Deffenbaugh are staying behind. They are going to remain in the store. I am really not cool with leaving people behind but it is not a bad choice on their part.

With only three people, there is more than enough food and resources for them to just keep on keeping on. Naturally, we have agreed to send armed military detachments to claim them if we find an organized government or military presence or Alex’s DNA hold the key to ending this whole thing. Their theory is that is safer to let the military come to them.

Honestly, I don’t think having three more people on the buses will be the difference between success and failure on our part. I know a single grain of rice can tip the scales but I feel solid about our chances even without them. I think their biggest challenge will be keeping from going stir crazy but I understand their decision.

And they understand my insistence on getting Alex to the “proper authorities,” especially if he can be a key to a cure.

We leave tomorrow.

We’ve waited a whole year to get to this day and suddenly it is tomorrow. So tonight, we are indulging in a very choice meal and enjoying everyone’s company. Eat, drink, and be merry. 

I wonder if anyone sleeps tonight… More soon.

Day 358 – Destination Confirmed

The broadcasts on the EBS are designating that the FOB (Forward Operating Bases) in Tulsa are retreating back to Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City. Our hunch is correct. Humanity is on the push back against this undead threat. If Alex really is the key, then getting him to OKC is the best bet.

Everyone is in agreement that we get everything finished up and we head out on Wednesday. It is only a three hour trip under regular circumstances and we are preparing full bore for the trip. We are going to go slow and steady and get there with everyone.

It is a go. Everyone agrees. On Wednesday, we head for Oklahoma City and maybe we find an end to this nightmare…

Day 356 – My Undecided Entry

Saturdays always seemed to be more reflective entries for me. Maybe it was the whole end of the week vibe. But for some reason, on today of all days, I seem to be reflecting on our whole time here. My dad used to have a saying, “How else were you going to spend your day?” Something happens. Something goes wrong. You have to spend the morning doing Chores A, B, & C. “How else were you going to spend your day?” It was his way of looking at something unfortunate as a corrected mistake or a task accomplished. How else were you going to spend your day? Watching television? Rotting away on Facebook?

I am not saying that the zombie apocalypse was the absolute best option but looking on my life, how else was I going to spend my day? Trudging along doing the same old thing, day after day? Culling the tomatoes and sorting the dates on the packaged salads for a pretty meager wage? Was this what I was destined for until the Kharon outbreak?

Look at us now. Compared to how we were 356 days ago, I would say we are infinitely stronger than where we were. Yes, we have lost friends and loved ones. I still miss each and every one of those people every day. But now we are battled tested. We are battle hardened. And we are stronger than we were.

I don’t if we are reaching the zenith, the apex, the crux of the climb. Maybe we are close to reaching that point where things start going downhill but I cannot see it. I would say we are stronger than ever.

We know what we are dealing with and we know how to deal with them. More importantly, we know how to take them down. Part of me wants to go back and look at some of my old posts just to see how far I have come. But I’ve always wanted to live a life where you rip the rear view mirror out of your vehicle and chunk it out the window.

Learn from your mistakes but don’t look back. There was that lady in the bible that looked back and got turned into a pillar of salt. Anakin’s mom warned him not to look back and look what happened to him.

 So maybe the best thing we can do is just keep moving forward. I am very happy with how far we have come but there is still a long way left to go. I am proud to have my son beside me and I am honored to be standing shoulder to shoulder with some great people who are willing to get a little rough and tumble when the situation calls for it.

I know good things are on the horizon. I can feel it.

Day 355 – Mission to Muskogee

Early this morning, a crew took some of the smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles to Muskogee. For a distance reference, it goes Langley, Adair, Pryor, Chouteau, Wagoner, Muskogee. It is not a terrible drive. Mostly a straight south shot down Highway 69. The goal was to target the Army Reserves base that is located there, maybe to get some intel on where would be the best place to lead the caravan. (We still think Oklahoma City is our best shot.) Unfortunately, the base was long abandoned.

I am a little unnerved about the Reserves base being cleaned out but Hunter was talking about how their crew was running pretty quiet. For all we know, there could be contingents of survivors barricaded inside their grocery stores and Walmarts and we would not know unless we started poking around. But the last time we did that, we lost Luke. So I understand their reluctance to not go parading through the streets shouting on bullhorns.

The crew reported a fairly large contingent of dead shuffling about but it was nothing they couldn’t outpace. Slow and steady is the pace you want to go. If you can manage that speed, I think you could even outpace them on a bike. The crew did mention a certain sluggishness to their gait. Maybe they are starting to reach critical mass with the whole body rot factor.

But Eric was pretty vivid in his descriptions. When blood is in the air or you get on their radar, it is like they kick off “sleep mode” and ratchet up to a 9 or 10 really fast. So precaution when out in the open is still of the highest order.

Cranked up to a 9 or 10, these things could easily make their way through a windshield. I will feel much more comfortable in the buses. Next week is going to be the true test. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to it. I am just hoping we find what we are looking for…

Day 354 – My Non-Zombiology Entry

It feels weird not to have a Thursday entry not involve a Zombiology lesson but I don’t know if there were any aspects left to cover. So, instead I have decided to be real honest and forthright here. I am going to talk about God. Don’t worry. I am not going to pass around a collection plate or anything.

All and all, before the apocalypse, I don’t anyone would describe my life as great. I was low income. I had debt. My job was nothing spectacular. I was just an average guy. I went to church as a kid and I had all the questions about what happens to us after we die. I believe in evolution but I still feel that something beyond all of us kick started that Big Bang. I hoped that it was all for a reason. I hoped that it all had a purpose.

And here was Janet. Here was a loving woman that was completely devoted to God. And she died screaming. I suppose all sorts of people have lived lives that make them question why bad things happen to good people and those in positions of power and wealth never seem to get a proper comeuppance for all their misdeeds.

I know I asked that several times of my mother who I felt died way too early while others continued to live on that appeared to be hateful and spite-filled individuals. I mean my life never faced true adversity, hardship, and horror until this apocalypse. And I think it is fairly safe to say that after the events of the past year, damn near anyone would turn their face to the heavens and ask “Dear God, why have you forsaken me?”

But maybe He didn’t forget about us after all. I have always equated humanity as a tapestry. We are all parts of the intersecting thread and we cannot see how our part shapes the whole of the tapestry. But so many threads have been removed from the artwork that is Humanity.

Part of me wonders if we would get to a place where the survivors envied the dead. There could be others out there that are experiencing real hardship. We are not starving. We are not on the run. We sleep in beds and have hot meals. We have it bad but it is not that bad.

Maybe the survival is our reward. As I have mentioned before, maybe we are primed for a wonderful “renaissance” – a second reawakening – on the tail end of all this. And if we can imagine that future and bring it to fruition, then maybe all this will not seem so bad after all.

Ten years from now, could we even look upon this all as a positive? And if that is the case, wouldn’t you admit that just maybe He knew what he was doing? I don’t know. It seems hard to fathom at times but maybe… just maybe…

Day 353 – A Young Man’s Burden

When my son was born, I worried about what kind of father I was going to be. My darkest fear – and this is truth – was not being able to provide for him. Let’s be honest, working a grocery store does not exactly provide for the most luxurious of lifestyles. In the beginning, it was diapers and formula. As the years progressed, it was more about Christmas presents. And as he was getting older, I wondered if I would be able to afford a car for him. I wanted to give him all the things he needed. I didn’t want him to go without.

Alex was fourteen when the apocalypse went down. He is now fifteen and a half at the time of this writing. He should have been prepping for driver’s education and worrying about getting his license and fumbling his way through a number of girlfriends. Instead, he does weapon stripping, cleaning, and reassembling drills with Kasondra and Brad. Hunter and Lance have taught him considerably saltier language than he knew before coming in here. He still censors his cursing (at least around me) letting me know that he is still a kid at heart. His lessons now are less about algebra and sophomore English and more about human anatomy and setting traps for staggering undead.

It is not the kind of teenage years I would have ever wished upon him but fate took that option out of my hands. Seeing how he responded and learned from our elders like Janet and Fred, seeing how he deals with people within our group, and seeing how he handles himself in the face of adversity like a shamble of zombies, I have to admit I am quite proud of the young man that Alex is growing into.

I think it could have been easy (if not expected) for Alex’s social skills to slip but he seems to have adjusted quite well all things considered. If, God forbid, something happened to me, I feel like Alex could soldier on. I don’t feel like he is ready for a leadership position yet but he would make a damn fine soldier who could be groomed for command at some point down the road.

Obviously, this is not the world I wanted him to grow up in, but we don’t get to choose that for ourselves. So we just have to head down, power through, slaughter the dead, and keep on rolling. I feel Alex is prepared for such an adventure and I have to gloat that we made that happen. They say it takes a village to raise a child. While I highly doubt that our crew constitutes a “village,” I would say we have done just fine with what we had to work with…

Day 352 – Hurry Up & Wait

The buses are getting pretty close to being ready to go. While everyone realizes the importance of our mission, no one has mentioned a clock running out or sand emptying out of the hourglass. 352 days? We can wait another week. The theory is that we don’t want to be rushed and dash out of here unprepared.

We are taking a much slower and methodical approach. The zoms rotting for another week is not going to be a bad thing on our part. It may be one less horde we have to roll through and deal with.

I have to admit, I am enjoying sleeping in my bed (even though I am still sleeping on top of the Produce Department cooler for safety). The bunks on the buses are twin sized and comfortable but it is just not the same as the amenities that we have here. Rolling out into the unknown… It is one of those things where we are enjoying it while it lasts.

We still have a boat load of propane to power the generators so that is not an issue. And truth be told, there is still a lot of food in this place even with us eating in here for almost a year. You could stay here. We could live here for probably another year if we wanted to. Even if we had to get water from the lake and boil it. Langley was a pretty choice place to ride out the end of the world. But greater things are on the horizon like a potential cure and for all we know, we have the last piece of the puzzle in Alex’s bloodstream (and possibly mine).

So we are getting ready to move on but no one is in a dramatic hurry just yet. Still… the hour approaches….

Day 351 – Playing House

Last week, I was writing about how we lost Shannon and how I have nightmares of her being drug off the back dock. I realize that what I was typing could be deemed as insensitive. Just to refresh your memory, this is what I typed:

I know you are not supposed to speak ill of the departed but Shannon was just not strong enough for this world. Inside here, she was fine but exposed, on her own or on the run… She just could not have hacked it.

I know it is rough. And the first question I had to ask myself after I typed it was, “Hey what about you, big shot? Can you hack it or are you just another member of the phony tough or the crazy brave?”

Truth be told, I think I can hack it. I am not going to apologize for having the wherewithal to lock this place down in time, command the resources, and take advantage of a situation where there were very few advantages to be had.

A few simple quirks of fate and I could have easily been trapped on the outside during zero hour. I could have been dropped the same way that Audrey, Janet, Fred, and so many others were lost. You can call it luck. You can call it skill. But I feel like I have made solid decisions for this group that has saved lives, allowed us to integrate with others, and allowed us to survive. I am not some representation of that one guy who rode the bomb all the way down, whooping and hollering and waving his cowboy hat. What was his name? Slim Whitman? Sam Pickens? I cannot remember.

I’ve been pretty resilient through this whole thing and I feel like I have been smart about it. Overprotective? Probably. But by these rules, most of us have stayed alive. I say all that but I know at the end of the day, we have all been “playing house.” We’ve been playing with cheat codes enabled.

I say that because we have not had to scrounge for food yet. Since Day One, we have had weapons and ammunition. And every time a massive horde has rolled through, rather than a direct confrontation, we have buttoned up, hunkered down, and just rode out the storm.

To get Alex to the government, we are going to have to step out into the unknown. And that is where our survival skills are really going to be put to the test. That is when it is going to be real.

If we survive that, then yes, I think we can all talk a big game after that. Everything up until now has been a scrimmage. Once we step on those buses and roll out of this parking lot, it is going to be real.

I just hope we are all ready for it…

Day 349 – The Transhumanist(?) Movement

Years back, I remember reading about a massive problem with the population of Earth having a massive explosion within the last century where we went from 1 billion to 7 billion in an unprecedented time. And there was a legitimate concern that humanity was going to outpace the natural resources of the planet. Eventually, the theory was that we would run out of food and fresh water and then we would all end up dying.

The last couple weeks have got my brain turning and it is leading me to wonder. Nature has a history of evening things out. I remember reading in Jurassic Park (the novel, not the movie) where Ian Malcolm was scoffing at mankind’s arrogance. Nothing can destroy the world. Nothing. It may take a few million years to get back to normal but nothing can destroy it. 

If humanity is moving in such a direction and with such an explosion in population that we will self-destruct is the Kharon’s virus Mother Nature’s answer? Now, first of all, we do not know if this virus/contagion/plague is naturally occurring or if it was an engineered virus that escaped from a place like the Center for Disease Control.

If it was created by nature, is this a punishment? Or maybe this is an opportunity for us to hit the reset switch. I want you to consider something. It is a proven fact from history that people can be generally good. But even the nicest person, when pushed and hungry, will do things that they normally wouldn’t do. And those that are starving will kill to eat. So now, let’s swing the pendulum in the other direction…

Admittedly, it would take generations for humanity to “restart” the things that are extremely technical. Obviously, the auto industry is not making an overnight restart because who is left alive that knows how to run a manufacturing plant? But given the excessiveness of the United States, there are probably ten times as many new cars sitting in the various car dealerships around the country than there are people alive within our borders.

There is no one there NOT to tell you to take them.  There is a pretty good chance you could stroll down the streets of Manhattan and yell quite loudly, “I call Trump Tower!” and no one is around to oppose you. And even if someone is there are you telling me you couldn’t take the 56^th floor and let them take the 57^th? Or why not just claim the Chrysler Building or the MetLife Building. My guess is that there is going to be more than enough real estate to go around.

If starvation and a lack of basic necessities turn men evil, would not a massive abundance of things and no prominent monetary system turn men towards the path of goodness? Could it possibly be that while the Kharon Epidemic was a nightmare of biblical proportions, something wonderful could come from it?

Obviously if only 10% of humanity was lost then getting back to normal would be a fairly easy thing to do and very little change would be affected on a global scale. But if 90% of the population is lost, that is essentially like hit that reset switch I was telling you about.

Is it possible that we have a silver lining to find in all this?

Day 348 – Over-Preparation

I will say that we are over-preparing for the trip. With the supplies that we have on hand, we could probably make a jaunt across the country if we wanted to but it is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. You can never have too much fresh water, canned goods, gas, and ammunition.

I will say this. America is known as the land of plenty for a damn good reason. I know in all these post-apocalyptic movies you expect us to be living in a MAD MAX world. But going back to my April 1^st article, here is something to keep in mind.

The world ended 345 days ago. It is not long enough for nature to start reclaiming things like you see where grass is growing up through the highways and vines entangle a house.

If the Kharon spread was as massive as it seems here in Langley, there should still be a lot of canned food just sitting out there waiting to be pillaged. I know you imagine a world where people are scrambling to wipe out all the canned goods, bottled water, and baby food. But if this thing hit as fast and as totalitarian as we imagine, there would be no one left to pillage. And even if they did sack a store Viking-style and they hauled it back to their lair, those lairs might still be ripe for plunder because there is no one left to defend them.

Seriously, before all this hit, how much canned food did you have in your pantry? You mean to tell me that there are not whole subdivisions that could be systematically looted, going from house to house?

At this point, I am not fearful of starving to death or running out of food. Every business has a break room. Vending machines, Walmarts, grocery stores, convenience stores, people’s homes… There is probably enough food out there to pillage for years.

But if we scavenge, it means we are more exposed. And less exposure means safety. And our whole motto during this whole thing has been: Better safe than sorry. So we are taking substantial food stuffs with us.

We have not had to resort to eating dog food and I seriously doubt that we will.

Day 347 – Zombiology 101: Immunity (Last Entry)

I have decided that this will be my last Zombiology 101 and I think everyone can agree that this is a pretty good article to close the chapter on. For reasons that we cannot explain Alex Mathews is immune to the Kharon Virus.

He is not immune to physical damage. He is not a superhero. We have bandaged and applied every ointment we can think of to the bite that he sustained. He will no doubt carry the scars with him for the rest of his life. But unlike all the others who sustained wounds similar to his, his flesh did not turn black and necrotic.

The only reasonable explanation that we can discern is that a certain percentage of the population has to have some sort of natural immunity to the virus. Now, here is the catch. Can you fly? How do you know you can’t? Maybe it is because you have not fallen far enough for your flying powers to kick in. But if you cannot fly, well, you are screwed.

Unless Alex carries some sort of genetic marker that can be identified, it is impossible to tell if you are immune to the Kharon Virus unless you are exposed to it. Now, none of us are immunologists but I kind of get the impression that there is no vaccine for something like this. There is no zinc lozenge that you can take to prevent this thing from replicating. Once you are bit, that is it.

Maybe I am wrong. Maybe Alex’s physiology allows him to create anti-bodies that could attack the virus and destroy it in people that are infected. I am not saying that he is some human Lazarus Pit. If you die from the virus, you are dead. There ain’t no coming back from that. But if his anti-bodies can keep the virus from replicating and killing you through the fever… Then Alex is officially the most important person on the planet right now. We have to get him to whatever government, scientists, or medical doctors we have left so they can start forming some sort of plan.   

Day 346 – Wishing for a Dream-Free Sleep

It seems like for the last week, it has been the same night after night. The dream is always the same. It is not one of those fanciful dreams where I am in control. It is more like an instant replay where I am outside of my body and I see it over and over again. I see the stand outside the produce dock. No matter what I do, I cannot change the outcome, I cannot hide my face, and I cannot look away. I see Shannon getting her ankles getting yanked out from under her so that she lands flat on her back.

I want to tell you that the impact bounces the back of her head off the concrete slab. I wish that is what would have happened because there is a chance that she might have been knocked unconscious. That she would have been out. But that is not what was happened. She was awake… and lucid… and screaming.

And the number of zoms that descended upon her was too many for all of us to beat away even if we wanted to.

I don’t mean to trivialize her death but we have all seen those moments in movies when the predators all descend on the surrounded prey simultaneously. We saw it in Pitch Black, The Dark Crystal, Interview with the Vampire, even in The Two Towers when the Uruk-hai devoured that one orc. That is exactly what happened.

She got drug away from the platform and they were all surrounding her. There was a moment before she was blocked from my sight where I could see her face. It was abject terror. She was fighting for her life but it was hopeless.

I never told anyone that but I tried to kill her.

Right before that window closed, I fired several shots. And yes, I was aiming for her forehead. I don’t know if I was successful or not because her body was buried under a swarm of these things. I know it must sounds really strange for you to read this but I hope I killed her. At least with a bullet to the head, it would be quick and merciful. The alternative is that Shannon dies being ripped to pieces by as many mouths that could descend upon any and every available surface area of her skin. No one deserves to go out that way.

If it was the way of it (and if my bullet missed), I can only hope that it was so quick that she went into shock and didn’t suffer. There was a lot of grizzle and gore outside the dock afterward. We never saw a zombified version of her. Thank goodness for that.

I know this is real visceral what I am saying but obviously there must not have been enough “remains” of Shannon to reanimate. So in a way, if you are really looking for a silver lining in all this, she not have that story of “becoming what she swore to destroy” tragedies in the end.  

I know you are not supposed to speak ill of the departed but Shannon was just not strong enough for this world. Inside here, she was fine but exposed, on her own or on the run… She just could not have hacked it.

I will miss her, truly, but maybe her demise was inevitable…

Day 345 – Destination: OKC

The crew seems to be genuinely energized about the task of heading out to find what is remaining of our government. Call it what you will. Youthful exuberance. The excitement of going somewhere new. It is like that energy you used to get before you went on vacation. Everyone is moving with more of a purpose.

Several of members of the group have been plotting our routes via the maps and atlases we had for sale in the store. In theory, the aircard is still working and I will be able to transmit updates as we travel. But battery power might be an issue and we cannot guarantee that the Internet will hold out. We don’t want to be reliant on a digital GPS and then be SOL if the network falls apart when we are out there. So we are doing it the old map & highlighter style.

Again, we are not 100% certain what route we are going to take. If the attempt to sojourn down to Tulsa is any indicator, we might have to redirect and make highway changes on the fly depending on if certain roads are even capable of being traveled. So our navigators are plotting E, F, and G routes in case the A, B, and C routes are not viable.  

We are sticking with the original game plan of three buses. I feel that this is overkill given that there are only 17 of us. Realistically, we could all fit on one bus with relative ease provided we don’t mind being too cramped up when it comes to bunking. But then if something goes wrong and that one bus breaks down, we are all stranded.

So we are sticking with the “rule of threes.” It allows us some redundancy in the event of a breakdown and if we need to park in the middle of the night we can “circle the wagons” so-to-speak by parking in a triangle to give us an “inner court” that is easily defensible.

Two of the buses are being used for transportation, supplies, sleeping and comfort. The third bus will be manned by a skeleton crew (three at the most) and is going to be loaded down with gas, a manufactured loading ramp, and the collected motorcycles that can be used for scouting missions if necessary.

I really feel that this is a solid plan. Sure, I would love to weld some cowcatchers on the front of the buses but we just don’t have that kind of capability. The undeterminable factor is the unknown of what we are driving into. Honestly, we have so little knowledge of what that outside world is like beyond our borders… But this mission is important and could potentially save the human race.

So, it is a risk that should be taken.

Back to work.  

Day 344 – Marines, We Are Leaving!

The mission is a go… We are leaving.

Every member of our group is fully convinced that getting Alex to whatever authoritarian government is out there is of primary importance. So we are now moving in a serious direction to get the bug out vehicles equipped and ready to move.

Before, we were more or less lackadaisical in our preparation because there was no real sense of urgency. Again, we were sticking with the Year One plan. But now, our group is moving with a purpose. And our target is Tinker Air Force Base southeast of Oklahoma City.

Seeing so many military aircraft in flight, it seems to be the smartest course of action. So we have started stockpiling the three buses that are going to be our convoy/caravan. It is a lot of the essentials. We are overstocking the buses because we don’t know what we are going to be facing.

Previous trips down to the outskirts of Tulsa have proven that we are not exactly hopping on the turnpike and strolling down the road. We might be taking back streets even rural roads to get there. And there is no telling how long that would take.

Normal trip would probably be about three and a half hours. I bet it might take us a day. We are not going to be going 90 mph down the road. The buses have not been outfitted with cowcatchers so slow and steady is winning this race.

Weapons and ammo are a priority. There are sleeping facilities and toiletries on the bus. In the case of emergencies, we have even filled some of the sealing 5-gallon buckets from the bakery with kitty litter. Crude but it should be effective. We only stop if we have to.

It is going to be interesting, I can tell you that.

Day 342 – Everything has changed…

Earlier this week, I believed I was making one of the most difficult choices of my life because I believed my son was infected with the Kharon virus that kills people and transforms their corpse into the walking dead.

Earlier this week, I believed that staying put for the course of a year was our best option as we believed that one year was enough time for these shambling horrors to rot down to a point where movement would be impossible.

Earlier this week, I believed that remaining secluded within our grocery store with a healthy contingent of food, water, security, warmth, and a pretty good stockpile of ammo was the best thing we could do.

Earlier this week, when that zombie bit Alex, everything changed. For reasons that we cannot explain, Alex is immune to this virus. We don’t know if it is genetic. We don’t know if it is something about his blood. No one is certain because none of us are doctors. So somehow, some way, we have to get Alex to our government or military.

We know that the military is still out there. We have seen them running sorties with aircraft and the armored cavalcade that rolled through. Before, this whole thing was just about our survival. Survival was going to be our revenge. We were going to survive by just outlasting them.

With Alex’s immunity, we have the potential to save humanity. Think about this. We have the potential to turn back the tide and defeat something that could wipe our species off the planet. You add Bruce Willis into this mix and you’ve got a summer blockbuster movie on your hands.

However, we did not last 342 days in this nightmare by running off half-cocked. Every time that has happened, someone has died. So, I am going to bring this plan to the group and we are going to lay out possible scenarios and evaluate all contingencies. Looks like Brian’s bus bug out plan is going to get a real litmus test. 

With that said, Alex is immune to the virus but not immune to injury. I’ll be damned if humanity’s last and only hope dies in a bus accident on the way to the government facility.  

Day 341 – Lost Member: Kelsey Cameron

Way back when this first started, everyone wrote a “contingency letter” that was only to be opened in the event of being infected. In that letter, you were allowed to select your fate and our group of survivors was duty bound to follow those wishes.

Kelsey wanted to be taken out quickly and quietly before she turned. Kelsey was one of those girls, you know the type, that posted a lot of religious quotations on her Facebook page along with pictures of her and her nephews. She was remarkably upbeat given the situation that we were in and now I regret not writing more about her in this blog so all of you could get to know her better.

She was very pretty. Prettier than she realized. In my humble opinion she could have stood to gain a little weight. She wasn’t unhealthy or anorexic by any means. A booty that wouldn’t quit. But she was also always quick to smile and she had a genuine innocence about her that was quite refreshing.

And I am sure by now, you realize that I am talking about her in the past tense. Her wish was simple. She didn’t want to turn. She didn’t want to turn and be a potential threat to everyone in here. Being that ultimate cheerleader, she was willing to let herself be taken out quickly.

Truth be told, she was starting to suffer. The virus was really starting to take her toll on her. But in the letter she expressly had it written out that she didn’t want to see it coming. So, we plowed her with some painkillers and a heavy dose of Nyquil. She drifted off to what would count as a peaceful sleep.

Lance gently put a pillow over her face and pulled the trigger. We never removed the pillow. We just covered her up, wrapped her in her blankets, and prepped her for a good Christian burial.

Alex is struggling with this one. We all suffered survivor guilt in the weeks following Zero Hour but both he and Kelsey were tagged at the same time and so here it is all over again. He lived. She died. And he doesn’t understand why.

I know that these words cannot truly convey my emotions on here. I am trying to play up a certain fairy tale peaceful ending to this whole thing when, in truth, this was about as horrible as you could get. Everyone but Kelsey knew what we were about to do. Maybe she knew as we were giving her the pills and medicine. But if she did, she masked her fear like a champ. Maybe she knew but she didn’t know.

Kelsey and Kim had grown pretty tight during our time together. She and I were sitting in the pharmacy. She knew what was coming and there was nothing I could say to comfort her. I just offered to hold her hand as a friend. We were supposed to be looking out the window but Kim caught sight of Lance coming out of the cash office (which we modified into our armory).

She jumped into my arms like a little frightened animal. I’ve avoided so much physical contact lately I felt like Lenny from Of Mice and Men trying to awkwardly comfort her. Both of us jumped when the gunshot went off. But there was only one shot so we knew it was clean and painless for her. All I could do was hold her and let her cry it all out. What else can you do in that moment?

We lost someone pretty special to the group. All we can do is move on.

LOST MEMBER: Kelsey Cameron – 26, Female, Spavinaw, OK

Day 340 – Zombiology 101: Immunity?

I thought we had covered just about every aspect of Zombiology 101 but I have to admit this is an aspect we had not even considered. I don’t believe that something like a vaccine would be possible for this thing. Medically, it doesn’t make sense.

As I understand it, vaccines are a weakened version of whatever you are getting a vaccine for. It is enough so that your body can generate the antibodies to kill the strain of say flu or whatever. I don’t see Kharon acting that way. Only the smallest dose would eventually replicate enough to shut your body down and cause you to rise.

But Alex took a full on bite from a zom. We saw it. There is no denying it. He was clearly exposed to the virus and yet he is showing no symptoms.

Is it possible he is genetically immune to the virus? And seeing that he is my son, in theory, I have about a 50/50 shot of being immune myself. If he gets the immunity from his mother’s genealogy, then I am still at risk.

But here is the thing, I cannot know if I am immune unless I am exposed. And if I am wrong… I am dead. And then I am undead. So it would be like playing Russian Roulette.

Well, I for one am not willing to find out if I am immune so my plan is to just remain bite free. But it must mean that there are people out there that will be immune to this strain. Maybe Alex is the key to our survival. There have to be other people out there that are immune as well. The question is how do we find them? Could it be a genetic marker that could be studied and analyzed?

Now, this may make Alex immune to the virus but zombies can kill you in more ways than just the virus. If you skydived into a pack of these things, they are just going to see you as meat and rip you to pieces. Teeth can kill you regardless if you are immune to the virus.

Alex cannot be the only one. The government needs to know this… Literally, overnight, the game just changed…

Day 340 – Symptom Free?

Something strange happened throughout the night. I have just now had enough time to put my thoughts together. For reasons that no one can explain, Alex is not showing any symptoms of the Kharon virus.

He was clearly bitten. Everyone saw it. And he is wounded from the bite. I don’t want anyone thinking he is a super hero or anything. Only when we checked his dressing early this morning, there was no smell and no signs of the wound turning necrotic. He has no fever, no chills, no body aches. Aside from the stiffness in his leg from the punctures of the bite, he is normal.

I wish I could say the same for Kelsey but she is showing advancing symptoms. I hate to speculate on this but… Is Alex immune to this virus???

Day 339 – Updated Survivor List

1. Jennifer Brown – Female, Langley, OK
2. Justin Burkes – Male, Tulsa, OK
3. Kelsey Cameron – Female, Spavinaw, OK
4. Kimber Caskey – Female, Owasso, OK
5. Brad Chambers – Male, Langley, OK
6. Kim Chambers – Female, Adair, OK
7. Jenny Deffenbaugh – Female, Langley OK
8. Nolan Lang – Male, Vinita, OK
9. Shala Martin – Female, Ketchum, OK
10. Alex Mathews – Male, Adair, OK
11. Ryan Mathews – Male, Adair, OK
12. Judy Myers – Female, Langley, OK
13. Eric Nestor – Male, Tulsa, OK
14. Nicki Silvestri – Female, Tulsa, OK
15. Kasondra Taylor – Female, Langley, OK
16. Yulonda Veloquio – Female, Ketchum, OK
17. Lance Wiggington – Male, Spavinaw, OK
18. Hunter Woolsman – Male, Vinita, OK

Day 339 – My Hardest Conversation

Alex has made his choice. He wants to hang on as long as he can. He wants the fever to claim him and the second after he stops breathing, he wants to make sure his brain is significantly damaged so that he cannot rise and threaten the other survivors. Alex doesn’t believe in suicide and he is willing to gut out the pain of succumbing to the fever. In his words, “I want every last minute.”

I think that is the voice of a survivor. It is his voice. I am going to have to watch him suffer through this but that is going to be nothing compared to what he is going to have to go through.

I cannot believe I let this happen. I am going to lose my son. I know we have already lost so many but this is different. This is beyond personal. Amidst the shadows of losing Kanen, Joe, and Shannon, this one hurts ten times worse. I am not trying to diminish their loss. Kelsey is in the same boat as Alex.

But this is my son. My son that was my whole reason for gutting this thing out. I am not saying I am considering taking the easy way out. I have to be strong for him now. But this, this is the worst possible fate. I would trade places with him in a second if I could…

Words cannot describe it.

And sorry, I had bad record keeping on my last entry.

LOST MEMBERS:

Joseph Charles – Male, Langley, OK

Shannon Fox – Female, Pensacola, OK

Kanen Kraig – Male, Langley, OK

Day 339 – Losing and Lost

This entry is late. We made a huge mistake. We were so concerned with staying safe and off the radar. We were concerned about this so much that we never came up with a suitable plan to flag down someone important if they came rolling through. And that happened this morning.

Today, a large scale military convoy came rolling down Highway 82. They were dragging with them a massive horde of zoms. It was possibly the largest horde we had ever seen. The military was moving at a speed just fast enough to outpace them and let the soldiers drop them from the backs of the trucks if necessary. It looked like they were herding them all up for slaughter, drawing them in with loud noise and “pied piperring” them to some location that we were not certain of. Somewhere down the road.

But what was clear was that they were not stopping and members of our group wanted them to know we were here. They wanted on that convoy and for some of them, it cost them their lives.

Several members of our group were caught outside in the perimeter when the wave came through. While the buses held, the zoms spilled over the tops of the smaller cars and SUVs. You cannot imagine the crushing weight and the sheer mass of a horde this size. Joe Charles did his best to stem the tide to give others a chance to escape but he was lost to the weight of the horde.

Several members decided to go after the military convoy by exiting out the back of the store on Kanen’s dirt bikes that we snatched up during our sortie missions. But the massive group that came around the backside of the store…

Kanen’s duct tape suit might have protected him from bites but it did little to protect him from the sheer weight of the onslaught. These things were faster and whipped up into a frenzy by the military presence. Kanen thought he could maneuver through on his dirt bike and get the convoy. He was wrong.

Justin and Eric did their best to try to get to Kanen but it was too late. In the fight to re-secure the entrance… we lost Shannon. She is gone. Kelsey sustained serious scratches on her legs. We are uncertain about her state of being.

 It was all we could do to secure the back entrance and keep us all safe and in this attempt to save all our lives…

Alex has been bitten.

My son has been bit. The one person I was intent on protecting… I cannot believe I am typing this.

My son has 48 hours to live.

Day 338 – A Roof for Everyone

Last week, our group was excited about static on the radio. I know that sounds weird but it is true, so you can imagine our enthusiasm over the Emergency Broadcast System coming back on-line. Yes, we even popped a bottle of Champagne that was left over from the looting of the local liquor store. I think it is safe to say that we have turned a major corner and we can definitely see the downhill slide to the finish line now. We keep waiting to hear when the recorded voice updates to let us know where a safe zone is that we can get to.

You know it is funny. Last week I was wondering if we were ever going to get back to normal. We have not heard any statistics yet and we don’t know what kind of losses were are looking at. We certainly don’t know if this thing went global or not.

I remember reading all kinds of reports – long before all this went down – that humanity’s population explosion was running out of control and that we were in serious jeopardy of overpopulating the world to the point where we would no longer have enough natural resources to support us as a species.

I guess if you want to look at this from a positive point of view, we may have gained a serious advantage. I know this is really morbid but stick with me here. Let’s look at the town of Langley. I would say there is a solid 25% of this town that probably should have been demolished before the zombie apocalypse. Let’s say you do that. You bulldoze all the crack shacks, meth labs, and trailer park trash buildings. You still have 75% of the town with zero population.

If the standing government basically authorizes a “land rush” that gave us Sooners our name, all that lake front property could be up for grabs. Even if the expensive stuff goes legit through sales, you are going to have a hundred (maybe several hundred) homes that clearly have no owners now. No one should ever be considered homeless again.

What about a major metropolis like New York City? Where people used to be crammed into apartments, a single occupant might get a whole floor to themselves. We literally might have a population now where we have too many houses and not enough people to fill them. “Overcrowding” and “urban sprawl” might not be terms that we know for a few generations to come.

And in that regard, do these survivors of the Kharon Epidemic begin to cluster together? Does every survivor of this massacre migrate to New York City to live? Or do we all spread out where it is like Montana and your nearest neighbor is 10 miles down the road?

I can see advantages and disadvantages both ways. Humanity is social by our very nature. Society is a communal effort. Is the only way we rebound from this thing is to come together? Or do we all stay spread out.

I guess this is what we will find out when we get to the safe zones. Seriously, this could be a total reboot of society. This could be Humanity 2.0 and we could avoid all the problems and pitfalls from our first time around.

I don’t want to sound like I am happy that the zom’poc happened but we could turn this into something positive.