Month 2, Day 3, Midday

This hospital bed is much more comfortable than the marble floors that I've grown accustomed to. Apparently I've been asleep for several days. Amber says I blacked out in the office building while I was marking our progress in my journal. Going back and reading that entry stirs a sickening feeling in my gut. Don't think I've ever come that close to death before.

Note to self: my shoulder f*cking hurts.

Luckily my wound isn't infected. Ford is even luckier than I, however. Not only did her assailant's bullet miss her kneecap, but it missed her femoral artery by mere inches. She will walk again, with time and therapy. She is sleeping in the bed next to me. I've never seen her looking so rough. I wonder if she's concealing makeup somewhere? I can't imagine a woman like her trying to look her best in this day and age, but you never know.

Amber just reentered my room. I made her tell me what happened after I passed out. She says she hid Ford and I in a closet and ran back to the campus to get help. Took nearly a whole twenty-four hours for her to return to the college, assemble a team, retrieve our bodies and bring them back here, but they managed somehow. Thinking back, I've just barely avoided death quite a few times in the past month alone.

Note to self: be more careful. A lot more careful.

Man, I'm glad I rescued Amber from those bastards. I wasn't able to elaborate earlier about how gorgeous she is. Really. She's the prettiest thing I've seen in a long time. Since the pandemic exploded, even. There's a strange aura that travels with her. Reminds me of innocence, somehow. Must be the long, blond hair. How the hell does she keep it so clean? Could be her eyes; they're abnormally bright and green. So sparkly...

I must look like a dog right about now. I've never been able to grow a beard, but my 'stach has grown out and spread into a crap-tastic goatee of sorts. My hair is caked with dust, blood and dirt. Good thing I'm a brunette; I think it helps conceal the filth. This business suit I took off of that corpse smells like ass. I smell like dead, rotting ass.

Note to self: shave, shower, wash outfit. Thoroughly.

Damnit, Amber saw what I was writing and laughed at me. Says she doesn't care. She's just unbelievably grateful that I was able to save her. Couldn't do anything for her friends though. Don't want to ask her about it, not yet. I offered to lead the other captives to safety, but nobody would budge. Nobody. I can't imagine the horrible things that had been done to them to break their will.

I asked her what she's going to do now that she's free. She wants to stay with Ford and I. Told her that we didn't exactly have a plan or anything, that we were basically drifters, but she seems ok with it.

Note to self: update map with slaver location, mark possible sniping locations. Investigate later. KEEP SECRET.

Ford is waking up. Going to check in with her and try to go back to sleep.

Current supplies:

...sh*t, my stuff is all gone!

AMBER F*CKING LEFT ALL OF MY STUFF BACK IN THE OFFICE BUILDING!

GOD DAMNIT! DAMNIT DAMNIT DAMNIT DAMNIT DAMNIT DAMNIT DAMNIT DAMNIT!

...I'm going to bed.

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(Thanks as usual, everybody (: . Don't be afraid to criticize me either, though. I can't improve if my imperfections remain undetected. I pretty much agree with everything that's been said above lol. 500 VIEWS, WHOOOOOOOO! I think I'll celebrate with a beer. Maybe I'll send in another little zombie haiku while I'm at it...)

To many girls? xD

wait, you can never get enough girls, forget that.

i would also like a piece of cake and another piece of this story!

i tell you, even though this part was sortov "slow" it was informative and drove the story further, i like it ^^

WOOHOO! 500! You truly deserve it, dude.

here have some beer Aiden *cheers* c[~]

As far haiku it trully confuses me every time i read one regardless of its topic. But this might be a challenge for me as im spoiled with this ordinary rhyming patterns

What was missing in todays part?? THE GRAFFITI Entries (hehe joke ofc) But i kinda got used to see them in every part.But never mind that ,and please continue.

@Zed

Im waiting for the creativity muse to touch my mind. xD

Always fun to read. 5/5

There are no graffiti because he was shot and carried unconscious ^^

it would be weird if there had be graffiti entries xD

Grats on your 600th read

I know Carl(thats why i said i was joking ) You know what is interesting? The differences in the stories its like you know that you are reading about post apocalyptic epidemic but evey story contains sth significant and thus this "something other then the rest" makes it worth reading.

i know you were joking, but maybe someone else did not know you were joking, although you said you were joking, but still id like point it out, because im a jerk that way

Also, maybe he've been in a Zombie Apocalypse before :?

Hehe So I let you know that im glad to know that you know that i was joking xD

As far as ZA is concerned ...Who knows

As for now lets wait for another 'dose' of the story.

Month 2, Day 6, Dawn

I've regained full use of my arm. The entry and exit wounds from the bullet are still quite tender, but they've nearly closed back up. Amber purchased some patches for me to place over my shoulder to keep bacteria out before we left the campus. She told me to change the patches every six to eight hours, but in the interest of conserving my diminished supplies, I've been using the same patches for nearly full 24 hour periods. Hope I don't succumb to infection.

Note to self: that would be really, really lame.

Ford is still recovering back at the college. Didn't have much time to talk to her because she's been sleeping almost nonstop since our rescue. Said she wasn't feeling very good last I spoke to her. This has me worried. I'll check in with her again in a few days.

Speaking of companions, Amber has come out here to hunt with me, despite my protests. She is completely unarmed (Ford wouldn't allow Amber to use her baseball bat or machete) so it's up to me to keep us both alive out here. We've stopped on top of a hill near the eastern ports where Amber was captured. Nearby is a tire-swing, which Amber is currently hogging. Also, there is a ton of graffiti outlining "safe" routes of passage throughout the city and certain stores and safe-houses. I know half of this information to be bullsh*t from my own adventures out here.

Note to self: do something about all of this false information.

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I just spent the last fifteen minutes marking out the outdated routes and compromised safe zones with my spray-paint. Need to warn people about the pharmacy with my paint before too long. If I don't do something about those savages, they could end up marketing slavery as a legitimate business in these troubled times.

Good thing I went back to the office building and found all of my equipment untouched in a corner near the place Amber had hidden my body. I can't believe a single looter or slaver didn't find my stuff. Seems my luck has taken a turn fo

Jesus Christ, we were just ambushed by a horde of those undead f*ckers! There were too many to count, they just swarmed over the other side of the hill without so much as a moan or gurgle. What the hell is going on?! I knew I was taking a chance being downwind from them. Couldn't smell them, but perhaps they could smell me? This reminds me of my encounter from roughly a month ago, when I was trapped in that apartment full of human waste. They didn't attack me then. We're definitely missing something here...

Note to self: investigate zed respiratory system.

Whether they can breath or not doesn't explain why none of them uttered a sound before crossing the hill and attacking us. Are they organizing somehow? Surely not. Their brains are rotting, there's no way in hell they can be learning. F*ck...I can't believe we got away from them all. Amber won't stop crying. I don't know how to comfort her. We're hiding in an alleyway. Had to run nonstop for almost ten minutes straight. Should have put enough distance between us and them. Never know though. I won't be sleeping tonight.

Ok, her head is on my shoulder. Wow, she smells nice...did she bathe recently? Where? And with what? I didn't have enough money to shower at the campus. I must reek. God I hope not. This is nice. I haven't experienced this in a while. Put my arm around her? No. Don't get greedy. Focus on cannibals.

Didn't even fire at the group. Still only have three rounds. Plus, that would have only attracted more. Could they have actually "wanted" me to do that? No...again, they can't learn. There's no way.

Right, never listed my reason for coming out here in the first place. I need cash. Zombies carry cash. I kill zombie, I get cash. Enough said. I desperately need to acquire more ammunition and possibly a first-aid kit. After surviving this many disasters, it'd be a real shame to die just because I didn't have access to gauze or a syringe.

Note to self: purchase 7.62 rounds, gauze, rubber hose (makes a great tourniquet, apparently), syringe, tweezers, thermometer, flashlight, needle and thread. That = good first aid kit, right? Whatever.

Current supplies:

$77 bucks
1 rope, same (what the hell am I ever going to need this for? Christ...)
1/8 gallon of water
M24 Rifle, 3 Rounds Remaining
1 can of spray-paint
7 1/2 bottles of ibuprofen
2 bottles of penicillin
1 empty stomach

Note to self: I'm really, really hungry.

On the bright side, I scavenged nearly $70 from carcasses today and found a bag of peanuts on the ground outside a convenience store earlier. Shared it with Amber, of course (hid a few for myself to nibble on later. She'll never know.)

New graffiti entries:

On front of convenience store,
"CLEANED OUT MOVE ALONG" (Must have been recent if they're the ones who dropped those peanuts...jerks.)

On parking lot beside office building,
"2 blocks N by NE to safehouse bring food" (I assume this used to be a trap. The dumpster behind the building reeked of death. Inside the station were three half-eaten bodies. I wonder why they haven't stood back up? Maybe something other than the undead ate them...dear God, are humans now eating other humans?)

On glass windows in front of toy store,
"Put the children out of their misery."

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(Holy crap you guys, I can't tell you enough about how excited I am to see how many people are actually reading this story. Every single new comment I get is like...like...another line of coke! Ok, maybe not that extreme, but it definitely brings me joy to see new comments. Without you guys, I wouldn't have any inspiration to keep writing. Thanks go out to Zed for his comment on my big 500, and to Seth for giving my little project a 5 out of 5 Also to Shiriru for enjoying a theoretical beer with me! Cheers everybody.)

(A quick Edit -- Sorry I forgot to include you, Carl D: I know you've been there since the earlier entries. You get your own little thanks right here, k? )

Don't get greedy. Focus on cannibals.

Two thumbs up for that one I am starting to like the protagonist for his lets say Common sense. He is not too heroic and no to "OMG i cant handle it guy"
As i read your story it truly appears a man who can handle the situation. He apeears as ordinary just the way he should behave. Good that he has weaknesses & is sometimes sarcastic or ironic.(Well who wouldn't be in such times) And these goes to the background...

"Put the children out of their misery."

My heart just sunk,Yeah i know this is psychological effect but it is as suggestive as the gruesomeness of the whole zombie apocalypse "requires" It made me really sad .Certainly it should.As You have shown Aiden in my opinion zombie story should have sth more than just blood & brain matter splashed on every page.You have made it as it should be i think just by this simple fragment, which allowed me to imagine more vividly the hopelesness of the whole ZA event.

It would be cool of you could edit it so that all your posts are in one after another. I don't mind the comments, but it would be bad ass to have all your pages in one fat row to read. Maybe a future edit option?

Or maybe make it this way One thread for stories only and undereath it a separate one for comments? Or i will make shorter ones

Edit: thats better thanks >.<

and yes, as always now that you fixed the little mistake, i can utter the words that describe this text again, Awesome

Month 2, Day 9, Late Night

Using some supplies that I purchased upon my return to the campus, I have set up two sniping positions within range of the pharmacy. The first location is roughly 200 yards down the street, and is established on the third floor of an old housing complex - my current location. I have an unparalleled view of the front and roof-area of the pharmacy, so I should have no problem picking off their snipers and then their melee men as they close in on my spot.

Should I encounter a problem and need to fall back to my second post, I'm finally going to make use of this stupid rope. I've tied knots down the rope, all roughly 3 feet apart, coiled it near a window in the back of this building, and secured it to some rebar protruding from the wall, so that I can toss it out and descend to the ground. From there, I will travel to the abandoned high school, where I've hidden ammunition in the bell-tower. The tower doesn't have eyes on the pharmacy, but from there I can clearly see into this room where my first spot is located, and even most of the road in front of this building, guaranteeing me at least a few more kills.

Note to self: light journal on fire if death is imminent; mustn't allow the slavers to know the names of my companions.

While I was at the campus stocking up on ammunition and a bi-pod for my rifle, I checked in with Ford to see how she was doing. She was unconscious during my entire visit, and the doctors showed me a sick, discolored growth around her entry wound. Her leg is definitely infected, and the sickbay is low on supplies. If my mission is successful, I'm going to reveal the location of the pharmacy to the leader of the campus so that they can restock on medicine. As for Ford, I gave the doctors both of my bottles of penicillin, thinking perhaps they would help. I was assured that they would.

I also dropped Amber off while I was in the safe zone. She whined and cried and begged me to take her back out here, but I knew that I probably wouldn't be coming back, so of course, I couldn't. I didn't tell her exactly what I was coming out here to do, but she seemed to know already, somehow. Gave me this weird look...dunno how to describe it. Disappointment? Sadness? I'll ask her if I survive this.

Current supplies at Location 1:

25 7.62 rounds
Gun cleaning kit (in case of jams)
Escape rope
1 gallon of water (might be waiting a long time in order to begin my assault at the perfect moment)
1 newly acquired rifle bi-pod mounted ever so perfectly upon a windowsill
My baby -- my M24 rifle, recently cleaned, lubed and sexed up.

Supplies at Location 2:

20 7.62 rounds
7 bottles of ibuprofen (I'm sure my head will be exploding by then)
My knife

The room I'm staying in right now has a futon that folds out into a bed. It's dusty and smells like cats, but it will still function much better than the floor. Makes me wonder who the last person to sleep in here was, or if they're still alive or not.

Speaking of other survivors, I think I'm being followed. You know that feeling you get when you know somebody is behind you, staring at the back of your head? The feeling of the hairs on the back of your neck standing on end? I keep experiencing this. I've checked behind myself countless times in the past two days or so, and once I could have sworn I saw a figure diving behind a receptacle. Maybe I'm going insane again. Probably won't matter in another couple of hours.

Gonna try to get some sleep. I have a feeling that I'll need all the energy I can gather before waging war tomorrow.

New graffiti entries:

Inside lobby of hotel,
"No zeds allowed!"

Behind cathedral,
"Hell hath come, O sinful children, and a curse for you it hath brought."

In bathroom of gas station,
"Sam - Food is gone - Rendezvous at stadium"

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(I totally wouldn't mind if you combined all of my entries, Wicked. That would make my story a lot easier to read lol. Good idea, Seth.)

(Shiriru - I try to make Aiden seem as ordinary as possible. Hollywood has gone a bit overboard, in my opinion, with seemingly invulnerable protagonists. I've always enjoyed stories about everyday people overcoming immense struggles, and that's what I'm intending to portray here.)

to be honest this part was not saying much, but enough to make the story go on.

... its still awesome though

Oh god! we all forgot to say grats with over 1000 views! D: