Epilogue: A Knock at the Door

We have been busy planning our little village so it has been a while since I have written anything. There was an incident today that I felt was important to note however. A group of us were in the living room going over our blueprints/sketches when there was a knock at the front door.

It caught us all off guard. Finally I gathered my wits and went to see who was there. No one. Whoever it was had run off, but there on the doorstep they had left a gift; a bullhorn and a medieval helmet that were formally worn by Jonas, self-proclaimed horseman of the apocalypse.

I never did see Jonas’ body after Matthew shot him. But based on the special delivery, it seems like we may find out what happened to him soon enough.



Cake  -  I Will Survive

Amazon MP3

Week 52: Growing Roots

It has been a long year. Since the outbreak began I have searched throughout Florida for Matthew, chased after him up the east coast, and finally reunited with him in South Carolina. From there we crossed Georgia and got our asses chased by a hoard of zombies all the way down to Mobile and over to Pensacola only to be taken back up to central Alabama by the Army.

In the process of this post apocalyptic tour of south east America I have seen people murdered, killed people myself, starved to near death, got gangrene, been through battle zones, dealt with drug addictions, contended with religious zealots, been infected, been experimented on, lost two fingers, and developed lupus followed by the lovely side effect of requiring the need to infect myself with the very cause of all these problems to begin with, Legion.

Needless to say I am tired of moving around. We all are. No more traveling. We are putting our feet down right here in Tallahassee. It may not be the best strategic position but it is also not the worst. And we have at least a couple of months of winter temperatures to try and fortify our surroundings.

Some of the group from Jacksonville has also decided to stay here. Kevin Morgan was an amusement engineer in Orlando (he designed roller coasters and such). Gene Ferris used to work at a plant nursery and knows a bit about gardening. Finally Sarah Mullins is also going to stay with us. She is actually a friend of Brenda’s who worked at the same hospital as a custodian. Counting me, Matthew, Brenda, Harvey and Harold, brings our population to eight and gives us a nice mix of people with various knowledge and talents.

Not a bad start if I do say so myself.



The Raconteurs  -  Steady, As She Goes

Amazon MP3

Week 52: Tallahassee or Bust

We had not even made it fifty miles out of Tallahassee when we ran into a small group of travelers heading west on I-10.

Brenda recognized a few of them so we stopped to chat. They were from Jacksonville. It seems that the city has fallen. Despite their best efforts, Legion had made it within Jacksonville’s walls and the infection had spread from within. Word was a carrier had slipped through the quarantine procedures.

The group we were talking to was some of the refugees that had survived the outbreak. Actually I am not sure you can call them refugees when the world contains nothing but refuges, but they had left the infected city looking for safer sanctuary.

So much for our plans. I guess it is back to Tallahassee for us.

Week 52: Jacksonville or Bust (again)

We have gathered up our things and said our goodbyes. This was our home, but Jacksonville is the best hope we have for surviving in this treacherous world. At least it is secure and they have some semblance of civilization.

So today we head east to Jacksonville and leave our old world behind.

Week 51: Merry Christmas Maria

I brought our son back, just like I said I would.  We love you and miss you very much, Maria.

Week 51: Return to Tallahassee

We arrived in Tallahassee today.  Our house is still here and boarded up for the most part.  The plywood over one window in the back has been pried away, but it doesn’t look like any zombies made it in.  I think someone may have spent a night or two in it as shelter is all.  As far as I can tell nothing is missing except maybe some canned goods.

I’m just glad to be home.

Week 51: A Winter Wonderland

We are close to Tallahassee now, probably only 50 more miles to go.  It started snowing just a little while ago.  That is just about unheard of here in the panhandle.

We are traveling east on I-10 and just came across a large horde of zombies all stuck in the cold.  It is almost comical to watch them try to chase us in extreme slow motion.

Brenda and Harvey and I are going to suit up in plastic over our ski suits.  I got an axe, Brenda has her bat and Harvey has two good sized machetes.

We are about to take out some frustration (and cut down the zombie population in the process).  To quote Harvey, “It’s time to thin the herd.”



US Air Force Band & Singing Sergeants - Carol of the Bells

Amazon MP3

Week 51: The Ultimate Man Cave

We found it.  Cletus McCoy’s trailer, complete with backyard shed.  Funny thing is the shed was bigger than the trailer.  And this was no meth lab.  This was mad scientist Frankenstein lab stuff.  Not to mention the secret basement.

The property itself was tucked away in the woods, nice and private.  Judging by the sandbag walls and the equipment that had been abandoned, we could tell that the army (or maybe the secret CDC group) had been there, set up a perimeter, and then had been overrun by zombies.

Let’s just say that the news story about Cletus McCoy being some redneck who really REALLY liked Christmas was bullshit.  Cletus’s method of demise may have been true, though.  There were bear traps littered about and the transformer on the side of the shed had been blown.

Most of the stuff that had been in the shed/lab was gone.  I assume it had been confiscated by the government.  Seems that whoever took the stuff did not find the secret basement. 

The weird thing is that Harold did find the basement.  In fact it only took him five minutes.  Like he knew it was there.  Harold went around the exterior perimeter of the shed, digging in various spots until he uncovered the hatch and went right in.

I think Harold has some explaining to do.

…

Not sure what all Harold took from the basement.  Looked like a lot of tubes, petri dishes and random equipment.  A ruck sack of paperwork and computer hard drives too.  I guess no one told him the power is out.

Fine by me.  All I care about is that we are finally back on our way to Tallahassee.  Maybe it is stupid or maybe it is twisted, but I really want Matthew to be able to visit his mom’s grave by Christmas.  I hope it will give him some closure.

Week 51: A Sidetrack Before Home

Our way has been pretty easy going now that it is so cold out. The hardest part is trying to stay warm at night. At this rate it won’t take us long to reach Tallahassee, except for the fact that Harold wants to make a sidetrack.

He wants to visit a secluded trailer just west of Montgomery. Belongs… or I should say belonged to a man by the name of Cletus McCoy. That is right, THE Cletus McCoy, first documented person infected with Legion.

Harold wants to look for clues; evidence to how this whole thing got started. I have to give it to him, Harold is very motivated to try to find a cure for this thing. I just wonder what price would be too high.

Week 50: Change in Plans

We were half way back to the Army hospital when Harold found us. He had come to warn us not to go back. A group from the CDC had come and taken over the base. By force.

It seems they had heard about Harvey and me. Harold said that we didn’t want to get caught by this branch of the CDC. They were from some secret facility in Peoria, Illinois. Harold said they were the type of people that would make you their property and treat you as such.

So we decided to head back toward Tallahassee. The Army hospital I had been transported to had been located near Tuscaloosa, Alabama, but with any luck we can be there by Christmas.

With Harold’s knowledge and Brenda’s medical training, hopefully we can prevent another lapse of sanity on my part.