Rana (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
frogmajick) wrote2009-06-14 12:00 am
frogmajick) wrote2009-06-14 12:00 am
Entry tags:
Blog Like It's The End Of The World Day: KIDPOCALYPSE
Thank you to everyone who tolerated, read, or ignored my posts for June 13th. The point of the day is to have fun, and I did.
I thought we'd be safe here. Small town doesn't mean much, I guess. Amanda came by just after the sun came up and asked to leave the kids here. Cody almost didn't answer the door, but I made him. Shotgun in hand, he opened the door and the boys got inside, but Amanda...god, I can't even tell you. She knew it was coming, she'd been bitten by Mr. Mahoney as she came around the corner. She's not going to do her practicals like she thought. I guess this means I've got two more kids. And we won't be using the front door. None of us want to step over that mess.
I don't know what we're going to do. Staying here might be the safest option, but there's more resources in the city. The sun isn't very high yet. Maybe daylight will keep them away, but tonight's going to be hell unless we get someplace more secure than here. Maybe the college will have a sanctuary set up, but it's graduation weekend. With all the parents here today, this is going to be hell.
I'll update as I can. Keep yourselves safe.
I got the kids fed and turned on the tv. I figured it would be a good idea to try to keep things as normal as possible for them. The news is on every station. They say it must have something to do with the storm last night, but I don't think they sound all that confident. They're just reporting. I doubt they've even gone outside.
I have.
The air is still. Scary still, like the oppressive weight before the storm yesterday. What makes it so strange is the sky is clear. There's no storm coming. I think the storm is already here. It's just so quiet. I think it's the quiet that's getting to me. No birds. No traffic- since they started work on the interstate we've had non stop big trucks rolling through town since we're the alternate route- and worst, no trains. I know I bitch about the trains, but every half hour BNSF lets me know that no matter what, the world is still rolling along. There hasn't been a train in hours. No trucks, no trains, no birds, no neighbors. There are an asston of cats wandering the streets, though. I wonder if they know something.
Cody's been in the bedroom loading the rifles and shotguns. For the first time in my life, I'm glad he taught our little girl to use the 30-30. I always thought she was too young. With Amanda's kids here, we've got more hands and apparently Harley knows how to handle a rifle. The one Cody gave him is a little bit big (kid is so skinny) but he put it up and sighted it out the window like a pro. Jake gets the bat. I'm better with the pistol than the bigger guns. Trent is too young and I'm trying to figure out how a two year old can be useful. The kid is a champion biter, but don't think that's going to fly.
I can't believe we're going to be facing whatever is coming with an army of children.
I think that around noon we'll go to Liz's house and check on her and her family. They're Mormons and they do that whole thing with food and water, and the tithing, and the whole thing. Cheye is always telling me a new tidbit. Point of that tangent is: Cody and I always said that step one of any apocalypse plan was 'get the guns'. Step 2 was 'find the nearest good Mormon family and go there'. I think all the older boys are out of the house so it's just Liz and her parents. We'll see.
Obviously I have time to sit and write. If this is the last thing I do, I just want everyone to know I love you all and I hope we make it through. If we don't...well, blogging at the end of the universe, right?
We've got shit to do and things are going to hell, and my son won't leave the house without his hair done.
*eyeroll*
Zombies don't care about your fauxhawk, sweetness.
Loaded the kids n the car and brought along the Zombie Survival Guide. I know it's not a serious book, but wtf, right?
Got to Liz's house. Piled all the kids in the car- without regard for a car seat for Trent. I'm thinking it's not the worst danger he'll be in today. Oh, and I'd like to add that any complaints I ever had about this Buick are over. It can hit a deer in the ass and not be dirty, it can murder a bird at 55mph, but you should see what it does to the shambling undead. Liz lives up by the cemetary and there was a group of them blocking the intersection. I...may have sped up. Cody really hates it when I drive. I'm going to have to call my mom later to check in on her...and thank her for buying me new wiper blades.
Liz's dad is gone. He was going to the church or something and when he came back, he wasn't right. That's a nice way to put it. Now he's not right all over the b-ball court in the back yard. He was at the slider and Liz, her mom, and her brother were all useless and afraid. Me and Cody opened the door and pushed him back with a dining room chair until he fell back off the deck. I didn't watch when Cody leaned over the rail and loosed a shotgun blast almost straight down. When we came back in, her mom didn't look so hot. Like call an ambulance not so hot. She shoved Liz and Steven at me and asked me to take care of them. What the hell was I supposed to say other than yes?
I took the keys to the family Suburban. There was no way I was getting 6 kids plus me and Cody in the Buick. Cheye and Harley begged me to go check on Shylee and Chelsee, the twins next door. I think Liz's dad went there first. It was a nightmare mess. The twins climbed out from the basement crawlspace when Cheye hollered for them, so now I have 8. I tell you what...kids are kind of smart when it comes to survival. I'm a fan of the run and hide strategy, and the little ones can get to places adults can't. I keep thinking about Newt in Aliens. I kind of feel like Ripley...without the running around in my underpants.
Make that 10. Eli and Sam.
Make that 11. Lillie. Eleven kids, me and Cody, Tiff and Dusty...and his arsenal. God, I kinda love having a friend who is a prison guard. We've got enough guns and ammo to hold us well, especially if we can find a safe place to hole up. Right now we've got all the kids in the basement at Tiff's. They boys are playing XBox and the girls are playing what I can only assume is 'we are tweens and we hate boys in that way that we totally don't'. Cody and Dusty are talking guns and Tiff and I are loading up food. She suggested we go to her old job and loot the shelves. I'm kinda ok with this idea.
There are a bunch of people staggering around the baseball park. We can see them out the front window. They're just kind of aimless right now, and the sun keeps getting higher. I think it looks like they're making their way to the wooded area, and if I'm right, we'll have some idea of where they'll come from later. You know they're coming later...that's what they do.
I hate this feeling. Like the tension is winding up and there's nothing to do but wait for something bad to happen. Tiff is freaking out. If she doesn't shut up, I'm going to cram a xanax down her throat. I don't want her hyperventilating and holding a .35.
It's noon. We're watching the news and this looks like it's not a local thing. New York, LA, Seatlle, Nashville, Atlanta, Miami, Tokyo, London, Delhi, Moscow. The phenomena is all CNN is covering.
***time passes***
The sun's high overhead and it looked clear out, so we decided to take a chance. There are no tall buildings here, so there's very little shade. Went to the grocery store with Tiff and loaded up on canned goods. We were fine going there and fine while we loaded the cart with beans and chicken and spam and spaghetti-o's and veggies and fruit and all kinds of soda, juices, and water. We got so much that we'll have to be picky about what to take if we leave the house again, but for now we're well stocked. I also grabbed a bag of shit from the medicine aisle. First aid stuff, bandages and things. They didn't have anything really absorbant so I grabbed a few pakages of baby diapers and maxi pads. I don't care who laughs...if we need them, they'll be glad I grabbed them.
I also took a few cartons of cigs. Today is not my Quit Day.
Fine in the store, fine loading up, fine filling the Suburban. Not fine once the doors were closed. Jerry and Mitch were there and they were none too pleased. We think they came from the loading docks...the sun never reaches there. Tiff got Jerry right in the head. Anxiety or not, that bitch can shoot. I dodged Mitch. Alive or undead, he's old and moves like it. Tiff didn't have a clear shot at him so she shot the door to the store. I guess even being affected, he's still got mad love for the store. He turned away from me and moved toward the door. Tiff's next shot put a dime sized hole in the back of his skull and obliterated his face. It was gross. I thought I might feel bad when it came down to it, having to off someone I know. Knew. I thought I'd feel...I don't know. Bad. Guilty. Sad.
I don't.
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violet_quill called me from the road. She was on her way to Atlanta, somewhere in north Georgia, about an hour from home when she screamed. I heard a screech, wet sounding thud, and then a crunch. She said she was off the road and said something about calling her parents to let her know she was by a lake. She said to post to LJ if I could.
There was a snarl and a wet tearing sound.
I think...
Fuck.
Well, we drove up to the college and those dumb sons of bitches went ahead with the graduation ceremony. We didn't stop, but from the street we could see down into Woodward Field and it's the first time in my life I can use the word CARNAGE and mean it. Middle of the day and it was a sea of blood and shuffling bodies, mortarboards and black robes. The stadium holds 10,000, and the field held the graduating class of 2009. I'm guessing we now have about 15,000 zombies who are slowed down by the sun. I'm sure when it's dark, the roving bands of former students in their caps and gown will not be heading for the bars.
It really was a sight to see, gruesome as it was. We were at a safe distance and we could see clearly how the affected move. In the sunlight they're sluggish, but in the end zone where they had the canopy and it was all shaded, they are fast motherfuckers. They go for the neck and face, but will bite pretty much anywhere. Those that get bitten or blood on them drop to the ground, and after only a few minutes, they get back up. We're all going with the idea they are zombies. I hope they have the decency to behave like, and be killed like, zombies.
***
We decided where to go. It probably won't do much but make the wait longer. With me, Tiff, and the kids in the Suburban and Cody and Dusty in the Bronco, we went out to Tiff's parents. It's a good, old farm house and her dad has a shop that's made of cinderblock.
When we got here, it seemed that everyone had the same idea. Tiff's folks, Stina and Andrew with Kayla, Brendan, Maddie, and Payton. Kimmy and Micah with their 3 kids (Nellie is 7 now, she's the oldest), Vickie and her 2, Then John and his girlfriend and Cassie. Tiff's dad has more guns, and the shop...OMG the shop. We are weaponed up, my friends. The Army of Children grows larger.
The shop is pretty secure, too. There's two big windows and the door, and then the roof has ventilation, but Cody and Dusty secured that. We'll post adults up there. Kids will stay down here where it's more secure.
The flaw in the plan is there's no toilet. There's running water, though. And the Ford has a radio. The soundtrack of the apocalypse is Lil' John, Ludacris, and Eminem. Marvelous. I'm almost wishing Marvin's "My truck, My radio" argument had worked. I'd really rather fight for my life while John Mellancamp sings about the struggles of the blue collar American.
We've been busy while there's still daylight. This place is fortified, everyone has a weapon and knows hw to use it, and we're as ready as we'll ever be. We've seen a few lone wanderers, shuffling around looking for food or whatever. Most of them bought it while scope-distance away. We aren't fucking around. One got through, though, while we were all occupied. We didn't even know until the kids started screaming.
A guy in full fishing gear, including hip-waders, shuffled over and before any of us could take a shot, Micah ran up and punched him to get him back away from the kids. Punched him in the mouth. His hand was bleeding and once the neighbor was taken care of, Stina sat down to patch him up. Now, see, Micah is clinically schizophrenic. Half of us were ready to shoot him right there, but Kimmie and Stina blocked the way. Y'know, I think some people might be genetically predisposed to be casualties.
Micah killed Kimmie. He bit Stina on the neck. We shot all three of them and threw them aside. Dusty and Cody and Marvin debated the merits of beheading them all. I came inside...Kimmie did my hair and Stina was my friend. Micah...yeah, they can chop him up and burn him, but the others? I can't bear to watch.
The little kids are either crying or oblivious. I'm so proud of Cheyenne, she's ballsy as hell. Bossy, too. Kayla's older but it's clear that amongst the kids, Cheye is in charge.
We're all in the shop. There's not much to do but wait. There's stuff to build a fire (even though we've stressed you don't set the zombies on fire. You just wind up with flaming zombies). We've got a lot of food and a lot of water and this place is secure.
We've got 20 kids, most of which have something sharp or something blunt. Cheye has a 30-30 and Brendan, little psycho that he is, has one of his grandad's shotguns.
We have 9 adults, 8 if you consider Tiff's mom is useless. She's curled up on the front seat of the Ford. We also have 3 teenagers. Not quite adults, but not kids either. John and Cassie are trying to calm their mom down. Jessica, John's girlfriend, is taking care of the under-two's. The rest of us are gearing up. The kids are too naive to be really scared. I think this might be a good thing.
It's supposed to be Army of Darkness, not Army of Puberty. *sigh*
Sunset.
Here they come.
I can hear them coming from all directions.
And if they don't stop playing that 'get back motherfucker' song, I'm gonna shoot the radio.
On a normal day, the thought of something happening to my kids scares the crap out of me. On a normal day, the thought of a zombie invasion will, honest to god, make me scream and cry.
Today is not a normal day.
Dusty and Marvin are up on the roof. Their strategy is to only shoot the ones who get past the barrier and make it to the door. The windows are broken out, but we've got wood planks nailed up with enough room between to get the barrel of a gun through. It's hot as fuck.
Shit. More later.
***time passes***
I swear...I don't know what possesses some people to do what they do. Cassie and her mom panicked and ran outside. Sam and Eli and Chelsee followed. The hail of gunfire made the babies cry and halfway out, Cassie turned and ran back. She made it. I wish I could say the same for the rest.
The affected have stopped coming for the moment. They're all crowded around the wet heaps of meat that used to be people I cared about. That used to be kids who should have been safe with me. I get that they were scared. I'm scared. Gotta say, though, now that I've seen what these things will do up close? There's no fucking way I'm letting them get to my kids.
You know, how come they never had a movie called Zombies vs. the PTA? Once you got rid of that bossy bitch who's always in charge, I bet the PTA would be a formidable opponent. Not that me or Tiff or Vickie are really PTA material. I mean, I can't do a bake sale to save my life and school carnivals can bite me, but moms against zombies when the lives of the kids are at stake? Better odds than Vegas, that's for damn sure.
***time passes***
Cheyenne shot some graduate in the face and she didn't even flinch. She did say 'eww' when it was done and dead. Jake clapped and did a little 'you rule' dance. He loves her so much.
There was a noise on the roof and Cody went up to see if the guys need help. Andrew offered to go. Poor guy, these aren't his kids or his family, but he's sticking it out and fighting like a champ. He reminds me of Captain Awesome...if Awesome was perma-stoned.
***time passes***
Cody's dead. I haven't told Cheye or Jake yet. He was up on the roof and the bodies below are piling up. One of the fuckers jumped up and caught his ankle. He got pulled over the edge. I don't know if they ate him or just bit him, but either way...he's dead.
***time passes***
They know we're in here and they just keep coming. Isn't there anyplace else with people holed up that they could attack? God, I can't believe we have the graduating class of 2009 trying to eat us. Shouldn't they be out doing resumes and CV's and trying to use their degrees? I suppose they would be if they weren't dead.
Shit, speak of the devil. Mr. Magna Cum Laude is beating on the door.
***time passes***
Cheyenne has gone through a box and a half of shells. Brendan's gone through the same. Harley has only used a half, but he's hitting everyone he aims at. Thing. Everything.
It's getting darker. Soon we won't be able to see them coming. Dusty said as soon as he can't see to take a shot, he's going to light the perimeter fire. Yeah, we might get some shambling undead engulfed in flames, but we'll be able to see. That reminds me...David Sedaris was supposed to be in town today. Wonder if he's affected?
***time passes***
Fire is lit. This afternoon we piled scrap wood, fire wood, and pretty much everything around the farm that would burn all around the shop. They've been crawling over it to get to us and there are dead bodies all over it now, but the guys put some kind of accelerant on it or in it and now it's burning. The bodies burn well. I don't want to think about it. It smells like camping and barbecue. I always thought zombies would, you know, stink. Like rotting flesh or putrid meat. Most of them look like they came from Woodward Field, so they just smell like...steak.
***time passes***
I can't quit laughing. I've been laughing so hard I have tears streaking the dirt on my cheeks. This is so unbelievable. It can't be real. It can't be.
***time passes***
Better now. I pulled my shit together about the time I saw Cody. He was coming for the door. Someone, probably Dusty, took care of the problem. Of course, now the kids know.
Kayla got grabbed. A fist busted through the planks at her window and the fingers closed around her skinny arm. The kids were screaming. Kayla was crying. It was terrifying all around. And then Shylee, Jake (!!!) and Andrew all were there with axes and machetes. I'm surprised no one got anything hacked off. Well, except that arm. We set it up to the roof and Marvin chucked it out to the fire. Kayla's okay. No scratches at all.
***time passes***
Every time there's a lull I come back to this and try to write up what's happened. I'm getting tired. I mean, really tired. I'm hot and sweaty, I have to pee, the kids are huddled in the back and Jessica's fed them and is telling them stories. For now it's kind of quiet, but I can hear-
***
Holy fuck, it was dogs. Son of a bitching motherfucking DOGS! There was a pack of them and they started tearing the shit out of the zombies. It was awful. It sounded like...I don't know...like hyenas fighting over a kill on some PBS special. Fighting over a kill that howls and screams and fights back.
I wonder if dogs can get this. Just what we need. Zombie dogs.
***time passes***
Yep. Dogs can get it. I hope that doesn't happen again.
***time passes***
Another hand came through the window. This time Trent was there and he bit it. We all froze. The kid is a biter. He's bitten me and Cheye and Jake and Harley and Amanda and, like, every kid at day care. We all just froze. He's only two. I know what we were all thinking and none of us wanted to have to be to one to take care of him.
I don't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing that that hand grabbed hold of him and pulled him out the gap in the planks.
We've nailed up a new one.
***time passes***
It's full on dark now. There are so many dead near the shop that they make it hard for the others to reach the door or windows. I can't believe we've barricaded ourselves inside this place and fortified it with the bodies of the enemy. The fire line is still burning. They're still coming, but mostly they're standing out there and they're howling or singing or someth-
They're chanting. This can't be good.
I just saw lightning.
Aaand there's the thunder.
It's over.
It's over here, at least.
Lighting and thunder, hail the size of a quarter falling hard. After that came the rain. I thought they moved slowly in the sunlight, but this was crazy. If I had to guess, I'd say the rain confused them. It confused them enough that they stood still and we could count them. When they weren't moving around, it was easier to tell just how many there were. They were chanting the whole time, like a prayer to keep the rain awake. FYI, nothing out there listens to zombie prayers.
All of us who could fire the guns grabbed one and opened up. It wasn't long until they were all on the ground. Good thing, too, because I noticed we're running low on ammo. They weren't all completely dead (he's only mostly dead, heh...shut up, I'm fucking tired) and the kids...
The kids.
The kids have been trapped in here in the heat and the noise, with the fear and the hysteria. They're all ready to explode. So I looked at Tiff and she looked at Vickie and she looked at me and that's all there was to it. We gave the kids machetes and old leaf springs and shovels and axes and hatchets and let them go to town. Don't get scratched, don't get bitten. They aren't people.
10 kids old enough to wield the weapons running (don't run with that, you'll trip and put your eye out!) from body to body, hacking off heads. They made it a game. A really, really morbid game. As the kids took care of that, Dusty, Andrew, and Marvin carted bodies to the fire and added some Coleman fuel or gasoline or kerosene or whatever it is that is rain resistant. Shit went up like you wouldn't believe. It's going to be burning until morning...and then some.
We're getting cleaned up tonight and then sleeping in the house. We're going to do guard duty. God, you know, we used to talk about this kind of thing for hours sitting in Denny's all night drinking coffee and shooting the shit. I never thought idle conversation and role playing games would ever really need to be used in real life.
I'm so tired. If we make it through the night, tomorrow during the day we're loading up the trucks and heading for the hills. Cheye and Brendan and Harley all have bruised shoulders. Dusty is taking care of them. He's a good dad. I don't think he ever expected to have this many kids, though.
Now that it's all over, I'm putting the computer away and we're all going to go eat, drink, and put a serious dent in one of these cartons of cigs. And then sleep.
Maybe.
I think I heard something.
I thought we'd be safe here. Small town doesn't mean much, I guess. Amanda came by just after the sun came up and asked to leave the kids here. Cody almost didn't answer the door, but I made him. Shotgun in hand, he opened the door and the boys got inside, but Amanda...god, I can't even tell you. She knew it was coming, she'd been bitten by Mr. Mahoney as she came around the corner. She's not going to do her practicals like she thought. I guess this means I've got two more kids. And we won't be using the front door. None of us want to step over that mess.
I don't know what we're going to do. Staying here might be the safest option, but there's more resources in the city. The sun isn't very high yet. Maybe daylight will keep them away, but tonight's going to be hell unless we get someplace more secure than here. Maybe the college will have a sanctuary set up, but it's graduation weekend. With all the parents here today, this is going to be hell.
I'll update as I can. Keep yourselves safe.
I got the kids fed and turned on the tv. I figured it would be a good idea to try to keep things as normal as possible for them. The news is on every station. They say it must have something to do with the storm last night, but I don't think they sound all that confident. They're just reporting. I doubt they've even gone outside.
I have.
The air is still. Scary still, like the oppressive weight before the storm yesterday. What makes it so strange is the sky is clear. There's no storm coming. I think the storm is already here. It's just so quiet. I think it's the quiet that's getting to me. No birds. No traffic- since they started work on the interstate we've had non stop big trucks rolling through town since we're the alternate route- and worst, no trains. I know I bitch about the trains, but every half hour BNSF lets me know that no matter what, the world is still rolling along. There hasn't been a train in hours. No trucks, no trains, no birds, no neighbors. There are an asston of cats wandering the streets, though. I wonder if they know something.
Cody's been in the bedroom loading the rifles and shotguns. For the first time in my life, I'm glad he taught our little girl to use the 30-30. I always thought she was too young. With Amanda's kids here, we've got more hands and apparently Harley knows how to handle a rifle. The one Cody gave him is a little bit big (kid is so skinny) but he put it up and sighted it out the window like a pro. Jake gets the bat. I'm better with the pistol than the bigger guns. Trent is too young and I'm trying to figure out how a two year old can be useful. The kid is a champion biter, but don't think that's going to fly.
I can't believe we're going to be facing whatever is coming with an army of children.
I think that around noon we'll go to Liz's house and check on her and her family. They're Mormons and they do that whole thing with food and water, and the tithing, and the whole thing. Cheye is always telling me a new tidbit. Point of that tangent is: Cody and I always said that step one of any apocalypse plan was 'get the guns'. Step 2 was 'find the nearest good Mormon family and go there'. I think all the older boys are out of the house so it's just Liz and her parents. We'll see.
Obviously I have time to sit and write. If this is the last thing I do, I just want everyone to know I love you all and I hope we make it through. If we don't...well, blogging at the end of the universe, right?
We've got shit to do and things are going to hell, and my son won't leave the house without his hair done.
*eyeroll*
Zombies don't care about your fauxhawk, sweetness.
Loaded the kids n the car and brought along the Zombie Survival Guide. I know it's not a serious book, but wtf, right?
Got to Liz's house. Piled all the kids in the car- without regard for a car seat for Trent. I'm thinking it's not the worst danger he'll be in today. Oh, and I'd like to add that any complaints I ever had about this Buick are over. It can hit a deer in the ass and not be dirty, it can murder a bird at 55mph, but you should see what it does to the shambling undead. Liz lives up by the cemetary and there was a group of them blocking the intersection. I...may have sped up. Cody really hates it when I drive. I'm going to have to call my mom later to check in on her...and thank her for buying me new wiper blades.
Liz's dad is gone. He was going to the church or something and when he came back, he wasn't right. That's a nice way to put it. Now he's not right all over the b-ball court in the back yard. He was at the slider and Liz, her mom, and her brother were all useless and afraid. Me and Cody opened the door and pushed him back with a dining room chair until he fell back off the deck. I didn't watch when Cody leaned over the rail and loosed a shotgun blast almost straight down. When we came back in, her mom didn't look so hot. Like call an ambulance not so hot. She shoved Liz and Steven at me and asked me to take care of them. What the hell was I supposed to say other than yes?
I took the keys to the family Suburban. There was no way I was getting 6 kids plus me and Cody in the Buick. Cheye and Harley begged me to go check on Shylee and Chelsee, the twins next door. I think Liz's dad went there first. It was a nightmare mess. The twins climbed out from the basement crawlspace when Cheye hollered for them, so now I have 8. I tell you what...kids are kind of smart when it comes to survival. I'm a fan of the run and hide strategy, and the little ones can get to places adults can't. I keep thinking about Newt in Aliens. I kind of feel like Ripley...without the running around in my underpants.
Make that 10. Eli and Sam.
Make that 11. Lillie. Eleven kids, me and Cody, Tiff and Dusty...and his arsenal. God, I kinda love having a friend who is a prison guard. We've got enough guns and ammo to hold us well, especially if we can find a safe place to hole up. Right now we've got all the kids in the basement at Tiff's. They boys are playing XBox and the girls are playing what I can only assume is 'we are tweens and we hate boys in that way that we totally don't'. Cody and Dusty are talking guns and Tiff and I are loading up food. She suggested we go to her old job and loot the shelves. I'm kinda ok with this idea.
There are a bunch of people staggering around the baseball park. We can see them out the front window. They're just kind of aimless right now, and the sun keeps getting higher. I think it looks like they're making their way to the wooded area, and if I'm right, we'll have some idea of where they'll come from later. You know they're coming later...that's what they do.
I hate this feeling. Like the tension is winding up and there's nothing to do but wait for something bad to happen. Tiff is freaking out. If she doesn't shut up, I'm going to cram a xanax down her throat. I don't want her hyperventilating and holding a .35.
It's noon. We're watching the news and this looks like it's not a local thing. New York, LA, Seatlle, Nashville, Atlanta, Miami, Tokyo, London, Delhi, Moscow. The phenomena is all CNN is covering.
***time passes***
The sun's high overhead and it looked clear out, so we decided to take a chance. There are no tall buildings here, so there's very little shade. Went to the grocery store with Tiff and loaded up on canned goods. We were fine going there and fine while we loaded the cart with beans and chicken and spam and spaghetti-o's and veggies and fruit and all kinds of soda, juices, and water. We got so much that we'll have to be picky about what to take if we leave the house again, but for now we're well stocked. I also grabbed a bag of shit from the medicine aisle. First aid stuff, bandages and things. They didn't have anything really absorbant so I grabbed a few pakages of baby diapers and maxi pads. I don't care who laughs...if we need them, they'll be glad I grabbed them.
I also took a few cartons of cigs. Today is not my Quit Day.
Fine in the store, fine loading up, fine filling the Suburban. Not fine once the doors were closed. Jerry and Mitch were there and they were none too pleased. We think they came from the loading docks...the sun never reaches there. Tiff got Jerry right in the head. Anxiety or not, that bitch can shoot. I dodged Mitch. Alive or undead, he's old and moves like it. Tiff didn't have a clear shot at him so she shot the door to the store. I guess even being affected, he's still got mad love for the store. He turned away from me and moved toward the door. Tiff's next shot put a dime sized hole in the back of his skull and obliterated his face. It was gross. I thought I might feel bad when it came down to it, having to off someone I know. Knew. I thought I'd feel...I don't know. Bad. Guilty. Sad.
I don't.
violet_quill called me from the road. She was on her way to Atlanta, somewhere in north Georgia, about an hour from home when she screamed. I heard a screech, wet sounding thud, and then a crunch. She said she was off the road and said something about calling her parents to let her know she was by a lake. She said to post to LJ if I could.There was a snarl and a wet tearing sound.
I think...
Fuck.
Well, we drove up to the college and those dumb sons of bitches went ahead with the graduation ceremony. We didn't stop, but from the street we could see down into Woodward Field and it's the first time in my life I can use the word CARNAGE and mean it. Middle of the day and it was a sea of blood and shuffling bodies, mortarboards and black robes. The stadium holds 10,000, and the field held the graduating class of 2009. I'm guessing we now have about 15,000 zombies who are slowed down by the sun. I'm sure when it's dark, the roving bands of former students in their caps and gown will not be heading for the bars.
It really was a sight to see, gruesome as it was. We were at a safe distance and we could see clearly how the affected move. In the sunlight they're sluggish, but in the end zone where they had the canopy and it was all shaded, they are fast motherfuckers. They go for the neck and face, but will bite pretty much anywhere. Those that get bitten or blood on them drop to the ground, and after only a few minutes, they get back up. We're all going with the idea they are zombies. I hope they have the decency to behave like, and be killed like, zombies.
***
We decided where to go. It probably won't do much but make the wait longer. With me, Tiff, and the kids in the Suburban and Cody and Dusty in the Bronco, we went out to Tiff's parents. It's a good, old farm house and her dad has a shop that's made of cinderblock.
When we got here, it seemed that everyone had the same idea. Tiff's folks, Stina and Andrew with Kayla, Brendan, Maddie, and Payton. Kimmy and Micah with their 3 kids (Nellie is 7 now, she's the oldest), Vickie and her 2, Then John and his girlfriend and Cassie. Tiff's dad has more guns, and the shop...OMG the shop. We are weaponed up, my friends. The Army of Children grows larger.
The shop is pretty secure, too. There's two big windows and the door, and then the roof has ventilation, but Cody and Dusty secured that. We'll post adults up there. Kids will stay down here where it's more secure.
The flaw in the plan is there's no toilet. There's running water, though. And the Ford has a radio. The soundtrack of the apocalypse is Lil' John, Ludacris, and Eminem. Marvelous. I'm almost wishing Marvin's "My truck, My radio" argument had worked. I'd really rather fight for my life while John Mellancamp sings about the struggles of the blue collar American.
We've been busy while there's still daylight. This place is fortified, everyone has a weapon and knows hw to use it, and we're as ready as we'll ever be. We've seen a few lone wanderers, shuffling around looking for food or whatever. Most of them bought it while scope-distance away. We aren't fucking around. One got through, though, while we were all occupied. We didn't even know until the kids started screaming.
A guy in full fishing gear, including hip-waders, shuffled over and before any of us could take a shot, Micah ran up and punched him to get him back away from the kids. Punched him in the mouth. His hand was bleeding and once the neighbor was taken care of, Stina sat down to patch him up. Now, see, Micah is clinically schizophrenic. Half of us were ready to shoot him right there, but Kimmie and Stina blocked the way. Y'know, I think some people might be genetically predisposed to be casualties.
Micah killed Kimmie. He bit Stina on the neck. We shot all three of them and threw them aside. Dusty and Cody and Marvin debated the merits of beheading them all. I came inside...Kimmie did my hair and Stina was my friend. Micah...yeah, they can chop him up and burn him, but the others? I can't bear to watch.
The little kids are either crying or oblivious. I'm so proud of Cheyenne, she's ballsy as hell. Bossy, too. Kayla's older but it's clear that amongst the kids, Cheye is in charge.
We're all in the shop. There's not much to do but wait. There's stuff to build a fire (even though we've stressed you don't set the zombies on fire. You just wind up with flaming zombies). We've got a lot of food and a lot of water and this place is secure.
We've got 20 kids, most of which have something sharp or something blunt. Cheye has a 30-30 and Brendan, little psycho that he is, has one of his grandad's shotguns.
We have 9 adults, 8 if you consider Tiff's mom is useless. She's curled up on the front seat of the Ford. We also have 3 teenagers. Not quite adults, but not kids either. John and Cassie are trying to calm their mom down. Jessica, John's girlfriend, is taking care of the under-two's. The rest of us are gearing up. The kids are too naive to be really scared. I think this might be a good thing.
It's supposed to be Army of Darkness, not Army of Puberty. *sigh*
Sunset.
Here they come.
I can hear them coming from all directions.
And if they don't stop playing that 'get back motherfucker' song, I'm gonna shoot the radio.
On a normal day, the thought of something happening to my kids scares the crap out of me. On a normal day, the thought of a zombie invasion will, honest to god, make me scream and cry.
Today is not a normal day.
Dusty and Marvin are up on the roof. Their strategy is to only shoot the ones who get past the barrier and make it to the door. The windows are broken out, but we've got wood planks nailed up with enough room between to get the barrel of a gun through. It's hot as fuck.
Shit. More later.
***time passes***
I swear...I don't know what possesses some people to do what they do. Cassie and her mom panicked and ran outside. Sam and Eli and Chelsee followed. The hail of gunfire made the babies cry and halfway out, Cassie turned and ran back. She made it. I wish I could say the same for the rest.
The affected have stopped coming for the moment. They're all crowded around the wet heaps of meat that used to be people I cared about. That used to be kids who should have been safe with me. I get that they were scared. I'm scared. Gotta say, though, now that I've seen what these things will do up close? There's no fucking way I'm letting them get to my kids.
You know, how come they never had a movie called Zombies vs. the PTA? Once you got rid of that bossy bitch who's always in charge, I bet the PTA would be a formidable opponent. Not that me or Tiff or Vickie are really PTA material. I mean, I can't do a bake sale to save my life and school carnivals can bite me, but moms against zombies when the lives of the kids are at stake? Better odds than Vegas, that's for damn sure.
***time passes***
Cheyenne shot some graduate in the face and she didn't even flinch. She did say 'eww' when it was done and dead. Jake clapped and did a little 'you rule' dance. He loves her so much.
There was a noise on the roof and Cody went up to see if the guys need help. Andrew offered to go. Poor guy, these aren't his kids or his family, but he's sticking it out and fighting like a champ. He reminds me of Captain Awesome...if Awesome was perma-stoned.
***time passes***
Cody's dead. I haven't told Cheye or Jake yet. He was up on the roof and the bodies below are piling up. One of the fuckers jumped up and caught his ankle. He got pulled over the edge. I don't know if they ate him or just bit him, but either way...he's dead.
***time passes***
They know we're in here and they just keep coming. Isn't there anyplace else with people holed up that they could attack? God, I can't believe we have the graduating class of 2009 trying to eat us. Shouldn't they be out doing resumes and CV's and trying to use their degrees? I suppose they would be if they weren't dead.
Shit, speak of the devil. Mr. Magna Cum Laude is beating on the door.
***time passes***
Cheyenne has gone through a box and a half of shells. Brendan's gone through the same. Harley has only used a half, but he's hitting everyone he aims at. Thing. Everything.
It's getting darker. Soon we won't be able to see them coming. Dusty said as soon as he can't see to take a shot, he's going to light the perimeter fire. Yeah, we might get some shambling undead engulfed in flames, but we'll be able to see. That reminds me...David Sedaris was supposed to be in town today. Wonder if he's affected?
***time passes***
Fire is lit. This afternoon we piled scrap wood, fire wood, and pretty much everything around the farm that would burn all around the shop. They've been crawling over it to get to us and there are dead bodies all over it now, but the guys put some kind of accelerant on it or in it and now it's burning. The bodies burn well. I don't want to think about it. It smells like camping and barbecue. I always thought zombies would, you know, stink. Like rotting flesh or putrid meat. Most of them look like they came from Woodward Field, so they just smell like...steak.
***time passes***
I can't quit laughing. I've been laughing so hard I have tears streaking the dirt on my cheeks. This is so unbelievable. It can't be real. It can't be.
***time passes***
Better now. I pulled my shit together about the time I saw Cody. He was coming for the door. Someone, probably Dusty, took care of the problem. Of course, now the kids know.
Kayla got grabbed. A fist busted through the planks at her window and the fingers closed around her skinny arm. The kids were screaming. Kayla was crying. It was terrifying all around. And then Shylee, Jake (!!!) and Andrew all were there with axes and machetes. I'm surprised no one got anything hacked off. Well, except that arm. We set it up to the roof and Marvin chucked it out to the fire. Kayla's okay. No scratches at all.
***time passes***
Every time there's a lull I come back to this and try to write up what's happened. I'm getting tired. I mean, really tired. I'm hot and sweaty, I have to pee, the kids are huddled in the back and Jessica's fed them and is telling them stories. For now it's kind of quiet, but I can hear-
***
Holy fuck, it was dogs. Son of a bitching motherfucking DOGS! There was a pack of them and they started tearing the shit out of the zombies. It was awful. It sounded like...I don't know...like hyenas fighting over a kill on some PBS special. Fighting over a kill that howls and screams and fights back.
I wonder if dogs can get this. Just what we need. Zombie dogs.
***time passes***
Yep. Dogs can get it. I hope that doesn't happen again.
***time passes***
Another hand came through the window. This time Trent was there and he bit it. We all froze. The kid is a biter. He's bitten me and Cheye and Jake and Harley and Amanda and, like, every kid at day care. We all just froze. He's only two. I know what we were all thinking and none of us wanted to have to be to one to take care of him.
I don't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing that that hand grabbed hold of him and pulled him out the gap in the planks.
We've nailed up a new one.
***time passes***
It's full on dark now. There are so many dead near the shop that they make it hard for the others to reach the door or windows. I can't believe we've barricaded ourselves inside this place and fortified it with the bodies of the enemy. The fire line is still burning. They're still coming, but mostly they're standing out there and they're howling or singing or someth-
They're chanting. This can't be good.
I just saw lightning.
Aaand there's the thunder.
It's over.
It's over here, at least.
Lighting and thunder, hail the size of a quarter falling hard. After that came the rain. I thought they moved slowly in the sunlight, but this was crazy. If I had to guess, I'd say the rain confused them. It confused them enough that they stood still and we could count them. When they weren't moving around, it was easier to tell just how many there were. They were chanting the whole time, like a prayer to keep the rain awake. FYI, nothing out there listens to zombie prayers.
All of us who could fire the guns grabbed one and opened up. It wasn't long until they were all on the ground. Good thing, too, because I noticed we're running low on ammo. They weren't all completely dead (he's only mostly dead, heh...shut up, I'm fucking tired) and the kids...
The kids.
The kids have been trapped in here in the heat and the noise, with the fear and the hysteria. They're all ready to explode. So I looked at Tiff and she looked at Vickie and she looked at me and that's all there was to it. We gave the kids machetes and old leaf springs and shovels and axes and hatchets and let them go to town. Don't get scratched, don't get bitten. They aren't people.
10 kids old enough to wield the weapons running (don't run with that, you'll trip and put your eye out!) from body to body, hacking off heads. They made it a game. A really, really morbid game. As the kids took care of that, Dusty, Andrew, and Marvin carted bodies to the fire and added some Coleman fuel or gasoline or kerosene or whatever it is that is rain resistant. Shit went up like you wouldn't believe. It's going to be burning until morning...and then some.
We're getting cleaned up tonight and then sleeping in the house. We're going to do guard duty. God, you know, we used to talk about this kind of thing for hours sitting in Denny's all night drinking coffee and shooting the shit. I never thought idle conversation and role playing games would ever really need to be used in real life.
I'm so tired. If we make it through the night, tomorrow during the day we're loading up the trucks and heading for the hills. Cheye and Brendan and Harley all have bruised shoulders. Dusty is taking care of them. He's a good dad. I don't think he ever expected to have this many kids, though.
Now that it's all over, I'm putting the computer away and we're all going to go eat, drink, and put a serious dent in one of these cartons of cigs. And then sleep.
Maybe.
I think I heard something.