Monday, January 30, 2012
On The Farm
Hey, Roger - I feel guilt about how good our situation is considering what you've been through. Dale and Rhonda have been great hosts. There are 30 people here (not including us) and they worked their asses off this last year raising animals, gardens and fruit. We have been eating like kings.
The main house is huge as D & R have 6 children (all grown up now). Once the news started about people turning into the walking dead they immediately started stocking up. Dale was always a fan of the zombie movies and books so he jumped right in with both feet. He contacted the 2 farms in the area and they made a plan. They gathered any friends and relatives they could and went shopping. Between the 3 farms they had pigs, cows, chickens, gardens, fruit trees and 2000 acres. Rhonda said the 3 farms are housing at least 100 people. Because they are so remote they haven't had much zombie activity. The problem was early on when they were making trips out to gather supplies and zombies would follow them back, so they ended up loosing a few people until they got wise to what they were dealing with.
They have been keeping us busy learning how to use a wood burning stove (I made a loaf of bread yesterday!), churning butter, making cheese and preserving meat. They turned their basement into a cold storage area for when warmer weather comes.
Since room in the house is kind of tight Sarah, her son Danny, Karen and I are sleeping in one of the RV's that we stored in one of the pole barns and Matt, Jacob and Greg are sleeping in the other RV, the rest are staying in the house.
It's been good sharing our experiences with other people. We all have dinner together as a group and after dinner we take turns sharing our stories. It's all been quite a learning experience.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
A Place for the Winter
We finally found survivors - I should say they found us. We were on Hwy 43 heading towards I-90, the going was very slow as it had been snowing on and off for a few days. As we were getting ready to stop for the night we saw a vehicle coming our way so we had a quick meeting and it was decided that Matt and I would continue and the rest would stay put until it was safe.
As we got closer we saw a man and a woman in the vehicle, they stopped, we stopped and got out to say "Hi". Dale and Rhonda leapt out of their vehicle and started hugging us and asking if we were okay and how many people were in our group and twenty other questions coming at us so fast neither one of us could talk. We gave them a very fast introduction to our group as the snow was coming down real heavy at this point. They had us follow them. We got off on a side road and drove for about 8 miles, then turned off on another road and drove a few more miles until we came to the driveway of a farm. It was truly amazing, as we pulled up people started coming out of the house, barn and a few other buildings that were on the property, they were all really excited to see us. They had us pull our vehicles into the pole barn so they would be protected from the snow storm and got us all into the house.
Roger, I will give more details later. We have been kept really busy helping with "chores" and getting to know everyone. We all wish you were with us - this place is incredible!
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Still Nothing
We have been very slowly making our way across Hwy 50 towards Lake Geneva and we still haven't seen any survivors. I think if we go down side roads our chances would be better, but nobody wants to risk it, for now anyway.
I finally found out why everyone has been so weird around me - they have been waiting for me to turn into a zombie! Sarah finally told me what happened while I was sick with the flu. Apparently I was so bad at one point my heart stopped beating for a short time, they did CPR and got me back. They all freaked out since technically I was dead and now they have all been watching my every move to see if I do anything strange. Sarah said they all agreed that if I made it a month and nothing bad happened to me they would consider me "safe" and everyone would relax. I really don't know how I feel about all this - I guess I see their point, how long do you have to be dead before the zombie thing starts. Does heart stopping count or do you have to be brain dead too? I guess I'm lucky they didn't do away with me completely! I told Sarah that I really appreciated her being honest with me and I would just continue on like I didn't know what was up - I just don't want this getting stranger than what it already is. Sunday, January 1, 2012
The New Year
We have been working our way west on Hwy 50. We happened upon an RV dealership and picked up 2 RV's - we have plenty of room now. It's very exciting to have beds, kitchens and bathrooms with us! (we love propane!)
We haven't come across any survivors yet - we have been checking out some of the small towns we've been going through. There are lots of farms through this area so we are going to check these out. I figure if people are going to congregate they will do so on a farm, back to basics and self-sufficiency.
Now that we are on the move we are seeing a lot of destruction - homes and business have been destroyed. We were so secluded before, we only saw what was around us, now we are seeing it all on a larger scale.
Everyone has been a bit cautious around me since we've been on the move again - they keep asking me how I'm feeling and If I want to stop and rest. I understand that they are concerned because of how sick I was, but they keep staring at me like I've grown a second head or something. When I get a chance I'm going to find out what that's all about.
Wishing all of us a better New Year - Happy 2015.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Feeling Better
I just wanted to let you know that I am still among the living. They all did a real good job of taking care of me. They won't give me any details other than to say that there were a few zombies hanging around and they had to blast them. (I have a feeling there was more to it than that but, for now, they are all sticking to that story.)
We were able to have a little Christmas celebration today. When they were at Walgreen's getting medication for me they picked up some puzzles, games and candy for the kids. We sat around and told our favorite Christmas traditions. That life seems like a distant dream now.
We've had a little bit of snow - nothing major. The plan is to get back on the road in a day or two.
Roger, I hope you, Shawn and Corey are having a good Christmas and to let you know that we are all thinking of you guys. May we all find some peace in the new year.
Sunday, December 11, 2011Monday, December 5, 2011
Good News, Bad News
We found a motel at the corner of I-94 and Hwy 50. The sign on the door said they were closed due to a family illness and the sign was dated January 3rd. (gee, I wonder what the illness was?)
So we broke into the managers office and took all the room keys. We checked out 6 rooms and they were fine so we divided up and unloaded some supplies from the vehicles. We set-up one as a common room for meals. We had a good hot meal and were really excited about sleeping in real beds as we had been sleeping on floors for almost a year. The next morning I woke up sick - I had the flu. It just figures that I would get the flu now when I never had the flu before (never even had a flu shot) There was a Walgreen's next door, so they sent a team over there to grab whatever they could to help me. I am still not too good yet, but I think the worst is over. I figure it will be several more days before I'm good enough to travel. So far nobody else has gotten sick - just keep your fingers crossed.
Relapse
i am really sick nothing is helping. i survive almost a year of zombies and it's the flu thats going to kill me.everyone is beingsupportive but i want then to move on im holdingthem back.they keep teling me everythng is ok but i keep hearing gunfire.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Pleasant Prairie Wasn't
Okay, so there is a Timberland store at the Pleasant Prairie Mall, it's an outside mall so I figured it wouldn't be too difficult to get winter gear from there. Also, this zombie thing began in the winter, so they should still have some winter stock. We drove around the parking lot, there were some vehicles, but we didn't see any movement. We backed the vehicles up to the door, got out and found the doors unlocked. Me, Matt, Jacob and Greg went in first to make sure the store was safe - it wasn't. Zombies started coming out the back of the store, we started shooting - we got 10 of them. As we continued to go through the store we heard shouting from outside. Apparently our gunfire attracted more zombies and they began spilling out of the other stores. So we had Sarah, Danny, Lynn and Julie get in the store and Louie, Paul and Karen grabbed their guns and joined the rest of us as we created a perimeter around the vehicles and the front of the store. Luckily Matt and Greg had Louie between them as they had to cover for him - Louie is a bad shot. When we were done the zombie count was at 60. Matt, Greg and Karen stayed outside on lookout while the rest of us grabbed what we could of clothing and boots. Greg spotted a van in the lot so he went over to check it out, nothing was inside and the keys were on the floor. It's a real nice 11 passenger van. We removed the back bench to have more room for storage.
We need to find a place to get some rest, none of us have slept much in the last 3 days.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Heading North
We were all so glad to finally hear from you. We started moving North 2 days ago when we noticed zombie movement. It's like they've had a communal call to arms.
We were staying in the Waukegan Oriental Store. It's a small stand alone store made of cinder block and had only one window in the front. The store had never been pillaged so it worked out great for us. (except for the smell of rotted sushi) The blazer and truck are now loaded with 12 50lb bags of rice, lots of canned meat (we left the canned squid - nobody was to keen on the idea of eating that) chili paste with garlic, canned vegetables and cases of bottled water. I'm hoping we will have the opportunity to use the rice to barter with someday.
We have had a casualty, John got bit during the attack. He showed Matt and I the injury after we had gotten settled in the store. He didn't want anyone to freak out, so we kept it quiet. He asked Matt and I to kill him before he turned, so the three of us left to check out the gun shop that was nearby. The store had been ransacked, but we managed to find one gun we could use, a few knives and some ammo. When we were done we went behind the store, said our goodbyes and then Matt and I both fired at him so that neither one of us had to bear the burden of killing him. John was incredibly brave. Matt and I spent a few minutes discussing what story we would tell the others . . . . we decided the truth was best. Everyone was real upset when we told them what had happened to John and what his wishes were. Once they had a chance to process the situation it was understood that there really is no other way to handle a zombie bite. Thank God John was able to be an example for the rest of us.
We are currently on I-94 heading towards Kenosha. We are going to need winter gear soon so that is next on our list.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Roger, are you there?
I'm still a bit hazy on some of the details, but I do remember a truck smashing through our perimeter fence and zombies swarming in. Matt and I started running to the hallway with the intention of securing the perimeter. We heard gunshots and saw the hallway door bursting open. George and Kyle (from the truck) were clawing their way in along with a huge number of zombies. We just started shooting at everything that moved. I know you, Shawn and Corey joined us at some point. As bodies went down we kept shooting at the heads that were appearing over the top of the pile. We ended up with a wall of dead zombies, no more coming in and no one going out. I heard someone shout "Get everybody to the vehicles!" We all ran to the garage and started loading the truck and van. I got in to drive the truck, Sarah and Danny were in the passenger side, Matt and Paul got in the back and the rest got in the van. As you and Shawn opened the garage door I jumped on the accelerator and got the hell out of there. When I looked back you and Shawn were closing the door, I choked back a scream because I didn't want Danny to get anymore freaked out than what he was already, but please know there was no way any of us wanted to leave you both behind. Matt and Paul fired away as I sped the truck through a sea of zombies. Greg was driving the van and managed to stay with me, although I don't know how he managed it, the truck was bouncing all over the place as we drove over bodies. The front end of the truck was tossing zombies around everywhere, the windshield was getting covered in zombie slime. Once we got half a mile out the zombie horde started to thin out and I just kept driving until we didn't see anymore for several miles. We stopped, did a head count and realized that Corey and Justin weren't with us, please tell me they are with you and Shawn. Once we checked for injuries and cleaned up the windows we got back in the vehicles and proceeded on. There are 12 of us. We have a few issues we need to deal with soon, but we are holed up in a safe place for now.
We are all anxiously waiting to hear from you.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Better Now
Hi, it's Heidi, since my last post things went down hill fast. I stopped sleeping - the panic I felt about experiencing those nightmares . . . let's just say I was starting to hallucinate. Shawn and Roger had a talk with me and they decided to take me off duty for a few days. They set me up in a small office space with some sleeping pills and even though I was real aggitated about sleeping they promised not to leave me alone while I was out. During my 48 hour sleep I remember being woken up for broth, tea, vitamins and to use the bathroom. When I woke up the 3rd day on my own they brought me some powdered scrambled eggs. I am feeling much better now.
Shawn, Roger, Matt and I had a long conversation about our situation here. We are safe, secure and we have plenty of supplies, but for me it feels like a prison and Matt agreed. We both want to move on - we will never know what possibilities exist for the future unless we start searching.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Heidi's Nightmares
I've not been feeling well lately. Matt and I have been doing 16 hour shifts on the roof for the last few weeks and I have been having nightmares. The sleep deprivation has caused this fog in my brain which is creating a feeling of doom.
The nightmares all involve zombie attacks and my getting bitten, lots of blood, missing arms, legs, screaming. Sometimes I'm being chased, trip and fall, other times it's a surprise attack like the one I had in the school bathroom. I wake up in a cold sweat and can't go back to sleep. I won't talk to anyone about this because I don't want to freak people out - I can't shake this feeling that this is how I'm going to die.
I need to get back on the roof now.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
The Sound of Silence
Living in rural Wisconsin the evenings were fairly quiet. Sure there was the occasional dog barking, crickets, owls, chickens, cows and the neighbor coming back from bowling league - the usual evening farm sounds. When I was 15 the family moved to Janesville to be closer to Dad's job. We lived about half a mile from I-90, it took a long time to get used to the constant hum of traffic. When I lived in Chicago I was 2 blocks away from a hospital - that was definitely worse.
When the zombie attacks first started happening the noise was horrendous. Car crashes, weapons being fired, sirens, screaming, horns honking, gas explosions. It was what I imagined being in the middle of a war was like. But now it has become silent. No traffic noises, no sounds of humans or animals, no white noise like the hum of electric lines, just silence. It's been months since we've heard a vehicle. We've become acutely aware of how loud our voices are, so now we whisper and use hand signals when outside so as not to draw attention to ourselves. Every day that passes makes me feel more isolated. I really hope we move on soon.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Very Curious
It's Heidi, I'm inside trying to warm up. We have been thrust into Fall, much cooler temperatures and thunderstorms. It's been so cold, windy and rainy on the roof I can't feel my gun anymore. The storm is making it very difficult to see properly. We can't tell what we're looking at half the time.
Something curious happened this afternoon. Roger, Corey, Greg and I were doing our shift on the roof, when Corey motioned for us to come over. He pointed at 3 zombies heading our way, but when the lightning started up they stopped moving. We couldn't figure out what was going on - they looked like statues. We don't know if the irregular light throws them off or if the lightning scares them. We ended up watching them for about half and hour while the storm was raging. It was decided that since they weren't going to be moving anytime soon we ought to take them out.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Heidi Get Your Gun
There is something very empowering about having a gun. (Well, duh!) You have to understand, I had never fired a real gun pre-zombie, so this is all new and exciting for me. When I was growing up in rural Wisconsin my Dad would hunt pheasant, duck and deer for food - it was a guy thing. (Yes, we were one of those houses you would drive by in the Fall and see a gutted deer hanging from the swing-set.) The only thing I had ever fired was a BB gun that one of the other kids had. We would throw an empty Hi-C can in the air and shoot at it. I was the only girl in the group and the boys would get really mad because I hit the can more than they did.
If it weren't for the zombies I never would have picked up a gun, but if I'm going to survive I have to step out of my comfort zone. Some people are still squeamish about shooting zombies. I just keep telling myself that they are already dead and I'm putting them out of their misery. It makes me feel like I'm providing a service - doing something good for them . . . . Oh, who am I kidding - zombies are out to get us and I will do whatever it takes to make them really dead!
Monday, September 19, 2011
Zombies Are Keeping Us Busy
Hey, it's Heidi. We have definitely noticed an increase in zombie activity. Matt and I have been on the roof a lot, he's been giving me shooting lessons. I'm getting pretty good at the accuracy with distance thing. Between the two of us we've taken out 7 today. I am happy to have real shooting experience, but I'm concerned about why we are seeing so many zombies after weeks of quiet. On the other hand, Matt is thrilled to have the chance to take out as many zombies as possible. He's been pretty vocal about moving on and staying in one place this long has been hard on him. It's been good to see him have an outlet for his frustration.
The 'do zombies eat other zombies' question has been answered today. Matt and I were taking shots at a couple zombies - Matt got his, I missed mine. As I was getting ready to take another shot Matt told me to hold on for a bit since Roger wanted to know what would happen if a moving zombie came upon a truly dead zombie. As we watched through our binoculars we saw the zombie go over to the immoblie zombie, stand over it for a few minutes and then move on. I guess he was making sure the other one had truly ceased to be. So it looks like even zombies won't eat rotten meat. Anyway, Matt gave me the go ahead to take him out and I did.
We have broken up the roof watch into 4 - 6 hour shifts, with 4 on a shift. Some of us are doing 12 hour shifts to cover shortages - Matt is doing 18 hour shifts. We are a bit concerned about his state of mind. Roger, Shawn and I are taking turns checking in with him. We figure as long as he is eating, sleeping and talking to us he should be okay.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
My 49th Year
Hi, it's Heidi and yes, today is my birthday. We have tried to create some pre-zombie normalcy by celebrating birthdays, anniversaries and holidays as best we can. It's helpful having these diversions from the day to day grind of surviving. These events turn into treat day - we make coffee over a fire (camp stove now), break out the Hostess snacks and get buzzed on caffeine and sugar. This one is kind of sad because it's the last one we will have as a group. Despite the challenges of the last 9 months we have become a family of sorts - all be it a dysfunctional one.
Roger, Matt and Shawn presented me with this ammo/utility belt that they created from pieces that were picked up during the Cabela's trip. It holds a 1911 pistol, machete, flashlight and ammo. Since I had my first kill they figured it was time to take the training wheels off. (see, some guys do know what a girl wants.)
It's been a really great day . . .
Friday, September 2, 2011
They Say You Always Remember Your First Time
I always figured my first kill would be a male zombie - killing a female was kind of disturbing. My first response afterwards was relief, I got her before she got me. Then I wigged out about who she was. Was she a teacher, cafeteria lady, custodian, a student's mom? It's probably because she was a "new" zombie and didn't look any different than me. That of course sent everyone moving, since if she was fresh that meant zombies were in the immediate area. Roger left Paul with me while the rest searched.
The thing that bothers me is that killing a zombie didn't really bother me that much. I guess that means the last vestiges of my old self are gone now. We've been training and talking through scenarios for so long it was a relief to finally get put to the test. I even feel more confident about moving on now.
Once Matt was told about the incident he and I were able to have a conversation about my experience. (Matt has some military training and I think he was checking on my mental state.) Since it was my first time he wasn't too upset about the wasted ammo. He said some people get so freaked out they will fire off every round in their gun, reload and keep shooting. He was really glad I didn't freeze up with fear, he said it showed I had strong survival instincts. Matt also warned me about being overconfident, as that is just as dangerous as being afraid.
All I know is I really want to kill some more zombies.
Friday, August 26, 2011
The Art of Healthy Living by Heidi
Ever since we got struck by the summer cold in June we have been taking vitamins. We quickly realized that the Zombies weren't the only thing we had to fear. The flu, a broken bone, a cut, things that were so minor before could kill us now if we weren't careful.
A few of us had some first aid training so we have been slowly gathering those supplies too. Practicing good hygiene and dental care as well as we can with limited water supplies. As careful as we try to be - accidents happen. We've been real lucky so far - if someone ever needs surgery we're screwed.
As long as we keep checking pharmacies we should be able to find most of the things we need - prescriptions will be a problem, since most of those got cleaned out pretty fast once the apocalypse started. One of the other issues is eventually these things will lose their effectiveness once the expiration date rolls around. So I will be keeping a look out for reading material on alternative medicines. (Yeah, I know, old school.)
Did I mention Roger and I wear corrective eye-wear? I figure I've got 3-5 years before these glasses are totally useless . . . . . Okay, I've got to stop with this now because I'm getting freaked out.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Okay, Heidi's Break is Over
The last couple weeks have been crazy. I've been learning how to get into the blog account, organizing the first aid supplies (more later) and making a list of what to look for once we get moving. I have found that if I don't make a list we get overwhelmed when in a store and start grabbing things we don't need. Seriously, stuffed animals? (Hey, it's free!)
Now the Geoff and Cynthia incident has caused some panic and distrust because we are now aware of how easy it is to take stuff and run. So we got a plan - I've been helping Shawn secure the food and Matt secure the weapons, I figure the more I handle the weapons the more confident I will be using them. We have a few closet type spaces that we've moved everything into and Roger, Shawn, Matt and I will be taking turns sleeping in front of the doors. We just don't trust anyone else right now and we can't afford anymore loss of property due to defections. Although I will say the Geoff and Cynthia exit was a wake-up call for some of our misguided citizens.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Where Are They?
When Roger and the guys were getting ready to leave they figured it would take 5 days,this is day 7. For the last 48 hours there has been a continuous lookout for them. We’ve had to re-tape the binoculars twice. I have lost count of how many times someonehas shouted “I see them!” only to discover it was the wind blowing some shrubbery around. I guess if you will it hard enough you can trick your eyes into seeing anything.
The real kicker is that Sharon, Dave, George, Stan, Amy, Nancy and Kyle took off today.Shawn and I said fine, but you can only take with you what you brought. They startedto argue about how that wasn’t fair and they should at least be able to take some foodand water. We told them the food and water belonged to the group and since theydidn’t want to be part of the group they get nothing. So they stormed off with a lot of shouts on how we were making a bigger deal out of this situation than what it was.Shawn and I both agree we are better off without them.
So now there are only 12 of us left here. Luckily all the organizing and packing is done.We exercise, do our shifts on look out and nap. Everyone has been pretty quiet, we areall feeling isolated and afraid – the last few months have all been so unreal – I think it’s finally catching up with us.
I have to go now, Shawn is on his way over to talk about what we should do if the guysdon’t come back. I do not want to have this conversation – maybe if I just keep typing . . . please let them show up soon.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
It's Been Too Quiet
We haven't seen any Zombies. Days? Weeks?
For those that have been living in denial there is this excitement that they have made it. They're busy making plans to go back to their homes and pick-up where they left off. I wish them good luck with that. Delusions are only good if they don't get you killed.
Sarah and I have spent months trying to talk sense into those people and even when they could hear the screams of those who left it still didn't sink in for them. According to them it's all been a temporary set-back.
The rest of us are feeling a deep dread. Why haven't we seen any Zombies? Are they hiding? Did somebody else manage to kill them off? Did they just die? I'm just afraid one of these days we're going to go out on a foraging run and round a corner to see like 100,000 zombies. It scares the hell out of me.
So we continue with our plans, we continue preparing. We have to keep pushing forward, because the alternative really sucks.
Well this is day 4 - the guys should be back tomorrow. I can definitely feel the anticipation building. It will be fun to see what they found, it sort of feels like Christmas is coming!
Friday, July 29, 2011
Are you a zombie yet?
Heidi again. There is a subject we don’t talk about – ever, our families.A few of the people in our group actually have their spouses and kids with them. The kids are great to have around, it keeps us reminded of what we’re working for. The flip side is that some of the people had to destroy their zombie friends and family. I’m grateful I didn’t have to go through that, but for those that did . . . well, let’s just say there are some haunted looks and screaming at night.My whole family is in Wisconsin. I transplanted several years ago. Of course when this thing started I tried calling my family– no luck. Not long after we settled in here, back when cell phones still worked, I noticed this office tower that looked pretty close, so one night I snuck out to get closer. Not the brightest thing to do, but I was feeling desperate. I left a “good-bye cruel world” letter on my sleeping blanket, just in case I didn’t make it back. I figured if I ended up as a zombie midnight snack at least the rest might feel bad about my demise instead of pissed off that I went out alone. Of course the tower was much further away than what it appeared at first. Once I started though, I just couldn’t stop. I stayed on all fours and just kept crawling. When I got to the tower my phone was showing a moderate signal so I called Mom and Dad. Their phone started ringing and my heart started racing – was it possible? After four rings the voice mail came on:“Hi, we’re not home right now as my husband tried to kill me, so in self-defense I killed him. He didn’t get any better so I chopped off his head, because that’s what everyone else is doing. I don’t want to die and be a zombie so I am going to take the car and my husband’s body to the dump and I’m going to set us on fire. If our daughters hear this message please know that your father and I loved you both very much. Please be safe and survive this horror. Just remember to chop off their heads. Oh, and you don’t need to leave a message.” (Mom always was the practical one.)I sat at the bottom of the tower for awhile wondering how my sister and her family were doing. I figured I’d had enough “news” for one night, so I got down on all fours again and crawled back. I stopped twice because I smelled zombies, but I’m not so sure now as my mind was wondering a bit. I was able to make it back before anyone woke up, got rid of my “letter” and went to bed. I remember staring at the wall unable to sleep. By the morning I had almost convinced myself that it was all a dream. Maybe it was. who knows.Whatever it was, real or dream, i made me think about all the tragedy around me. It was a defining moment realizing that I could give up – like some of our group, or be strong and do what needs to be done and survive.I want to survive.
Guarding the Homefront
We said “Good-Luck” to Roger, Matt, Justin, Mike and Corey today. They took off for Cabela’s. There were some heavy conversations about what supplies we would need. It was finally agreed that if it wasn’t “Survival” related we didn’t need it. The only thing I really wanted to add to the list was binoculars. We only have one pair here and they are existing only because we found some duct tape to hold them together. Louie found them shortly after we holed up here in this building. Unfortunately, he was so excited about the “find” that he dropped them running up the stairs to the roof to show us. (we don’t let Louie handle valuables anymore.) Once we hit the road binoculars will be vital in scouting out the area and any problems we encounter.
Anyway, Shawn and I have been left in charge of those staying behind. The first thing we had to deal with was the whining from those who wanted to leave. We did our best trying to talk “sense” into these people. Finally Shawn just told them that if they wanted to leave that was fine with him, but they had to wait for Roger and the others to get back first. No one was more surprised then me when they agreed. I have been quietly urging these people to see reason for months and all I got was dirty looks and rude comments. Well after today they won’t be getting anymore sympathy from me. As long as they are staying for now they will be useful. We have work to do on the vehicles we are taking when we leave this place, as well as cleaning the few pieces of clothing we have and organizing the food and water we have left.
Shawn and I are now working on a schedule for roof top surveillance. Keeping everyone busy will hopefully cut down on anxiety levels while the guys are gone.
Monday, January 30, 2012
On The Farm
Hey, Roger - I feel guilt about how good our situation is considering what you've been through. Dale and Rhonda have been great hosts. There are 30 people here (not including us) and they worked their asses off this last year raising animals, gardens and fruit. We have been eating like kings.
The main house is huge as D & R have 6 children (all grown up now). Once the news started about people turning into the walking dead they immediately started stocking up. Dale was always a fan of the zombie movies and books so he jumped right in with both feet. He contacted the 2 farms in the area and they made a plan. They gathered any friends and relatives they could and went shopping. Between the 3 farms they had pigs, cows, chickens, gardens, fruit trees and 2000 acres. Rhonda said the 3 farms are housing at least 100 people. Because they are so remote they haven't had much zombie activity. The problem was early on when they were making trips out to gather supplies and zombies would follow them back, so they ended up loosing a few people until they got wise to what they were dealing with.
They have been keeping us busy learning how to use a wood burning stove (I made a loaf of bread yesterday!), churning butter, making cheese and preserving meat. They turned their basement into a cold storage area for when warmer weather comes.
Since room in the house is kind of tight Sarah, her son Danny, Karen and I are sleeping in one of the RV's that we stored in one of the pole barns and Matt, Jacob and Greg are sleeping in the other RV, the rest are staying in the house.
It's been good sharing our experiences with other people. We all have dinner together as a group and after dinner we take turns sharing our stories. It's all been quite a learning experience.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
A Place for the Winter
We finally found survivors - I should say they found us. We were on Hwy 43 heading towards I-90, the going was very slow as it had been snowing on and off for a few days. As we were getting ready to stop for the night we saw a vehicle coming our way so we had a quick meeting and it was decided that Matt and I would continue and the rest would stay put until it was safe.
As we got closer we saw a man and a woman in the vehicle, they stopped, we stopped and got out to say "Hi". Dale and Rhonda leapt out of their vehicle and started hugging us and asking if we were okay and how many people were in our group and twenty other questions coming at us so fast neither one of us could talk. We gave them a very fast introduction to our group as the snow was coming down real heavy at this point. They had us follow them. We got off on a side road and drove for about 8 miles, then turned off on another road and drove a few more miles until we came to the driveway of a farm. It was truly amazing, as we pulled up people started coming out of the house, barn and a few other buildings that were on the property, they were all really excited to see us. They had us pull our vehicles into the pole barn so they would be protected from the snow storm and got us all into the house.
Roger, I will give more details later. We have been kept really busy helping with "chores" and getting to know everyone. We all wish you were with us - this place is incredible!
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Still Nothing
We have been very slowly making our way across Hwy 50 towards Lake Geneva and we still haven't seen any survivors. I think if we go down side roads our chances would be better, but nobody wants to risk it, for now anyway.
I finally found out why everyone has been so weird around me - they have been waiting for me to turn into a zombie! Sarah finally told me what happened while I was sick with the flu. Apparently I was so bad at one point my heart stopped beating for a short time, they did CPR and got me back. They all freaked out since technically I was dead and now they have all been watching my every move to see if I do anything strange. Sarah said they all agreed that if I made it a month and nothing bad happened to me they would consider me "safe" and everyone would relax. I really don't know how I feel about all this - I guess I see their point, how long do you have to be dead before the zombie thing starts. Does heart stopping count or do you have to be brain dead too? I guess I'm lucky they didn't do away with me completely! I told Sarah that I really appreciated her being honest with me and I would just continue on like I didn't know what was up - I just don't want this getting stranger than what it already is. Sunday, January 1, 2012
The New Year
We have been working our way west on Hwy 50. We happened upon an RV dealership and picked up 2 RV's - we have plenty of room now. It's very exciting to have beds, kitchens and bathrooms with us! (we love propane!)
We haven't come across any survivors yet - we have been checking out some of the small towns we've been going through. There are lots of farms through this area so we are going to check these out. I figure if people are going to congregate they will do so on a farm, back to basics and self-sufficiency.
Now that we are on the move we are seeing a lot of destruction - homes and business have been destroyed. We were so secluded before, we only saw what was around us, now we are seeing it all on a larger scale.
Everyone has been a bit cautious around me since we've been on the move again - they keep asking me how I'm feeling and If I want to stop and rest. I understand that they are concerned because of how sick I was, but they keep staring at me like I've grown a second head or something. When I get a chance I'm going to find out what that's all about.
Wishing all of us a better New Year - Happy 2015.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Feeling Better
I just wanted to let you know that I am still among the living. They all did a real good job of taking care of me. They won't give me any details other than to say that there were a few zombies hanging around and they had to blast them. (I have a feeling there was more to it than that but, for now, they are all sticking to that story.)
We were able to have a little Christmas celebration today. When they were at Walgreen's getting medication for me they picked up some puzzles, games and candy for the kids. We sat around and told our favorite Christmas traditions. That life seems like a distant dream now.
We've had a little bit of snow - nothing major. The plan is to get back on the road in a day or two.
Roger, I hope you, Shawn and Corey are having a good Christmas and to let you know that we are all thinking of you guys. May we all find some peace in the new year.
Sunday, December 11, 2011Monday, December 5, 2011
Good News, Bad News
We found a motel at the corner of I-94 and Hwy 50. The sign on the door said they were closed due to a family illness and the sign was dated January 3rd. (gee, I wonder what the illness was?)
So we broke into the managers office and took all the room keys. We checked out 6 rooms and they were fine so we divided up and unloaded some supplies from the vehicles. We set-up one as a common room for meals. We had a good hot meal and were really excited about sleeping in real beds as we had been sleeping on floors for almost a year. The next morning I woke up sick - I had the flu. It just figures that I would get the flu now when I never had the flu before (never even had a flu shot) There was a Walgreen's next door, so they sent a team over there to grab whatever they could to help me. I am still not too good yet, but I think the worst is over. I figure it will be several more days before I'm good enough to travel. So far nobody else has gotten sick - just keep your fingers crossed.
Relapse
i am really sick nothing is helping. i survive almost a year of zombies and it's the flu thats going to kill me.everyone is beingsupportive but i want then to move on im holdingthem back.they keep teling me everythng is ok but i keep hearing gunfire.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Pleasant Prairie Wasn't
Okay, so there is a Timberland store at the Pleasant Prairie Mall, it's an outside mall so I figured it wouldn't be too difficult to get winter gear from there. Also, this zombie thing began in the winter, so they should still have some winter stock. We drove around the parking lot, there were some vehicles, but we didn't see any movement. We backed the vehicles up to the door, got out and found the doors unlocked. Me, Matt, Jacob and Greg went in first to make sure the store was safe - it wasn't. Zombies started coming out the back of the store, we started shooting - we got 10 of them. As we continued to go through the store we heard shouting from outside. Apparently our gunfire attracted more zombies and they began spilling out of the other stores. So we had Sarah, Danny, Lynn and Julie get in the store and Louie, Paul and Karen grabbed their guns and joined the rest of us as we created a perimeter around the vehicles and the front of the store. Luckily Matt and Greg had Louie between them as they had to cover for him - Louie is a bad shot. When we were done the zombie count was at 60. Matt, Greg and Karen stayed outside on lookout while the rest of us grabbed what we could of clothing and boots. Greg spotted a van in the lot so he went over to check it out, nothing was inside and the keys were on the floor. It's a real nice 11 passenger van. We removed the back bench to have more room for storage.
We need to find a place to get some rest, none of us have slept much in the last 3 days.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Heading North
We were all so glad to finally hear from you. We started moving North 2 days ago when we noticed zombie movement. It's like they've had a communal call to arms.
We were staying in the Waukegan Oriental Store. It's a small stand alone store made of cinder block and had only one window in the front. The store had never been pillaged so it worked out great for us. (except for the smell of rotted sushi) The blazer and truck are now loaded with 12 50lb bags of rice, lots of canned meat (we left the canned squid - nobody was to keen on the idea of eating that) chili paste with garlic, canned vegetables and cases of bottled water. I'm hoping we will have the opportunity to use the rice to barter with someday.
We have had a casualty, John got bit during the attack. He showed Matt and I the injury after we had gotten settled in the store. He didn't want anyone to freak out, so we kept it quiet. He asked Matt and I to kill him before he turned, so the three of us left to check out the gun shop that was nearby. The store had been ransacked, but we managed to find one gun we could use, a few knives and some ammo. When we were done we went behind the store, said our goodbyes and then Matt and I both fired at him so that neither one of us had to bear the burden of killing him. John was incredibly brave. Matt and I spent a few minutes discussing what story we would tell the others . . . . we decided the truth was best. Everyone was real upset when we told them what had happened to John and what his wishes were. Once they had a chance to process the situation it was understood that there really is no other way to handle a zombie bite. Thank God John was able to be an example for the rest of us.
We are currently on I-94 heading towards Kenosha. We are going to need winter gear soon so that is next on our list.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Roger, are you there?
I'm still a bit hazy on some of the details, but I do remember a truck smashing through our perimeter fence and zombies swarming in. Matt and I started running to the hallway with the intention of securing the perimeter. We heard gunshots and saw the hallway door bursting open. George and Kyle (from the truck) were clawing their way in along with a huge number of zombies. We just started shooting at everything that moved. I know you, Shawn and Corey joined us at some point. As bodies went down we kept shooting at the heads that were appearing over the top of the pile. We ended up with a wall of dead zombies, no more coming in and no one going out. I heard someone shout "Get everybody to the vehicles!" We all ran to the garage and started loading the truck and van. I got in to drive the truck, Sarah and Danny were in the passenger side, Matt and Paul got in the back and the rest got in the van. As you and Shawn opened the garage door I jumped on the accelerator and got the hell out of there. When I looked back you and Shawn were closing the door, I choked back a scream because I didn't want Danny to get anymore freaked out than what he was already, but please know there was no way any of us wanted to leave you both behind. Matt and Paul fired away as I sped the truck through a sea of zombies. Greg was driving the van and managed to stay with me, although I don't know how he managed it, the truck was bouncing all over the place as we drove over bodies. The front end of the truck was tossing zombies around everywhere, the windshield was getting covered in zombie slime. Once we got half a mile out the zombie horde started to thin out and I just kept driving until we didn't see anymore for several miles. We stopped, did a head count and realized that Corey and Justin weren't with us, please tell me they are with you and Shawn. Once we checked for injuries and cleaned up the windows we got back in the vehicles and proceeded on. There are 12 of us. We have a few issues we need to deal with soon, but we are holed up in a safe place for now.
We are all anxiously waiting to hear from you.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Better Now
Hi, it's Heidi, since my last post things went down hill fast. I stopped sleeping - the panic I felt about experiencing those nightmares . . . let's just say I was starting to hallucinate. Shawn and Roger had a talk with me and they decided to take me off duty for a few days. They set me up in a small office space with some sleeping pills and even though I was real aggitated about sleeping they promised not to leave me alone while I was out. During my 48 hour sleep I remember being woken up for broth, tea, vitamins and to use the bathroom. When I woke up the 3rd day on my own they brought me some powdered scrambled eggs. I am feeling much better now.
Shawn, Roger, Matt and I had a long conversation about our situation here. We are safe, secure and we have plenty of supplies, but for me it feels like a prison and Matt agreed. We both want to move on - we will never know what possibilities exist for the future unless we start searching.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Heidi's Nightmares
I've not been feeling well lately. Matt and I have been doing 16 hour shifts on the roof for the last few weeks and I have been having nightmares. The sleep deprivation has caused this fog in my brain which is creating a feeling of doom.
The nightmares all involve zombie attacks and my getting bitten, lots of blood, missing arms, legs, screaming. Sometimes I'm being chased, trip and fall, other times it's a surprise attack like the one I had in the school bathroom. I wake up in a cold sweat and can't go back to sleep. I won't talk to anyone about this because I don't want to freak people out - I can't shake this feeling that this is how I'm going to die.
I need to get back on the roof now.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
The Sound of Silence
Living in rural Wisconsin the evenings were fairly quiet. Sure there was the occasional dog barking, crickets, owls, chickens, cows and the neighbor coming back from bowling league - the usual evening farm sounds. When I was 15 the family moved to Janesville to be closer to Dad's job. We lived about half a mile from I-90, it took a long time to get used to the constant hum of traffic. When I lived in Chicago I was 2 blocks away from a hospital - that was definitely worse.
When the zombie attacks first started happening the noise was horrendous. Car crashes, weapons being fired, sirens, screaming, horns honking, gas explosions. It was what I imagined being in the middle of a war was like. But now it has become silent. No traffic noises, no sounds of humans or animals, no white noise like the hum of electric lines, just silence. It's been months since we've heard a vehicle. We've become acutely aware of how loud our voices are, so now we whisper and use hand signals when outside so as not to draw attention to ourselves. Every day that passes makes me feel more isolated. I really hope we move on soon.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Very Curious
It's Heidi, I'm inside trying to warm up. We have been thrust into Fall, much cooler temperatures and thunderstorms. It's been so cold, windy and rainy on the roof I can't feel my gun anymore. The storm is making it very difficult to see properly. We can't tell what we're looking at half the time.
Something curious happened this afternoon. Roger, Corey, Greg and I were doing our shift on the roof, when Corey motioned for us to come over. He pointed at 3 zombies heading our way, but when the lightning started up they stopped moving. We couldn't figure out what was going on - they looked like statues. We don't know if the irregular light throws them off or if the lightning scares them. We ended up watching them for about half and hour while the storm was raging. It was decided that since they weren't going to be moving anytime soon we ought to take them out.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Heidi Get Your Gun
There is something very empowering about having a gun. (Well, duh!) You have to understand, I had never fired a real gun pre-zombie, so this is all new and exciting for me. When I was growing up in rural Wisconsin my Dad would hunt pheasant, duck and deer for food - it was a guy thing. (Yes, we were one of those houses you would drive by in the Fall and see a gutted deer hanging from the swing-set.) The only thing I had ever fired was a BB gun that one of the other kids had. We would throw an empty Hi-C can in the air and shoot at it. I was the only girl in the group and the boys would get really mad because I hit the can more than they did.
If it weren't for the zombies I never would have picked up a gun, but if I'm going to survive I have to step out of my comfort zone. Some people are still squeamish about shooting zombies. I just keep telling myself that they are already dead and I'm putting them out of their misery. It makes me feel like I'm providing a service - doing something good for them . . . . Oh, who am I kidding - zombies are out to get us and I will do whatever it takes to make them really dead!
Monday, September 19, 2011
Zombies Are Keeping Us Busy
Hey, it's Heidi. We have definitely noticed an increase in zombie activity. Matt and I have been on the roof a lot, he's been giving me shooting lessons. I'm getting pretty good at the accuracy with distance thing. Between the two of us we've taken out 7 today. I am happy to have real shooting experience, but I'm concerned about why we are seeing so many zombies after weeks of quiet. On the other hand, Matt is thrilled to have the chance to take out as many zombies as possible. He's been pretty vocal about moving on and staying in one place this long has been hard on him. It's been good to see him have an outlet for his frustration.
The 'do zombies eat other zombies' question has been answered today. Matt and I were taking shots at a couple zombies - Matt got his, I missed mine. As I was getting ready to take another shot Matt told me to hold on for a bit since Roger wanted to know what would happen if a moving zombie came upon a truly dead zombie. As we watched through our binoculars we saw the zombie go over to the immoblie zombie, stand over it for a few minutes and then move on. I guess he was making sure the other one had truly ceased to be. So it looks like even zombies won't eat rotten meat. Anyway, Matt gave me the go ahead to take him out and I did.
We have broken up the roof watch into 4 - 6 hour shifts, with 4 on a shift. Some of us are doing 12 hour shifts to cover shortages - Matt is doing 18 hour shifts. We are a bit concerned about his state of mind. Roger, Shawn and I are taking turns checking in with him. We figure as long as he is eating, sleeping and talking to us he should be okay.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
My 49th Year
Hi, it's Heidi and yes, today is my birthday. We have tried to create some pre-zombie normalcy by celebrating birthdays, anniversaries and holidays as best we can. It's helpful having these diversions from the day to day grind of surviving. These events turn into treat day - we make coffee over a fire (camp stove now), break out the Hostess snacks and get buzzed on caffeine and sugar. This one is kind of sad because it's the last one we will have as a group. Despite the challenges of the last 9 months we have become a family of sorts - all be it a dysfunctional one.
Roger, Matt and Shawn presented me with this ammo/utility belt that they created from pieces that were picked up during the Cabela's trip. It holds a 1911 pistol, machete, flashlight and ammo. Since I had my first kill they figured it was time to take the training wheels off. (see, some guys do know what a girl wants.)
It's been a really great day . . .
Friday, September 2, 2011
They Say You Always Remember Your First Time
I always figured my first kill would be a male zombie - killing a female was kind of disturbing. My first response afterwards was relief, I got her before she got me. Then I wigged out about who she was. Was she a teacher, cafeteria lady, custodian, a student's mom? It's probably because she was a "new" zombie and didn't look any different than me. That of course sent everyone moving, since if she was fresh that meant zombies were in the immediate area. Roger left Paul with me while the rest searched.
The thing that bothers me is that killing a zombie didn't really bother me that much. I guess that means the last vestiges of my old self are gone now. We've been training and talking through scenarios for so long it was a relief to finally get put to the test. I even feel more confident about moving on now.
Once Matt was told about the incident he and I were able to have a conversation about my experience. (Matt has some military training and I think he was checking on my mental state.) Since it was my first time he wasn't too upset about the wasted ammo. He said some people get so freaked out they will fire off every round in their gun, reload and keep shooting. He was really glad I didn't freeze up with fear, he said it showed I had strong survival instincts. Matt also warned me about being overconfident, as that is just as dangerous as being afraid.
All I know is I really want to kill some more zombies.
Friday, August 26, 2011
The Art of Healthy Living by Heidi
Ever since we got struck by the summer cold in June we have been taking vitamins. We quickly realized that the Zombies weren't the only thing we had to fear. The flu, a broken bone, a cut, things that were so minor before could kill us now if we weren't careful.
A few of us had some first aid training so we have been slowly gathering those supplies too. Practicing good hygiene and dental care as well as we can with limited water supplies. As careful as we try to be - accidents happen. We've been real lucky so far - if someone ever needs surgery we're screwed.
As long as we keep checking pharmacies we should be able to find most of the things we need - prescriptions will be a problem, since most of those got cleaned out pretty fast once the apocalypse started. One of the other issues is eventually these things will lose their effectiveness once the expiration date rolls around. So I will be keeping a look out for reading material on alternative medicines. (Yeah, I know, old school.)
Did I mention Roger and I wear corrective eye-wear? I figure I've got 3-5 years before these glasses are totally useless . . . . . Okay, I've got to stop with this now because I'm getting freaked out.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Okay, Heidi's Break is Over
The last couple weeks have been crazy. I've been learning how to get into the blog account, organizing the first aid supplies (more later) and making a list of what to look for once we get moving. I have found that if I don't make a list we get overwhelmed when in a store and start grabbing things we don't need. Seriously, stuffed animals? (Hey, it's free!)
Now the Geoff and Cynthia incident has caused some panic and distrust because we are now aware of how easy it is to take stuff and run. So we got a plan - I've been helping Shawn secure the food and Matt secure the weapons, I figure the more I handle the weapons the more confident I will be using them. We have a few closet type spaces that we've moved everything into and Roger, Shawn, Matt and I will be taking turns sleeping in front of the doors. We just don't trust anyone else right now and we can't afford anymore loss of property due to defections. Although I will say the Geoff and Cynthia exit was a wake-up call for some of our misguided citizens.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Where Are They?
When Roger and the guys were getting ready to leave they figured it would take 5 days,this is day 7. For the last 48 hours there has been a continuous lookout for them. We’ve had to re-tape the binoculars twice. I have lost count of how many times someonehas shouted “I see them!” only to discover it was the wind blowing some shrubbery around. I guess if you will it hard enough you can trick your eyes into seeing anything.
The real kicker is that Sharon, Dave, George, Stan, Amy, Nancy and Kyle took off today.Shawn and I said fine, but you can only take with you what you brought. They startedto argue about how that wasn’t fair and they should at least be able to take some foodand water. We told them the food and water belonged to the group and since theydidn’t want to be part of the group they get nothing. So they stormed off with a lot of shouts on how we were making a bigger deal out of this situation than what it was.Shawn and I both agree we are better off without them.
So now there are only 12 of us left here. Luckily all the organizing and packing is done.We exercise, do our shifts on look out and nap. Everyone has been pretty quiet, we areall feeling isolated and afraid – the last few months have all been so unreal – I think it’s finally catching up with us.
I have to go now, Shawn is on his way over to talk about what we should do if the guysdon’t come back. I do not want to have this conversation – maybe if I just keep typing . . . please let them show up soon.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
It's Been Too Quiet
We haven't seen any Zombies. Days? Weeks?
For those that have been living in denial there is this excitement that they have made it. They're busy making plans to go back to their homes and pick-up where they left off. I wish them good luck with that. Delusions are only good if they don't get you killed.
Sarah and I have spent months trying to talk sense into those people and even when they could hear the screams of those who left it still didn't sink in for them. According to them it's all been a temporary set-back.
The rest of us are feeling a deep dread. Why haven't we seen any Zombies? Are they hiding? Did somebody else manage to kill them off? Did they just die? I'm just afraid one of these days we're going to go out on a foraging run and round a corner to see like 100,000 zombies. It scares the hell out of me.
So we continue with our plans, we continue preparing. We have to keep pushing forward, because the alternative really sucks.
Well this is day 4 - the guys should be back tomorrow. I can definitely feel the anticipation building. It will be fun to see what they found, it sort of feels like Christmas is coming!
Monday, January 30, 2012
On The Farm
Hey, Roger - I feel guilt about how good our situation is considering what you've been through. Dale and Rhonda have been great hosts. There are 30 people here (not including us) and they worked their asses off this last year raising animals, gardens and fruit. We have been eating like kings.
The main house is huge as D & R have 6 children (all grown up now). Once the news started about people turning into the walking dead they immediately started stocking up. Dale was always a fan of the zombie movies and books so he jumped right in with both feet. He contacted the 2 farms in the area and they made a plan. They gathered any friends and relatives they could and went shopping. Between the 3 farms they had pigs, cows, chickens, gardens, fruit trees and 2000 acres. Rhonda said the 3 farms are housing at least 100 people. Because they are so remote they haven't had much zombie activity. The problem was early on when they were making trips out to gather supplies and zombies would follow them back, so they ended up loosing a few people until they got wise to what they were dealing with.
They have been keeping us busy learning how to use a wood burning stove (I made a loaf of bread yesterday!), churning butter, making cheese and preserving meat. They turned their basement into a cold storage area for when warmer weather comes.
Since room in the house is kind of tight Sarah, her son Danny, Karen and I are sleeping in one of the RV's that we stored in one of the pole barns and Matt, Jacob and Greg are sleeping in the other RV, the rest are staying in the house.
It's been good sharing our experiences with other people. We all have dinner together as a group and after dinner we take turns sharing our stories. It's all been quite a learning experience.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
A Place for the Winter
We finally found survivors - I should say they found us. We were on Hwy 43 heading towards I-90, the going was very slow as it had been snowing on and off for a few days. As we were getting ready to stop for the night we saw a vehicle coming our way so we had a quick meeting and it was decided that Matt and I would continue and the rest would stay put until it was safe.
As we got closer we saw a man and a woman in the vehicle, they stopped, we stopped and got out to say "Hi". Dale and Rhonda leapt out of their vehicle and started hugging us and asking if we were okay and how many people were in our group and twenty other questions coming at us so fast neither one of us could talk. We gave them a very fast introduction to our group as the snow was coming down real heavy at this point. They had us follow them. We got off on a side road and drove for about 8 miles, then turned off on another road and drove a few more miles until we came to the driveway of a farm. It was truly amazing, as we pulled up people started coming out of the house, barn and a few other buildings that were on the property, they were all really excited to see us. They had us pull our vehicles into the pole barn so they would be protected from the snow storm and got us all into the house.
Roger, I will give more details later. We have been kept really busy helping with "chores" and getting to know everyone. We all wish you were with us - this place is incredible!
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Still Nothing
We have been very slowly making our way across Hwy 50 towards Lake Geneva and we still haven't seen any survivors. I think if we go down side roads our chances would be better, but nobody wants to risk it, for now anyway.
I finally found out why everyone has been so weird around me - they have been waiting for me to turn into a zombie! Sarah finally told me what happened while I was sick with the flu. Apparently I was so bad at one point my heart stopped beating for a short time, they did CPR and got me back. They all freaked out since technically I was dead and now they have all been watching my every move to see if I do anything strange. Sarah said they all agreed that if I made it a month and nothing bad happened to me they would consider me "safe" and everyone would relax. I really don't know how I feel about all this - I guess I see their point, how long do you have to be dead before the zombie thing starts. Does heart stopping count or do you have to be brain dead too? I guess I'm lucky they didn't do away with me completely! I told Sarah that I really appreciated her being honest with me and I would just continue on like I didn't know what was up - I just don't want this getting stranger than what it already is. Sunday, January 1, 2012
The New Year
We have been working our way west on Hwy 50. We happened upon an RV dealership and picked up 2 RV's - we have plenty of room now. It's very exciting to have beds, kitchens and bathrooms with us! (we love propane!)
We haven't come across any survivors yet - we have been checking out some of the small towns we've been going through. There are lots of farms through this area so we are going to check these out. I figure if people are going to congregate they will do so on a farm, back to basics and self-sufficiency.
Now that we are on the move we are seeing a lot of destruction - homes and business have been destroyed. We were so secluded before, we only saw what was around us, now we are seeing it all on a larger scale.
Everyone has been a bit cautious around me since we've been on the move again - they keep asking me how I'm feeling and If I want to stop and rest. I understand that they are concerned because of how sick I was, but they keep staring at me like I've grown a second head or something. When I get a chance I'm going to find out what that's all about.
Wishing all of us a better New Year - Happy 2015.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Feeling Better
I just wanted to let you know that I am still among the living. They all did a real good job of taking care of me. They won't give me any details other than to say that there were a few zombies hanging around and they had to blast them. (I have a feeling there was more to it than that but, for now, they are all sticking to that story.)
We were able to have a little Christmas celebration today. When they were at Walgreen's getting medication for me they picked up some puzzles, games and candy for the kids. We sat around and told our favorite Christmas traditions. That life seems like a distant dream now.
We've had a little bit of snow - nothing major. The plan is to get back on the road in a day or two.
Roger, I hope you, Shawn and Corey are having a good Christmas and to let you know that we are all thinking of you guys. May we all find some peace in the new year.
Sunday, December 11, 2011Monday, December 5, 2011
Good News, Bad News
We found a motel at the corner of I-94 and Hwy 50. The sign on the door said they were closed due to a family illness and the sign was dated January 3rd. (gee, I wonder what the illness was?)
So we broke into the managers office and took all the room keys. We checked out 6 rooms and they were fine so we divided up and unloaded some supplies from the vehicles. We set-up one as a common room for meals. We had a good hot meal and were really excited about sleeping in real beds as we had been sleeping on floors for almost a year. The next morning I woke up sick - I had the flu. It just figures that I would get the flu now when I never had the flu before (never even had a flu shot) There was a Walgreen's next door, so they sent a team over there to grab whatever they could to help me. I am still not too good yet, but I think the worst is over. I figure it will be several more days before I'm good enough to travel. So far nobody else has gotten sick - just keep your fingers crossed.
Relapse
i am really sick nothing is helping. i survive almost a year of zombies and it's the flu thats going to kill me.everyone is beingsupportive but i want then to move on im holdingthem back.they keep teling me everythng is ok but i keep hearing gunfire.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Pleasant Prairie Wasn't
Okay, so there is a Timberland store at the Pleasant Prairie Mall, it's an outside mall so I figured it wouldn't be too difficult to get winter gear from there. Also, this zombie thing began in the winter, so they should still have some winter stock. We drove around the parking lot, there were some vehicles, but we didn't see any movement. We backed the vehicles up to the door, got out and found the doors unlocked. Me, Matt, Jacob and Greg went in first to make sure the store was safe - it wasn't. Zombies started coming out the back of the store, we started shooting - we got 10 of them. As we continued to go through the store we heard shouting from outside. Apparently our gunfire attracted more zombies and they began spilling out of the other stores. So we had Sarah, Danny, Lynn and Julie get in the store and Louie, Paul and Karen grabbed their guns and joined the rest of us as we created a perimeter around the vehicles and the front of the store. Luckily Matt and Greg had Louie between them as they had to cover for him - Louie is a bad shot. When we were done the zombie count was at 60. Matt, Greg and Karen stayed outside on lookout while the rest of us grabbed what we could of clothing and boots. Greg spotted a van in the lot so he went over to check it out, nothing was inside and the keys were on the floor. It's a real nice 11 passenger van. We removed the back bench to have more room for storage.
We need to find a place to get some rest, none of us have slept much in the last 3 days.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Heading North
We were all so glad to finally hear from you. We started moving North 2 days ago when we noticed zombie movement. It's like they've had a communal call to arms.
We were staying in the Waukegan Oriental Store. It's a small stand alone store made of cinder block and had only one window in the front. The store had never been pillaged so it worked out great for us. (except for the smell of rotted sushi) The blazer and truck are now loaded with 12 50lb bags of rice, lots of canned meat (we left the canned squid - nobody was to keen on the idea of eating that) chili paste with garlic, canned vegetables and cases of bottled water. I'm hoping we will have the opportunity to use the rice to barter with someday.
We have had a casualty, John got bit during the attack. He showed Matt and I the injury after we had gotten settled in the store. He didn't want anyone to freak out, so we kept it quiet. He asked Matt and I to kill him before he turned, so the three of us left to check out the gun shop that was nearby. The store had been ransacked, but we managed to find one gun we could use, a few knives and some ammo. When we were done we went behind the store, said our goodbyes and then Matt and I both fired at him so that neither one of us had to bear the burden of killing him. John was incredibly brave. Matt and I spent a few minutes discussing what story we would tell the others . . . . we decided the truth was best. Everyone was real upset when we told them what had happened to John and what his wishes were. Once they had a chance to process the situation it was understood that there really is no other way to handle a zombie bite. Thank God John was able to be an example for the rest of us.
We are currently on I-94 heading towards Kenosha. We are going to need winter gear soon so that is next on our list.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Roger, are you there?
I'm still a bit hazy on some of the details, but I do remember a truck smashing through our perimeter fence and zombies swarming in. Matt and I started running to the hallway with the intention of securing the perimeter. We heard gunshots and saw the hallway door bursting open. George and Kyle (from the truck) were clawing their way in along with a huge number of zombies. We just started shooting at everything that moved. I know you, Shawn and Corey joined us at some point. As bodies went down we kept shooting at the heads that were appearing over the top of the pile. We ended up with a wall of dead zombies, no more coming in and no one going out. I heard someone shout "Get everybody to the vehicles!" We all ran to the garage and started loading the truck and van. I got in to drive the truck, Sarah and Danny were in the passenger side, Matt and Paul got in the back and the rest got in the van. As you and Shawn opened the garage door I jumped on the accelerator and got the hell out of there. When I looked back you and Shawn were closing the door, I choked back a scream because I didn't want Danny to get anymore freaked out than what he was already, but please know there was no way any of us wanted to leave you both behind. Matt and Paul fired away as I sped the truck through a sea of zombies. Greg was driving the van and managed to stay with me, although I don't know how he managed it, the truck was bouncing all over the place as we drove over bodies. The front end of the truck was tossing zombies around everywhere, the windshield was getting covered in zombie slime. Once we got half a mile out the zombie horde started to thin out and I just kept driving until we didn't see anymore for several miles. We stopped, did a head count and realized that Corey and Justin weren't with us, please tell me they are with you and Shawn. Once we checked for injuries and cleaned up the windows we got back in the vehicles and proceeded on. There are 12 of us. We have a few issues we need to deal with soon, but we are holed up in a safe place for now.
We are all anxiously waiting to hear from you.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Better Now
Hi, it's Heidi, since my last post things went down hill fast. I stopped sleeping - the panic I felt about experiencing those nightmares . . . let's just say I was starting to hallucinate. Shawn and Roger had a talk with me and they decided to take me off duty for a few days. They set me up in a small office space with some sleeping pills and even though I was real aggitated about sleeping they promised not to leave me alone while I was out. During my 48 hour sleep I remember being woken up for broth, tea, vitamins and to use the bathroom. When I woke up the 3rd day on my own they brought me some powdered scrambled eggs. I am feeling much better now.
Shawn, Roger, Matt and I had a long conversation about our situation here. We are safe, secure and we have plenty of supplies, but for me it feels like a prison and Matt agreed. We both want to move on - we will never know what possibilities exist for the future unless we start searching.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Heidi's Nightmares
I've not been feeling well lately. Matt and I have been doing 16 hour shifts on the roof for the last few weeks and I have been having nightmares. The sleep deprivation has caused this fog in my brain which is creating a feeling of doom.
The nightmares all involve zombie attacks and my getting bitten, lots of blood, missing arms, legs, screaming. Sometimes I'm being chased, trip and fall, other times it's a surprise attack like the one I had in the school bathroom. I wake up in a cold sweat and can't go back to sleep. I won't talk to anyone about this because I don't want to freak people out - I can't shake this feeling that this is how I'm going to die.
I need to get back on the roof now.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
The Sound of Silence
Living in rural Wisconsin the evenings were fairly quiet. Sure there was the occasional dog barking, crickets, owls, chickens, cows and the neighbor coming back from bowling league - the usual evening farm sounds. When I was 15 the family moved to Janesville to be closer to Dad's job. We lived about half a mile from I-90, it took a long time to get used to the constant hum of traffic. When I lived in Chicago I was 2 blocks away from a hospital - that was definitely worse.
When the zombie attacks first started happening the noise was horrendous. Car crashes, weapons being fired, sirens, screaming, horns honking, gas explosions. It was what I imagined being in the middle of a war was like. But now it has become silent. No traffic noises, no sounds of humans or animals, no white noise like the hum of electric lines, just silence. It's been months since we've heard a vehicle. We've become acutely aware of how loud our voices are, so now we whisper and use hand signals when outside so as not to draw attention to ourselves. Every day that passes makes me feel more isolated. I really hope we move on soon.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Very Curious
It's Heidi, I'm inside trying to warm up. We have been thrust into Fall, much cooler temperatures and thunderstorms. It's been so cold, windy and rainy on the roof I can't feel my gun anymore. The storm is making it very difficult to see properly. We can't tell what we're looking at half the time.
Something curious happened this afternoon. Roger, Corey, Greg and I were doing our shift on the roof, when Corey motioned for us to come over. He pointed at 3 zombies heading our way, but when the lightning started up they stopped moving. We couldn't figure out what was going on - they looked like statues. We don't know if the irregular light throws them off or if the lightning scares them. We ended up watching them for about half and hour while the storm was raging. It was decided that since they weren't going to be moving anytime soon we ought to take them out.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Heidi Get Your Gun
There is something very empowering about having a gun. (Well, duh!) You have to understand, I had never fired a real gun pre-zombie, so this is all new and exciting for me. When I was growing up in rural Wisconsin my Dad would hunt pheasant, duck and deer for food - it was a guy thing. (Yes, we were one of those houses you would drive by in the Fall and see a gutted deer hanging from the swing-set.) The only thing I had ever fired was a BB gun that one of the other kids had. We would throw an empty Hi-C can in the air and shoot at it. I was the only girl in the group and the boys would get really mad because I hit the can more than they did.
If it weren't for the zombies I never would have picked up a gun, but if I'm going to survive I have to step out of my comfort zone. Some people are still squeamish about shooting zombies. I just keep telling myself that they are already dead and I'm putting them out of their misery. It makes me feel like I'm providing a service - doing something good for them . . . . Oh, who am I kidding - zombies are out to get us and I will do whatever it takes to make them really dead!
Monday, September 19, 2011
Zombies Are Keeping Us Busy
Hey, it's Heidi. We have definitely noticed an increase in zombie activity. Matt and I have been on the roof a lot, he's been giving me shooting lessons. I'm getting pretty good at the accuracy with distance thing. Between the two of us we've taken out 7 today. I am happy to have real shooting experience, but I'm concerned about why we are seeing so many zombies after weeks of quiet. On the other hand, Matt is thrilled to have the chance to take out as many zombies as possible. He's been pretty vocal about moving on and staying in one place this long has been hard on him. It's been good to see him have an outlet for his frustration.
The 'do zombies eat other zombies' question has been answered today. Matt and I were taking shots at a couple zombies - Matt got his, I missed mine. As I was getting ready to take another shot Matt told me to hold on for a bit since Roger wanted to know what would happen if a moving zombie came upon a truly dead zombie. As we watched through our binoculars we saw the zombie go over to the immoblie zombie, stand over it for a few minutes and then move on. I guess he was making sure the other one had truly ceased to be. So it looks like even zombies won't eat rotten meat. Anyway, Matt gave me the go ahead to take him out and I did.
We have broken up the roof watch into 4 - 6 hour shifts, with 4 on a shift. Some of us are doing 12 hour shifts to cover shortages - Matt is doing 18 hour shifts. We are a bit concerned about his state of mind. Roger, Shawn and I are taking turns checking in with him. We figure as long as he is eating, sleeping and talking to us he should be okay.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
My 49th Year
Hi, it's Heidi and yes, today is my birthday. We have tried to create some pre-zombie normalcy by celebrating birthdays, anniversaries and holidays as best we can. It's helpful having these diversions from the day to day grind of surviving. These events turn into treat day - we make coffee over a fire (camp stove now), break out the Hostess snacks and get buzzed on caffeine and sugar. This one is kind of sad because it's the last one we will have as a group. Despite the challenges of the last 9 months we have become a family of sorts - all be it a dysfunctional one.
Roger, Matt and Shawn presented me with this ammo/utility belt that they created from pieces that were picked up during the Cabela's trip. It holds a 1911 pistol, machete, flashlight and ammo. Since I had my first kill they figured it was time to take the training wheels off. (see, some guys do know what a girl wants.)
It's been a really great day . . .
Friday, September 2, 2011
They Say You Always Remember Your First Time
I always figured my first kill would be a male zombie - killing a female was kind of disturbing. My first response afterwards was relief, I got her before she got me. Then I wigged out about who she was. Was she a teacher, cafeteria lady, custodian, a student's mom? It's probably because she was a "new" zombie and didn't look any different than me. That of course sent everyone moving, since if she was fresh that meant zombies were in the immediate area. Roger left Paul with me while the rest searched.
The thing that bothers me is that killing a zombie didn't really bother me that much. I guess that means the last vestiges of my old self are gone now. We've been training and talking through scenarios for so long it was a relief to finally get put to the test. I even feel more confident about moving on now.
Once Matt was told about the incident he and I were able to have a conversation about my experience. (Matt has some military training and I think he was checking on my mental state.) Since it was my first time he wasn't too upset about the wasted ammo. He said some people get so freaked out they will fire off every round in their gun, reload and keep shooting. He was really glad I didn't freeze up with fear, he said it showed I had strong survival instincts. Matt also warned me about being overconfident, as that is just as dangerous as being afraid.
All I know is I really want to kill some more zombies.
Friday, August 26, 2011
The Art of Healthy Living by Heidi
Ever since we got struck by the summer cold in June we have been taking vitamins. We quickly realized that the Zombies weren't the only thing we had to fear. The flu, a broken bone, a cut, things that were so minor before could kill us now if we weren't careful.
A few of us had some first aid training so we have been slowly gathering those supplies too. Practicing good hygiene and dental care as well as we can with limited water supplies. As careful as we try to be - accidents happen. We've been real lucky so far - if someone ever needs surgery we're screwed.
As long as we keep checking pharmacies we should be able to find most of the things we need - prescriptions will be a problem, since most of those got cleaned out pretty fast once the apocalypse started. One of the other issues is eventually these things will lose their effectiveness once the expiration date rolls around. So I will be keeping a look out for reading material on alternative medicines. (Yeah, I know, old school.)
Did I mention Roger and I wear corrective eye-wear? I figure I've got 3-5 years before these glasses are totally useless . . . . . Okay, I've got to stop with this now because I'm getting freaked out.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Okay, Heidi's Break is Over
The last couple weeks have been crazy. I've been learning how to get into the blog account, organizing the first aid supplies (more later) and making a list of what to look for once we get moving. I have found that if I don't make a list we get overwhelmed when in a store and start grabbing things we don't need. Seriously, stuffed animals? (Hey, it's free!)
Now the Geoff and Cynthia incident has caused some panic and distrust because we are now aware of how easy it is to take stuff and run. So we got a plan - I've been helping Shawn secure the food and Matt secure the weapons, I figure the more I handle the weapons the more confident I will be using them. We have a few closet type spaces that we've moved everything into and Roger, Shawn, Matt and I will be taking turns sleeping in front of the doors. We just don't trust anyone else right now and we can't afford anymore loss of property due to defections. Although I will say the Geoff and Cynthia exit was a wake-up call for some of our misguided citizens.
Monday, January 30, 2012
On The Farm
Hey, Roger - I feel guilt about how good our situation is considering what you've been through. Dale and Rhonda have been great hosts. There are 30 people here (not including us) and they worked their asses off this last year raising animals, gardens and fruit. We have been eating like kings.
The main house is huge as D & R have 6 children (all grown up now). Once the news started about people turning into the walking dead they immediately started stocking up. Dale was always a fan of the zombie movies and books so he jumped right in with both feet. He contacted the 2 farms in the area and they made a plan. They gathered any friends and relatives they could and went shopping. Between the 3 farms they had pigs, cows, chickens, gardens, fruit trees and 2000 acres. Rhonda said the 3 farms are housing at least 100 people. Because they are so remote they haven't had much zombie activity. The problem was early on when they were making trips out to gather supplies and zombies would follow them back, so they ended up loosing a few people until they got wise to what they were dealing with.
They have been keeping us busy learning how to use a wood burning stove (I made a loaf of bread yesterday!), churning butter, making cheese and preserving meat. They turned their basement into a cold storage area for when warmer weather comes.
Since room in the house is kind of tight Sarah, her son Danny, Karen and I are sleeping in one of the RV's that we stored in one of the pole barns and Matt, Jacob and Greg are sleeping in the other RV, the rest are staying in the house.
It's been good sharing our experiences with other people. We all have dinner together as a group and after dinner we take turns sharing our stories. It's all been quite a learning experience.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
A Place for the Winter
We finally found survivors - I should say they found us. We were on Hwy 43 heading towards I-90, the going was very slow as it had been snowing on and off for a few days. As we were getting ready to stop for the night we saw a vehicle coming our way so we had a quick meeting and it was decided that Matt and I would continue and the rest would stay put until it was safe.
As we got closer we saw a man and a woman in the vehicle, they stopped, we stopped and got out to say "Hi". Dale and Rhonda leapt out of their vehicle and started hugging us and asking if we were okay and how many people were in our group and twenty other questions coming at us so fast neither one of us could talk. We gave them a very fast introduction to our group as the snow was coming down real heavy at this point. They had us follow them. We got off on a side road and drove for about 8 miles, then turned off on another road and drove a few more miles until we came to the driveway of a farm. It was truly amazing, as we pulled up people started coming out of the house, barn and a few other buildings that were on the property, they were all really excited to see us. They had us pull our vehicles into the pole barn so they would be protected from the snow storm and got us all into the house.
Roger, I will give more details later. We have been kept really busy helping with "chores" and getting to know everyone. We all wish you were with us - this place is incredible!
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Still Nothing
We have been very slowly making our way across Hwy 50 towards Lake Geneva and we still haven't seen any survivors. I think if we go down side roads our chances would be better, but nobody wants to risk it, for now anyway.
I finally found out why everyone has been so weird around me - they have been waiting for me to turn into a zombie! Sarah finally told me what happened while I was sick with the flu. Apparently I was so bad at one point my heart stopped beating for a short time, they did CPR and got me back. They all freaked out since technically I was dead and now they have all been watching my every move to see if I do anything strange. Sarah said they all agreed that if I made it a month and nothing bad happened to me they would consider me "safe" and everyone would relax. I really don't know how I feel about all this - I guess I see their point, how long do you have to be dead before the zombie thing starts. Does heart stopping count or do you have to be brain dead too? I guess I'm lucky they didn't do away with me completely! I told Sarah that I really appreciated her being honest with me and I would just continue on like I didn't know what was up - I just don't want this getting stranger than what it already is. Sunday, January 1, 2012
The New Year
We have been working our way west on Hwy 50. We happened upon an RV dealership and picked up 2 RV's - we have plenty of room now. It's very exciting to have beds, kitchens and bathrooms with us! (we love propane!)
We haven't come across any survivors yet - we have been checking out some of the small towns we've been going through. There are lots of farms through this area so we are going to check these out. I figure if people are going to congregate they will do so on a farm, back to basics and self-sufficiency.
Now that we are on the move we are seeing a lot of destruction - homes and business have been destroyed. We were so secluded before, we only saw what was around us, now we are seeing it all on a larger scale.
Everyone has been a bit cautious around me since we've been on the move again - they keep asking me how I'm feeling and If I want to stop and rest. I understand that they are concerned because of how sick I was, but they keep staring at me like I've grown a second head or something. When I get a chance I'm going to find out what that's all about.
Wishing all of us a better New Year - Happy 2015.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Feeling Better
I just wanted to let you know that I am still among the living. They all did a real good job of taking care of me. They won't give me any details other than to say that there were a few zombies hanging around and they had to blast them. (I have a feeling there was more to it than that but, for now, they are all sticking to that story.)
We were able to have a little Christmas celebration today. When they were at Walgreen's getting medication for me they picked up some puzzles, games and candy for the kids. We sat around and told our favorite Christmas traditions. That life seems like a distant dream now.
We've had a little bit of snow - nothing major. The plan is to get back on the road in a day or two.
Roger, I hope you, Shawn and Corey are having a good Christmas and to let you know that we are all thinking of you guys. May we all find some peace in the new year.
Sunday, December 11, 2011Monday, December 5, 2011
Good News, Bad News
We found a motel at the corner of I-94 and Hwy 50. The sign on the door said they were closed due to a family illness and the sign was dated January 3rd. (gee, I wonder what the illness was?)
So we broke into the managers office and took all the room keys. We checked out 6 rooms and they were fine so we divided up and unloaded some supplies from the vehicles. We set-up one as a common room for meals. We had a good hot meal and were really excited about sleeping in real beds as we had been sleeping on floors for almost a year. The next morning I woke up sick - I had the flu. It just figures that I would get the flu now when I never had the flu before (never even had a flu shot) There was a Walgreen's next door, so they sent a team over there to grab whatever they could to help me. I am still not too good yet, but I think the worst is over. I figure it will be several more days before I'm good enough to travel. So far nobody else has gotten sick - just keep your fingers crossed.
Relapse
i am really sick nothing is helping. i survive almost a year of zombies and it's the flu thats going to kill me.everyone is beingsupportive but i want then to move on im holdingthem back.they keep teling me everythng is ok but i keep hearing gunfire.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Pleasant Prairie Wasn't
Okay, so there is a Timberland store at the Pleasant Prairie Mall, it's an outside mall so I figured it wouldn't be too difficult to get winter gear from there. Also, this zombie thing began in the winter, so they should still have some winter stock. We drove around the parking lot, there were some vehicles, but we didn't see any movement. We backed the vehicles up to the door, got out and found the doors unlocked. Me, Matt, Jacob and Greg went in first to make sure the store was safe - it wasn't. Zombies started coming out the back of the store, we started shooting - we got 10 of them. As we continued to go through the store we heard shouting from outside. Apparently our gunfire attracted more zombies and they began spilling out of the other stores. So we had Sarah, Danny, Lynn and Julie get in the store and Louie, Paul and Karen grabbed their guns and joined the rest of us as we created a perimeter around the vehicles and the front of the store. Luckily Matt and Greg had Louie between them as they had to cover for him - Louie is a bad shot. When we were done the zombie count was at 60. Matt, Greg and Karen stayed outside on lookout while the rest of us grabbed what we could of clothing and boots. Greg spotted a van in the lot so he went over to check it out, nothing was inside and the keys were on the floor. It's a real nice 11 passenger van. We removed the back bench to have more room for storage.
We need to find a place to get some rest, none of us have slept much in the last 3 days.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Heading North
We were all so glad to finally hear from you. We started moving North 2 days ago when we noticed zombie movement. It's like they've had a communal call to arms.
We were staying in the Waukegan Oriental Store. It's a small stand alone store made of cinder block and had only one window in the front. The store had never been pillaged so it worked out great for us. (except for the smell of rotted sushi) The blazer and truck are now loaded with 12 50lb bags of rice, lots of canned meat (we left the canned squid - nobody was to keen on the idea of eating that) chili paste with garlic, canned vegetables and cases of bottled water. I'm hoping we will have the opportunity to use the rice to barter with someday.
We have had a casualty, John got bit during the attack. He showed Matt and I the injury after we had gotten settled in the store. He didn't want anyone to freak out, so we kept it quiet. He asked Matt and I to kill him before he turned, so the three of us left to check out the gun shop that was nearby. The store had been ransacked, but we managed to find one gun we could use, a few knives and some ammo. When we were done we went behind the store, said our goodbyes and then Matt and I both fired at him so that neither one of us had to bear the burden of killing him. John was incredibly brave. Matt and I spent a few minutes discussing what story we would tell the others . . . . we decided the truth was best. Everyone was real upset when we told them what had happened to John and what his wishes were. Once they had a chance to process the situation it was understood that there really is no other way to handle a zombie bite. Thank God John was able to be an example for the rest of us.
We are currently on I-94 heading towards Kenosha. We are going to need winter gear soon so that is next on our list.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Roger, are you there?
I'm still a bit hazy on some of the details, but I do remember a truck smashing through our perimeter fence and zombies swarming in. Matt and I started running to the hallway with the intention of securing the perimeter. We heard gunshots and saw the hallway door bursting open. George and Kyle (from the truck) were clawing their way in along with a huge number of zombies. We just started shooting at everything that moved. I know you, Shawn and Corey joined us at some point. As bodies went down we kept shooting at the heads that were appearing over the top of the pile. We ended up with a wall of dead zombies, no more coming in and no one going out. I heard someone shout "Get everybody to the vehicles!" We all ran to the garage and started loading the truck and van. I got in to drive the truck, Sarah and Danny were in the passenger side, Matt and Paul got in the back and the rest got in the van. As you and Shawn opened the garage door I jumped on the accelerator and got the hell out of there. When I looked back you and Shawn were closing the door, I choked back a scream because I didn't want Danny to get anymore freaked out than what he was already, but please know there was no way any of us wanted to leave you both behind. Matt and Paul fired away as I sped the truck through a sea of zombies. Greg was driving the van and managed to stay with me, although I don't know how he managed it, the truck was bouncing all over the place as we drove over bodies. The front end of the truck was tossing zombies around everywhere, the windshield was getting covered in zombie slime. Once we got half a mile out the zombie horde started to thin out and I just kept driving until we didn't see anymore for several miles. We stopped, did a head count and realized that Corey and Justin weren't with us, please tell me they are with you and Shawn. Once we checked for injuries and cleaned up the windows we got back in the vehicles and proceeded on. There are 12 of us. We have a few issues we need to deal with soon, but we are holed up in a safe place for now.
We are all anxiously waiting to hear from you.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Better Now
Hi, it's Heidi, since my last post things went down hill fast. I stopped sleeping - the panic I felt about experiencing those nightmares . . . let's just say I was starting to hallucinate. Shawn and Roger had a talk with me and they decided to take me off duty for a few days. They set me up in a small office space with some sleeping pills and even though I was real aggitated about sleeping they promised not to leave me alone while I was out. During my 48 hour sleep I remember being woken up for broth, tea, vitamins and to use the bathroom. When I woke up the 3rd day on my own they brought me some powdered scrambled eggs. I am feeling much better now.
Shawn, Roger, Matt and I had a long conversation about our situation here. We are safe, secure and we have plenty of supplies, but for me it feels like a prison and Matt agreed. We both want to move on - we will never know what possibilities exist for the future unless we start searching.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Heidi's Nightmares
I've not been feeling well lately. Matt and I have been doing 16 hour shifts on the roof for the last few weeks and I have been having nightmares. The sleep deprivation has caused this fog in my brain which is creating a feeling of doom.
The nightmares all involve zombie attacks and my getting bitten, lots of blood, missing arms, legs, screaming. Sometimes I'm being chased, trip and fall, other times it's a surprise attack like the one I had in the school bathroom. I wake up in a cold sweat and can't go back to sleep. I won't talk to anyone about this because I don't want to freak people out - I can't shake this feeling that this is how I'm going to die.
I need to get back on the roof now.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
The Sound of Silence
Living in rural Wisconsin the evenings were fairly quiet. Sure there was the occasional dog barking, crickets, owls, chickens, cows and the neighbor coming back from bowling league - the usual evening farm sounds. When I was 15 the family moved to Janesville to be closer to Dad's job. We lived about half a mile from I-90, it took a long time to get used to the constant hum of traffic. When I lived in Chicago I was 2 blocks away from a hospital - that was definitely worse.
When the zombie attacks first started happening the noise was horrendous. Car crashes, weapons being fired, sirens, screaming, horns honking, gas explosions. It was what I imagined being in the middle of a war was like. But now it has become silent. No traffic noises, no sounds of humans or animals, no white noise like the hum of electric lines, just silence. It's been months since we've heard a vehicle. We've become acutely aware of how loud our voices are, so now we whisper and use hand signals when outside so as not to draw attention to ourselves. Every day that passes makes me feel more isolated. I really hope we move on soon.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Very Curious
It's Heidi, I'm inside trying to warm up. We have been thrust into Fall, much cooler temperatures and thunderstorms. It's been so cold, windy and rainy on the roof I can't feel my gun anymore. The storm is making it very difficult to see properly. We can't tell what we're looking at half the time.
Something curious happened this afternoon. Roger, Corey, Greg and I were doing our shift on the roof, when Corey motioned for us to come over. He pointed at 3 zombies heading our way, but when the lightning started up they stopped moving. We couldn't figure out what was going on - they looked like statues. We don't know if the irregular light throws them off or if the lightning scares them. We ended up watching them for about half and hour while the storm was raging. It was decided that since they weren't going to be moving anytime soon we ought to take them out.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Heidi Get Your Gun
There is something very empowering about having a gun. (Well, duh!) You have to understand, I had never fired a real gun pre-zombie, so this is all new and exciting for me. When I was growing up in rural Wisconsin my Dad would hunt pheasant, duck and deer for food - it was a guy thing. (Yes, we were one of those houses you would drive by in the Fall and see a gutted deer hanging from the swing-set.) The only thing I had ever fired was a BB gun that one of the other kids had. We would throw an empty Hi-C can in the air and shoot at it. I was the only girl in the group and the boys would get really mad because I hit the can more than they did.
If it weren't for the zombies I never would have picked up a gun, but if I'm going to survive I have to step out of my comfort zone. Some people are still squeamish about shooting zombies. I just keep telling myself that they are already dead and I'm putting them out of their misery. It makes me feel like I'm providing a service - doing something good for them . . . . Oh, who am I kidding - zombies are out to get us and I will do whatever it takes to make them really dead!
Monday, September 19, 2011
Zombies Are Keeping Us Busy
Hey, it's Heidi. We have definitely noticed an increase in zombie activity. Matt and I have been on the roof a lot, he's been giving me shooting lessons. I'm getting pretty good at the accuracy with distance thing. Between the two of us we've taken out 7 today. I am happy to have real shooting experience, but I'm concerned about why we are seeing so many zombies after weeks of quiet. On the other hand, Matt is thrilled to have the chance to take out as many zombies as possible. He's been pretty vocal about moving on and staying in one place this long has been hard on him. It's been good to see him have an outlet for his frustration.
The 'do zombies eat other zombies' question has been answered today. Matt and I were taking shots at a couple zombies - Matt got his, I missed mine. As I was getting ready to take another shot Matt told me to hold on for a bit since Roger wanted to know what would happen if a moving zombie came upon a truly dead zombie. As we watched through our binoculars we saw the zombie go over to the immoblie zombie, stand over it for a few minutes and then move on. I guess he was making sure the other one had truly ceased to be. So it looks like even zombies won't eat rotten meat. Anyway, Matt gave me the go ahead to take him out and I did.
We have broken up the roof watch into 4 - 6 hour shifts, with 4 on a shift. Some of us are doing 12 hour shifts to cover shortages - Matt is doing 18 hour shifts. We are a bit concerned about his state of mind. Roger, Shawn and I are taking turns checking in with him. We figure as long as he is eating, sleeping and talking to us he should be okay.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
My 49th Year
Hi, it's Heidi and yes, today is my birthday. We have tried to create some pre-zombie normalcy by celebrating birthdays, anniversaries and holidays as best we can. It's helpful having these diversions from the day to day grind of surviving. These events turn into treat day - we make coffee over a fire (camp stove now), break out the Hostess snacks and get buzzed on caffeine and sugar. This one is kind of sad because it's the last one we will have as a group. Despite the challenges of the last 9 months we have become a family of sorts - all be it a dysfunctional one.
Roger, Matt and Shawn presented me with this ammo/utility belt that they created from pieces that were picked up during the Cabela's trip. It holds a 1911 pistol, machete, flashlight and ammo. Since I had my first kill they figured it was time to take the training wheels off. (see, some guys do know what a girl wants.)
It's been a really great day . . .
Friday, September 2, 2011
They Say You Always Remember Your First Time
I always figured my first kill would be a male zombie - killing a female was kind of disturbing. My first response afterwards was relief, I got her before she got me. Then I wigged out about who she was. Was she a teacher, cafeteria lady, custodian, a student's mom? It's probably because she was a "new" zombie and didn't look any different than me. That of course sent everyone moving, since if she was fresh that meant zombies were in the immediate area. Roger left Paul with me while the rest searched.
The thing that bothers me is that killing a zombie didn't really bother me that much. I guess that means the last vestiges of my old self are gone now. We've been training and talking through scenarios for so long it was a relief to finally get put to the test. I even feel more confident about moving on now.
Once Matt was told about the incident he and I were able to have a conversation about my experience. (Matt has some military training and I think he was checking on my mental state.) Since it was my first time he wasn't too upset about the wasted ammo. He said some people get so freaked out they will fire off every round in their gun, reload and keep shooting. He was really glad I didn't freeze up with fear, he said it showed I had strong survival instincts. Matt also warned me about being overconfident, as that is just as dangerous as being afraid.
All I know is I really want to kill some more zombies.
Friday, August 26, 2011
The Art of Healthy Living by Heidi
Ever since we got struck by the summer cold in June we have been taking vitamins. We quickly realized that the Zombies weren't the only thing we had to fear. The flu, a broken bone, a cut, things that were so minor before could kill us now if we weren't careful.
A few of us had some first aid training so we have been slowly gathering those supplies too. Practicing good hygiene and dental care as well as we can with limited water supplies. As careful as we try to be - accidents happen. We've been real lucky so far - if someone ever needs surgery we're screwed.
As long as we keep checking pharmacies we should be able to find most of the things we need - prescriptions will be a problem, since most of those got cleaned out pretty fast once the apocalypse started. One of the other issues is eventually these things will lose their effectiveness once the expiration date rolls around. So I will be keeping a look out for reading material on alternative medicines. (Yeah, I know, old school.)
Did I mention Roger and I wear corrective eye-wear? I figure I've got 3-5 years before these glasses are totally useless . . . . . Okay, I've got to stop with this now because I'm getting freaked out.
Monday, January 30, 2012
On The Farm
Hey, Roger - I feel guilt about how good our situation is considering what you've been through. Dale and Rhonda have been great hosts. There are 30 people here (not including us) and they worked their asses off this last year raising animals, gardens and fruit. We have been eating like kings.
The main house is huge as D & R have 6 children (all grown up now). Once the news started about people turning into the walking dead they immediately started stocking up. Dale was always a fan of the zombie movies and books so he jumped right in with both feet. He contacted the 2 farms in the area and they made a plan. They gathered any friends and relatives they could and went shopping. Between the 3 farms they had pigs, cows, chickens, gardens, fruit trees and 2000 acres. Rhonda said the 3 farms are housing at least 100 people. Because they are so remote they haven't had much zombie activity. The problem was early on when they were making trips out to gather supplies and zombies would follow them back, so they ended up loosing a few people until they got wise to what they were dealing with.
They have been keeping us busy learning how to use a wood burning stove (I made a loaf of bread yesterday!), churning butter, making cheese and preserving meat. They turned their basement into a cold storage area for when warmer weather comes.
Since room in the house is kind of tight Sarah, her son Danny, Karen and I are sleeping in one of the RV's that we stored in one of the pole barns and Matt, Jacob and Greg are sleeping in the other RV, the rest are staying in the house.
It's been good sharing our experiences with other people. We all have dinner together as a group and after dinner we take turns sharing our stories. It's all been quite a learning experience.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
A Place for the Winter
We finally found survivors - I should say they found us. We were on Hwy 43 heading towards I-90, the going was very slow as it had been snowing on and off for a few days. As we were getting ready to stop for the night we saw a vehicle coming our way so we had a quick meeting and it was decided that Matt and I would continue and the rest would stay put until it was safe.
As we got closer we saw a man and a woman in the vehicle, they stopped, we stopped and got out to say "Hi". Dale and Rhonda leapt out of their vehicle and started hugging us and asking if we were okay and how many people were in our group and twenty other questions coming at us so fast neither one of us could talk. We gave them a very fast introduction to our group as the snow was coming down real heavy at this point. They had us follow them. We got off on a side road and drove for about 8 miles, then turned off on another road and drove a few more miles until we came to the driveway of a farm. It was truly amazing, as we pulled up people started coming out of the house, barn and a few other buildings that were on the property, they were all really excited to see us. They had us pull our vehicles into the pole barn so they would be protected from the snow storm and got us all into the house.
Roger, I will give more details later. We have been kept really busy helping with "chores" and getting to know everyone. We all wish you were with us - this place is incredible!
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Still Nothing
We have been very slowly making our way across Hwy 50 towards Lake Geneva and we still haven't seen any survivors. I think if we go down side roads our chances would be better, but nobody wants to risk it, for now anyway.
I finally found out why everyone has been so weird around me - they have been waiting for me to turn into a zombie! Sarah finally told me what happened while I was sick with the flu. Apparently I was so bad at one point my heart stopped beating for a short time, they did CPR and got me back. They all freaked out since technically I was dead and now they have all been watching my every move to see if I do anything strange. Sarah said they all agreed that if I made it a month and nothing bad happened to me they would consider me "safe" and everyone would relax. I really don't know how I feel about all this - I guess I see their point, how long do you have to be dead before the zombie thing starts. Does heart stopping count or do you have to be brain dead too? I guess I'm lucky they didn't do away with me completely! I told Sarah that I really appreciated her being honest with me and I would just continue on like I didn't know what was up - I just don't want this getting stranger than what it already is. Sunday, January 1, 2012
The New Year
We have been working our way west on Hwy 50. We happened upon an RV dealership and picked up 2 RV's - we have plenty of room now. It's very exciting to have beds, kitchens and bathrooms with us! (we love propane!)
We haven't come across any survivors yet - we have been checking out some of the small towns we've been going through. There are lots of farms through this area so we are going to check these out. I figure if people are going to congregate they will do so on a farm, back to basics and self-sufficiency.
Now that we are on the move we are seeing a lot of destruction - homes and business have been destroyed. We were so secluded before, we only saw what was around us, now we are seeing it all on a larger scale.
Everyone has been a bit cautious around me since we've been on the move again - they keep asking me how I'm feeling and If I want to stop and rest. I understand that they are concerned because of how sick I was, but they keep staring at me like I've grown a second head or something. When I get a chance I'm going to find out what that's all about.
Wishing all of us a better New Year - Happy 2015.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Feeling Better
I just wanted to let you know that I am still among the living. They all did a real good job of taking care of me. They won't give me any details other than to say that there were a few zombies hanging around and they had to blast them. (I have a feeling there was more to it than that but, for now, they are all sticking to that story.)
We were able to have a little Christmas celebration today. When they were at Walgreen's getting medication for me they picked up some puzzles, games and candy for the kids. We sat around and told our favorite Christmas traditions. That life seems like a distant dream now.
We've had a little bit of snow - nothing major. The plan is to get back on the road in a day or two.
Roger, I hope you, Shawn and Corey are having a good Christmas and to let you know that we are all thinking of you guys. May we all find some peace in the new year.
Sunday, December 11, 2011Monday, December 5, 2011
Good News, Bad News
We found a motel at the corner of I-94 and Hwy 50. The sign on the door said they were closed due to a family illness and the sign was dated January 3rd. (gee, I wonder what the illness was?)
So we broke into the managers office and took all the room keys. We checked out 6 rooms and they were fine so we divided up and unloaded some supplies from the vehicles. We set-up one as a common room for meals. We had a good hot meal and were really excited about sleeping in real beds as we had been sleeping on floors for almost a year. The next morning I woke up sick - I had the flu. It just figures that I would get the flu now when I never had the flu before (never even had a flu shot) There was a Walgreen's next door, so they sent a team over there to grab whatever they could to help me. I am still not too good yet, but I think the worst is over. I figure it will be several more days before I'm good enough to travel. So far nobody else has gotten sick - just keep your fingers crossed.
Relapse
i am really sick nothing is helping. i survive almost a year of zombies and it's the flu thats going to kill me.everyone is beingsupportive but i want then to move on im holdingthem back.they keep teling me everythng is ok but i keep hearing gunfire.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Pleasant Prairie Wasn't
Okay, so there is a Timberland store at the Pleasant Prairie Mall, it's an outside mall so I figured it wouldn't be too difficult to get winter gear from there. Also, this zombie thing began in the winter, so they should still have some winter stock. We drove around the parking lot, there were some vehicles, but we didn't see any movement. We backed the vehicles up to the door, got out and found the doors unlocked. Me, Matt, Jacob and Greg went in first to make sure the store was safe - it wasn't. Zombies started coming out the back of the store, we started shooting - we got 10 of them. As we continued to go through the store we heard shouting from outside. Apparently our gunfire attracted more zombies and they began spilling out of the other stores. So we had Sarah, Danny, Lynn and Julie get in the store and Louie, Paul and Karen grabbed their guns and joined the rest of us as we created a perimeter around the vehicles and the front of the store. Luckily Matt and Greg had Louie between them as they had to cover for him - Louie is a bad shot. When we were done the zombie count was at 60. Matt, Greg and Karen stayed outside on lookout while the rest of us grabbed what we could of clothing and boots. Greg spotted a van in the lot so he went over to check it out, nothing was inside and the keys were on the floor. It's a real nice 11 passenger van. We removed the back bench to have more room for storage.
We need to find a place to get some rest, none of us have slept much in the last 3 days.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Heading North
We were all so glad to finally hear from you. We started moving North 2 days ago when we noticed zombie movement. It's like they've had a communal call to arms.
We were staying in the Waukegan Oriental Store. It's a small stand alone store made of cinder block and had only one window in the front. The store had never been pillaged so it worked out great for us. (except for the smell of rotted sushi) The blazer and truck are now loaded with 12 50lb bags of rice, lots of canned meat (we left the canned squid - nobody was to keen on the idea of eating that) chili paste with garlic, canned vegetables and cases of bottled water. I'm hoping we will have the opportunity to use the rice to barter with someday.
We have had a casualty, John got bit during the attack. He showed Matt and I the injury after we had gotten settled in the store. He didn't want anyone to freak out, so we kept it quiet. He asked Matt and I to kill him before he turned, so the three of us left to check out the gun shop that was nearby. The store had been ransacked, but we managed to find one gun we could use, a few knives and some ammo. When we were done we went behind the store, said our goodbyes and then Matt and I both fired at him so that neither one of us had to bear the burden of killing him. John was incredibly brave. Matt and I spent a few minutes discussing what story we would tell the others . . . . we decided the truth was best. Everyone was real upset when we told them what had happened to John and what his wishes were. Once they had a chance to process the situation it was understood that there really is no other way to handle a zombie bite. Thank God John was able to be an example for the rest of us.
We are currently on I-94 heading towards Kenosha. We are going to need winter gear soon so that is next on our list.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Roger, are you there?
I'm still a bit hazy on some of the details, but I do remember a truck smashing through our perimeter fence and zombies swarming in. Matt and I started running to the hallway with the intention of securing the perimeter. We heard gunshots and saw the hallway door bursting open. George and Kyle (from the truck) were clawing their way in along with a huge number of zombies. We just started shooting at everything that moved. I know you, Shawn and Corey joined us at some point. As bodies went down we kept shooting at the heads that were appearing over the top of the pile. We ended up with a wall of dead zombies, no more coming in and no one going out. I heard someone shout "Get everybody to the vehicles!" We all ran to the garage and started loading the truck and van. I got in to drive the truck, Sarah and Danny were in the passenger side, Matt and Paul got in the back and the rest got in the van. As you and Shawn opened the garage door I jumped on the accelerator and got the hell out of there. When I looked back you and Shawn were closing the door, I choked back a scream because I didn't want Danny to get anymore freaked out than what he was already, but please know there was no way any of us wanted to leave you both behind. Matt and Paul fired away as I sped the truck through a sea of zombies. Greg was driving the van and managed to stay with me, although I don't know how he managed it, the truck was bouncing all over the place as we drove over bodies. The front end of the truck was tossing zombies around everywhere, the windshield was getting covered in zombie slime. Once we got half a mile out the zombie horde started to thin out and I just kept driving until we didn't see anymore for several miles. We stopped, did a head count and realized that Corey and Justin weren't with us, please tell me they are with you and Shawn. Once we checked for injuries and cleaned up the windows we got back in the vehicles and proceeded on. There are 12 of us. We have a few issues we need to deal with soon, but we are holed up in a safe place for now.
We are all anxiously waiting to hear from you.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Better Now
Hi, it's Heidi, since my last post things went down hill fast. I stopped sleeping - the panic I felt about experiencing those nightmares . . . let's just say I was starting to hallucinate. Shawn and Roger had a talk with me and they decided to take me off duty for a few days. They set me up in a small office space with some sleeping pills and even though I was real aggitated about sleeping they promised not to leave me alone while I was out. During my 48 hour sleep I remember being woken up for broth, tea, vitamins and to use the bathroom. When I woke up the 3rd day on my own they brought me some powdered scrambled eggs. I am feeling much better now.
Shawn, Roger, Matt and I had a long conversation about our situation here. We are safe, secure and we have plenty of supplies, but for me it feels like a prison and Matt agreed. We both want to move on - we will never know what possibilities exist for the future unless we start searching.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Heidi's Nightmares
I've not been feeling well lately. Matt and I have been doing 16 hour shifts on the roof for the last few weeks and I have been having nightmares. The sleep deprivation has caused this fog in my brain which is creating a feeling of doom.
The nightmares all involve zombie attacks and my getting bitten, lots of blood, missing arms, legs, screaming. Sometimes I'm being chased, trip and fall, other times it's a surprise attack like the one I had in the school bathroom. I wake up in a cold sweat and can't go back to sleep. I won't talk to anyone about this because I don't want to freak people out - I can't shake this feeling that this is how I'm going to die.
I need to get back on the roof now.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
The Sound of Silence
Living in rural Wisconsin the evenings were fairly quiet. Sure there was the occasional dog barking, crickets, owls, chickens, cows and the neighbor coming back from bowling league - the usual evening farm sounds. When I was 15 the family moved to Janesville to be closer to Dad's job. We lived about half a mile from I-90, it took a long time to get used to the constant hum of traffic. When I lived in Chicago I was 2 blocks away from a hospital - that was definitely worse.
When the zombie attacks first started happening the noise was horrendous. Car crashes, weapons being fired, sirens, screaming, horns honking, gas explosions. It was what I imagined being in the middle of a war was like. But now it has become silent. No traffic noises, no sounds of humans or animals, no white noise like the hum of electric lines, just silence. It's been months since we've heard a vehicle. We've become acutely aware of how loud our voices are, so now we whisper and use hand signals when outside so as not to draw attention to ourselves. Every day that passes makes me feel more isolated. I really hope we move on soon.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Very Curious
It's Heidi, I'm inside trying to warm up. We have been thrust into Fall, much cooler temperatures and thunderstorms. It's been so cold, windy and rainy on the roof I can't feel my gun anymore. The storm is making it very difficult to see properly. We can't tell what we're looking at half the time.
Something curious happened this afternoon. Roger, Corey, Greg and I were doing our shift on the roof, when Corey motioned for us to come over. He pointed at 3 zombies heading our way, but when the lightning started up they stopped moving. We couldn't figure out what was going on - they looked like statues. We don't know if the irregular light throws them off or if the lightning scares them. We ended up watching them for about half and hour while the storm was raging. It was decided that since they weren't going to be moving anytime soon we ought to take them out.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Heidi Get Your Gun
There is something very empowering about having a gun. (Well, duh!) You have to understand, I had never fired a real gun pre-zombie, so this is all new and exciting for me. When I was growing up in rural Wisconsin my Dad would hunt pheasant, duck and deer for food - it was a guy thing. (Yes, we were one of those houses you would drive by in the Fall and see a gutted deer hanging from the swing-set.) The only thing I had ever fired was a BB gun that one of the other kids had. We would throw an empty Hi-C can in the air and shoot at it. I was the only girl in the group and the boys would get really mad because I hit the can more than they did.
If it weren't for the zombies I never would have picked up a gun, but if I'm going to survive I have to step out of my comfort zone. Some people are still squeamish about shooting zombies. I just keep telling myself that they are already dead and I'm putting them out of their misery. It makes me feel like I'm providing a service - doing something good for them . . . . Oh, who am I kidding - zombies are out to get us and I will do whatever it takes to make them really dead!
Monday, September 19, 2011
Zombies Are Keeping Us Busy
Hey, it's Heidi. We have definitely noticed an increase in zombie activity. Matt and I have been on the roof a lot, he's been giving me shooting lessons. I'm getting pretty good at the accuracy with distance thing. Between the two of us we've taken out 7 today. I am happy to have real shooting experience, but I'm concerned about why we are seeing so many zombies after weeks of quiet. On the other hand, Matt is thrilled to have the chance to take out as many zombies as possible. He's been pretty vocal about moving on and staying in one place this long has been hard on him. It's been good to see him have an outlet for his frustration.
The 'do zombies eat other zombies' question has been answered today. Matt and I were taking shots at a couple zombies - Matt got his, I missed mine. As I was getting ready to take another shot Matt told me to hold on for a bit since Roger wanted to know what would happen if a moving zombie came upon a truly dead zombie. As we watched through our binoculars we saw the zombie go over to the immoblie zombie, stand over it for a few minutes and then move on. I guess he was making sure the other one had truly ceased to be. So it looks like even zombies won't eat rotten meat. Anyway, Matt gave me the go ahead to take him out and I did.
We have broken up the roof watch into 4 - 6 hour shifts, with 4 on a shift. Some of us are doing 12 hour shifts to cover shortages - Matt is doing 18 hour shifts. We are a bit concerned about his state of mind. Roger, Shawn and I are taking turns checking in with him. We figure as long as he is eating, sleeping and talking to us he should be okay.
Monday, January 30, 2012
On The Farm
Hey, Roger - I feel guilt about how good our situation is considering what you've been through. Dale and Rhonda have been great hosts. There are 30 people here (not including us) and they worked their asses off this last year raising animals, gardens and fruit. We have been eating like kings.
The main house is huge as D & R have 6 children (all grown up now). Once the news started about people turning into the walking dead they immediately started stocking up. Dale was always a fan of the zombie movies and books so he jumped right in with both feet. He contacted the 2 farms in the area and they made a plan. They gathered any friends and relatives they could and went shopping. Between the 3 farms they had pigs, cows, chickens, gardens, fruit trees and 2000 acres. Rhonda said the 3 farms are housing at least 100 people. Because they are so remote they haven't had much zombie activity. The problem was early on when they were making trips out to gather supplies and zombies would follow them back, so they ended up loosing a few people until they got wise to what they were dealing with.
They have been keeping us busy learning how to use a wood burning stove (I made a loaf of bread yesterday!), churning butter, making cheese and preserving meat. They turned their basement into a cold storage area for when warmer weather comes.
Since room in the house is kind of tight Sarah, her son Danny, Karen and I are sleeping in one of the RV's that we stored in one of the pole barns and Matt, Jacob and Greg are sleeping in the other RV, the rest are staying in the house.
It's been good sharing our experiences with other people. We all have dinner together as a group and after dinner we take turns sharing our stories. It's all been quite a learning experience.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
A Place for the Winter
We finally found survivors - I should say they found us. We were on Hwy 43 heading towards I-90, the going was very slow as it had been snowing on and off for a few days. As we were getting ready to stop for the night we saw a vehicle coming our way so we had a quick meeting and it was decided that Matt and I would continue and the rest would stay put until it was safe.
As we got closer we saw a man and a woman in the vehicle, they stopped, we stopped and got out to say "Hi". Dale and Rhonda leapt out of their vehicle and started hugging us and asking if we were okay and how many people were in our group and twenty other questions coming at us so fast neither one of us could talk. We gave them a very fast introduction to our group as the snow was coming down real heavy at this point. They had us follow them. We got off on a side road and drove for about 8 miles, then turned off on another road and drove a few more miles until we came to the driveway of a farm. It was truly amazing, as we pulled up people started coming out of the house, barn and a few other buildings that were on the property, they were all really excited to see us. They had us pull our vehicles into the pole barn so they would be protected from the snow storm and got us all into the house.
Roger, I will give more details later. We have been kept really busy helping with "chores" and getting to know everyone. We all wish you were with us - this place is incredible!
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Still Nothing
We have been very slowly making our way across Hwy 50 towards Lake Geneva and we still haven't seen any survivors. I think if we go down side roads our chances would be better, but nobody wants to risk it, for now anyway.
I finally found out why everyone has been so weird around me - they have been waiting for me to turn into a zombie! Sarah finally told me what happened while I was sick with the flu. Apparently I was so bad at one point my heart stopped beating for a short time, they did CPR and got me back. They all freaked out since technically I was dead and now they have all been watching my every move to see if I do anything strange. Sarah said they all agreed that if I made it a month and nothing bad happened to me they would consider me "safe" and everyone would relax. I really don't know how I feel about all this - I guess I see their point, how long do you have to be dead before the zombie thing starts. Does heart stopping count or do you have to be brain dead too? I guess I'm lucky they didn't do away with me completely! I told Sarah that I really appreciated her being honest with me and I would just continue on like I didn't know what was up - I just don't want this getting stranger than what it already is. Sunday, January 1, 2012
The New Year
We have been working our way west on Hwy 50. We happened upon an RV dealership and picked up 2 RV's - we have plenty of room now. It's very exciting to have beds, kitchens and bathrooms with us! (we love propane!)
We haven't come across any survivors yet - we have been checking out some of the small towns we've been going through. There are lots of farms through this area so we are going to check these out. I figure if people are going to congregate they will do so on a farm, back to basics and self-sufficiency.
Now that we are on the move we are seeing a lot of destruction - homes and business have been destroyed. We were so secluded before, we only saw what was around us, now we are seeing it all on a larger scale.
Everyone has been a bit cautious around me since we've been on the move again - they keep asking me how I'm feeling and If I want to stop and rest. I understand that they are concerned because of how sick I was, but they keep staring at me like I've grown a second head or something. When I get a chance I'm going to find out what that's all about.
Wishing all of us a better New Year - Happy 2015.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Feeling Better
I just wanted to let you know that I am still among the living. They all did a real good job of taking care of me. They won't give me any details other than to say that there were a few zombies hanging around and they had to blast them. (I have a feeling there was more to it than that but, for now, they are all sticking to that story.)
We were able to have a little Christmas celebration today. When they were at Walgreen's getting medication for me they picked up some puzzles, games and candy for the kids. We sat around and told our favorite Christmas traditions. That life seems like a distant dream now.
We've had a little bit of snow - nothing major. The plan is to get back on the road in a day or two.
Roger, I hope you, Shawn and Corey are having a good Christmas and to let you know that we are all thinking of you guys. May we all find some peace in the new year.
Sunday, December 11, 2011Monday, December 5, 2011
Good News, Bad News
We found a motel at the corner of I-94 and Hwy 50. The sign on the door said they were closed due to a family illness and the sign was dated January 3rd. (gee, I wonder what the illness was?)
So we broke into the managers office and took all the room keys. We checked out 6 rooms and they were fine so we divided up and unloaded some supplies from the vehicles. We set-up one as a common room for meals. We had a good hot meal and were really excited about sleeping in real beds as we had been sleeping on floors for almost a year. The next morning I woke up sick - I had the flu. It just figures that I would get the flu now when I never had the flu before (never even had a flu shot) There was a Walgreen's next door, so they sent a team over there to grab whatever they could to help me. I am still not too good yet, but I think the worst is over. I figure it will be several more days before I'm good enough to travel. So far nobody else has gotten sick - just keep your fingers crossed.
Relapse
i am really sick nothing is helping. i survive almost a year of zombies and it's the flu thats going to kill me.everyone is beingsupportive but i want then to move on im holdingthem back.they keep teling me everythng is ok but i keep hearing gunfire.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Pleasant Prairie Wasn't
Okay, so there is a Timberland store at the Pleasant Prairie Mall, it's an outside mall so I figured it wouldn't be too difficult to get winter gear from there. Also, this zombie thing began in the winter, so they should still have some winter stock. We drove around the parking lot, there were some vehicles, but we didn't see any movement. We backed the vehicles up to the door, got out and found the doors unlocked. Me, Matt, Jacob and Greg went in first to make sure the store was safe - it wasn't. Zombies started coming out the back of the store, we started shooting - we got 10 of them. As we continued to go through the store we heard shouting from outside. Apparently our gunfire attracted more zombies and they began spilling out of the other stores. So we had Sarah, Danny, Lynn and Julie get in the store and Louie, Paul and Karen grabbed their guns and joined the rest of us as we created a perimeter around the vehicles and the front of the store. Luckily Matt and Greg had Louie between them as they had to cover for him - Louie is a bad shot. When we were done the zombie count was at 60. Matt, Greg and Karen stayed outside on lookout while the rest of us grabbed what we could of clothing and boots. Greg spotted a van in the lot so he went over to check it out, nothing was inside and the keys were on the floor. It's a real nice 11 passenger van. We removed the back bench to have more room for storage.
We need to find a place to get some rest, none of us have slept much in the last 3 days.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Heading North
We were all so glad to finally hear from you. We started moving North 2 days ago when we noticed zombie movement. It's like they've had a communal call to arms.
We were staying in the Waukegan Oriental Store. It's a small stand alone store made of cinder block and had only one window in the front. The store had never been pillaged so it worked out great for us. (except for the smell of rotted sushi) The blazer and truck are now loaded with 12 50lb bags of rice, lots of canned meat (we left the canned squid - nobody was to keen on the idea of eating that) chili paste with garlic, canned vegetables and cases of bottled water. I'm hoping we will have the opportunity to use the rice to barter with someday.
We have had a casualty, John got bit during the attack. He showed Matt and I the injury after we had gotten settled in the store. He didn't want anyone to freak out, so we kept it quiet. He asked Matt and I to kill him before he turned, so the three of us left to check out the gun shop that was nearby. The store had been ransacked, but we managed to find one gun we could use, a few knives and some ammo. When we were done we went behind the store, said our goodbyes and then Matt and I both fired at him so that neither one of us had to bear the burden of killing him. John was incredibly brave. Matt and I spent a few minutes discussing what story we would tell the others . . . . we decided the truth was best. Everyone was real upset when we told them what had happened to John and what his wishes were. Once they had a chance to process the situation it was understood that there really is no other way to handle a zombie bite. Thank God John was able to be an example for the rest of us.
We are currently on I-94 heading towards Kenosha. We are going to need winter gear soon so that is next on our list.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Roger, are you there?
I'm still a bit hazy on some of the details, but I do remember a truck smashing through our perimeter fence and zombies swarming in. Matt and I started running to the hallway with the intention of securing the perimeter. We heard gunshots and saw the hallway door bursting open. George and Kyle (from the truck) were clawing their way in along with a huge number of zombies. We just started shooting at everything that moved. I know you, Shawn and Corey joined us at some point. As bodies went down we kept shooting at the heads that were appearing over the top of the pile. We ended up with a wall of dead zombies, no more coming in and no one going out. I heard someone shout "Get everybody to the vehicles!" We all ran to the garage and started loading the truck and van. I got in to drive the truck, Sarah and Danny were in the passenger side, Matt and Paul got in the back and the rest got in the van. As you and Shawn opened the garage door I jumped on the accelerator and got the hell out of there. When I looked back you and Shawn were closing the door, I choked back a scream because I didn't want Danny to get anymore freaked out than what he was already, but please know there was no way any of us wanted to leave you both behind. Matt and Paul fired away as I sped the truck through a sea of zombies. Greg was driving the van and managed to stay with me, although I don't know how he managed it, the truck was bouncing all over the place as we drove over bodies. The front end of the truck was tossing zombies around everywhere, the windshield was getting covered in zombie slime. Once we got half a mile out the zombie horde started to thin out and I just kept driving until we didn't see anymore for several miles. We stopped, did a head count and realized that Corey and Justin weren't with us, please tell me they are with you and Shawn. Once we checked for injuries and cleaned up the windows we got back in the vehicles and proceeded on. There are 12 of us. We have a few issues we need to deal with soon, but we are holed up in a safe place for now.
We are all anxiously waiting to hear from you.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Better Now
Hi, it's Heidi, since my last post things went down hill fast. I stopped sleeping - the panic I felt about experiencing those nightmares . . . let's just say I was starting to hallucinate. Shawn and Roger had a talk with me and they decided to take me off duty for a few days. They set me up in a small office space with some sleeping pills and even though I was real aggitated about sleeping they promised not to leave me alone while I was out. During my 48 hour sleep I remember being woken up for broth, tea, vitamins and to use the bathroom. When I woke up the 3rd day on my own they brought me some powdered scrambled eggs. I am feeling much better now.
Shawn, Roger, Matt and I had a long conversation about our situation here. We are safe, secure and we have plenty of supplies, but for me it feels like a prison and Matt agreed. We both want to move on - we will never know what possibilities exist for the future unless we start searching.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Heidi's Nightmares
I've not been feeling well lately. Matt and I have been doing 16 hour shifts on the roof for the last few weeks and I have been having nightmares. The sleep deprivation has caused this fog in my brain which is creating a feeling of doom.
The nightmares all involve zombie attacks and my getting bitten, lots of blood, missing arms, legs, screaming. Sometimes I'm being chased, trip and fall, other times it's a surprise attack like the one I had in the school bathroom. I wake up in a cold sweat and can't go back to sleep. I won't talk to anyone about this because I don't want to freak people out - I can't shake this feeling that this is how I'm going to die.
I need to get back on the roof now.
Monday, January 30, 2012
On The Farm
Hey, Roger - I feel guilt about how good our situation is considering what you've been through. Dale and Rhonda have been great hosts. There are 30 people here (not including us) and they worked their asses off this last year raising animals, gardens and fruit. We have been eating like kings.
The main house is huge as D & R have 6 children (all grown up now). Once the news started about people turning into the walking dead they immediately started stocking up. Dale was always a fan of the zombie movies and books so he jumped right in with both feet. He contacted the 2 farms in the area and they made a plan. They gathered any friends and relatives they could and went shopping. Between the 3 farms they had pigs, cows, chickens, gardens, fruit trees and 2000 acres. Rhonda said the 3 farms are housing at least 100 people. Because they are so remote they haven't had much zombie activity. The problem was early on when they were making trips out to gather supplies and zombies would follow them back, so they ended up loosing a few people until they got wise to what they were dealing with.
They have been keeping us busy learning how to use a wood burning stove (I made a loaf of bread yesterday!), churning butter, making cheese and preserving meat. They turned their basement into a cold storage area for when warmer weather comes.
Since room in the house is kind of tight Sarah, her son Danny, Karen and I are sleeping in one of the RV's that we stored in one of the pole barns and Matt, Jacob and Greg are sleeping in the other RV, the rest are staying in the house.
It's been good sharing our experiences with other people. We all have dinner together as a group and after dinner we take turns sharing our stories. It's all been quite a learning experience.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
A Place for the Winter
We finally found survivors - I should say they found us. We were on Hwy 43 heading towards I-90, the going was very slow as it had been snowing on and off for a few days. As we were getting ready to stop for the night we saw a vehicle coming our way so we had a quick meeting and it was decided that Matt and I would continue and the rest would stay put until it was safe.
As we got closer we saw a man and a woman in the vehicle, they stopped, we stopped and got out to say "Hi". Dale and Rhonda leapt out of their vehicle and started hugging us and asking if we were okay and how many people were in our group and twenty other questions coming at us so fast neither one of us could talk. We gave them a very fast introduction to our group as the snow was coming down real heavy at this point. They had us follow them. We got off on a side road and drove for about 8 miles, then turned off on another road and drove a few more miles until we came to the driveway of a farm. It was truly amazing, as we pulled up people started coming out of the house, barn and a few other buildings that were on the property, they were all really excited to see us. They had us pull our vehicles into the pole barn so they would be protected from the snow storm and got us all into the house.
Roger, I will give more details later. We have been kept really busy helping with "chores" and getting to know everyone. We all wish you were with us - this place is incredible!
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Still Nothing
We have been very slowly making our way across Hwy 50 towards Lake Geneva and we still haven't seen any survivors. I think if we go down side roads our chances would be better, but nobody wants to risk it, for now anyway.
I finally found out why everyone has been so weird around me - they have been waiting for me to turn into a zombie! Sarah finally told me what happened while I was sick with the flu. Apparently I was so bad at one point my heart stopped beating for a short time, they did CPR and got me back. They all freaked out since technically I was dead and now they have all been watching my every move to see if I do anything strange. Sarah said they all agreed that if I made it a month and nothing bad happened to me they would consider me "safe" and everyone would relax. I really don't know how I feel about all this - I guess I see their point, how long do you have to be dead before the zombie thing starts. Does heart stopping count or do you have to be brain dead too? I guess I'm lucky they didn't do away with me completely! I told Sarah that I really appreciated her being honest with me and I would just continue on like I didn't know what was up - I just don't want this getting stranger than what it already is. Sunday, January 1, 2012
The New Year
We have been working our way west on Hwy 50. We happened upon an RV dealership and picked up 2 RV's - we have plenty of room now. It's very exciting to have beds, kitchens and bathrooms with us! (we love propane!)
We haven't come across any survivors yet - we have been checking out some of the small towns we've been going through. There are lots of farms through this area so we are going to check these out. I figure if people are going to congregate they will do so on a farm, back to basics and self-sufficiency.
Now that we are on the move we are seeing a lot of destruction - homes and business have been destroyed. We were so secluded before, we only saw what was around us, now we are seeing it all on a larger scale.
Everyone has been a bit cautious around me since we've been on the move again - they keep asking me how I'm feeling and If I want to stop and rest. I understand that they are concerned because of how sick I was, but they keep staring at me like I've grown a second head or something. When I get a chance I'm going to find out what that's all about.
Wishing all of us a better New Year - Happy 2015.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Feeling Better
I just wanted to let you know that I am still among the living. They all did a real good job of taking care of me. They won't give me any details other than to say that there were a few zombies hanging around and they had to blast them. (I have a feeling there was more to it than that but, for now, they are all sticking to that story.)
We were able to have a little Christmas celebration today. When they were at Walgreen's getting medication for me they picked up some puzzles, games and candy for the kids. We sat around and told our favorite Christmas traditions. That life seems like a distant dream now.
We've had a little bit of snow - nothing major. The plan is to get back on the road in a day or two.
Roger, I hope you, Shawn and Corey are having a good Christmas and to let you know that we are all thinking of you guys. May we all find some peace in the new year.
Sunday, December 11, 2011Monday, December 5, 2011
Good News, Bad News
We found a motel at the corner of I-94 and Hwy 50. The sign on the door said they were closed due to a family illness and the sign was dated January 3rd. (gee, I wonder what the illness was?)
So we broke into the managers office and took all the room keys. We checked out 6 rooms and they were fine so we divided up and unloaded some supplies from the vehicles. We set-up one as a common room for meals. We had a good hot meal and were really excited about sleeping in real beds as we had been sleeping on floors for almost a year. The next morning I woke up sick - I had the flu. It just figures that I would get the flu now when I never had the flu before (never even had a flu shot) There was a Walgreen's next door, so they sent a team over there to grab whatever they could to help me. I am still not too good yet, but I think the worst is over. I figure it will be several more days before I'm good enough to travel. So far nobody else has gotten sick - just keep your fingers crossed.
Relapse
i am really sick nothing is helping. i survive almost a year of zombies and it's the flu thats going to kill me.everyone is beingsupportive but i want then to move on im holdingthem back.they keep teling me everythng is ok but i keep hearing gunfire.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Pleasant Prairie Wasn't
Okay, so there is a Timberland store at the Pleasant Prairie Mall, it's an outside mall so I figured it wouldn't be too difficult to get winter gear from there. Also, this zombie thing began in the winter, so they should still have some winter stock. We drove around the parking lot, there were some vehicles, but we didn't see any movement. We backed the vehicles up to the door, got out and found the doors unlocked. Me, Matt, Jacob and Greg went in first to make sure the store was safe - it wasn't. Zombies started coming out the back of the store, we started shooting - we got 10 of them. As we continued to go through the store we heard shouting from outside. Apparently our gunfire attracted more zombies and they began spilling out of the other stores. So we had Sarah, Danny, Lynn and Julie get in the store and Louie, Paul and Karen grabbed their guns and joined the rest of us as we created a perimeter around the vehicles and the front of the store. Luckily Matt and Greg had Louie between them as they had to cover for him - Louie is a bad shot. When we were done the zombie count was at 60. Matt, Greg and Karen stayed outside on lookout while the rest of us grabbed what we could of clothing and boots. Greg spotted a van in the lot so he went over to check it out, nothing was inside and the keys were on the floor. It's a real nice 11 passenger van. We removed the back bench to have more room for storage.
We need to find a place to get some rest, none of us have slept much in the last 3 days.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Heading North
We were all so glad to finally hear from you. We started moving North 2 days ago when we noticed zombie movement. It's like they've had a communal call to arms.
We were staying in the Waukegan Oriental Store. It's a small stand alone store made of cinder block and had only one window in the front. The store had never been pillaged so it worked out great for us. (except for the smell of rotted sushi) The blazer and truck are now loaded with 12 50lb bags of rice, lots of canned meat (we left the canned squid - nobody was to keen on the idea of eating that) chili paste with garlic, canned vegetables and cases of bottled water. I'm hoping we will have the opportunity to use the rice to barter with someday.
We have had a casualty, John got bit during the attack. He showed Matt and I the injury after we had gotten settled in the store. He didn't want anyone to freak out, so we kept it quiet. He asked Matt and I to kill him before he turned, so the three of us left to check out the gun shop that was nearby. The store had been ransacked, but we managed to find one gun we could use, a few knives and some ammo. When we were done we went behind the store, said our goodbyes and then Matt and I both fired at him so that neither one of us had to bear the burden of killing him. John was incredibly brave. Matt and I spent a few minutes discussing what story we would tell the others . . . . we decided the truth was best. Everyone was real upset when we told them what had happened to John and what his wishes were. Once they had a chance to process the situation it was understood that there really is no other way to handle a zombie bite. Thank God John was able to be an example for the rest of us.
We are currently on I-94 heading towards Kenosha. We are going to need winter gear soon so that is next on our list.
Monday, January 30, 2012
On The Farm
Hey, Roger - I feel guilt about how good our situation is considering what you've been through. Dale and Rhonda have been great hosts. There are 30 people here (not including us) and they worked their asses off this last year raising animals, gardens and fruit. We have been eating like kings.
The main house is huge as D & R have 6 children (all grown up now). Once the news started about people turning into the walking dead they immediately started stocking up. Dale was always a fan of the zombie movies and books so he jumped right in with both feet. He contacted the 2 farms in the area and they made a plan. They gathered any friends and relatives they could and went shopping. Between the 3 farms they had pigs, cows, chickens, gardens, fruit trees and 2000 acres. Rhonda said the 3 farms are housing at least 100 people. Because they are so remote they haven't had much zombie activity. The problem was early on when they were making trips out to gather supplies and zombies would follow them back, so they ended up loosing a few people until they got wise to what they were dealing with.
They have been keeping us busy learning how to use a wood burning stove (I made a loaf of bread yesterday!), churning butter, making cheese and preserving meat. They turned their basement into a cold storage area for when warmer weather comes.
Since room in the house is kind of tight Sarah, her son Danny, Karen and I are sleeping in one of the RV's that we stored in one of the pole barns and Matt, Jacob and Greg are sleeping in the other RV, the rest are staying in the house.
It's been good sharing our experiences with other people. We all have dinner together as a group and after dinner we take turns sharing our stories. It's all been quite a learning experience.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
A Place for the Winter
We finally found survivors - I should say they found us. We were on Hwy 43 heading towards I-90, the going was very slow as it had been snowing on and off for a few days. As we were getting ready to stop for the night we saw a vehicle coming our way so we had a quick meeting and it was decided that Matt and I would continue and the rest would stay put until it was safe.
As we got closer we saw a man and a woman in the vehicle, they stopped, we stopped and got out to say "Hi". Dale and Rhonda leapt out of their vehicle and started hugging us and asking if we were okay and how many people were in our group and twenty other questions coming at us so fast neither one of us could talk. We gave them a very fast introduction to our group as the snow was coming down real heavy at this point. They had us follow them. We got off on a side road and drove for about 8 miles, then turned off on another road and drove a few more miles until we came to the driveway of a farm. It was truly amazing, as we pulled up people started coming out of the house, barn and a few other buildings that were on the property, they were all really excited to see us. They had us pull our vehicles into the pole barn so they would be protected from the snow storm and got us all into the house.
Roger, I will give more details later. We have been kept really busy helping with "chores" and getting to know everyone. We all wish you were with us - this place is incredible!
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Still Nothing
We have been very slowly making our way across Hwy 50 towards Lake Geneva and we still haven't seen any survivors. I think if we go down side roads our chances would be better, but nobody wants to risk it, for now anyway.
I finally found out why everyone has been so weird around me - they have been waiting for me to turn into a zombie! Sarah finally told me what happened while I was sick with the flu. Apparently I was so bad at one point my heart stopped beating for a short time, they did CPR and got me back. They all freaked out since technically I was dead and now they have all been watching my every move to see if I do anything strange. Sarah said they all agreed that if I made it a month and nothing bad happened to me they would consider me "safe" and everyone would relax. I really don't know how I feel about all this - I guess I see their point, how long do you have to be dead before the zombie thing starts. Does heart stopping count or do you have to be brain dead too? I guess I'm lucky they didn't do away with me completely! I told Sarah that I really appreciated her being honest with me and I would just continue on like I didn't know what was up - I just don't want this getting stranger than what it already is. Sunday, January 1, 2012
The New Year
We have been working our way west on Hwy 50. We happened upon an RV dealership and picked up 2 RV's - we have plenty of room now. It's very exciting to have beds, kitchens and bathrooms with us! (we love propane!)
We haven't come across any survivors yet - we have been checking out some of the small towns we've been going through. There are lots of farms through this area so we are going to check these out. I figure if people are going to congregate they will do so on a farm, back to basics and self-sufficiency.
Now that we are on the move we are seeing a lot of destruction - homes and business have been destroyed. We were so secluded before, we only saw what was around us, now we are seeing it all on a larger scale.
Everyone has been a bit cautious around me since we've been on the move again - they keep asking me how I'm feeling and If I want to stop and rest. I understand that they are concerned because of how sick I was, but they keep staring at me like I've grown a second head or something. When I get a chance I'm going to find out what that's all about.
Wishing all of us a better New Year - Happy 2015.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Feeling Better
I just wanted to let you know that I am still among the living. They all did a real good job of taking care of me. They won't give me any details other than to say that there were a few zombies hanging around and they had to blast them. (I have a feeling there was more to it than that but, for now, they are all sticking to that story.)
We were able to have a little Christmas celebration today. When they were at Walgreen's getting medication for me they picked up some puzzles, games and candy for the kids. We sat around and told our favorite Christmas traditions. That life seems like a distant dream now.
We've had a little bit of snow - nothing major. The plan is to get back on the road in a day or two.
Roger, I hope you, Shawn and Corey are having a good Christmas and to let you know that we are all thinking of you guys. May we all find some peace in the new year.
Sunday, December 11, 2011Monday, December 5, 2011
Good News, Bad News
We found a motel at the corner of I-94 and Hwy 50. The sign on the door said they were closed due to a family illness and the sign was dated January 3rd. (gee, I wonder what the illness was?)
So we broke into the managers office and took all the room keys. We checked out 6 rooms and they were fine so we divided up and unloaded some supplies from the vehicles. We set-up one as a common room for meals. We had a good hot meal and were really excited about sleeping in real beds as we had been sleeping on floors for almost a year. The next morning I woke up sick - I had the flu. It just figures that I would get the flu now when I never had the flu before (never even had a flu shot) There was a Walgreen's next door, so they sent a team over there to grab whatever they could to help me. I am still not too good yet, but I think the worst is over. I figure it will be several more days before I'm good enough to travel. So far nobody else has gotten sick - just keep your fingers crossed.
Relapse
i am really sick nothing is helping. i survive almost a year of zombies and it's the flu thats going to kill me.everyone is beingsupportive but i want then to move on im holdingthem back.they keep teling me everythng is ok but i keep hearing gunfire.
Monday, January 30, 2012
On The Farm
Hey, Roger - I feel guilt about how good our situation is considering what you've been through. Dale and Rhonda have been great hosts. There are 30 people here (not including us) and they worked their asses off this last year raising animals, gardens and fruit. We have been eating like kings.
The main house is huge as D & R have 6 children (all grown up now). Once the news started about people turning into the walking dead they immediately started stocking up. Dale was always a fan of the zombie movies and books so he jumped right in with both feet. He contacted the 2 farms in the area and they made a plan. They gathered any friends and relatives they could and went shopping. Between the 3 farms they had pigs, cows, chickens, gardens, fruit trees and 2000 acres. Rhonda said the 3 farms are housing at least 100 people. Because they are so remote they haven't had much zombie activity. The problem was early on when they were making trips out to gather supplies and zombies would follow them back, so they ended up loosing a few people until they got wise to what they were dealing with.
They have been keeping us busy learning how to use a wood burning stove (I made a loaf of bread yesterday!), churning butter, making cheese and preserving meat. They turned their basement into a cold storage area for when warmer weather comes.
Since room in the house is kind of tight Sarah, her son Danny, Karen and I are sleeping in one of the RV's that we stored in one of the pole barns and Matt, Jacob and Greg are sleeping in the other RV, the rest are staying in the house.
It's been good sharing our experiences with other people. We all have dinner together as a group and after dinner we take turns sharing our stories. It's all been quite a learning experience.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
A Place for the Winter
We finally found survivors - I should say they found us. We were on Hwy 43 heading towards I-90, the going was very slow as it had been snowing on and off for a few days. As we were getting ready to stop for the night we saw a vehicle coming our way so we had a quick meeting and it was decided that Matt and I would continue and the rest would stay put until it was safe.
As we got closer we saw a man and a woman in the vehicle, they stopped, we stopped and got out to say "Hi". Dale and Rhonda leapt out of their vehicle and started hugging us and asking if we were okay and how many people were in our group and twenty other questions coming at us so fast neither one of us could talk. We gave them a very fast introduction to our group as the snow was coming down real heavy at this point. They had us follow them. We got off on a side road and drove for about 8 miles, then turned off on another road and drove a few more miles until we came to the driveway of a farm. It was truly amazing, as we pulled up people started coming out of the house, barn and a few other buildings that were on the property, they were all really excited to see us. They had us pull our vehicles into the pole barn so they would be protected from the snow storm and got us all into the house.
Roger, I will give more details later. We have been kept really busy helping with "chores" and getting to know everyone. We all wish you were with us - this place is incredible!
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Still Nothing
We have been very slowly making our way across Hwy 50 towards Lake Geneva and we still haven't seen any survivors. I think if we go down side roads our chances would be better, but nobody wants to risk it, for now anyway.
I finally found out why everyone has been so weird around me - they have been waiting for me to turn into a zombie! Sarah finally told me what happened while I was sick with the flu. Apparently I was so bad at one point my heart stopped beating for a short time, they did CPR and got me back. They all freaked out since technically I was dead and now they have all been watching my every move to see if I do anything strange. Sarah said they all agreed that if I made it a month and nothing bad happened to me they would consider me "safe" and everyone would relax. I really don't know how I feel about all this - I guess I see their point, how long do you have to be dead before the zombie thing starts. Does heart stopping count or do you have to be brain dead too? I guess I'm lucky they didn't do away with me completely! I told Sarah that I really appreciated her being honest with me and I would just continue on like I didn't know what was up - I just don't want this getting stranger than what it already is. Sunday, January 1, 2012
The New Year
We have been working our way west on Hwy 50. We happened upon an RV dealership and picked up 2 RV's - we have plenty of room now. It's very exciting to have beds, kitchens and bathrooms with us! (we love propane!)
We haven't come across any survivors yet - we have been checking out some of the small towns we've been going through. There are lots of farms through this area so we are going to check these out. I figure if people are going to congregate they will do so on a farm, back to basics and self-sufficiency.
Now that we are on the move we are seeing a lot of destruction - homes and business have been destroyed. We were so secluded before, we only saw what was around us, now we are seeing it all on a larger scale.
Everyone has been a bit cautious around me since we've been on the move again - they keep asking me how I'm feeling and If I want to stop and rest. I understand that they are concerned because of how sick I was, but they keep staring at me like I've grown a second head or something. When I get a chance I'm going to find out what that's all about.
Wishing all of us a better New Year - Happy 2015.
Monday, January 30, 2012
On The Farm
Hey, Roger - I feel guilt about how good our situation is considering what you've been through. Dale and Rhonda have been great hosts. There are 30 people here (not including us) and they worked their asses off this last year raising animals, gardens and fruit. We have been eating like kings.
The main house is huge as D & R have 6 children (all grown up now). Once the news started about people turning into the walking dead they immediately started stocking up. Dale was always a fan of the zombie movies and books so he jumped right in with both feet. He contacted the 2 farms in the area and they made a plan. They gathered any friends and relatives they could and went shopping. Between the 3 farms they had pigs, cows, chickens, gardens, fruit trees and 2000 acres. Rhonda said the 3 farms are housing at least 100 people. Because they are so remote they haven't had much zombie activity. The problem was early on when they were making trips out to gather supplies and zombies would follow them back, so they ended up loosing a few people until they got wise to what they were dealing with.
They have been keeping us busy learning how to use a wood burning stove (I made a loaf of bread yesterday!), churning butter, making cheese and preserving meat. They turned their basement into a cold storage area for when warmer weather comes.
Since room in the house is kind of tight Sarah, her son Danny, Karen and I are sleeping in one of the RV's that we stored in one of the pole barns and Matt, Jacob and Greg are sleeping in the other RV, the rest are staying in the house.
It's been good sharing our experiences with other people. We all have dinner together as a group and after dinner we take turns sharing our stories. It's all been quite a learning experience.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
A Place for the Winter
We finally found survivors - I should say they found us. We were on Hwy 43 heading towards I-90, the going was very slow as it had been snowing on and off for a few days. As we were getting ready to stop for the night we saw a vehicle coming our way so we had a quick meeting and it was decided that Matt and I would continue and the rest would stay put until it was safe.
As we got closer we saw a man and a woman in the vehicle, they stopped, we stopped and got out to say "Hi". Dale and Rhonda leapt out of their vehicle and started hugging us and asking if we were okay and how many people were in our group and twenty other questions coming at us so fast neither one of us could talk. We gave them a very fast introduction to our group as the snow was coming down real heavy at this point. They had us follow them. We got off on a side road and drove for about 8 miles, then turned off on another road and drove a few more miles until we came to the driveway of a farm. It was truly amazing, as we pulled up people started coming out of the house, barn and a few other buildings that were on the property, they were all really excited to see us. They had us pull our vehicles into the pole barn so they would be protected from the snow storm and got us all into the house.
Roger, I will give more details later. We have been kept really busy helping with "chores" and getting to know everyone. We all wish you were with us - this place is incredible!
Monday, January 30, 2012
On The Farm
Hey, Roger - I feel guilt about how good our situation is considering what you've been through. Dale and Rhonda have been great hosts. There are 30 people here (not including us) and they worked their asses off this last year raising animals, gardens and fruit. We have been eating like kings.
The main house is huge as D & R have 6 children (all grown up now). Once the news started about people turning into the walking dead they immediately started stocking up. Dale was always a fan of the zombie movies and books so he jumped right in with both feet. He contacted the 2 farms in the area and they made a plan. They gathered any friends and relatives they could and went shopping. Between the 3 farms they had pigs, cows, chickens, gardens, fruit trees and 2000 acres. Rhonda said the 3 farms are housing at least 100 people. Because they are so remote they haven't had much zombie activity. The problem was early on when they were making trips out to gather supplies and zombies would follow them back, so they ended up loosing a few people until they got wise to what they were dealing with.
They have been keeping us busy learning how to use a wood burning stove (I made a loaf of bread yesterday!), churning butter, making cheese and preserving meat. They turned their basement into a cold storage area for when warmer weather comes.
Since room in the house is kind of tight Sarah, her son Danny, Karen and I are sleeping in one of the RV's that we stored in one of the pole barns and Matt, Jacob and Greg are sleeping in the other RV, the rest are staying in the house.
It's been good sharing our experiences with other people. We all have dinner together as a group and after dinner we take turns sharing our stories. It's all been quite a learning experience.
The main house is huge as D & R have 6 children (all grown up now). Once the news started about people turning into the walking dead they immediately started stocking up. Dale was always a fan of the zombie movies and books so he jumped right in with both feet. He contacted the 2 farms in the area and they made a plan. They gathered any friends and relatives they could and went shopping. Between the 3 farms they had pigs, cows, chickens, gardens, fruit trees and 2000 acres. Rhonda said the 3 farms are housing at least 100 people. Because they are so remote they haven't had much zombie activity. The problem was early on when they were making trips out to gather supplies and zombies would follow them back, so they ended up loosing a few people until they got wise to what they were dealing with.
They have been keeping us busy learning how to use a wood burning stove (I made a loaf of bread yesterday!), churning butter, making cheese and preserving meat. They turned their basement into a cold storage area for when warmer weather comes.
Since room in the house is kind of tight Sarah, her son Danny, Karen and I are sleeping in one of the RV's that we stored in one of the pole barns and Matt, Jacob and Greg are sleeping in the other RV, the rest are staying in the house.
It's been good sharing our experiences with other people. We all have dinner together as a group and after dinner we take turns sharing our stories. It's all been quite a learning experience.
A Place for the Winter
We finally found survivors - I should say they found us. We were on Hwy 43 heading towards I-90, the going was very slow as it had been snowing on and off for a few days. As we were getting ready to stop for the night we saw a vehicle coming our way so we had a quick meeting and it was decided that Matt and I would continue and the rest would stay put until it was safe.
As we got closer we saw a man and a woman in the vehicle, they stopped, we stopped and got out to say "Hi". Dale and Rhonda leapt out of their vehicle and started hugging us and asking if we were okay and how many people were in our group and twenty other questions coming at us so fast neither one of us could talk. We gave them a very fast introduction to our group as the snow was coming down real heavy at this point. They had us follow them. We got off on a side road and drove for about 8 miles, then turned off on another road and drove a few more miles until we came to the driveway of a farm. It was truly amazing, as we pulled up people started coming out of the house, barn and a few other buildings that were on the property, they were all really excited to see us. They had us pull our vehicles into the pole barn so they would be protected from the snow storm and got us all into the house.
Roger, I will give more details later. We have been kept really busy helping with "chores" and getting to know everyone. We all wish you were with us - this place is incredible!
As we got closer we saw a man and a woman in the vehicle, they stopped, we stopped and got out to say "Hi". Dale and Rhonda leapt out of their vehicle and started hugging us and asking if we were okay and how many people were in our group and twenty other questions coming at us so fast neither one of us could talk. We gave them a very fast introduction to our group as the snow was coming down real heavy at this point. They had us follow them. We got off on a side road and drove for about 8 miles, then turned off on another road and drove a few more miles until we came to the driveway of a farm. It was truly amazing, as we pulled up people started coming out of the house, barn and a few other buildings that were on the property, they were all really excited to see us. They had us pull our vehicles into the pole barn so they would be protected from the snow storm and got us all into the house.
Roger, I will give more details later. We have been kept really busy helping with "chores" and getting to know everyone. We all wish you were with us - this place is incredible!
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Still Nothing
We have been very slowly making our way across Hwy 50 towards Lake Geneva and we still haven't seen any survivors. I think if we go down side roads our chances would be better, but nobody wants to risk it, for now anyway.
I finally found out why everyone has been so weird around me - they have been waiting for me to turn into a zombie! Sarah finally told me what happened while I was sick with the flu. Apparently I was so bad at one point my heart stopped beating for a short time, they did CPR and got me back. They all freaked out since technically I was dead and now they have all been watching my every move to see if I do anything strange. Sarah said they all agreed that if I made it a month and nothing bad happened to me they would consider me "safe" and everyone would relax. I really don't know how I feel about all this - I guess I see their point, how long do you have to be dead before the zombie thing starts. Does heart stopping count or do you have to be brain dead too? I guess I'm lucky they didn't do away with me completely! I told Sarah that I really appreciated her being honest with me and I would just continue on like I didn't know what was up - I just don't want this getting stranger than what it already is.
I finally found out why everyone has been so weird around me - they have been waiting for me to turn into a zombie! Sarah finally told me what happened while I was sick with the flu. Apparently I was so bad at one point my heart stopped beating for a short time, they did CPR and got me back. They all freaked out since technically I was dead and now they have all been watching my every move to see if I do anything strange. Sarah said they all agreed that if I made it a month and nothing bad happened to me they would consider me "safe" and everyone would relax. I really don't know how I feel about all this - I guess I see their point, how long do you have to be dead before the zombie thing starts. Does heart stopping count or do you have to be brain dead too? I guess I'm lucky they didn't do away with me completely! I told Sarah that I really appreciated her being honest with me and I would just continue on like I didn't know what was up - I just don't want this getting stranger than what it already is.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
The New Year
We have been working our way west on Hwy 50. We happened upon an RV dealership and picked up 2 RV's - we have plenty of room now. It's very exciting to have beds, kitchens and bathrooms with us! (we love propane!)
We haven't come across any survivors yet - we have been checking out some of the small towns we've been going through. There are lots of farms through this area so we are going to check these out. I figure if people are going to congregate they will do so on a farm, back to basics and self-sufficiency.
Now that we are on the move we are seeing a lot of destruction - homes and business have been destroyed. We were so secluded before, we only saw what was around us, now we are seeing it all on a larger scale.
Everyone has been a bit cautious around me since we've been on the move again - they keep asking me how I'm feeling and If I want to stop and rest. I understand that they are concerned because of how sick I was, but they keep staring at me like I've grown a second head or something. When I get a chance I'm going to find out what that's all about.
Wishing all of us a better New Year - Happy 2015.
We haven't come across any survivors yet - we have been checking out some of the small towns we've been going through. There are lots of farms through this area so we are going to check these out. I figure if people are going to congregate they will do so on a farm, back to basics and self-sufficiency.
Now that we are on the move we are seeing a lot of destruction - homes and business have been destroyed. We were so secluded before, we only saw what was around us, now we are seeing it all on a larger scale.
Everyone has been a bit cautious around me since we've been on the move again - they keep asking me how I'm feeling and If I want to stop and rest. I understand that they are concerned because of how sick I was, but they keep staring at me like I've grown a second head or something. When I get a chance I'm going to find out what that's all about.
Wishing all of us a better New Year - Happy 2015.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Feeling Better
I just wanted to let you know that I am still among the living. They all did a real good job of taking care of me. They won't give me any details other than to say that there were a few zombies hanging around and they had to blast them. (I have a feeling there was more to it than that but, for now, they are all sticking to that story.)
We were able to have a little Christmas celebration today. When they were at Walgreen's getting medication for me they picked up some puzzles, games and candy for the kids. We sat around and told our favorite Christmas traditions. That life seems like a distant dream now.
We've had a little bit of snow - nothing major. The plan is to get back on the road in a day or two.
Roger, I hope you, Shawn and Corey are having a good Christmas and to let you know that we are all thinking of you guys. May we all find some peace in the new year.
We were able to have a little Christmas celebration today. When they were at Walgreen's getting medication for me they picked up some puzzles, games and candy for the kids. We sat around and told our favorite Christmas traditions. That life seems like a distant dream now.
We've had a little bit of snow - nothing major. The plan is to get back on the road in a day or two.
Roger, I hope you, Shawn and Corey are having a good Christmas and to let you know that we are all thinking of you guys. May we all find some peace in the new year.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Good News, Bad News
We found a motel at the corner of I-94 and Hwy 50. The sign on the door said they were closed due to a family illness and the sign was dated January 3rd. (gee, I wonder what the illness was?)
So we broke into the managers office and took all the room keys. We checked out 6 rooms and they were fine so we divided up and unloaded some supplies from the vehicles. We set-up one as a common room for meals. We had a good hot meal and were really excited about sleeping in real beds as we had been sleeping on floors for almost a year. The next morning I woke up sick - I had the flu. It just figures that I would get the flu now when I never had the flu before (never even had a flu shot) There was a Walgreen's next door, so they sent a team over there to grab whatever they could to help me. I am still not too good yet, but I think the worst is over. I figure it will be several more days before I'm good enough to travel. So far nobody else has gotten sick - just keep your fingers crossed.
So we broke into the managers office and took all the room keys. We checked out 6 rooms and they were fine so we divided up and unloaded some supplies from the vehicles. We set-up one as a common room for meals. We had a good hot meal and were really excited about sleeping in real beds as we had been sleeping on floors for almost a year. The next morning I woke up sick - I had the flu. It just figures that I would get the flu now when I never had the flu before (never even had a flu shot) There was a Walgreen's next door, so they sent a team over there to grab whatever they could to help me. I am still not too good yet, but I think the worst is over. I figure it will be several more days before I'm good enough to travel. So far nobody else has gotten sick - just keep your fingers crossed.
Relapse
i am really sick nothing is helping. i survive almost a year of zombies and it's the flu thats going to kill me.everyone is beingsupportive but i want then to move on im holdingthem back.they keep teling me everythng is ok but i keep hearing gunfire.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Pleasant Prairie Wasn't
Okay, so there is a Timberland store at the Pleasant Prairie Mall, it's an outside mall so I figured it wouldn't be too difficult to get winter gear from there. Also, this zombie thing began in the winter, so they should still have some winter stock. We drove around the parking lot, there were some vehicles, but we didn't see any movement. We backed the vehicles up to the door, got out and found the doors unlocked. Me, Matt, Jacob and Greg went in first to make sure the store was safe - it wasn't. Zombies started coming out the back of the store, we started shooting - we got 10 of them. As we continued to go through the store we heard shouting from outside. Apparently our gunfire attracted more zombies and they began spilling out of the other stores. So we had Sarah, Danny, Lynn and Julie get in the store and Louie, Paul and Karen grabbed their guns and joined the rest of us as we created a perimeter around the vehicles and the front of the store. Luckily Matt and Greg had Louie between them as they had to cover for him - Louie is a bad shot. When we were done the zombie count was at 60. Matt, Greg and Karen stayed outside on lookout while the rest of us grabbed what we could of clothing and boots. Greg spotted a van in the lot so he went over to check it out, nothing was inside and the keys were on the floor. It's a real nice 11 passenger van. We removed the back bench to have more room for storage.
We need to find a place to get some rest, none of us have slept much in the last 3 days.
We need to find a place to get some rest, none of us have slept much in the last 3 days.
Heading North
We were all so glad to finally hear from you. We started moving North 2 days ago when we noticed zombie movement. It's like they've had a communal call to arms.
We were staying in the Waukegan Oriental Store. It's a small stand alone store made of cinder block and had only one window in the front. The store had never been pillaged so it worked out great for us. (except for the smell of rotted sushi) The blazer and truck are now loaded with 12 50lb bags of rice, lots of canned meat (we left the canned squid - nobody was to keen on the idea of eating that) chili paste with garlic, canned vegetables and cases of bottled water. I'm hoping we will have the opportunity to use the rice to barter with someday.
We have had a casualty, John got bit during the attack. He showed Matt and I the injury after we had gotten settled in the store. He didn't want anyone to freak out, so we kept it quiet. He asked Matt and I to kill him before he turned, so the three of us left to check out the gun shop that was nearby. The store had been ransacked, but we managed to find one gun we could use, a few knives and some ammo. When we were done we went behind the store, said our goodbyes and then Matt and I both fired at him so that neither one of us had to bear the burden of killing him. John was incredibly brave. Matt and I spent a few minutes discussing what story we would tell the others . . . . we decided the truth was best. Everyone was real upset when we told them what had happened to John and what his wishes were. Once they had a chance to process the situation it was understood that there really is no other way to handle a zombie bite. Thank God John was able to be an example for the rest of us.
We are currently on I-94 heading towards Kenosha. We are going to need winter gear soon so that is next on our list.
We were staying in the Waukegan Oriental Store. It's a small stand alone store made of cinder block and had only one window in the front. The store had never been pillaged so it worked out great for us. (except for the smell of rotted sushi) The blazer and truck are now loaded with 12 50lb bags of rice, lots of canned meat (we left the canned squid - nobody was to keen on the idea of eating that) chili paste with garlic, canned vegetables and cases of bottled water. I'm hoping we will have the opportunity to use the rice to barter with someday.
We have had a casualty, John got bit during the attack. He showed Matt and I the injury after we had gotten settled in the store. He didn't want anyone to freak out, so we kept it quiet. He asked Matt and I to kill him before he turned, so the three of us left to check out the gun shop that was nearby. The store had been ransacked, but we managed to find one gun we could use, a few knives and some ammo. When we were done we went behind the store, said our goodbyes and then Matt and I both fired at him so that neither one of us had to bear the burden of killing him. John was incredibly brave. Matt and I spent a few minutes discussing what story we would tell the others . . . . we decided the truth was best. Everyone was real upset when we told them what had happened to John and what his wishes were. Once they had a chance to process the situation it was understood that there really is no other way to handle a zombie bite. Thank God John was able to be an example for the rest of us.
We are currently on I-94 heading towards Kenosha. We are going to need winter gear soon so that is next on our list.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Roger, are you there?
I'm still a bit hazy on some of the details, but I do remember a truck smashing through our perimeter fence and zombies swarming in. Matt and I started running to the hallway with the intention of securing the perimeter. We heard gunshots and saw the hallway door bursting open. George and Kyle (from the truck) were clawing their way in along with a huge number of zombies. We just started shooting at everything that moved. I know you, Shawn and Corey joined us at some point. As bodies went down we kept shooting at the heads that were appearing over the top of the pile. We ended up with a wall of dead zombies, no more coming in and no one going out. I heard someone shout "Get everybody to the vehicles!" We all ran to the garage and started loading the truck and van. I got in to drive the truck, Sarah and Danny were in the passenger side, Matt and Paul got in the back and the rest got in the van. As you and Shawn opened the garage door I jumped on the accelerator and got the hell out of there. When I looked back you and Shawn were closing the door, I choked back a scream because I didn't want Danny to get anymore freaked out than what he was already, but please know there was no way any of us wanted to leave you both behind. Matt and Paul fired away as I sped the truck through a sea of zombies. Greg was driving the van and managed to stay with me, although I don't know how he managed it, the truck was bouncing all over the place as we drove over bodies. The front end of the truck was tossing zombies around everywhere, the windshield was getting covered in zombie slime. Once we got half a mile out the zombie horde started to thin out and I just kept driving until we didn't see anymore for several miles. We stopped, did a head count and realized that Corey and Justin weren't with us, please tell me they are with you and Shawn. Once we checked for injuries and cleaned up the windows we got back in the vehicles and proceeded on. There are 12 of us. We have a few issues we need to deal with soon, but we are holed up in a safe place for now.
We are all anxiously waiting to hear from you.
Roger, are you there?
I'm still a bit hazy on some of the details, but I do remember a truck smashing through our perimeter fence and zombies swarming in. Matt and I started running to the hallway with the intention of securing the perimeter. We heard gunshots and saw the hallway door bursting open. George and Kyle (from the truck) were clawing their way in along with a huge number of zombies. We just started shooting at everything that moved. I know you, Shawn and Corey joined us at some point. As bodies went down we kept shooting at the heads that were appearing over the top of the pile. We ended up with a wall of dead zombies, no more coming in and no one going out. I heard someone shout "Get everybody to the vehicles!" We all ran to the garage and started loading the truck and van. I got in to drive the truck, Sarah and Danny were in the passenger side, Matt and Paul got in the back and the rest got in the van. As you and Shawn opened the garage door I jumped on the accelerator and got the hell out of there. When I looked back you and Shawn were closing the door, I choked back a scream because I didn't want Danny to get anymore freaked out than what he was already, but please know there was no way any of us wanted to leave you both behind. Matt and Paul fired away as I sped the truck through a sea of zombies. Greg was driving the van and managed to stay with me, although I don't know how he managed it, the truck was bouncing all over the place as we drove over bodies. The front end of the truck was tossing zombies around everywhere, the windshield was getting covered in zombie slime. Once we got half a mile out the zombie horde started to thin out and I just kept driving until we didn't see anymore for several miles. We stopped, did a head count and realized that Corey and Justin weren't with us, please tell me they are with you and Shawn. Once we checked for injuries and cleaned up the windows we got back in the vehicles and proceeded on. There are 12 of us. We have a few issues we need to deal with soon, but we are holed up in a safe place for now.
We are all anxiously waiting to hear from you.
We are all anxiously waiting to hear from you.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Better Now
Hi, it's Heidi, since my last post things went down hill fast. I stopped sleeping - the panic I felt about experiencing those nightmares . . . let's just say I was starting to hallucinate. Shawn and Roger had a talk with me and they decided to take me off duty for a few days. They set me up in a small office space with some sleeping pills and even though I was real aggitated about sleeping they promised not to leave me alone while I was out. During my 48 hour sleep I remember being woken up for broth, tea, vitamins and to use the bathroom. When I woke up the 3rd day on my own they brought me some powdered scrambled eggs. I am feeling much better now.
Shawn, Roger, Matt and I had a long conversation about our situation here. We are safe, secure and we have plenty of supplies, but for me it feels like a prison and Matt agreed. We both want to move on - we will never know what possibilities exist for the future unless we start searching.
Shawn, Roger, Matt and I had a long conversation about our situation here. We are safe, secure and we have plenty of supplies, but for me it feels like a prison and Matt agreed. We both want to move on - we will never know what possibilities exist for the future unless we start searching.
Heidi's Nightmares
I've not been feeling well lately. Matt and I have been doing 16 hour shifts on the roof for the last few weeks and I have been having nightmares. The sleep deprivation has caused this fog in my brain which is creating a feeling of doom.
The nightmares all involve zombie attacks and my getting bitten, lots of blood, missing arms, legs, screaming. Sometimes I'm being chased, trip and fall, other times it's a surprise attack like the one I had in the school bathroom. I wake up in a cold sweat and can't go back to sleep. I won't talk to anyone about this because I don't want to freak people out - I can't shake this feeling that this is how I'm going to die.
I need to get back on the roof now.
The nightmares all involve zombie attacks and my getting bitten, lots of blood, missing arms, legs, screaming. Sometimes I'm being chased, trip and fall, other times it's a surprise attack like the one I had in the school bathroom. I wake up in a cold sweat and can't go back to sleep. I won't talk to anyone about this because I don't want to freak people out - I can't shake this feeling that this is how I'm going to die.
I need to get back on the roof now.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
The Sound of Silence
Living in rural Wisconsin the evenings were fairly quiet. Sure there was the occasional dog barking, crickets, owls, chickens, cows and the neighbor coming back from bowling league - the usual evening farm sounds. When I was 15 the family moved to Janesville to be closer to Dad's job. We lived about half a mile from I-90, it took a long time to get used to the constant hum of traffic. When I lived in Chicago I was 2 blocks away from a hospital - that was definitely worse.
When the zombie attacks first started happening the noise was horrendous. Car crashes, weapons being fired, sirens, screaming, horns honking, gas explosions. It was what I imagined being in the middle of a war was like. But now it has become silent. No traffic noises, no sounds of humans or animals, no white noise like the hum of electric lines, just silence. It's been months since we've heard a vehicle. We've become acutely aware of how loud our voices are, so now we whisper and use hand signals when outside so as not to draw attention to ourselves. Every day that passes makes me feel more isolated. I really hope we move on soon.
When the zombie attacks first started happening the noise was horrendous. Car crashes, weapons being fired, sirens, screaming, horns honking, gas explosions. It was what I imagined being in the middle of a war was like. But now it has become silent. No traffic noises, no sounds of humans or animals, no white noise like the hum of electric lines, just silence. It's been months since we've heard a vehicle. We've become acutely aware of how loud our voices are, so now we whisper and use hand signals when outside so as not to draw attention to ourselves. Every day that passes makes me feel more isolated. I really hope we move on soon.
Very Curious
It's Heidi, I'm inside trying to warm up. We have been thrust into Fall, much cooler temperatures and thunderstorms. It's been so cold, windy and rainy on the roof I can't feel my gun anymore. The storm is making it very difficult to see properly. We can't tell what we're looking at half the time.
Something curious happened this afternoon. Roger, Corey, Greg and I were doing our shift on the roof, when Corey motioned for us to come over. He pointed at 3 zombies heading our way, but when the lightning started up they stopped moving. We couldn't figure out what was going on - they looked like statues. We don't know if the irregular light throws them off or if the lightning scares them. We ended up watching them for about half and hour while the storm was raging. It was decided that since they weren't going to be moving anytime soon we ought to take them out.
Something curious happened this afternoon. Roger, Corey, Greg and I were doing our shift on the roof, when Corey motioned for us to come over. He pointed at 3 zombies heading our way, but when the lightning started up they stopped moving. We couldn't figure out what was going on - they looked like statues. We don't know if the irregular light throws them off or if the lightning scares them. We ended up watching them for about half and hour while the storm was raging. It was decided that since they weren't going to be moving anytime soon we ought to take them out.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Heidi Get Your Gun
There is something very empowering about having a gun. (Well, duh!) You have to understand, I had never fired a real gun pre-zombie, so this is all new and exciting for me. When I was growing up in rural Wisconsin my Dad would hunt pheasant, duck and deer for food - it was a guy thing. (Yes, we were one of those houses you would drive by in the Fall and see a gutted deer hanging from the swing-set.) The only thing I had ever fired was a BB gun that one of the other kids had. We would throw an empty Hi-C can in the air and shoot at it. I was the only girl in the group and the boys would get really mad because I hit the can more than they did.
If it weren't for the zombies I never would have picked up a gun, but if I'm going to survive I have to step out of my comfort zone. Some people are still squeamish about shooting zombies. I just keep telling myself that they are already dead and I'm putting them out of their misery. It makes me feel like I'm providing a service - doing something good for them . . . . Oh, who am I kidding - zombies are out to get us and I will do whatever it takes to make them really dead!
If it weren't for the zombies I never would have picked up a gun, but if I'm going to survive I have to step out of my comfort zone. Some people are still squeamish about shooting zombies. I just keep telling myself that they are already dead and I'm putting them out of their misery. It makes me feel like I'm providing a service - doing something good for them . . . . Oh, who am I kidding - zombies are out to get us and I will do whatever it takes to make them really dead!
Monday, September 19, 2011
Zombies Are Keeping Us Busy
Hey, it's Heidi. We have definitely noticed an increase in zombie activity. Matt and I have been on the roof a lot, he's been giving me shooting lessons. I'm getting pretty good at the accuracy with distance thing. Between the two of us we've taken out 7 today. I am happy to have real shooting experience, but I'm concerned about why we are seeing so many zombies after weeks of quiet. On the other hand, Matt is thrilled to have the chance to take out as many zombies as possible. He's been pretty vocal about moving on and staying in one place this long has been hard on him. It's been good to see him have an outlet for his frustration.
The 'do zombies eat other zombies' question has been answered today. Matt and I were taking shots at a couple zombies - Matt got his, I missed mine. As I was getting ready to take another shot Matt told me to hold on for a bit since Roger wanted to know what would happen if a moving zombie came upon a truly dead zombie. As we watched through our binoculars we saw the zombie go over to the immoblie zombie, stand over it for a few minutes and then move on. I guess he was making sure the other one had truly ceased to be. So it looks like even zombies won't eat rotten meat. Anyway, Matt gave me the go ahead to take him out and I did.
We have broken up the roof watch into 4 - 6 hour shifts, with 4 on a shift. Some of us are doing 12 hour shifts to cover shortages - Matt is doing 18 hour shifts. We are a bit concerned about his state of mind. Roger, Shawn and I are taking turns checking in with him. We figure as long as he is eating, sleeping and talking to us he should be okay.
The 'do zombies eat other zombies' question has been answered today. Matt and I were taking shots at a couple zombies - Matt got his, I missed mine. As I was getting ready to take another shot Matt told me to hold on for a bit since Roger wanted to know what would happen if a moving zombie came upon a truly dead zombie. As we watched through our binoculars we saw the zombie go over to the immoblie zombie, stand over it for a few minutes and then move on. I guess he was making sure the other one had truly ceased to be. So it looks like even zombies won't eat rotten meat. Anyway, Matt gave me the go ahead to take him out and I did.
We have broken up the roof watch into 4 - 6 hour shifts, with 4 on a shift. Some of us are doing 12 hour shifts to cover shortages - Matt is doing 18 hour shifts. We are a bit concerned about his state of mind. Roger, Shawn and I are taking turns checking in with him. We figure as long as he is eating, sleeping and talking to us he should be okay.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
My 49th Year
Hi, it's Heidi and yes, today is my birthday. We have tried to create some pre-zombie normalcy by celebrating birthdays, anniversaries and holidays as best we can. It's helpful having these diversions from the day to day grind of surviving. These events turn into treat day - we make coffee over a fire (camp stove now), break out the Hostess snacks and get buzzed on caffeine and sugar. This one is kind of sad because it's the last one we will have as a group. Despite the challenges of the last 9 months we have become a family of sorts - all be it a dysfunctional one.
Roger, Matt and Shawn presented me with this ammo/utility belt that they created from pieces that were picked up during the Cabela's trip. It holds a 1911 pistol, machete, flashlight and ammo. Since I had my first kill they figured it was time to take the training wheels off. (see, some guys do know what a girl wants.)
It's been a really great day . . .
Roger, Matt and Shawn presented me with this ammo/utility belt that they created from pieces that were picked up during the Cabela's trip. It holds a 1911 pistol, machete, flashlight and ammo. Since I had my first kill they figured it was time to take the training wheels off. (see, some guys do know what a girl wants.)
It's been a really great day . . .
Friday, September 2, 2011
They Say You Always Remember Your First Time
I always figured my first kill would be a male zombie - killing a female was kind of disturbing. My first response afterwards was relief, I got her before she got me. Then I wigged out about who she was. Was she a teacher, cafeteria lady, custodian, a student's mom? It's probably because she was a "new" zombie and didn't look any different than me. That of course sent everyone moving, since if she was fresh that meant zombies were in the immediate area. Roger left Paul with me while the rest searched.
The thing that bothers me is that killing a zombie didn't really bother me that much. I guess that means the last vestiges of my old self are gone now. We've been training and talking through scenarios for so long it was a relief to finally get put to the test. I even feel more confident about moving on now.
Once Matt was told about the incident he and I were able to have a conversation about my experience. (Matt has some military training and I think he was checking on my mental state.) Since it was my first time he wasn't too upset about the wasted ammo. He said some people get so freaked out they will fire off every round in their gun, reload and keep shooting. He was really glad I didn't freeze up with fear, he said it showed I had strong survival instincts. Matt also warned me about being overconfident, as that is just as dangerous as being afraid.
All I know is I really want to kill some more zombies.
The thing that bothers me is that killing a zombie didn't really bother me that much. I guess that means the last vestiges of my old self are gone now. We've been training and talking through scenarios for so long it was a relief to finally get put to the test. I even feel more confident about moving on now.
Once Matt was told about the incident he and I were able to have a conversation about my experience. (Matt has some military training and I think he was checking on my mental state.) Since it was my first time he wasn't too upset about the wasted ammo. He said some people get so freaked out they will fire off every round in their gun, reload and keep shooting. He was really glad I didn't freeze up with fear, he said it showed I had strong survival instincts. Matt also warned me about being overconfident, as that is just as dangerous as being afraid.
All I know is I really want to kill some more zombies.
The Art of Healthy Living by Heidi
Ever since we got struck by the summer cold in June we have been taking vitamins. We quickly realized that the Zombies weren't the only thing we had to fear. The flu, a broken bone, a cut, things that were so minor before could kill us now if we weren't careful.
A few of us had some first aid training so we have been slowly gathering those supplies too. Practicing good hygiene and dental care as well as we can with limited water supplies. As careful as we try to be - accidents happen. We've been real lucky so far - if someone ever needs surgery we're screwed.
As long as we keep checking pharmacies we should be able to find most of the things we need - prescriptions will be a problem, since most of those got cleaned out pretty fast once the apocalypse started. One of the other issues is eventually these things will lose their effectiveness once the expiration date rolls around. So I will be keeping a look out for reading material on alternative medicines. (Yeah, I know, old school.)
Did I mention Roger and I wear corrective eye-wear? I figure I've got 3-5 years before these glasses are totally useless . . . . . Okay, I've got to stop with this now because I'm getting freaked out.
A few of us had some first aid training so we have been slowly gathering those supplies too. Practicing good hygiene and dental care as well as we can with limited water supplies. As careful as we try to be - accidents happen. We've been real lucky so far - if someone ever needs surgery we're screwed.
As long as we keep checking pharmacies we should be able to find most of the things we need - prescriptions will be a problem, since most of those got cleaned out pretty fast once the apocalypse started. One of the other issues is eventually these things will lose their effectiveness once the expiration date rolls around. So I will be keeping a look out for reading material on alternative medicines. (Yeah, I know, old school.)
Did I mention Roger and I wear corrective eye-wear? I figure I've got 3-5 years before these glasses are totally useless . . . . . Okay, I've got to stop with this now because I'm getting freaked out.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Okay, Heidi's Break is Over
The last couple weeks have been crazy. I've been learning how to get into the blog account, organizing the first aid supplies (more later) and making a list of what to look for once we get moving. I have found that if I don't make a list we get overwhelmed when in a store and start grabbing things we don't need. Seriously, stuffed animals? (Hey, it's free!)
Now the Geoff and Cynthia incident has caused some panic and distrust because we are now aware of how easy it is to take stuff and run. So we got a plan - I've been helping Shawn secure the food and Matt secure the weapons, I figure the more I handle the weapons the more confident I will be using them. We have a few closet type spaces that we've moved everything into and Roger, Shawn, Matt and I will be taking turns sleeping in front of the doors. We just don't trust anyone else right now and we can't afford anymore loss of property due to defections. Although I will say the Geoff and Cynthia exit was a wake-up call for some of our misguided citizens.
Now the Geoff and Cynthia incident has caused some panic and distrust because we are now aware of how easy it is to take stuff and run. So we got a plan - I've been helping Shawn secure the food and Matt secure the weapons, I figure the more I handle the weapons the more confident I will be using them. We have a few closet type spaces that we've moved everything into and Roger, Shawn, Matt and I will be taking turns sleeping in front of the doors. We just don't trust anyone else right now and we can't afford anymore loss of property due to defections. Although I will say the Geoff and Cynthia exit was a wake-up call for some of our misguided citizens.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Where Are They?
When Roger and the guys were getting ready to leave they figured it would take 5 days,
this is day 7. For the last 48 hours there has been a continuous lookout for them.
We’ve had to re-tape the binoculars twice. I have lost count of how many times someone
has shouted “I see them!” only to discover it was the wind blowing some shrubbery
around. I guess if you will it hard enough you can trick your eyes into seeing anything.
The real kicker is that Sharon, Dave, George, Stan, Amy, Nancy and Kyle took off today.
Shawn and I said fine, but you can only take with you what you brought. They started
to argue about how that wasn’t fair and they should at least be able to take some food
and water. We told them the food and water belonged to the group and since they
didn’t want to be part of the group they get nothing. So they stormed off with a lot of
shouts on how we were making a bigger deal out of this situation than what it was.
Shawn and I both agree we are better off without them.
So now there are only 12 of us left here. Luckily all the organizing and packing is done.
We exercise, do our shifts on look out and nap. Everyone has been pretty quiet, we are
all feeling isolated and afraid – the last few months have all been so unreal – I think it’s
finally catching up with us.
I have to go now, Shawn is on his way over to talk about what we should do if the guys
don’t come back. I do not want to have this conversation – maybe if I just keep
typing . . . please let them show up soon.
It's Been Too Quiet
We haven't seen any Zombies. Days? Weeks?
For those that have been living in denial there is this excitement that they have made it. They're busy making plans to go back to their homes and pick-up where they left off. I wish them good luck with that. Delusions are only good if they don't get you killed.
Sarah and I have spent months trying to talk sense into those people and even when they could hear the screams of those who left it still didn't sink in for them. According to them it's all been a temporary set-back.
The rest of us are feeling a deep dread. Why haven't we seen any Zombies? Are they hiding? Did somebody else manage to kill them off? Did they just die? I'm just afraid one of these days we're going to go out on a foraging run and round a corner to see like 100,000 zombies. It scares the hell out of me.
For those that have been living in denial there is this excitement that they have made it. They're busy making plans to go back to their homes and pick-up where they left off. I wish them good luck with that. Delusions are only good if they don't get you killed.
Sarah and I have spent months trying to talk sense into those people and even when they could hear the screams of those who left it still didn't sink in for them. According to them it's all been a temporary set-back.
The rest of us are feeling a deep dread. Why haven't we seen any Zombies? Are they hiding? Did somebody else manage to kill them off? Did they just die? I'm just afraid one of these days we're going to go out on a foraging run and round a corner to see like 100,000 zombies. It scares the hell out of me.
So we continue with our plans, we continue preparing. We have to keep pushing forward, because the alternative really sucks.
Well this is day 4 - the guys should be back tomorrow. I can definitely feel the anticipation building. It will be fun to see what they found, it sort of feels like Christmas is coming!
Friday, July 29, 2011
Are you a zombie yet?
Heidi again. There is a subject we don’t talk about – ever, our families.
A few of the people in our group actually have their spouses and kids with them. The kids are great to have around, it keeps us reminded of what we’re working for. The flip side is that some of the people had to destroy their zombie friends and family. I’m grateful I didn’t have to go through that, but for those that did . . . well, let’s just say there are some haunted looks and screaming at night.
My whole family is in Wisconsin. I transplanted several years ago. Of course when this thing started I tried calling my family– no luck. Not long after we settled in here, back when cell phones still worked, I noticed this office tower that looked pretty close, so one night I snuck out to get closer. Not the brightest thing to do, but I was feeling desperate. I left a “good-bye cruel world” letter on my sleeping blanket, just in case I didn’t make it back. I figured if I ended up as a zombie midnight snack at least the rest might feel bad about my demise instead of pissed off that I went out alone. Of course the tower was much further away than what it appeared at first. Once I started though, I just couldn’t stop. I stayed on all fours and just kept crawling. When I got to the tower my phone was showing a moderate signal so I called Mom and Dad. Their phone started ringing and my heart started racing – was it possible? After four rings the voice mail came on:
“Hi, we’re not home right now as my husband tried to kill me, so in self-defense I killed him. He didn’t get any better so I chopped off his head, because that’s what everyone else is doing. I don’t want to die and be a zombie so I am going to take the car and my husband’s body to the dump and I’m going to set us on fire. If our daughters hear this message please know that your father and I loved you both very much. Please be safe and survive this horror. Just remember to chop off their heads. Oh, and you don’t need to leave a message.” (Mom always was the practical one.)
I sat at the bottom of the tower for awhile wondering how my sister and her family were doing. I figured I’d had enough “news” for one night, so I got down on all fours again and crawled back. I stopped twice because I smelled zombies, but I’m not so sure now as my mind was wondering a bit. I was able to make it back before anyone woke up, got rid of my “letter” and went to bed. I remember staring at the wall unable to sleep. By the morning I had almost convinced myself that it was all a dream. Maybe it was. who knows.
Whatever it was, real or dream, i made me think about all the tragedy around me. It was a defining moment realizing that I could give up – like some of our group, or be strong and do what needs to be done and survive.
I want to survive.
Guarding the Homefront
We said “Good-Luck” to Roger, Matt, Justin, Mike and Corey today. They took off for Cabela’s. There were some heavy conversations about what supplies we would need. It was finally agreed that if it wasn’t “Survival” related we didn’t need it. The only thing I really wanted to add to the list was binoculars. We only have one pair here and they are existing only because we found some duct tape to hold them together. Louie found them shortly after we holed up here in this building. Unfortunately, he was so excited about the “find” that he dropped them running up the stairs to the roof to show us. (we don’t let Louie handle valuables anymore.) Once we hit the road binoculars will be vital in scouting out the area and any problems we encounter.
Anyway, Shawn and I have been left in charge of those staying behind. The first thing we had to deal with was the whining from those who wanted to leave. We did our best trying to talk “sense” into these people. Finally Shawn just told them that if they wanted to leave that was fine with him, but they had to wait for Roger and the others to get back first. No one was more surprised then me when they agreed. I have been quietly urging these people to see reason for months and all I got was dirty looks and rude comments. Well after today they won’t be getting anymore sympathy from me. As long as they are staying for now they will be useful. We have work to do on the vehicles we are taking when we leave this place, as well as cleaning the few pieces of clothing we have and organizing the food and water we have left.
Shawn and I are now working on a schedule for roof top surveillance. Keeping everyone busy will hopefully cut down on anxiety levels while the guys are gone.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
There really is more than one of us
Hi, this is Heidi.
Roger, the guy who has been documenting our tale so far, is busy with Matt, Shawn and the others.
They’re trying to figure out where to go from here. Good question.
There are 3 problems as far as I can tell. First, we were lucky to happen upon a “Green” building.
The solar panels have been a blessing, but we don’t know how much longer they will continue to
work without maintenance and since no one has any experience with solar panels we are reluctant
to tinker.
Second problem, we’re in Illinois so getting to a more temperate climate is going to be a journey on
the scale of Homer’s “The Odyssey” or Frodo’s trip to Mordor. Life has become all about keeping
our wits and being hyper alert. Oh, yeah – food and water are a constant worry. That is a whole
other issue. Let’s just say the zombie apocalypse thing never came up as a weight loss program
before now. What with all the running around and lack of quality food, I will be the me I’ve always
wanted to be in no time at all.
So, now for problem three. This whole needing to move on has been all about continuing to survive.
No Eagle Scouts in this group – we need power to run appliances. No one wants to deal with
-30 below zero winters and high heat/humidity. That’s the reality. Are Zombies immune to
temperature extremes? (it would be interesting to stick around here one winter and see what
happens. Would they freeze up like popsicles? Would a few good whacks with an axe shatter them
like a plate glass window? Oh, well. . .) What about high or low altitudes? I guess we’re going to
have to dig deep and start putting our limited science/biology knowledge to work. I see white lab
coats in our future. . . .
