Sadie is a normal girl living with her mother, well, as normal as a girl who collects zombies can be. She didn’t start out to collect zombies, it just sort of happened…starting with the zombie animals who sought her out, and then Jess, the little girl. Predictably, the neighbors do not understand why Sadie feels the need to take care of the zombies and, as with most things not understood, fear develops.
It started with pets. I woke one morning to a familiar scratching noise and found my dog on my front porch. The dog who died a month ago. Barney didn’t hurt anyone and he didn’t eat much, so we let him stay. Mom worried at first he might start dropping hunks of fur – or flesh – on the floor, but if possible, he shed less in undeath than he did in life. Barney was the first, but he wasn’t the last. We hadn’t buried any other pets, but our neighbours had. When the owners turned their deceased pets away, the animals ended up on my doorstep. I couldn’t bring myself to make them leave, but letting them in the house wasn’t an option. Mom put up with Barney. The other animals? Not so much. She did, however, let me keep our old shed open for them. I put food out sometimes, but they never ate it. Neither did any living animals. In fact, fewer live creatures came around our house every day. Mom and I didn’t mind much. The raccoons finally stopped getting into our garbage. The neighbours whispered about me when the fourth silent dog slipped into the shed. The whispers increased when two birds and a rabbit joined the other animals. They neared shouts when the horse showed up, but where else could he go? Eventually, I found an open-minded farm where the horse had room to run. Mostly because he kept kicking up Mom’s flower beds. It hurt a little when people started calling me “Zombie Girl,” but I ignored them. And after a while, they lost interest. A few dead animals, even ones still walking around, weren’t as interesting as the latest celebrity gossip. Until the girl appeared on our front step. She freaked me out. Seeing as I slept with a dead dog on the end of my bed, that said a lot. Not that there was anything wrong with her, per se. She had all her parts, no bits of skin dropping off or loose teeth. Even her light blonde hair stayed long and thick. Dull, not anything like the shiny hair children her age usually possessed, but long and thick nonetheless. But when I opened the door and those flat silver eyes stared at me, I shrieked and slammed the door shut. Five minutes later, when I worked up the courage to open the door, she hadn’t moved so much as an inch. Mom wasn’t happy about the girl. But Jess wouldn’t tell me anything about her parents. I couldn’t contact them about her. Like my animals, she had nowhere to go and I became responsible for her survival, much like I was for the animals. I mean, she couldn’t have been more than nine when she died. Where else could she go?
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To read more, and find out what happens to Sadie and Jess, check out Undead Is Not An Option.
This file contains the mission objective for the members of a secret self-organized unit within the ZSC. These members received the Urgent call for help from Moira Jones and have sprung into action.
MISSION: Rescue one Moira Jones from 6th floor of over run hospital. OBJECTIVE: Search for and rescue Moira Jones and bring to safety. STRATEGY: Rendezvous with fellow members of the ZSC and use skill sets to bring Moira Jones to safety.
I sat perched in an old chair inside an abandoned house. The cold evening air howled. Rain leaked through the roof. I faced the boarded up door, a black handled katana with an eleven-inch blade on my lap and another within reach. My eyes ached. My long black hair lay matted and dirty across my shoulders. The toe of my heavy black leather boot tapped on the floor as I stared at the door. I wasn’t expecting company, but I made sure I was ready should someone decide to “drop by.” I wore all black and my long leather duster jacket. I hid in the shadows, ready to pounce.
Orange Brigade
I’m a member of the ZSC Orange Brigade. We are the ones always one step ahead. We are the oddballs lurking in the shadows. The ones you are unable to read because we are so full of surprises. We’re the thinkers—the ones who plan ahead, ready for anything. I’ve perfected moving without being seen. It’s how I stayed alive the day the world went crazy and the dead started walking. It’d been a normal day. I was restocking my go bag, you know, just in case. I spotted my neighbor, Ms. Newman wondering around my backyard. She looked beat up, bloody, and lost. I rushed outside to her side. When she turned around reality slapped me in the face. I thought, maybe I was dreaming. Maybe I was seeing things. When Ms. Newman lunged for me, I grabbed a nearby shovel and disposed of her. I ran for my house and went for my phone. Sure enough an alert text greeted me. D-Day arrived. I reacted quickly, contacting my fellow brigade members and my brigade buddy. I told them I was safe, alive and on my way to a designated location. A horde of walkers right outside of the city cut me off. They chased me to my present location. I set up camp to wait for them to clear. I contacted other ZSC members. Eve, Rebecca, Em, Jessica and Apryl. Sure they are from different brigades, but we are all fighting for the same cause. My phone echoed through darkness and I’m quick to grab it. I hit a couple buttons. It’s my first lieutenant David Della Rocco. He got an urgent message from Blue Commander, Norman Reedus pertaining to brigade member Moira Jones. She was trapped in a hospital over run by walkers. Blue brigade is rallying members for a rescue mission. He reached out to his good friend Rocco for help. Moira didn’t have much time. She was low on resources and needed help ASAP. I let Rocco know I’d help and bring reinforcements. Standing, I hurried to collect my supplies, holster my swords to my back. I look over my shoulder and motion to someone. From the shadows stepped another ZSC member, Apryl. I met her right inside the city, she’d been running from a walker. She found the house we hid in. I felt a connection to this girl; we were both oddballs, which made things perfect—we fought off the horde as a cohesive unit. “Moira’s in trouble.” I relayed the message to her. Apryl nodded and pulled out two Desert Eagle mark XIXs. “Let’s go save Moira!” We turned and took a deep breath. For Moira, we’d willingly face whatever waited on the other side of the door. I quickly contact Rebecca and tell her the dire situation. I send her the coordinates of where the hospital is and the nearest hotel to the hospital where we’d meet up with everyone else. Then I passed it down the chain to Eve, Em and Jessica. “You ready for this?!” I asked Apryl. “Heck Yeah! To Moira!” I had faith that with all our combined skills, Moira would be safe. One more alert went out to Special Forces—attention one Michael Rooker—we’d need him. I stuff my phone in my pocket and look at Apryl. We kicked the door open and ran into the darkness.
Eve’s POV:
Lt Blue Brigade
The world went to hell so quickly and I was so unprepared. As a member of the ZSC Light Blue brigade I should have known better but I never expected the worst disaster in history to take place so soon! When the call came in from my commander, Anthony, I stood there staring at my phone for a long while. A few shots fired close to my house and broke my paralysis. I quickly strapped my double thigh holsters on and the calf sheath for my hunting knife. I slid the knife in place and loaded clips into my twin 9mm Taurus 917Cs and fitted silencers onto the end of each barrel. I got my daughter and grandma into the car with essential supplies in a matter of minutes. I set my compound bow and quiver on the front passenger seat and moved to open the garage door, one of my silenced twin 9s in hand. I gave grandma a thumbs-up. She nodded and watched me in the rear-view mirror. My grandmother made fun of me on many occasions for what she felt were ridiculous preparations. As I looked into her fear-filled eyes I knew she finally understood. I pulled the garage door open in one quick movement and took down the three walkers loitering in front of our house. Grandma pulled out and I hopped in the car. I told her to head to my uncle’s house. I spoke with my uncle about supplies and how long we could ration out food before a run would become necessary. Suddenly my phone rang. My sister, Jess. I was relieved to hear her voice. “Are you safe? Is everything okay?” Jessica promised she was fine but that we had a problem. “It’s Moira, Eve. She sent out a distress call through ZSC. She needs our help.” Jess ran down the situation. Her voice cracked with worry. “Alright, let’s meet up at my work then we can head out from there. We can’t leave Moira defenseless like that!” I fought back tears, thinking of her stuck in the hospital alone. “Okay, see you there.” I explained to my daughter that I needed to go and she’d be safe, asked her to keep an eye on grandma and make sure she stayed out of trouble. She gave me a stiff nod, a serious expression on her face. I pulled her into a hug, my tough little girl, and kissed her on the forehead before grabbing my go bag and leaving the house. Jessica and I met up, quickly planning a route to the abandoned hotel. I put in a call to the last member of our small group…and listened to it ring. And ring. I began to worry she hadn’t received her warning in time. “Hello?” Emma’s voice sounded on the other end. Oh thank God. “Emma! I thought you’d never answer. Are you okay?” My voice trembled. I looked over at Jess who watched the parking lot with focused intensity. “Sure.” She hesitated for a moment before adding, “Nothing I can’t handle. What’s wrong?” Again the thought of Moira—who’d been through so much and was tougher and sweeter than any young girl I’d ever known—alone and scared brought tears to my eyes. My throat tightened as I tried not to cry. “It…” I took a deep breath to steady my voice. “It’s Moira.” “What?” Panic came through the phone loud and clear. “What’s happened to Moira?” “She’s okay, for now,” I said before Emma could work her way into a full panic. “We just got word that her hospital has been overrun with walkers. She needs help, fast.” “Thank God.” I could picture her standing there with a hand over her heart, relieved that Moira lived. “Jess, Rebecca, Tiffany, Apryl and I are putting together a rescue team.” Jess threw me a quick glance, a “hell yeah” grin on her face. “We’re going to get her. You in?” “You know I am,” she said. I could so hear the implied “DUH!” “Good,” I said, smirking at her eagerness. “We’re meeting at the abandoned hotel close by the hospital and formulate a plan of action from there, okay?” “Okay.” She paused. “Just give me a minute to take care of something and I’ll be right over.” “Be careful.” My chest constricted again at the thought of Emma making her way to our rendezvous by herself. I wished I were there to make sure she stayed safe. “I will if you will.” She sounded like she smiled at my overprotective mother hen statement. “I’ll be over in just a little while.” We hung up. Jess turned to me. I inhaled deeply and gave her a soft punch on the arm. “You ready for this, Jess?” She smiled and patted her dog, Luna on the head. “Those walkers don’t stand a chance. Let’s go.” We took off to meet up with the others who’d help us save that brave little girl.
Yellow Brigade, meet your commander Jinxie G! She writes, she reads, she draws and has been known to paint. But most importantly, she is in the spotlight this week for Commander Monday. She’s also nocturnal, so we’ll give her a break and turn off the light for a moment…
Put your big girl panties on and deal with it.
Ferocious, loyal, kind-hearted and determined, Jinxie is tall in stature, sharp as a double-bladed machete and not one to be trifled with. She wields a longbow with all the skill of an Amazon warrior, and when she’s done saving the world from the shambling hordes of the undead, she will sit us all down and show that she can cook like the Italian master chef that the she is.
N.L. “Jinxie” Gervasio is a freelance writer and co-editor at Running Ink Press. RIP is an independent publishing company with beginnings as a free e-magazine entitled Forever Nocturne, which has grown into full book publication favoring Modern Gothic Horror Romance. Love vampires, werewolves and all things dark and supernatural? RIP may be the place for you.
Jinxie’s World is a fantastic place that alternates comfortably between the worlds of reality and dreams, filled to the brim with dark wonders waiting to be discovered. Browse the recipes on her blog and you’re guaranteed to experience extreme salivation. Last October she put her talents to work for the battle against breast cancer by kicking off the Fight Like a Girl campaign with custom-designed memory bracelets both functional and girly. She is an active supporter of Defenders of Wildlife and BioGems and there are those who whisper that she can shapeshift into a wolf by the light of the full moon.
Amazon queen, creator and destroyer of worlds, earth mother and certified zombie slayer, Jinxie is not one to be taken lightly, or trifled with. Without her, the world would certainly be a most unsafe place.
Yellow Brigade Commander Jinxie G recruiting new members
In the Command Center, we’ve been completely wowed by the strength and courage of Moira Jones—a Blue Brigade member who fights daily to survive… just not usually against the undead. Not until now.
We received this letter from her yesterday evening. Stay strong and use your smarts, Moira! Those are the best two weapons one can use to defeat all opponents. ::salutes with crossbow::
TO: ZSC Command
FROM: Moira Jones – BLUE BRIGADE URGENT
I’m not supposed to be here. I’m supposed to be doing normal stuff like sitting in math learning things I will never ever need again and wondering if Griffin is ever going to notice me. I’m not supposed to be hiding on ward six, silent, terrified, with ‘is this the day I get eaten?’ running on a loop through my mind. I’m not supposed to be here. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind being in the hospital. Well, not that much. Everyone’s nice here. My doctor takes good care of me. Everything smells like oranges and there’s a endless supply of popsicles. Things are quiet. Normally. But there’s nothing normal about this. Not anymore. The busloads came five days ago. Someone had collapsed at a hockey game and the entire arena had been exposed to something. Sure it was meningitis, Doctor Bell told me not to worry. And I didn’t worry. Until people started dying. Lunchtime. The hospital loudspeaker came on with a hiss and a pop. “Good day. This is Doctor Harris, the dean of medicine. It is hospital policy that in case of unknown contagion, no patients, visitors or staff will be permitted to enter or exit the building until the outbreak has been contained.” At this, every person in the building came to a stop. Total silence. The entire lobby watched as a man walked up to the door and carefully tried to open it. Then not so carefully. He pounded on the glass. He turned and I saw his face. He looked like a scared animal. “It’s locked. We can’t leave.” Panic. Shouting. I slid down behind the door and tried not to listen to the noise. Screams. Thuds and crunches as people tried to get out. Nurse Shane came to get me when the fighting started. “All right Moira. Time to go.” Nurse Shane grabbed my hand, pulled me to my feet and hauled me out the door. We hit the hallway at a run. “Stay with me Moira.” “Where are we going?” “Up to the sixth floor.” We headed down the corridor toward the stairs—and the smell hit us. No more oranges. Just vomit and pennies. I gagged. “What is that SMELL?” Shane didn’t answer, just stood still staring in shock into the ICU. “Shane?” “Stay back.” The screaming started. Screaming and howling. I ran to the window and saw it. The people who had died were coming back to life and eating the hospital staff. I couldn’t even see Doctor Bell anymore. Just blood. So much blood. Sorry I couldn’t help you Doctor Bell. “MOIRA RUN!” I turned and bolted for the stairs trying not to listen to what was happening behind me. I made it. Shane didn’t. I’m so sorry Shane. I made it to the sixth floor and blocked off the stairs. Cabinets and beds. They don’t seem to be able to push through. I’m out of oreos and the vending machine’s almost out of food. I’m going to have to go look for more food soon but I’ll wait as long as I can. There’s too many of them to go out until I have to. I’m not supposed to be here. Please send help.
Blue Brigade, meet your commander Norman Reedus. This multi-talented actor, filmmaker, photographer, writer and artist has played an Irish vigilante, a sociopathic murderer, street gang leader, a conspirator, the unfortunate snack of cannibalistic humanoids on a deep-space vessel, and – of course- fan favorite redneck zombie killer Daryl Dixon on AMC’s The Walking Dead.
Norman Reedus has described himself as “a total wimp,” a “dork,” and denies that he would do anything other than run when threatened by a shuffling zombie horde. He also recently revealed that he has stuffed animals on his bed and enjoys cuddling kitties in his spare time. Don’t be fooled! This is clearly a clever ruse of some sort, a diversion tactic to keep us all guessing… or perhaps he simply is too humble to willingly admit how completely badass he truly is. Whatever the case, Norman did not rise to the rank of Commander by being a total wimp. The motorcycle alone is all the evidence we need.
Norman started making ripples in the film industry in 1997, appearing very briefly in the film Mimic and then taking the starring role in the coming of age tale Floating. Three years later, The Boondock Saints delivered a pair of Irish vigilante twin brothers for our consideration, and the general consensus was clear. Norman’s work as an artist, photographer and filmmaker shows yet another branch of talent for a man who has been described as one of the hardest-working actors in the business.
Norman lives in New York City sharing space with a host of stuffed animals, action figures and toys… and the occasional snake. He recently hosted a photography exhibit in New York through Wired magazine, during which canvas prints of several stunning pieces collected during his travels by motorcycle on the back roads of Georgia were autographed and auctioned to the public with all proceeds going to Oxfam. We also learned a little bit about photographic taxidermy during this exhibit. Many of his photographic works are available for purchase on his film production company’s website, and the short films collection 3 Films by Norman Reedus are available for download as well.
We’re sure we don’t need to inform anyone that The Walking Dead resumed its second season last night after an anxious mid-season break, returning our favorite squirrel-tossing, zombie-killing redneck to our living rooms and DVRs. During the Walking Dead break, Norman filmed Sunlight Jr on location in Florida with Naomi Watts and Matt Dillon. Be sure to also keep an eye on the horizon for indie dramas Hello Herman and Night of the Templar. In a recent interview with Metropolis, Norman spoke briefly of his ties to the artist community in New York and gave his mom full credit for his tough-guy exterior on screen. Last week, USA Today no doubt saw a spike in newsstand sales as fans bought up multiple copies of Thursday’s edition with Daryl Dixon standing strong on the front page.
In conclusion, no matter how much Norman cries “wimp” and “dork,” we think the man doth protest too much. Norman is one of those rare breeds who leads with the heart and makes a difference simply because knows he should, and because he can. In short, when the chips are down and all hope seems lost, don’t give up. Reedus’ Blue Brigade will be there… as soon as they get that blasted GPS to work properly…
There are times when we receive coded messages from brigadiers that are both awesome and important. We received one such message last week. After deciphering it, Juliette realized that it needed to be shared with the rest of the ZSC ranks.
So with a salute to the Blue Brigade, here’s one of your own, Judy, with a note about the importance of go bag preparation.
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Ok, so maybe my family and I take this whole Go Bag thing too seriously, though I did love their presence in those hurricane commercials last summer. I get it, preparing for the Zombie Apocalypse isn’t at the top of everyone’s list. Maybe even I don’t take it as seriously as needed. After all, when asked what I would include, I was quick to mention Oreos for my beloved Brigade Leader, Norm. But then again, if the world has ended and Norm has survived, who wouldn’t want to offer him Oreos… Ok, I am focused again.
Sure, I’ve noticed the strange looks when asked why my daughter is buying that very sharp, oddly shaped, knife. But there are only so many ways to explain that it is perfectly shaped for chopping off zombie heads. I realize some people might question the Zombie Survival Crew brigade color-coordinated duck tape, but there is no reason to be unfashionable at the End of Times. We have, after all, also included camouflage tape for more practical applications. And really, those bright blue non-latex gloves, inspired by Daryl’s messy gutting techniques, are a much bigger concern than a little yellow or light blue duct tape.
However, a Go Bag really does have practical applications, if you aren’t one to embrace the possibility of zombies. It could mean the difference of comfort versus chaos or even survival versus death. There are many real world reasons to prepare. With that in mind, my family and I want to share our choices so far.
Our strategy is not quantity but rather variety. Hopefully “refills” can be acquired, free of charge, after the end. I have already mentioned duct tape, non-latex gloves (prolonged exposure to latex can result in allergies), sharp weapons, and Oreos. Here are a few more things you might want to consider for your bag:
A comfortable pillow that rolls up small — how sharp will you be if you are completely sleep deprived?
The expensive water filter bottle. This is not the time to cut corners. There is only one bottle on the market right now that filters out bacteria. And don’t forget extra filters, but not too many. Remember, free “refills”.
A sewing kit, complete with needles, scissors, thread – good for mending clothes and bodies
Rope
A shakable flashlight — would you want the batteries to go dead at the wrong time?
Bandanas — preferably official, color-coordinated ZSC buffs (just a little plug, there) and goggles. It wouldn’t do to get anything in your eyes or mouth
Flint and striker
Wilderness survival manual – Bear Grills is a favorite in our house.
First aid kit
Camping utensils and cookware — the kind that all fold up and lock together to save space and weight on your back.
Which leads me to the most important part, the bag itself. I am a fan of backpacks. While many people find it more comfortable to run with a bag in the hand, it doesn’t leave both hands free for fighting the undead, climbing, or other activities vital to survival. Keep an eye on the weight also. Excess weight will slow you down. That pretty much rules out gallons of water, a heavy arsenal, and extra Oreo’s. There will be just enough for you and me, Norm.
As always, you guys have managed to wow us. The Command Center has been buzzing with excitement over the latest batch of contest entries. We asked you to create a zombie, using any medium you wished, put it in an environment… and then kill it. The creativity displayed in the entries we received these last few weeks is amazing.
Enough gushing. You guys want to know who the winner is, right? The first prize winner of our Creature Feature Contest will receive a Zombie Survival Crew t-shirt signed by 11 cast and crew members from The Walking Dead.
First Prize Winner: @Catella_Snape (Lt Blue Brigade) and @Jessadorkadon (Purple Brigade)!
Congratulations! Here is the video they put together with help from Catella’s daughter, Michelle:
The runner-up will be sent a ZSC logo t-shirt. And the runner-up winner is…
Matthew Jones (Yellow Brigade)!
Congratulations!
Here is Matthew’s winning drawing and the story that accompanies it:
This is Johnny Decker. Well, was Johnny Decker. Now he’s just a head, an undead head. Sadly he had decided to tag along with his girlfriend, Penny, and several others to a secluded cabin in the woods. DUN DUN DUN *thunder crash*. While there, the secret gov’t base neighboring the local skinny dipping spot was having some “security issues.” After much grabbing, biting, screaming, and running all but Johnny and Penny were eaten. Though Johnny had become infected from an ankle biter! That’s the plot twist! Luckily for Penny she had been training for years to be a champion lumberjack. Finding her weapon embedded in a tree stump Johnny quickly got the chop; flying through the air (as depicted) he cursed his newly found zombie desire for brains and longed to see his home again. Then he was split in twain by the mighty axe of Penny the Zombie Slayer. The End.
P.S. A neat little trick for the kiddies! Print out Johnny Decker and hold down the paper at the center of his head, just above his mouth… gash, with a pin or similar device. Now… spin! Voilà! Flying decapitated zombie head action! Fun for all ages.
Congratulations again to both winners.
If you any of you are still feeling creative, you have until February 20th to submit your entries for our second ZSC anthology contest.
We’re giving you another excerpt from the debut Zombie Survival Crew Anthology: Undead Is Not An Option, but don’t forget, YOU can be a part of the second anthology!! Click here for more details.
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Zombie Survival Crew First Lieutenant Neil Brown Jr. has got the survival gig down pat. You may know him for his on-screen characters’ fights with zombies or aliens in productions like The Walking Dead and Battle: Los Angeles, but this wise-crackin’ vato has got skills – and the Katana to back ‘em up. This son of a marine takes a look at what we should all have pre-packed in our go bags for the kind of day we hope never comes.
Grab Your Go Bag (…and get it right!) By Neil Brown, Jr.
Dad always used to say “police your brass” and “you need to know whether you’re hurt or injured.” And that’s just the way he raised me—to live a clean life, depend on common sense and preparation to get me through life’s bumps and bruises, and develop the mental fortitude to push through the hurts.
Served me well even from a young age. When I was about 12, on one of our many family salt water fishing trips, I tumbled off the side of the boat in the early morning while everyone else was still sleeping. I know, I know. Shouldn’t have been hanging over the side of the boat in the first place.
Even though I was terrified and screaming like crazy, I remembered what my dad taught me—tie the ends of my pants together, lift the whole thing up over the water and push down to grab the air and make a mini-life preserver. It worked. I bobbed in the water for several minutes before my dad dove in to rescue me. And it was about ten years before my dad or I told mom about the incident. What? She never would have let me go on another fishing trip.
It was common sense and preparation that saved me all those years ago, and that very same combination is our best shot during a cataclysmic event, like a Zombiepocalypse.
As for me, I can catch a rabbit, squirrel or fish in the woods faster than I can find you a gas station, so my go bag is naturally geared more towards hunting and gathering—even so it’s a combination of items that will serve any would-be survivor well.
Adrian Ring is our intrepid hero here, having just barely survived a world consuming apocalypse of the undead. Adrian’s Diary chronicles his battles with the zombie hordes and his ongoing struggle with survival. Read and understand exactly how he has lived up to this point, avoiding starvation, zombies, injuries, sickness, as well as sharing in his humor and his horror. Adrian’s Undead Diary is an online chronicle and features stories that intersect with the happenings in the journal as well.
Please note because the characters are dealing with a zombie outbreak, this excerpt has some strong language.
It’s pretty fucking cold out tonight. The big ass plastic thermometer on the tree outside says its 35F out tonight. I’m glad I figured out where the emergency generator is here, otherwise I would be freezing my balls off now. Despite the fact that this place was kind of a bitch to clear out, I’m glad I did it. It’s got everything I need to survive for a long time.
I don’t even really know where to start. It’s a Tuesday today. At least I know what day it is. Someone in the main office building was wise enough to buy their calendar early this year so it’ll be easy for me to keep track of the days until the end of next year. After that I guess I’ll have to use some of the graph paper and make my own calendar. That’s being pretty optimistic though. The way the last few months have been I’ll be goddamn lucky to make Christmas, let alone next Christmas.
I decided to start writing this mainly to keep track of my daily activities and to have a way to purge my nugget. Frankly I talk to myself way too goddamn much to be mentally healthy and I was always told that writing a journal helped. Sooo… let’s call this my journal. Thank God for spell check. I also realize that now is not the best time to be writing. I’m using up some of my gasoline to run the generator, which is basically a waste, and honestly having any lights on at night draws them in. Moths to a flame as the old saying goes. But I can’t sleep and I’ve been meaning to do this for a long time now. Having the electricity back has set a fire under my ass to do this.
My name is Adrian Ring. I lived what I would now call as only a moderately successful life. I was happy, but I had pretty low standards. I had a girlfriend, I had a small condo downtown, I still have my cat (score!), and I have thus far avoided being eaten by the undead. Surprise! There’s the twist in the story. I fucking love horror movies. Like seriously. I watched well over a thousand of them and always used to plot and plan should zombies ever rise from the dead and take over the world. Irony in all that is that when the shit hit the fan it happened so fast that any kind of plan would’ve been almost impossible to execute.
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To read more, and find out what happens to Adrian and his cat, check out Undead Is Not An Option.
Four high-school friends have educated themselves on zombie lore by playing a RPG game they’ve invented. They never dreamed they’d have to put their skills developed in the game to use, but an outbreak of the zombie virus forces their hand. While the town runs amok, they decide to meet in one of their game’s locations and make a final stand. The creator of the rule book, Jimmy, goes to retrieve it, Danny is sent to buy weapons, items a teenager could legally buy, while the ringleader, Joey, and Travis, whose father has fallen victim, stay behind to plan their defense and eventual escape.
Crunch Time brings you into the world of RPG and twitter, something near and dear to the Zombie Survival Crew’s heart, and takes you through the chilling choices which have to be made during a zombie attack.
Please note because the characters are dealing with a zombie outbreak, this excerpt has some strong language.
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Crunch Time by Maria Kelly
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Joey Costello wiped the dust from the cheddar puffs onto his jeans and leaned forward to stare at the brightly lit computer monitor. It was his older brother David’s hand-me-down computer: the one that looked like some fucked-up futuristic space-lamp.
He waited for his tweeps to respond. He watched as line upon line in the stream scrolled past, none of them from his crew.
“C’mon, dudes, damn!” he yelled, banging his fist down on the desk.
He cursed again as a whole load of tweets went sailing by, and he had to scroll down to make sure he didn’t miss one from his friends.
“Oh, man, we SO need our own hashtag.” He made a mental note to spring this bit of brilliant wisdom on his tweeps when they got on line. Where the hell where they, anyway?
He was half-way through the tweets when the auto-refresh kicked in and zoomed a hundred more tweets past his eyes.
“Aw, goddammit!” He swore again, but not too loudly. His mom had begun tolerating him dropping the ‘F-bomb’ but she’d tear his ass up if she heard him using that word. Not that his mother was particularly religious, but Aunt Lois was, and Aunt Lois was always over at their place these days since Uncle Reggie passed.
Finally, his trembling finger stilled on the scroll button as he read the message:
2ndTimeDead: RT @ZombieHuntR666 holla back mah boyz when u online.|| I’m on, Z.
“Yes!” Joey whispered as he typed and waited for his message to appear onscreen:
ZombieHuntR666: @2ndTimeDead it is as we feared, brotha!!!
He waited for 2ndTimeDead’s reply:
2ndTimeDead: @ZombieHuntR666 I know that’s right, bro! Saw 2 on way home from Crosswalk. Scared the fuck outta me. What do we do?
ZombieHuntR666: @2ndTimeDead don’t fuckin panic. that’s the most important thing. don’t fuckin panic. u been readin these other tweets?
2ndTimeDead: @ZombieHuntR666 4realz! Both #zombieapocalypsenow and #realzombiegeddon are TT’ing! WTF? They’re all over the world! WTF? #whatthefuck
ZombieHuntR666: @2ndTimeDead i said don’t panic dude. oh shit! SHIT! brb…
2ndTimeDead: @ZombieHuntR666 Joey i’m fuckin comin over there in about 3 minutes if you don’t tweet me the fuck back!!!!
2ndTimeDead: @ZombieHuntR666 4realz mofo! I aint playin! Are you ok? Joey i swear to god you better not be playin!!!!!!!!!
ZombieHuntR666: @2ndTimeDead damn dude it was just my mom.
2ndTimeDead: @ZombieHuntR666 You scared the fuck outta me asshole!!! I thought one of them got you.
ZombieHuntR666: @2ndTimeDead LOL sorry dude 😛 dude, we need our own hashtag. going thru these tweets is bullshit.
2ndTimeDead: @ZombieHuntR666 Dude, how about #oakleafHSzombies?
Sometimes Danny surprised Joey with a flash of brilliance. Since the zombie virus outbreak in their town seemed to have started at their school, #oakleafHSzombies was the perfect hash.
ZombieHuntR666: @2ndTimeDead Danny Patton you’re a fuckin genius! that’s brilliant i swear to god.
At the thought of his school, Joey’s hands dropped off the keyboard. How many Oak Leaf High School students had already been turned?
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To read more, and find out what happens to Joey, Danny and the rest of their friends, check out Undead Is Not An Option.
Sadie is a normal girl living with her mother, well, as normal as a girl who collects zombies can be. She didn’t start out to collect zombies, it just sort of happened…starting with the zombie animals who sought her out, and then Jess, the little girl. Predictably, the neighbors do not understand why Sadie feels the need to take care of the zombies and, as with most things not understood, fear develops.
“All right Moira. Time to go.”
Ok, so maybe my family and I take this whole Go Bag thing too seriously, though I did love their presence in those hurricane commercials last summer. I get it, preparing for the Zombie Apocalypse isn’t at the top of everyone’s list. Maybe even I don’t take it as seriously as needed. After all, when asked what I would include, I was quick to mention Oreos for my beloved 