Mar. 2, 2020

Oh it is good to be back writing, and thinking freely. Hell to be free again. I wasn’t having any of that waiting on the hunters day and night shit. Knocking me out, and treating me like crap wasn’t going to get my loyalty. Thought I was stupid too, but I quickly figured them out. At first, I really thought they let me keep the journal because they didn’t care, or need it. Turned out they let me keep it to keep track of what I was thinking. Not surprising, they were always so paranoid. It wasn’t long before I figured out someone was reading my journal. I think they did it mostly at feeding time, and I think it was my asshole guard too. After leading me to the feeding place, he would always quickly disappear, and soon came back like he was in a hurry. Stupid bastard wasn’t a good actor. And maybe it would have been nice if someone told him that if you pick up something that you aren’t suppose to touch, you should put it back the same way you found it. So I wasn’t sure what my plan would be at first, but I decided to start writing more positive things about them. I thought the quickest way to show them I was on their side was to join the zombie-bashing club. Then I had to find a specific person who would trust me enough for me to get a little information from, and so that I could plant ideas in their heads. I actually feel a little, just a little sorry for Joe Malone. He wasn’t the worst of the bunch. He had an honest reason for hating the zombies so much. He saw them kill his wife, turn his little girl into a zombie, and then watch his best friend have to shoot her. Sorry again Joe. Back to the point. So I wrote that I wanted to hunt with them. To show I wanted to be one of them. I tried to be a good little gatherer. Did what they said, and caused no problems. Actually, I got lucky when they started fighting about leaving, and then luckier when poor Chuck basically killed himself. I kind of had the plan, but I just needed the right moment. Plus, it was an experiment that I wasn’t sure would work. I have faced death so many times already, what was one more time. Ha… I can’t lie to myself even in this journal. I was scared to death. I don’t want to die. The plan was this. With my added questions about whether to leave or not, it at least distracted my guard. He was obviously doing more thinking than usual. On the right night, I was able to sneak out of the house. I had hidden a couple of towels from when we washed down the cars that were filled with zombie blood. I left them in water so that someone could drink the blood. God I really didn’t know if this would work. I grabbed them, and took them to the young woman. Yea, what a risk after Chuck got killed. They would have killed me for sure. Without a second thought if they found me. Too bad they were having another argument that night. Plus, I noticed that they had let their guard down after killing Chuck. They didn’t think someone as stupid as I am would dare try to go near her. Wow, she was even more used and abused then I imagined. Poor lady, they really did a number on her. I didn’t have long so I asked her if she was ready to die. She didn’t say anything at first, but I could tell I put a little life in her right before I was about to take it away. Even more enlightenment when I mentioned a chance to get back at the hunters. I told her I needed her to drink this water that had zombie blood in it. Hopefully, the blood would still be good enough to turn her into a zombie. I wasn’t sure if it worked this way, or even how long this would take. I just told her to hold it in as long as possible, and then let the rage out on them. Most importantly, try to infect them as well. I am not sure she understood anything except for the dying and revenge part. I carefully approached her, but left the water just in front of her. I was really scared she may have screamed and that would have been the end of me. I backed away, ready to leave as soon as she took a sip. It took her a minute or two, but then she went right after it. Sucked it right down. I then snuck over to the gun house. I found some extra locks one day, so I hid them in the supply room. I did lots of hiding stuff, kind of like a squirrel hides nuts for the winter, weird. So I got the locks, and added them to the locks that were already on the gunroom’s door. I knew that they could still shoot it open, but the point was to slow them down. Then it was back to the house, where once again I had hid something in a special spot for me, a gun. I had it buried in the back yard. They weren’t as paranoid as they should have been. They checked the houses, but never really the yards. So I took it upstairs and waited to see if anything would happen. It seemed like forever. If this didn’t work, I would have had to come up with a different plan. One that would have been harder to pull off. I was thinking something like a gatherer rebellion. Probably a sucky plan. A death wish. Wow, I don’t know what is harder, pulling off the plan, or now writing about it. Had to take a break for a second. So I heard the arguing finally stop, and I saw someone head for the woman’s house. Oh, I was getting ready for it. So ready, I almost shot off the gun by accident. I waited and waited. What was going on in there, I will never know. Then it was go time. Out stumbled the guy. He fell to the floor motionless for a minute. No one noticed. Then he got up, and paused for a second. Oh yea, he was a zombie. He just needed to shake off the change. He did, and off he went. He ran over to another house where he took another hunter by surprise. It started off well, but what happened to the woman? She still hadn’t come out. I wasn’t sure if he killed her at some point. Looking for the woman I lost track of the zombie. Panic was starting to set in. I was starting to lose control of the plan. Then I heard some commotion, and my guard ran from the house. I just had to be patient and wait for the right time. I can’t believe I was that patient after all. I remember all the sweat that was dripping from my forehead. So I heard some gunshots. I was hoping they hadn’t killed all the zombies yet. I smashed my window open, and then began yelling “zombies at the front gate” just as some hunters were about to run to the back. I had to keep them separated. They turned around and ran to the front, and that was when I ran out the house. I went right for some of the other gathers homes. I banged on their doors, and yelled for them to come out because the hunters needed them. I told them to head for the feeding area. Too bad, it was them that were going to be the food this time. As they headed over there, out came one of the hunters turned zombies, and it was feeding time. It was full on chaos. Just what I wanted, but I had to be ready in case I ran into a zombie. All the hunters were running around not sure what to do. They saw gatherers running around, and zombies killing their friends. I ran into two of them, and I said this is why we should have left. This confused them, and they almost were going to start arguing with me right then. It was kind of funny for a second, but only a second. One of them pulled his gun, and I thought he was just going shoot me right there. Out smarting them again, I yelled “Zombie!” I was gone before they could turn back around. I thought I was in a war zone. All of the sudden gunshot after gunshot was all I heard. Time was running out for me to get out of there, but I needed one last distraction. I went to the fuel truck, and set it on fire. Now it was time to go. I jumped in one of the cars, and hit full speed. I couldn’t worry about who I saw on the way out, I just had to drive. And drive even if I had to go right through them. Kind of reminded me of all the road kill I used to see back home. In a way I feel bad, but I did what I have done all along, and that is do what is necessary to survive.

Jan. 16, 2020

One of the other gathers told me that curiosity got the best of Chuck. He had always wanted to know more about the forbidden girl. They said he was going a little crazy anyway. I don’t blame him, it is pretty easy to go crazy around here. Still no one is sure what exactly he did before getting shot to death. Joe has told me a lot of things, but he refuses to talk about this. I think he knows the party is over. I can see the worry in him. Things were good for the hunters for a while, but change is coming. One thing I have learned all this time is to expect the unexpected.

Jan. 13, 2020

So gatherer Chuck got to close to the hunter’s beloved woman. Details were few, but apparently the hunters didn’t like what they saw so they shot him on spot. Couldn’t have been good. All gatherers are told from the beginning to stay away from the 2 women. Maybe he wanted a way out of this world, and knew they would kill him. How he got to her I don’t know. They are usually pretty good of at least keeping her away from us gatherers. Joe said that this couldn’t have come at a worse time because tension is already high. They sat all the gatherers down and made sure we all knew the rules again. They didn’t say death was your punishment, but I think most of us got the point. I think this community is cracking. 

Jan 10, 2020

It has been almost a week now, and I guess the decision is to stay for now. Vacation is over. We are back to work as usual, but I know something is still going on that I don’t know about. The hunters aren’t in their same frame of mind. I noticed some of them are not talking with each other, or at least less than usual. Feeding time as been quiet. Joe hasn’t told me much besides that they really haven’t decided. I told him I know it is a hard decision, but I am sure they will make the right one. I also told him I am still looking forward to going hunting, and he looked at me funny. I guess any thoughts of leaving the grounds for any reason is a touchy subject. Things will get interesting when supplies get low, which should be soon. It has been almost a month since the last supply run. My bet is anyone who supported leaving will not go. I wish I knew how

Holy shit! A gunshot just went off, and I ran outside to see what was happening. As soon as I got outside I heard all this yelling, and screaming. I didn’t get too far before they started yelling to get all the gatherers back inside the houses. My asshole guard took a good whack at me because he thought I was moving too slow. I just looked outside the window, and there still is a bunch of chaos going on. I can’t really hear anything. I wonder if this has anything to do with this whole leaving or staying situation. Maybe it was a zombie, but I doubt it. There would have been more shots for sure. Never a dull moment around here lately.

Jan. 4, 2020

I guess they had some of the same questions I did because last night they had a meeting of the minds. They probably had to let everything get out into the open. They are smart, they have to have an open discussion about this before it divides them. I have no idea what they decided. Again, we just got to eat, and then returned to the houses. It is almost like we are on vacation. A paid holiday. It is their decision. The gatherers aren’t going to get a say. Oh well!