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Description
Day - 11

This day was relatively and disturbingly quiet…after leaving the town of Perfection we made an unsettling discovery that Protection was not a unique case in being completely empty but the next three towns after that were the same. Maybe because these towns were small and distant from large cities the people had time to evacuate calmly and safely but if that was the case where did they go and why did they leave so much behind? I'm not sure I can even describe it, some cars and personal items were missing but on the whole it's like everyone just stood up and left…there are no wrecked cars from people fleeing or shops destroyed from hoarding and looting. Before this all happened I hated mysteries and now I find that beyond my dislike that they frighten me, in a world full of unknowns extras are unwelcome. Alex had picked up on my unease and I think that worried her more than anything else, she'd become almost as paranoid as I driving through these towns. I tried to comfort her but it is difficult to hide with my constant stops when my line of sight was less than I liked and multiple glances behind me but it seemed that there was always something waiting around each corner. Once again she simply refused to be separated from my side but I'm not sure which of us were more comforted even when it became a little awkward. Somehow these barren cities seemed to hold more danger than ones filled with the undead and we took to driving around them whenever possible. The only exception we made was in a town just inside Kansas called Englewood to stop at their hardware store for some things that I deemed essential to being prepared for the nameless whatever I felt could be coming. My shopping confused the hell out of Alex I have to admit but I assured her that she would understand fully as soon as I found a place to stop and work on some plans. She did bring one thing to my attention and honestly it may have saved our lives, none of the maps that we had showed all of the small roads that this state has and which we would need to keep going. We also took the opportunity to fill up on gas and I was actually feeling much more at ease as we passed into Oklahoma so of course I suppose I should have known that it wouldn't last. A couple miles into the state we came across a river or a narrow lake that we needed to cross and according to our new map it was the only place that we even could for miles in either direction, the only problem was there was no bridge. I couldn't tell what happened to it other than the side closest to us was gone and presumably now under the water, it looked like it had just been cut off somehow. Looking at our map we couldn't find another way across the damned thing and our best bet of going around involved backtracking back into Kansas we turned around and started driving. About the time we reached the border again it was starting to get dark and we found a small shed on an equally small hill to spend the night in. After a token attempt at eating I decided to keep watch for a few hours after the sun went down, I tried to coax Alex to go to bed but she wanted to keep watch with me…that's what she said anyway, in reality she sat on my lap and slept against me as I kept watch and I'm glad she did. In a land as flat as Kansas you can see for miles so I could clearly see lights to the west of us, there had been no smoke when the sun was up so they must have been lit as the sun was going down. Fires meant people and in these times people made me even more nervous than the zombies did, it may have meant safety and protection but as the hours passed I couldn't bring myself to actually believe that.

Day - 12

I was glad when Alex finally woke up, I do care for her and I'm glad that she was able to sleep but after 6 hours of having her on my lap I could no longer feel my legs and I was relieved when she got off me. When I was able to stand and after she made breakfast while I took care of some necessities (which almost caused a fight as there are some things I prefer to do alone) we sat down for a little talk. In the world we find ourselves in secrets can get you killed so I decided to tell her everything about what I saw and how I felt and we planned what to do. I had worried that she would want to find other people and to stay with them but she reminded me that my sister was waiting for me and if she was her she would be heartbroken if I just stopped at the first place I found. I had to smile because knowing my sister something would be broken alright…though it would more likely be something of mine when she found me. I also used that time to make a promise to her, I promised that I would teach her everything I knew to ensure that she would survive. The first part of my promise was in giving her a gun and showing her how to use it right then and there, my options were limited of course but I had found a semi-automatic .32 back in Missouri that I thought would work well for her. I had to sacrifice a backpack to make a holster for it but through some jury rigging and sewing (and duct tape) we created something that would work. I was disapproving of the fact that she wanted to wear it under her skirt to keep it hidden but all she would say is it felt safer there so who was I to argue. The shed we stayed in did provide me with a bench and tools to put yesterday's plan in to action and after locating the various items from where they were stored in the car I was able to make some "grenades" that were quick and easy to use. I won't bother giving you details here of how to make them but I will put instructions, diagrams and alternatives in the back of my journal in case you need to make them someday. Alex was a quick study and after watching me only two or three times she was able to do most of the work herself leaving me to deal with the fine details of making the triggers and then creating a way to safely store them. As we worked I told her stories of the friend of my dad's who had taught me how to do this…not just tricks to surviving but the funny stories that a person picks up over the years. She had a most unwelcome fit of giggling at the story of him shoving me in a cardboard box and rolling me around the yard but it was heart warming to hear her laugh after the paranoia of the previous day. After stowing our creations and repacking the Toyota we decided to use the rest of the day to try and make our way back into Oklahoma and closer to our goal. I curse myself looking back…I don't know if I had just grown complacent in my sense of unease of if I should just be shot for gross stupidity but I walked right into it. We were driving along the road that follows the border with trees on both sides when I came across a curve in the road. I should have been smarter…should have been paying attention but as we followed the curve I had to slam on the brakes to not hit the semi that was parked across the road. Before I could even blink two more trucks came out of the trees to box us in and I found a gun barrel in my face courtesy of the bastards who had just trapped us. I was ordered to get out of the car and Alex had to be dragged out of it screaming and kicking to get free, I…I tried to help her but as I turned I felt a sharp pain as I was hit with something and then there was nothing. I woke up laying face down on that road…I reached for my gun but that was gone…as were the trucks, the semi, my car and…Alex, all they had left me were the clothes on my back (and the knife hidden in my boot). My head was still throbbing from being hit but I made myself one simple promise, I was going to get Alex back unharmed or I was going to kill every single one of those fuckers that I found! The soft dirt at the side of the road told me which direction they had gone and not having any options I started walking as the sun went down. I was worried…in the dark I could easily miss it if they turned off and paved roads wouldn't give any sign of it anyway but I had a promise to keep to a little girl so I kept walking.

Description
Day - 11

This day was relatively and disturbingly quiet…after leaving the town of Perfection we made an unsettling discovery that Protection was not a unique case in being completely empty but the next three towns after that were the same. Maybe because these towns were small and distant from large cities the people had time to evacuate calmly and safely but if that was the case where did they go and why did they leave so much behind? I'm not sure I can even describe it, some cars and personal items were missing but on the whole it's like everyone just stood up and left…there are no wrecked cars from people fleeing or shops destroyed from hoarding and looting. Before this all happened I hated mysteries and now I find that beyond my dislike that they frighten me, in a world full of unknowns extras are unwelcome. Alex had picked up on my unease and I think that worried her more than anything else, she'd become almost as paranoid as I driving through these towns. I tried to comfort her but it is difficult to hide with my constant stops when my line of sight was less than I liked and multiple glances behind me but it seemed that there was always something waiting around each corner. Once again she simply refused to be separated from my side but I'm not sure which of us were more comforted even when it became a little awkward. Somehow these barren cities seemed to hold more danger than ones filled with the undead and we took to driving around them whenever possible. The only exception we made was in a town just inside Kansas called Englewood to stop at their hardware store for some things that I deemed essential to being prepared for the nameless whatever I felt could be coming. My shopping confused the hell out of Alex I have to admit but I assured her that she would understand fully as soon as I found a place to stop and work on some plans. She did bring one thing to my attention and honestly it may have saved our lives, none of the maps that we had showed all of the small roads that this state has and which we would need to keep going. We also took the opportunity to fill up on gas and I was actually feeling much more at ease as we passed into Oklahoma so of course I suppose I should have known that it wouldn't last. A couple miles into the state we came across a river or a narrow lake that we needed to cross and according to our new map it was the only place that we even could for miles in either direction, the only problem was there was no bridge. I couldn't tell what happened to it other than the side closest to us was gone and presumably now under the water, it looked like it had just been cut off somehow. Looking at our map we couldn't find another way across the damned thing and our best bet of going around involved backtracking back into Kansas we turned around and started driving. About the time we reached the border again it was starting to get dark and we found a small shed on an equally small hill to spend the night in. After a token attempt at eating I decided to keep watch for a few hours after the sun went down, I tried to coax Alex to go to bed but she wanted to keep watch with me…that's what she said anyway, in reality she sat on my lap and slept against me as I kept watch and I'm glad she did. In a land as flat as Kansas you can see for miles so I could clearly see lights to the west of us, there had been no smoke when the sun was up so they must have been lit as the sun was going down. Fires meant people and in these times people made me even more nervous than the zombies did, it may have meant safety and protection but as the hours passed I couldn't bring myself to actually believe that.

Day - 12

I was glad when Alex finally woke up, I do care for her and I'm glad that she was able to sleep but after 6 hours of having her on my lap I could no longer feel my legs and I was relieved when she got off me. When I was able to stand and after she made breakfast while I took care of some necessities (which almost caused a fight as there are some things I prefer to do alone) we sat down for a little talk. In the world we find ourselves in secrets can get you killed so I decided to tell her everything about what I saw and how I felt and we planned what to do. I had worried that she would want to find other people and to stay with them but she reminded me that my sister was waiting for me and if she was her she would be heartbroken if I just stopped at the first place I found. I had to smile because knowing my sister something would be broken alright…though it would more likely be something of mine when she found me. I also used that time to make a promise to her, I promised that I would teach her everything I knew to ensure that she would survive. The first part of my promise was in giving her a gun and showing her how to use it right then and there, my options were limited of course but I had found a semi-automatic .32 back in Missouri that I thought would work well for her. I had to sacrifice a backpack to make a holster for it but through some jury rigging and sewing (and duct tape) we created something that would work. I was disapproving of the fact that she wanted to wear it under her skirt to keep it hidden but all she would say is it felt safer there so who was I to argue. The shed we stayed in did provide me with a bench and tools to put yesterday's plan in to action and after locating the various items from where they were stored in the car I was able to make some "grenades" that were quick and easy to use. I won't bother giving you details here of how to make them but I will put instructions, diagrams and alternatives in the back of my journal in case you need to make them someday. Alex was a quick study and after watching me only two or three times she was able to do most of the work herself leaving me to deal with the fine details of making the triggers and then creating a way to safely store them. As we worked I told her stories of the friend of my dad's who had taught me how to do this…not just tricks to surviving but the funny stories that a person picks up over the years. She had a most unwelcome fit of giggling at the story of him shoving me in a cardboard box and rolling me around the yard but it was heart warming to hear her laugh after the paranoia of the previous day. After stowing our creations and repacking the Toyota we decided to use the rest of the day to try and make our way back into Oklahoma and closer to our goal. I curse myself looking back…I don't know if I had just grown complacent in my sense of unease of if I should just be shot for gross stupidity but I walked right into it. We were driving along the road that follows the border with trees on both sides when I came across a curve in the road. I should have been smarter…should have been paying attention but as we followed the curve I had to slam on the brakes to not hit the semi that was parked across the road. Before I could even blink two more trucks came out of the trees to box us in and I found a gun barrel in my face courtesy of the bastards who had just trapped us. I was ordered to get out of the car and Alex had to be dragged out of it screaming and kicking to get free, I…I tried to help her but as I turned I felt a sharp pain as I was hit with something and then there was nothing. I woke up laying face down on that road…I reached for my gun but that was gone…as were the trucks, the semi, my car and…Alex, all they had left me were the clothes on my back (and the knife hidden in my boot). My head was still throbbing from being hit but I made myself one simple promise, I was going to get Alex back unharmed or I was going to kill every single one of those fuckers that I found! The soft dirt at the side of the road told me which direction they had gone and not having any options I started walking as the sun went down. I was worried…in the dark I could easily miss it if they turned off and paved roads wouldn't give any sign of it anyway but I had a promise to keep to a little girl so I kept walking.