Jack's Diary - Day 3, September 18th 2013

     Even when it's completely quiet, there's no peace to be found when you're out in the open. At any moment, that silence can change and with that sudden ripple of sound, you're life is now at an even greater risk for being lost, whether you made the noise or something else did. I watched from a distance as these situations transpired, usually involving stupid and panicked survivors. Now, I know better than to mindlessly daydream on the unsuspecting field of battle.
     I expected to see a lot more abandoned cars and objects on the highway than I had. Most of them were wrecked, dirty, and looted for parts. There was hardly any movement at all: no animals of any kind and no lost souls. At least, that's what it started out as. In the distance, I saw a few on a highway bridge. I couldn't resist. I lured them close to the side and knocked them off the bridge, one by one. I could only watch the last one fall since the rest began to make their way to me after hearing their "brother" get hit with my club. I didn't find any enjoyment in it, as much as I had hoped to. I kill for the sake of killing, merely to pass the time.
     Passed the bridge near an exit off the highway, I spotted signs of a camp: a long since burnt out fire pit and a few logs and lawn chairs to sit on. Nothing too significant. Suddenly, my ear caught a sinister and weak groaning. I decided to cautiously check it out and was met with a most unexpected sight: a pit filled with lost souls. There were at least 14 of them, with many more on the ground, unresponsive. The pit was about 8 feet deep, completely flat with the corners dug out. In the center of the pit was a tall, thick wooden rectangular pole with a rope hanging from it and from that rope hung a body. From the looks of it, the body had no signs of change other than rot so it died as a human. There were also many cuts and lacerations on the body. I determined, although, this is just a guess, that this pit was dug for the purpose of collecting or trapping lost souls and that the body (whether it was alive when it was first hung is debatable) was meant to be used as bait to draw them in. As long as you didn't fall in, these things couldn't touch you so I could've walked away, but I didn't. I went back to the highway, found a small gas tank in the back of a pick up truck, siphoned as much gas from the vehicles as was left, went back to the pit, yelled out to the monsters to gather them into one spot, and doused them with gas. I lit a match and set them a blaze and watched as they walked about, some being more aware of the flames than others. I stayed until each of them burned to the ground. The "green" people always talked about the fact that humans leave a carbon footprint or a record of all the waste they've attributed to the Earth. I think of my actions as one in the same: I'm ridding the world of these things before the time that I become one myself.
     To the pass the time, I looked around a little more and to my surprise, saw a small wooden fort in a near-by tree. This surprised me because of how well it was hidden. Had I not been actively looking, I would have never seen it. It looked like something used in hunting a long while back. I climbed up it and found a few useful object like binoculars, a slingshot, and a machete. I already had one machete, but you know what they say: better safe than dead!
     As the fires burnt down to smoldering ash, I left without a single taste of satisfaction. I followed the exit ramp off the highway until I came upon a town. I decided to search the town, but I had no idea what I was looking for; I had sufficient food and water and the equipment I needed. I suppose I was just wandering around. In the distance, I thought I saw some movement. After three seconds, it gained in size and right then I knew that my life was at stake: it was a charging group of lost souls. I broke out the nearest window of a house and jumped through, toppling a tall cabinet over to barricade the now exposed window. I locked the door and rushed up the steps and opened the second door on the left and locked it behind me, barricading myself in there as well. There wasn't any time to check whether or not the backdoor was locked or to see if there was a backdoor. I could hear the pounding on the walls, the shaking of the house, and them rushing around on the ground floor looking for me. I don't know why they all did that. It was the same thing with the Hill. It's not normal behavior or at least what I am used to. Well, I figured that this gave me time to write. They might get to me soon so I should probably write fast. I'm not afraid to die.

- Jack's Diary