Jack's Diary - Appreciation and Death - Day 67

            As I expected, I didn’t fall asleep. I watched the night turn into morning with a blaze of colors charging over the horizon like a stampede of rainbow mares. I heard birds, a somewhat rare sight in this new world, desperately calling for mates when there are few to none to be found. It was sad to realize they may die alone without a partner or without starting a family. In this world, a happy ending in life is rare, so rare I’ve yet to see one. It may seem weird that I’m writing this, but when all you have to do is listen, see, and feel the life going on around you for hours, you start to think about it and appreciate it and feel sorrow for it. During that time, I think I heard every sound you could imagine from a cricket to a moaning soulless to a hawk squawking. I even heard the sound of a motorcycle or something coming from the city. Probably some survivor trying to get out (not a very smart choice since the sound attracts danger). I was about three quarters of the way up the tree so I had a pretty nice view. I spent most of my time watching a large come and go from a nest near the top of the tree I was in. I’m guessing it is a hawk. I really wanted my own hawk or some kind of large bird. I could teach it to gouge out the eyes of my enemies and to go pick up stuff for me. It would be awesome. I was tempted to climb the tree and take one of its babies if it had any, but the hawk would go completely nuts and probably peck me to death. I’m pretty sure even if I waited until it left, it would quickly rush back and kill me (mother intuition).

            There was one more town near by to search and after that, I’m heading back to base. Mike may have already made his way back, but if he didn’t, there isn’t much I can do anymore except arrange a search party to check the woods since Mike would have to drop 100 IQ points before considering searching any towns or cities further away, leaving the woods as the last option. The morning was quiet and there isn’t really much to talk about. I was hungry, but decided to eat some granola bars I keep with me (I hadn’t eaten in about two days). I also ate some wild raspberries I came across.

            My path to the last town was unheeded by anything or anyone. The town (or city. I don’t know anymore what to call them). It was abnormally quiet. No soulless wandering the streets, no bugs buzzing by, and hardly any breeze at all. Well, I guess there were soulless, but all the ones I came across were dead: shot, bulged, and dismembered. A somewhat disturbing sight, but it didn’t bother me too much: it did bring up some questions though. The town’s buildings were pretty diverse: it had a small community college, an arcade, a public library, an auto shop, a garden and flower shop, and veterinarian office. Lots of books, studying equipment, chemicals products, seeds, tools, and diverse drugs (mostly for pets) to take back. I found so much stuff, I used one of the wagons in the garden store to haul everything out. It squeaked from time to time, but this didn’t matter. There was no one around to hear. The most exciting place was the arcade. I really wished it had a small generator so I could play a game. I miss video games. The saddest of the building was the vet office. When disaster struck, the owners and employees must had run off and left a lot of the pets in the cages. Inside the cages, I found dead, rotting dog and cat carcasses. Nothing was alive except for maggots. Some laid peacefully in their cages as if they just fell asleep while others, I found broken teeth on the floor on the cages and outside of the cages, indicating that they tried to bite through the metal bars. It made me wish I knew about them before they all starved to death. They probably would’ve died even if they weren’t stuck in the cages, but at least they’d have die free.

            I had search the most of the stores when I moved into the neighbor to search there. That’s when things got dangerous. As I walked down the middle of the street, four or five windows opened up and suddenly, bullets were coming at me from left and right. I left the wagon and jumped behind a fence in the yard of what looked to be an empty house; that is, until the front window opened and a man leaned out with a shotgun. I quickly drew my handgun and shot the man, causing him to fall forward and out the window. Quickly, I crawled over with the others still trying to shoot me. I grabbed the shotgun, stood up and shot the person next door though it seems I only got their hand because they only dropped their gun. I dove through the window as more shots hit the wall of the house. I was now in a carpeted living room with a TV and sofas. As I looked around, there was a woman standing in the kitchen, pointing a rifle at me. I barely made it behind the sofa when she fired.

            “Miss!” I called out, “I don’t want any trouble! I was only passing through!”

            She answered back without hesitation. “You got trouble! You killed my husband!”

            A young boy came down the steps across from me with a pistol in his hand and fired; it jumped out of his hand and it missed me completely, but made me roll out from behind the couch only for me to roll back as the woman shot at me again. She was moving closer to the sofa. The boy scrambled to pick the gun up, but when he saw that I already had my new shotgun pointed at him, he ran away to where he came from, leaving the gun. A man looked in the window, asking, “Where is he?” He had just seen me when I shot off his face.

            “This doesn’t have to happen! Just let me go!” I yelled, “I hold no grudge against you.”

            “There’s been too much blood spilled already! You must pay for it!”

            I could tell by the sound of her voice she was almost right behind the sofa. I was leaning against it at the time so I spun around, put me feet underneath it, and kicked it forward, knocking it down and exposing her to the barrel of my gun. Had I been any later in pulling the trigger, she’d be telling this story. As the shotgun bullet pierced her chest, she dropped her rifle and fell background.

            “Shot him! Shot him now! Shot him now!” she yelled and in response, tons bullets pierced through the front of the house and more followed. Luckily, the bullets were always at least 6 inches off the ground so I crawled across the carpet to the kitchen. As I approached the woman, she remained completely still that is, until my legs were near her and she grabbed them with the intention of holding me in that spot until one of the bullets got me.

            “Jacob! Jacob!” she called out. At any moment, I could have been fatally hit so there was no time for mercy. I drew my handgun and shot her in the forehead. It was then only a matter of shaking her stiff arm off my leg and crawling in to the kitchen. From there, I went out the backdoor, only to find a man waiting for me. I dove out and managed to fire off a shot before he got the chance to. The rapid firing up front stopped and the movement of feet filled the once silent air. There wasn’t much time before they surrounded me so I ran around the corner of the house with a knife drawn and handgun out, and they were coming around the corner just as I was. A stab to the neck, a shot to the chest, two dead, and a hop over the neighboring fence. I reloaded my handgun and after a few seconds, I jumped up on the fence and saw three guys looking around cluelessly. I killed two of them and injured the other before having to fall back.

            “Just leave me alone. I don’t want to fight.”

            This must not have set well with the guy because directly after saying this, he charged over the fence and somehow fired off a two-handed shotgun with one hand. It nicked my arm, but mostly hit the fence. Two bullets to the chest and the man was down. I had hoped that that was everyone when I knew this wasn’t true. This town I walked into is inhabited by families, groups of people that did extremely well in eradicating the soulless. There had to be more, at least more mother and children baring arms. As fun as it is to take on an army by yourself, it is much tougher when the people you are fighting are smart, coordinated, and fight for a purpose. I wasn’t going to stay around any longer so I needed to devise a means of escape. There was a garage door on the house I was near so escaping by car was both practical and awesome. It wouldn’t open by hand and as I expected more bullets were flying in my direction so I broken through a window (which looking back on this, it was pretty stupid considering that’s how I injured my arm in the first place). I cut myself up a little, but nothing too major. Two men, a woman, and a boy were rushed into the room armed. I didn’t get too good of a look at them because I was already running for the door leading to the garbage. For some reason, they didn’t fire at me. I pulled a large workbench in front of the door to keep them from opening it and then went to the car. To my luck, it was a big, powerful truck. A broken window, a few wires and sparks, and it was ready to go. I broke through the closed garage door (after which, I found the garage door opener) and barreled down the street, only to stop and pick up my wagon. Dangerous? Yes, but it was worth it. In a short minute, I was out of town, but not out of trouble. As if I was psychic, two large soulless with blade arms got in my way. I was going to fast to stop so I rammed them. They died or at least were stuck under the truck, but the truck refused to move afterward. I really liked that truck.

            It’s sad, really. No matter where I go, I bring destruction and death. Ann probably got a kick out of watching me today. I wonder what she thinks of the times where I am still, like last night. Would she leave me alone if my life was boring or would she try and make it exciting? Perhaps I should draw her out with boredom.        

           With my wagon trailing behind me and the night approaching once more, I climbed the same tree I had the night before and waited for either sleep to visit or for night to pass. Tomorrow will be no different. 

- Jack's Diary

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Jack's Diary - Paranoid Sensation - Day 57

     I've noticed that Julie has calmed down considerably since the operation. She may still be in shock over it. Doesn't take away from my happiness in not hearing curse words whenever she's around. The group decided not to finish the mission we were given. When I saw everyone agreeing, I decided to as well. Besides, I don't think the Valors would be happy to see their "package" without one of her hands and I just want to go back to our base. I have a few plans in store upon my return.

     The paranoia from last night has drifted away. Yet, the feeling lingered and the unknown circles me, I can't just relax and forget. I looked around the perimeter of our campsite looking for any tracks or objects left by any stalkers. Mike approached me and expressed a similar feeling of being watched. Two calm people both feeling paranoid at the same time for the same reason is no coincidence; there was definitely something watching us. I told him I planned to set up an old-fashion alarm around the perimeter to catch whoever it was. He told me to be careful and handed me a shotgun. It had been a while since I used one.

     I wasn't sure if I had enough rope, but setting the alarm wasn't my main concern. Anything that was watching us would probably approach me since I'm alone now. I began setting up the trap with one hand working and the other on my gun. I didn't hear any footsteps, and see any moving shadows, but I turned around when I felt a change in how the wind was hitting me. There was no one there. I really thought someone was nearby. 

     It turned out I didn't have enough rope (I even attempted to use my shoelaces to extend it, but to no avail. I figured I'd leave up what I had finished and come back tomorrow (maybe). Perhaps the alarm will be of use. I returned to camp and sat down near the fire. Maybe it's the lack of sleep that's making me feel watched. As much as I wanted to ignore it, the feeling stayed and nothing else could occupy my mind. If it weren't Julie amputated arm, we'd be heading back now. 

     I continued looking and thinking about who could be watching us until nightfall. I didn't feel like going to sleep, but I wanted the paranoia to stop, even if for only a moment in sleep. I didn't get much of chance because Ann went missing. Mike and I found her at the lake crying. I told Mike I'd talk to her. I approached her and asked, "What're you doing out here?"

     She cried a little more then looked up and said with a tearful tone, "Huh? I just felt like crying. That's all."

     "About what?"

     "I don't know. I just..."

     She started crying again. I sat beside her and hug her. She never told me what she was crying about. I even tried asking her a few more times and I got the same answer. Maybe it's her time of the month or maybe she's just one of those people who cry for no reason. It doesn't matter to me. No one died.

     We went back to camp and wrote this journal entry. I don't know why, but right now I don't feel so good. I don't feel sick; I feel a little sad now for some reason.

- Jack's Diary

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Jack's Diary - Day 15, September 30th 2013

     Nightfall came upon me like a suffocating blanket. I've grown used to it by now, but it's usually never good for darkness to visit when there's danger so close. After I'd finished writing and preparing medical herbs, I watched the moon become brighter and as it floated across the sky. It was pretty apparent to me after enough time waiting up there that none of them were going to find their way to the roof so why not enjoy the view.
     Once the noise inside the hardware store died down, I jumped off the roof onto a nearby dumpster and headed for the exit in a relatively calm manner. If I ran, they'd probably chase me. Into the gaping abyss that is darkness, I walked, knowing what direction to place put my next step only by the yellow stripes painted on the streets. My younger self would've had his nerves exposed, letting any bump or breeze daze and throw his mind into a silent panic. Now, however, I don't fear what I cannot see. I hate what alludes my eyes and will gladly stab anything that attempts to use this treacherous shroud to kill. As I followed the road, I could tell I was at least on the outskirts of the central part of the town by the amount of moonlight I could see. Sometimes, the taller buildings would block it.
     Do you think I'm writing better now? I read back over what I wrote before and it sounds so much better. In my mind is this peaceful feeling, loitering longer than previous fleeting moments of appeal. Perhaps it is because I am safely five stories above the ground floor on another roof. Perhaps I'm going crazy. Or perhaps it is the afterglow of a successful battle.
     As I continued to walk along, I realized I was on a back roadway. There were a few houses every so often on the side of the road with trees on both sides creating more darkness. There were a few soulless walking and standing about, but they didn't bother me. Out of the corner of my eyes, I kept seeing something move. When I'd turn to get a look at it, it was gone. I could hear careful, but quick movements close by. It was at that moment I knew I was being hunted. I then realized my stupidity of not bringing a flashlight. I kept my hand on the trigger of the sawed-off shotgun I had and the other hand on my other machete. I constantly heard and saw the same sights and sounds over and over again. I felt my age slipping away from me as I noticed the palms of my hands were sweaty.  This cycle continued as I walked along, but slowly dissipated to silence as the dawn threw its rays into my eyes. I survived the night, but it was still pretty dark out. The pattern of trees on both sides eventually stopped and left me with a large rolling field on both sides showing the way to the next town. The fields were covered with some type of flower or wheat, much like the field of poppies from the Wizard of Oz. I made sure to stay on the road in case anything was hiding among the tall plants and I would be proven correct. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the plants on the left side swaying back and forth, as if something was moving through them. It weaved its way slowly to my location while staying hidden in the brush. I took out my sawed-off in one hand and my machete in another, just like I had expected to do before. As it was only two steps away from stepping into the road, it stopped. It slowly moved over to the left then suddenly, jumped to the right and jumped straight at me. I managed to shoot it in the chest with the sawed-off, but I had to dive out of the because its body was still coming at me. From the brief glimpse I saw of it, it was thin, but very large in height, skeletal, and had broad, almost flat arms. It was a disgusting brown and wore no clothes at all. The eyes, as for what I could tell, were completely black. The wound I inflicted wasn't enough to stop it, since when I looked back, it was gone. No sooner, did I standup, the thing burst through the brush on the right side, forcing me to duck. It slid on the road upon landing, and was just about ready to charge again when I shot it with another round from the sawed-off, knocking it back into the brush. It began moving through the brush again, making a semicircle before coming back. There wasn't enough time to reload the sawed-off so I readied my spear (at the time, this was my only idea so I'm glad it worked). As it jumped out of the brush, I stabbed it with the spear as I slid forward, causing it to go through and for it to completely miss me. It landed with the spear still in it. Luckily, the spear prevented it from moving correctly, giving me enough time to load up the sawed-off. It charged again and I shot it, ducking as I did before. After every attack, it got slower, probably due to injury and fatigue. After the fourth round from the sawed off, it stumbled out into the street with the spear still in it. I reloaded the sawed-off since it was far off. It charged at me out in the open. At this point, I figured this was its last ditch effort. I dual wielded my nail guns and shot it as it jogged toward me. As it was about to come within point blank range, I dropped the nail guns and readied the sawed-off, shooting it in the head and making it fall backwards. It didn't get up this time. One more point blank shot to the head cleared all questions as to whether it was still alive. Now that it was lifeless, I took a closer look at it. To me, it looked too perfect. Don't get me wrong, it was completely hideous, but the body design was beyond what a normal human would look like, as if this thing was crafted to look like this.
     After the fight, I left for the town with the morning clearly upon me. The image of that thing's blown in skull stay in my mind a while after. I left the spear in the beast. It was covered it blood and I don't have the time to properly clean the entire thing. I left that fight without a scratch on me, which I found so hard to comprehend. Maybe that's why I'm so happy.

- Jack's Diary

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