Fortnightly Writing Competition: DIARIES OF THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE (Results)

[Stupot]

My story is boring. I don't know what date it is and I'm not sure if there is anyone left who does (I'm not sure if there is anyone left at all). My guess is mid-to-late November, 2014. Definitely Autumn. The leaves are starting to fall and the beautiful golden red/brown colours of a few weeks ago have started giving way to bare branches. The nights have been cold, not much above freezing, but the past few days have been pleasantly mild.

I'm not sure why I'm telling you this. Maybe someone is keeping a record and can use this description to date this piece. Not that it matters. Sorry, it's just been so long since I wrote anything.

I have been sitting here trying to think how best to tell my tale, but the truth is, I don't have much to tell. Myself and two others, Ippei and Reina Noguchi (rest their souls), well we pretty much hid in this cabin the whole time, unscathed except for a few brushes with other humans after word got out that the Noguchis had a stockpile. A big stockpile.

Not big enough though. They killed themselves as soon as the food ran out, and I felt guilty for allowing them to let me share it. The only reason they took me in was because of my lack of legs. Previous unrelated war injury. Like I said, my story is boring.

Instead I'm going to share with you this diary entry, written on a reel of receipt paper I found in a convenience store further down the mountain. I might not be able to walk, but I can use my arms.

It was written in Japanese. Please forgive any awkwardness or errors in translation.


[Date obscured by blood]

Dear reader,
If you find my diary in Tendo city in Yamagata prefecture, please consider this as an extention to that.  I lost my father there, too. His name is Ichiro Goto. My name is Maiko.

My father and I had been in a hotel in Tendo. Abandoned of course. The vending machine room was on the second floor. And therefore still stocked. People only looted machines on the first floor, it seems. The food was months out of date, but we took it. The cans of drink, we took too. Enough beer, coffee and CC Lemon to last us until Christmas. We chose a room on the top floor. 9th I think. We lasted one night.

The next morning, we heard the monsters coming up the stairs. Loads of them. We had been careless.  I helped father turn the bed on its side and push it against the door. It would have been enough to hold them. They're not really that strong any more. Even in numbers. The truth is most of them are rotting and falling apart as they walk. A lot of decomposition happens in two years. But it only takes one recently-turned monster to do some significant damage.  Father didn't want to wait and see.

We started thinking about how to get out of the hotel alive.  I looked out of the window. A straight drop to the floor.  There was a reason nobody else was up here. We were stupid.

My dad was still thinking. He kicked the wall hard.

"Don't lose your temper now, father." It's just not like him to get flustered.

"I'm not." He kicked the wall again, harder. I realised he was trying to kick through into the next room. I suggested that this plan would just give us the same problem in a different room.  By this point the monsters were already at our room door, scratching. Never mind. We were used to it. Survival was no longer horror to us, it was just a series of puzzles to solve.

"The room next door isn't a normal bedroom," he said. He was good at that. Noticing things that turned out to be important later on. He kicked one more time. And the wall came open in a cloud of plaster and splinters. I pushed him aside and poked my head into the dark hole. Foolishly, in hindsight.

The room was empty though. I climbed in and dad handed me his torch as I began fumbling around.  It was a linen closet.

"Yatta!" My father shouted. He was thinking the same as me. There was more than enough linen here to take us right down to the street.

We spent the next two hours tying the sheets together. When we were sure we had done enough, there was plenty of bedding left over, which we happily threw out of the window. Just in case we needed a soft landing.

The moaning and scratching was quite severe now, though still neither of us were much worried about them breaking the door down.

[obscured by blood]

Dad began to lower me down first. I didn't have to do much, just hang on and try not to bang into the wall too much. It took a while. Father had to stop for a break as his hands were bleeding. So I was left hanging there for 15 minutes before we resumed.

I could see the blood on the sheets now as they came over the window ledge above me. I wondered how father was going to be able to climb down the rope after me with his hands in that state but as soon as I was on the ground he wasted no time in starting his descent.

As he got about a quarter of the way down I had a sudden panic attack.

"My diary! I left my diary in the room!"

My father didn't think twice. That diary was important to both of us. We had documented everything. He started pulling himself up again without complaint.

[obscured by blood]

I have spent the last seven days just walking by day and sleeping in the trees by night. My father and I never talked about where we would meet if we ever got separated. Getting separated was never an option. But I decided to go back to a mountain road we took a few weeks ago. There was this small convenience store. It had been still pretty well stocked, even when we left it behind, so I decided to come back here and hope that dad does too.

I'm at the store now, but there is nothing left.  While I have been writing this, there has been some rustling outside. I just looked out the window and saw the freakiest thing.  One of those monsters, with no legs, just dragging himself towards the shop with his arms. Remember what I said about survival not being all that scary? I guess I was lying. I've never been so scared in my life. I can't do this alone. I'm going to do it. This will be the last thing I write.

Goodbye father.

[obscured by blood]


I found the girl and this note, covered in blood. She had a 12-inch stainless steel skewer all the way up her nose. The blood was warm. I took the note, exited the store and dragged my torso back up the mountain to the cabin.

I took the skewer too.

Edward Ritter.

[Lasca]

Great stuff Stupot+!

[monkey424]

Zombie Time

It is the distant future - the year 2015 - and technology has come a long way. Computer games are now more immersive and interactive than they've ever been. Gamers are now part of the action, transported into amazing digital worlds to shoot Nazis, dinosaurs, or orcs. The humble adventure game also makes an appearance in this new age of gaming.

1:30 pm

A group of plucky adventurers enter the game.

2:45 pm

Bacon: Alright gang. Is everyone ok? Who are we missing?

Igor: I'm here.

Bacon: Yes, thank you Igor. What about the others?

Ratty: I think Mike and Tumbleweed were following me, but they don't seem to be here now.

Adeel: I'm here. But I wish I wasn't.

Bacon: Hang in there Adeel. I guess most of us are here then. Apart from Mike and Tumbleweed. And Chuck who... well, we all saw what happened to poor Chuck. Nasty stuff!

Adeel: I'm not having fun.

Ratty:  I agree. What kind of adventure game is this?

Bacon: I don't think this is an adventure game per se. There must have been some sort of mix up and we've wound up in the wrong game.

Igor: Oh, that old chestnut.

Adeel: What if it's not a game? What if it's real? Oh man! I don't want to be eaten by a zombie! What an embarrassing way to go!

Bacon: Yes I know, it's cliché. But we just need to make like a stone and roll with it.

Ratty: What's that limping towards us?

Adeel: Oh my god! It's Chuck! He's alive! Sort of.

Ratty: What happened to his face? Half his face is missing! And his arm!

Adeel: Chuck's a zombie!

Igor: Thank you, Captain Obvious.

Bacon: Alright gang. Chuck the zombie is now approaching us very slowly. Can anyone think of a way to destroy him?

Ratty: I have some superglue and a box of matches.

Igor: My inventory is empty.

Adeel: You idiots! We need a gun! Does anyone have a gun?

Ratty: No. But shouldn't guns be standard inventory with these sort of games?

Igor: What about this box of grenades here?

Adeel: Grenades? Where? Give it to me!

Bacon: There's enough for everyone.

Adeel: Screw you guys! I'm taking this box of grenades for myself. Ha! Ha!

Ratty: Wait Adeel, come back!

Igor: He's gone.

Bacon: Alright gang. I guess we'll have to nut this one out ourselves. Come on guys, think! What can we do with superglue and matches? Guys? Hey! Where are you going? You cowards!

Chuck: Uggghhh!!

Bacon: Eepp! Hello Chuck... Aahhhh!!!

[Durinde]

Night descended on the city.

As the sun fell in the west, the skyline began to turn into a silhouette of blocky, man-made mountains. Scattered points of light came to from those lucky enough to have a way to generate electricity. Then, the crackling of radios.


"Goooood evening New Zed City!", the tenor voice boomed over airwaves. "We've survived another day here a NZRadio and we are glad you have as well! I'm Chainsaw Charlie and it is twilight, which means it is time for another show. Coming up a little bit later, we will have Shotgun Sam in the studio with tips on how to get those pesky relatives out of your closet or basement using a broom, some nails, and the door to a washing machine.

Have you drained too much of your batteries by listening to our broadcast? We will also have tips on building your own "Zombie-powered charging station" using a lump of flesh, some string, and a semi-mobile deadhead. First off though, this long-distance dedication came to us from Beth by way of drone.

It reads:

Dear Charlie, when the outbreak hit, I lost touch with my boyfriend. He and I shared some very special times. Whenever I was down, he would make me smile. I don't know if he is alive, or even if I will ever see him again. I managed to build this drone out of pieces of a lawnmower, blueprints that I found scavenging in an electronics store, and some bathtub moonshine for fuel. I use this drone to search for him every day and I'm frightened that I will see his face in the horde. Charlie, I would like you to play 'Last Kiss' by Pearl Jam and dedicate it to Stephen. I miss him very much.

Beth, here is "Last Kiss" just for you and Stephen. I hope you two find each other."

Oh where, oh where can my baby be..................

[Baron]

Wow!  I think we might have pulled something trying to break the record for the most entries in a single fortnight.  Good work team!

Our participants, in order of submission, are:

Miguel: November 3, 2055
WHAM: #Apocalypse
kconan: Mike Sullivan's Blogalypse
Sinitrena: Tuesday, 10 November, 2015
Myinah: Goodbye
Dualnames: Watchmen Of The Apocalypse
Alberth: Chapter 1, Goodbye Earth
Stupot+: Obscured by Blood
monkey424: Zombie Time
Durinde: New Zed City

I kinda had to improvise on some of those titles....

Anyhow, the voting criteria, as promised:

Best Character: You find one or several characters really believable/captivating/magnetic/unique, etc.
Best Atmosphere: Did the story evoke strong feelings due to excitement/humour/intrigue/wonder/emotional intensity?
Best Word Choice/Style: The technical art of combining words in clever or gripping ways
Best Creativity in terms of Survival Tactics: Was it the opposite of predictable and boring?
Most Efficient Story: The best story per word used, or saying so much without saying much at all
Best Scenario: Most entertaining combination of zombie type, setting and personalities involved.

You may vote up to 3 times per category, but are under no obligation to do so.  Voting will close sometime between the 19th and 20th of November, and I will tabulate the votes on the evening of the 20th when I get home.

Good luck everyone, and happy unblinking reading!

[WHAM]

Best Character: Stupot+
Best Atmosphere: Stupot+
Best Word Choice/Style: Stupot+, monkey424
Best Creativity in terms of Survival Tactics: kconan, Alberth
Most Efficient Story: Myinag, Dualnames, Durinde
Best Scenario: Durinde, monkey424, Alberth

[Durinde]

Best Character: Stupot+
Best Atmosphere: WHAM
Best Word Choice/Style: WHAM/Stupot+
Creativity: monkey424
Efficient Story: Mynah
Best Scenario: WHAM

Had fun reading everybody's work. Look forward to the next round.

[kconan]

Best Character: Stupot+
Best Atmosphere: Stupot+
Best Word Choice/Style: WHAM
Best Creativity in terms of Survival Tactics: Alberth
Best Story Efficiency: Myinah and monkey424
Best Scenario: Stupot+ and Alberth

[Ponch]

Great job, everyone. Lots of good reads this time!

Best Character: Stupot
Best Atmosphere: Stupot
Best Word Choice/Style: WHAM
Best Creativity in terms of Survival Tactics: kconan, miguel
Most Efficient Story: Dualnames
Best Scenario: Alberth

[monkey424]

Best Character: Stupot
Best Atmosphere: Miguel
Best Word Choice/Style: WHAM
Best Creativity in terms of Survival Tactics: Miguel - who needs fancy pants technology when you have a long prodding stick? 
Most Efficient Story: Myinah
Best Scenario: Stupot

[Baron]

I'm counting the votes in approximately 24 hours, so lets get some more opinions on the table!

[Ponch]

Best Creativity in terms of Survival Tactics: Miguel - who needs fancy pants technology when you have a long prodding stick? 

Ha! Good point! I hadn't thought of it like that. I have to change my vote now!

[Sinitrena]

Best Character: Stupot+
Best Atmosphere: WHAM, Myinah
Best Word Choice/Style: WHAM, Durinde
Best Creativity in terms of Survival Tactics: kconan, Durinde (Coming up a little bit later, we will have Shotgun Sam in the studio with tips on how to get those pesky relatives out of your closet or basement using a broom, some nails, and the door to a washing machine. - I'd have loved to actually see that.)
Most Efficient Story: Miguel, Stupot+
Best Scenario: Stupot+

[Stupot]

Best Character: Kconan
Best Atmosphere: WHAM
Best Word Choice/Style: WHAM
Best Creativity in terms of Survival Tactics: Miguel
Most Efficient Story: Myinah
Best Scenario: Durinde

[Baron]

Bravo, bravo!

Wow, those were some great reads!  I can't help but marvel at the variety of creative directions in which you took the concept.  Very entertaining, and also often thought provoking.  I liked the candid self-interest of Miguel's main character's thoughts, and how WHAM was able to tell a complete story with so many holes left in it.  I giggled childishly at kconan's post-apocalyptic entrepreneur, and admired Sinitrena's [character's] no nonsense practicality.  Myinah's tale was very thought provoking: as gamers we assume there is always a way to move on, but her story was the functional equivalent of a walking-dead (in terms of poor game design, not the television program ).  Likewise, Dualnames left me thinking if I was a zombie: who are the real monsters here, anyway?  Alberth's piece was for me very realistic, the sci-fi aspects aside.  Once the moment of "escape" was achieved life does not suddenly become all fairies and rainbows, but instead it's the little nitty gritty aspects of daily life that take over again.  For me Stupot+'s story was a very vivid picture of what the zombie apocalypse would look like on the ground, and I think a majority of the voters responded to the emotionally stirring detail of his piece.  I'm still puzzling over whether there was a hidden message in Monkey424's piece about his fellow forum members, but I got a chuckle out of the fast-paced dialogue nonetheless.   And finally I liked the manic energy of combining wildly random inventory items into useful inventions in Durinde's short yet sadly sweet tale.  I couldn't help but think of Roger Wilco stumbling around post-apocalyptic Xenon for some reason.  Anyway, with so many participants we can finally make a proper circle and pat each other on the back: excellent work everyone!

But, alas, the hardware can only go to a select few, so here are my tabulations:

The golden zombie goes to Stupot+ with an incredible 15 votes!  The only person to snub him in the Best Character category was Stupot+ himself, a clear sign of unanimous acclaim for your tenacious torso character.  Cheers to you sir!

  The silver zombie goes to WHAM, that ever crafty wordsmith.  As Stupot+ dominated the Best Character category, so did WHAM dominate the stylistic category.  Maybe Stupot+ should come up with the characters and WHAM animate them with his skilful turn of phrase to create an unstoppable franken-story?  We should be so lucky to read such a creation.  In the mean time, enjoy your hardware WHAM!

  And finally, let's not forget the runner up to the runner up (or zombie food, in post-apocalyptic parlance).  You know I kid because I love!   By my calculations this award goes to Myinah for her optionless giver-upper stuck in the basement.  Where Stupot+ and WHAM dominated the character and stylistic categories, Myinah had a very strong showing in the efficiency category.  Which just goes to prove that sometimes less really is more: you gotta let the reader's imagination tell the story, not a bunch of symbols you assemble on a page.  ...Except if you're a writing contest administrator: then you gotta lay all your cards on the table and discuss them ad nauseam.  Where was I going with this, anyway?  Oh yeah!  Congratulations Myinah!

So that brings us to the end of another round of the FWC.  I hereby pass the tasselled baton of contest administration over to the competent hands of Stupot+, be his to hold it high.  And twirl it around some, preferably from the top of a comically unstable human pyramid.  But again I digress!  I hope to see you all out again for the next exciting instalment of....

The Fortnightly Writing Challenge! 

[Stupot]

Damn. Thanks for the votes, people. I'll think of a new theme in the next day or so :-)

My personal favourite was WHAM's Twitter Feed. It would be cool to actually keep an actual zombie apocalypse Twitter feed as some kind of fictional Alternate Reality project. Like a real-time log of what would happen if the shit hit the fan. Maybe more and more people could create these zombie accounts and treat it like some kind of massive role playing game. That would be awesome.

[WHAM]

Congrats Stupot+, and thanks for the votes everyone!
Looking forward to the next one, I have a writey feel right now.

[Myinah]

I'll keep this short as that's what I'm known for now.

Thanks!