Diaries of the Zombie Apocalypse
Hey there aspiring writers! This biweek's theme is something I was considering for a writing blitz in the last few days of October, but even though Hallowe'en is past I still think it will be fun. Your challenge is this: provide glimpses of how the zombie apocalypse would play out if adventure game players were the main survivors. Sure, have the first-person shooter addicts in there if you must, but I'm not looking for a play-by-play of who shot whom: it'd be much more interesting to see how a thinking person would go about evading or surviving in close proximity to an army of famished undead. True to the nature of written material during an apocalyptic event, I want you to keep it short, even incomplete and maybe even chaotically disorganized. Would anyone really know what was going on? Would events on the ground really make sense to those who were living them? So I'm looking for brief vignettes, log entries, messages in a bottle, a paragraph, or even just a sentence written out in blood on a wall. The challenge is to say as much as you can in the briefest of stories. (...But, I'm not going to set a word limit, so if you really want to crank out a novel knock yourself out ;) )
A note on zombies: any reanimated or permanently mentally altered semi-cannibalistic human will do for me: don't think you have to conform to any kind of pre-defined zombie criteria. As long as they are relatively dumb and hungry for people, I'm good. So they could be the traditional risen dead, or just infected with some sort of mood-altering plague, or victims of some parasitical alien brain slug species, etc. Be creative!
Voting will be based on best character, atmosphere, word-style, creativity of survival tactics, efficiency (best story per word used), and best scenario (entertaining combination of zombie type, setting and personalities involved). The contest closes on November 15th, 11:59pm Hawaiian time, and voting will commence the next day.
Here's some visual ideas to get your brain fluids flowing (and thereby make your brains tastier for zombies!):
(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/10/30/article-2480066-1915BEC900000578-436_964x573.jpg)
(http://www.dumpaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/how-to-survive-the-zombie-apocalypse1.jpg)
(http://geekqueenblog.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/62400_173341819481392_1539919330_n.jpg?w=683)
Good luck!
Quote from: Baron on Mon 03/11/2014 01:29:39
...messages in a bottle, a paragraph, or even just a sentence written out in blood on a wall. ...
classic L4D! The Horror!
(http://i.imgur.com/3HBBIrd.jpg)
Already writing. :)
November 3, 2055,
I can't believe this is really happening! I'm sitting at the top of this slope, grabbing 15 gallons of water in one arm and a shotgun in the other. Under me are provisions for what I hope 2 months. I'm not alone, there should be around 3 dozen people close by. I know all of them. And, of course, my wife and my son are right here next to me.
Down there it's a pathetic apocalyptic scenario: hundreds of people, drooling white rage-like saliva, slowly walking towards this crematory buildings made by the army guys. The soldiers direct the infected people with long rods, it's dead easy, they push on one side and they'll quietly obey. In silence. They just don't care or even know they're about to die.
It all started on the Halloween day early in the morning: the news started covering some weird events happening on the southern coastal towns. People that ate fresh seafood were infected by a virus. Feeling sick and queuing at the hospitals for treatment, the first hours were pretty similar to a bad flu but 6 to 8 hours later the patients would loose their conscience, sanity and humanity. Zombies. Everybody that was near them got infected as well.
That first day was like the end of the world, it looked like everybody was turning and we would be next pretty soon! The TV said, by the end of the day, that 60,000 people were already infected and people in the surrounding towns were told to evacuate and move north.
The government soon discovered that the incubation time for the virus was fatal to healthy people but after they turn the virus would no longer spread. A contamination area was delimited and the military quickly contained the virus.
They also begun to dispose of the infected, non-treatable(???) people.
I don't know what to feel as I watch these people being killed. Some people said they bite, but I didn't see it not even once. Yesterday I went on to buy food and walked right in the middle of them, like they didn't noticed me. The police were leading them through the main street like sheep, some cop was loosing it and killed one of the zombies with his stick. The other infected didn't even notice. So, I guess they're peaceful, right? Shouldn't doctors or scientists try to heal them? Study them?
I don't know, all I care is that I'm safe and my family as well and that soon they'll all be gone. Right?
I'll probably be submitting a humble little entry for this one.
Ooh, color me interested! The game-related angle gave me a few neat ideas!
I'm sorry but I won't be participating in this one. Why? Because I'm too tired for themes such as this one. These themes are so popular now-a-days (without taking Halloween into account) that I've started to dislike them. Strongly. Literally every game, every movie, every story nowadays you stumble upon is now full to the brim with the same old "zombie" and "apocalypse" crap.
I'm sorry if this offends anyone. After my last post, (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=51065.msg636499465#msg636499465) I thought I should clarify as to why I won't be entering (after expressing the desire to do so).
Quote from: Adeel S. Ahmed on Mon 03/11/2014 23:49:01
Literally every game, every movie, every story nowadays you stumble upon is now full to the brim with the same old "zombie" and "apocalypse" crap.
@ADEEL: I must have missed your entries in the last five non-zombie related topics.... ;)
But seriously, almost all the voting criteria reward putting a creative spin on the genre. I would agree with you that same old = garbage. I challenge
you to gussy the old girl up a bit and see if we can't rekindle some of that old romance. :-*
@SELMIAK: That's awesome, but is it your own work? I need clarification.
Story below. I hid it because it takes up a bunch of space due to formatting.
I present to you: the twitter feed of the dead!
Spoiler
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 5 December 2014
Flying to #Finland to meet with my buddies from the guild. I hear it's cold as hell up there, tho. #HelsinkiPolarBears #Justkidding
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 5 December 2014
At the airport now. @MikaAlamaja666 WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU, MAN!?
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 5 December 2014
Not a single taxi in sight and the bus timetables are in finnish. #FML
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 5 December 2014
I'm so fucking lost
@frankwhite88z retweeted
Mika Alamaja @MikaAlamaja666 · 5 December 2014
Fuck! Overslept and my buddy is stuck at the airport. WHERE ARE MY PANTS!? #FML
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 6 December 2014
Well past midnight, but @MikaAlamaja666 picked me up. At his place now. Goddammit Finland is cold in December. Like -15C! #Frozen
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 6 December 2014
That was probably not the right hashtag. :D
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 6 December 2014
Apparently today is the Finnish independence day. Fireworks, celebration and booze for me, please.
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 6 December 2014
im so drunk rite now :D FINALNDIA VODKA FTW!
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 6 December 2014
Thosse are awesome firewroks
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 6 December 2014
Those are not fireworks
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 6 December 2014
I just saw a police officer shoot a woman in the street! #WTF
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 6 December 2014
WHAAT THE FCUK!?
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 9 December 2014
Found a phone charger. Status report: Alive and alone. Freezing cold. Dead everywhere. Send help.
@frankwhite88z retweeted
Reuters @Reuters · 9 December 2014
Europe and Asia swept by unknown disease, mistakenly identified as Ebola during first stages. Experts baffled as death toll rises.
@frankwhite88z retweeted
Reuters @Reuters · 9 December 2014
European union declares continent-wide state of emergency, as top politicians evacuate to US via emergency airlift.
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 9 December 2014
I tried to read some Finnish news, but can't understand a word. Seriously I need help.
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 9 December 2014
Holed up in a shopping mall with some locals. None of them speak english. #FML
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 9 December 2014
We are stockpiling food. The skinny guy with the fur hat and camo clothes has a gun. I called him Sergei and he got really angry.
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 9 December 2014
@Steve1991W Thanks for the info, I'll keep my racist remarks as my own from now on. Jesus.
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 9 December 2014
@SammyD831 sent me some translated news. Apparently the cold weather slows down the walking dead. Lucky me.
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 10 December 2014
We carried off anything we could and moved to this house.Less dead here but we lost two people on the way.Just me and two others left
christian Johnston @Whamthemammoth · 10 December 2014
@frankwhite88z Stay at home moms makes around $5500 in one month work from home jobs. read it now at http://goo.gl/aHvoJ?cat
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 10 December 2014
Big guy is building traps and the girl is organizing the food stocks. Neither speaks any english, believe me, I tried.
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 10 December 2014
We opened up the basement. Big guy now has a shotgun.
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 10 December 2014
Found an axe and some other tools in the shed outside. Can't see the dead but can hear them.
@frankwhite88z retweeted
Kevin Colby @Colby2157 · 10 December 2014
The dead cannot freeze to death, so be wary of snow. Lost a friend to one that was sorta hiding in some ice.
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 10 December 2014
Helped the big guy barricade most of the windows on the bottom floor.
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 10 December 2014
Apparently the big guy is an electrician and is rigging up some sort of fence that's connected to the power line.
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 10 December 2014
SHIT! Big guy is dead! Fuck!
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 10 December 2014
Yeah, he's not breathing and he smells burnt. Hell of a way to go.
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 10 December 2014
Can't find the girl. Shit!
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 18 hours ago
Okay, I'm alone again, save for the big guy, who is walking around outside. Wish I had the gun.
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 18 hours ago
NO! I am not retweeting your fucking forever alone -face! Fuck you!
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 18 hours ago
Holy shit the big guy just crashed through the back door he's in the kitchen now
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 18 hours ago
hiding in the basement now
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 17 hours ago
I AM THE FUCKING EINSTEIN!
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 17 hours ago
Okay, okay! The big guy was in the kitchen and covered in snow. The snow melted and pooled. 1/2
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 18 hours ago
2/2 I managed to trick him to walk over the basement trapdoor and caught him in a wire then passed the wire through teh fusebox.
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 18 hours ago
3/3 He's fucking cooked! http://goo.gl/g44jFX #Purewin
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 18 hours ago
It has occurred to me that I might have blown every fuse in the house. No idea where to find more.
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 16 hours ago
Just saw a helicopter fly overhead, I have an idea.
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 15 hours ago
Googling how to make a signal flare, where the hell do I find potassium nitrate!?
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 15 hours ago
Seriously fucking cold now, need to make a fire.
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 15 hours ago
EVERYTHING IS WET! There's snow pouring in through the broken windows. HALP!
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 14 hours ago
I have now set the sofa on fire. http://goo.gl/82C98O
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 13 hours ago
I'm outta here!
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 13 hours ago
Stole some clothes off a dead guy. Does that make me a grave robber?
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 12 hours ago
Another helicopter. It circled around the burning house for a bit but then took off. Didn't spot me.
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 11 hours ago
Getting really fucking dark in here.
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 9 hours ago
The fire is going out on it's own. I think I dozed off for a bit, been a hell of a day. Still no sign of the girl.
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 7 hours ago
Winter night in Finland is LONG and DARK! I can barely see anything even with my phone's camera light on.
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 7 hours ago
Looks like the fire or the light or the chopper or something has lured the dead here. There's at least a hundred!
Frank White @frankwhite88z · 7 hours ago
Low battery warning on the phone. #FML
Kevin Colby @Colby2157 · 6 hours ago
#RIP @frankwhite88z
Conroy White @cwhiteyzzzxxxzzz · 4 hours ago
@frankwhite88z Not funny man! Let us know you're ok!
Quote from: Baron on Tue 04/11/2014 02:23:06
@ADEEL: I must have missed your entries in the last five non-zombie related topics.... ;)
But seriously, almost all the voting criteria reward putting a creative spin on the genre. I would agree with you that same old = garbage. I challenge you to gussy the old girl up a bit and see if we can't rekindle some of that old romance. :-*
Thank you for your love, encouragement and interest, Baron. Sadly, I'm found myself quite demotivated these days and I can't help but to think that I can't do anything at all. I'm sorry but I cannot enter.
Quote from: Baron on Tue 04/11/2014 02:23:06
@SELMIAK: That's awesome, but is it your own work? I need clarification.
L4D = Left 4 Dead ;)
Quote from: selmiak on Tue 04/11/2014 20:51:40
L4D = Left 4 Dead ;)
So one of the "weapons" isn't a magic marker with which you can artfully defend yourself when you run out of ammo? Consider me disappointed. :P
WHAM: Loved it!! Great stuff!
(http://www.boltactiongame.com/Banner.png)
(http://www.boltactiongame.com/ZombLeft.png)Mike Sullivan's Blogalypse(http://www.boltactiongame.com/ZombRight.png)
Home of the famous SpotRotShotâ,,¢ Software
Page 15January 28th, 2016It's both windy and sunny today. This is awesome, because as the loyal Blogalypse readers know, a wind turbine and solar panel array supply power to my PC, heating/air, fridge, and microwave. At last inventory count, my canned food and MRE stocks should last for 3-years depending on my rationing discipline. With 10,000 rounds of .50 caliber ammo for my Barrett rifle and Desert Eagle I'm ready for a small rotter army.
January 29th, 2016I love watching my SpotRotShotâ,,¢ code in-action. For my late joining readership I'll recap…So on my PC with an attached 4D camera, the facial recognition system detects a rotter, and then the thermal imaging system determines if there is no heat signature. If none is found, then I hear servo motors whizzing /whirring as the Barrett M82A2 .50 caliber rifle is positioned based on distance (AKA bullet drop) and wind resistance. Usually there is nothing left of the head. The sole malfunction came when a large rotter was wearing a size xxxxxxl (or something) t-shirt with a giant Richard Nixon face on it. Speaking of shirts, occasionally rotters will show up wearing messages scrawled on them from their formerly living owners. Some are deep thoughts, others are messages to family, and my favorites are the jokes such as one shirt that had “SHOOT HERE!†scribbled on complete with an arrow pointing up to its head.
Anyway…Tricky Dick took a round to the noggin, which split the rotter in half. The top half crawled around until it propped itself up on a rock and my SpotRotShotâ,,¢ software demolished its real face in less than a second. Yep, my software spots rots and then splots! All you need is a decently specced out PC, any 4D camera, a Jensen motorized base mount complete with weather station attachment and cabling, and any (Version 2.1 supports any caliber!) caliber rifle. For those of you that still have Internet and the ability to deliver edible foodstuffs, ammo and/or a companion (don't worry ladies, I'm harmless) to me, this software is a MUST HAVE. I'd give it away, but my dead wife won't let me!
February 3rd, 2016A small word of advice for those customers who send a courier out here to deliver trade payment…Please tell them not to wear heat shielded body armor AND a heat shielded helmet, as my SpotRotShotâ,,¢ software needs to be able to clearly detect heat signatures. There was a minor mishap today, but no problem as EVERYTHING IS A-OK Blogalypseaholics!
February 5th, 2016E-mail me with the coupon code HOTSHOTMIKE today and receive 20 percent trade value off SpotRotShotâ,,¢ â€" BUT WAIT THERE IS MORE - plus the SpotHumanShotâ,,¢ addon free, which is helpful for those of you in the wild contested regions. Also...Sorry for disabling the comments section, but after DiarrheaGobbler69 made that momma joke I felt that the spirit of the whole thing was tainted.
February 9th, 2016I just want to reassure my loyal customers that the inferior knockoff of my SpotRotShotâ,,¢ software is called “SpotRotSplot†and is in NO WAY affiliated with me or my product. Rumor has it that there are serious bugs in the software that can result in human (as in non-rotter!) deaths. My longtime fans from the beta days will recall that since version 0.95, no good
* humans have ever been harmed by my product.
*The version 0.96 incident involved bad guy humans.February 10th, 2016I was sorting through my many customer testimonials looking for some blurbs when I noticed that someone has destroyed my primary solar panel while I was sleeping. I know some of you think I should just give this software away for nothing, but that doesn't give you the right to sabot-
February 20th, 2016Ok the power is back online. The solar panel is gone, but the slight gusts are enough for trickle power from the turbine. Because of the vandals that lurk around in the shadows, I had to actually break out my Desert Eagle for the first time in three months. If I catch you saboteurs in the act, I will put giant fifty caliber holes in your h-
February 28th, 2016Well I've been bitten after thirty rotters busted in to my fortification. I assume the dirty saboteurs who ruined my solar cells and crippled my defenses were freeloading software pirate types who wanted my source code and would stoop so low as to indirectly murder me to get at it. Anyway, the source code has been uploaded to an old buddy at SourceForge (yes, they are still up). I also gave him evidence that will hopefully lead to the capturing of whoever did this. Sadly, I won't be around for revenge. So this brings me to announcement…SpotRotShot is now public domain freeware. And for doing this, with the virus currently pulsating through my veins, I submit my one request to you loyal readers/customers: Bring the saboteurs to justice.
February 29th, 2016Hapy Leap dy. evryone cm over for fre tinned fod and amo. Wiopewqwsohugnrytyjhjnrslljhk
(http://www.boltactiongame.com/Banner.png)
Nice! Three entries and an attempt at plagiarism already, and we're only halfway through the contest! ;-D I'm looking forward to at least another three: don't disappoint me, peeps!
Quote from: Adeel S. Ahmed on Mon 03/11/2014 23:49:01
I'm sorry but I won't be participating in this one. Why? Because I'm too tired for themes such as this one. These themes are so popular now-a-days (without taking Halloween into account) that I've started to dislike them. Strongly. Literally every game, every movie, every story nowadays you stumble upon is now full to the brim with the same old "zombie" and "apocalypse" crap.
I completly agree with Adeel here. I'm sooo tired of all things zommbie.
I still wrote a story, off course. For me, an important part of this competition is writing things I usually wouldn't write. But somehow I think my opinion of zombies creeped into my story :-[
------------------------------
Tuesday, 10. November 2015
The world ended on a Tuesday. It ended in blood and carnage, in terror, pain and hunger. Hunger being the main point here, off course. I mean, how much blood did you actually expect? How many victims? How many fights and murders and shots fired? Yeah, yeah, I know, the news said... Blah, blah, blah. I grant you the panic and the blood involved there, the people trampled to death, the riots and looting â€" but that had very little to do with the actual disease, right?
Come on, how dangerous can a disease be that is only â€" only! - transmitted by biting? Saliva to blood â€" not airborne, no other bodily fluids. Incubation period about two hours; moment victim becomes contagious and first show of symptoms happen at the same time. Really, this is not difficult to contain. Especially when you consider that they need the same amount of food as healthy people but the only thing that's nutritious for them is human flesh.
Well, I'm all for healing and stuff but there's not that much time when you don't condone cannibalism. So off course it ended in hunger and starvation. Not much of an apocalypse, right? To be perfectly honest, I don't know why I even wrote this. It's not even worth a footnote in history books to come.
For the Zombies, the world ended with very little fuss on a Tuesday.
I don't mind a bit of a zombie challenge as I rarely write anything relating to the horror genre. Never entered one of these before either but decided to give it a bash :)
Goodbye
The batteries in the radio are almost dead. When they finally give out the crackling white noise of empty airwaves will be replaced with dull thuds and nails against wood, gnashing teeth and raspy groans. I'm not sure if I can stand it. I know it's over but I am struggling to extinguish the flickering hope that I might find a way out.
I don't mean to romanticise, I mean there isn't anyone left here to make it worthwhile. I guess I'm writing this out for myself in the hope that maybe one day someone might read it and somehow this won't have all been in vain.
Right now all I have left is a shotgun and a single bullet. I am desperate to MacGyver my way out of this but whenever I try to think of an alternative a voice inside tells me no. What is the point of shooting the window? Why would I put a bullet in the cassette deck of the radio? What the hell am I thinking?! Shutting it and throwing it into the horde won't miraculously turn it into a powerful bomb! I'm just clutching at straws to do anything! Anything but... "that".
It hurts to know that I can't fight this anymore. I'm so angry I failed, but I have to make my peace with it now.
If you do find this note please don't try to unlock the basement. I can't promise I was brave enough to pull the trigger. Just know I spent my final hours thinking of my loved ones, and if my sister is out there and is still searching for me let her know that I only made it as far as I did searching for her too.
I love you Sarah.
Two more days, folks! Get those words scribbled up already! ;-D ;-D ;-D
Watchmen Of The Apocalypse:
OCTOBER 16, 1985
The city is falling apart, skulls broken in two, limbs scattered along the sidewalk, stench of blood filling my lungs. I've given up hope on humanity, but that was a long time ago. Nothing changed. Still brainless. Still doing as they're told. Still aimlessly polluting this city, caring only about themselves. Found a leaflet today. Torn up. Dirty. It promised of a future without a body. Without a brain would be more fitting. Bunch of liars. Phonies. Tomorrow, I have to get to the cemetery. Not to pays due to someone. To put them back in.
Chapter 1, Goodbye Earth
"7"
"6"
A bright flash of light as the engines come to life, this is it, we're really going!!
"5"
"4"
The roar of the mighty engines is deafening now, thinking is impossible.
People around clamp their seats, everything is shaking....
"3"
"2"
"1"
"GO!"
The vibration of clamps releasing us can be felt through the ship. I am pushed
into my seat. Asif in slow motion, we slowly start moving, heading for space,
the only way out of this mess. Hopefully the disease didn't jump on board.
There are so many people here. A sign next to the door says "Crew: 5,
Passengers: 37". 60 seems a much better estimate. Everybody looks tired and
dirty. Men, women, even the children have fear on their face.
---------------
As the engines become monotonous background noise, people seem to be relaxing
a bit, most just lie there, with their eyes closed, starting to realize they
have left Earth. I feel tired too, finally a place where it's relatively safe
to close your eyes. Must rest now...
---------------
Later that evening, the captain displays Earth at the video screen, it looks
so small, in a dark void of nothing. It's night at 'our' side too, you can see
the shape of the continent by the lights from the streets and houses. I never
knew it would be so clear.
---------------
The next days, people settle within the limited space they have. Food and
water is rationed, but at least it's warm, the food is cooked, and the water
is fresh and clean. A daily routine is being established. People exchange
their life stories, and I tell them mine. Born in a little town, parents
divorced, university. Always been interested in space and beyond. When the
disease broke out, and it became clear it was totally out of control with the
military throwing nukes, I knew I had to get off earth. Preparing the car,
barricading the windows, and nothing happening while getting to the launcher.
The chaos with all the other people wanting to go too, the horror of people
getting run over. The mass hysteria when the security guards opened fire to
defend the launch site. And here I am.
---------------
I have a hard time sleeping, watching Earth getting smaller at the video. It's
also getting darker, most lights are out at night now. Probably Earth has been
run over entirely, or its surface is now deadly by itself due to the
radiation.
---------------
I don't know how long ago we have left Earth. It seems like weeks, but it can
easily be months. So far, the disease has not shown itself on the ship, so we
may have truly escaped from it. On the other hand, it's hard to live in such a
small area with so many people. No privacy at all. An attempt to steal my bags
has happened twice already, on one occasion I managed to prevent it, on the
other occasion, I lost one bag, but luckily it contained only some money and
cloths. I have hidden the photographs of my parents on my skin now, so I won't
loose them.
---------------
Apparently we are too far away from Earth to see it any more. We haven't heard
any radio message from Earth either since a long time. There is clearly no
hope to go back. Today, Mars, our destination, has told us we are not welcome,
landing will not be allowed. It caused lots of heated discussions around the
ship, some want to go there anyway, and just land. Others suggest to land
outside the NewMars city, and go there by foot, a clearly useless suggestion,
as there are no 86 space suits in the ship. We could also go to Jupiter, which
has a small settlement, and which needs new blood to make the colony
sustainable.
We await the captains decision.
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.
Great stuff Stupot+!
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!!!
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..................
Wow! I think we might have pulled something trying to break the record for the most entries in a single fortnight. Good work team! ;-D
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.... (roll)
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! ;-D
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
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.
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
Great job, everyone. Lots of good reads this time! :cheesy:
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
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
I'm counting the votes in approximately 24 hours, so lets get some more opinions on the table! (nod)
Quote from: monkey424 on Wed 19/11/2014 09:54:27
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! :wink:
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+
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
Bravo, bravo! ;-D
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 :P). 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! ;-D
But, alas, the hardware can only go to a select few, so here are my tabulations:
(http://www.vanwijst.com/games/Published/zombie_gold.png) 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!
(http://www.vanwijst.com/games/Published/zombie_silver.png) 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!
(http://www.vanwijst.com/games/Published/zombie_bronze.png) 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! ;-D
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!
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.
Congrats Stupot+, and thanks for the votes everyone! :)
Looking forward to the next one, I have a writey feel right now.
I'll keep this short as that's what I'm known for now.
Thanks!