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

[Baron]

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!):







Good luck!

[selmiak]

...messages in a bottle, a paragraph, or even just a sentence written out in blood on a wall. ...

classic L4D! The Horror!

[WHAM]

Already writing.

[miguel]

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?

[kconan]

  I'll probably be submitting a humble little entry for this one.

[Fitz]

Ooh, color me interested! The game-related angle gave me a few neat ideas!

[Adeel]

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, I thought I should clarify as to why I won't be entering (after expressing the desire to do so).

[Baron]

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.

[WHAM]

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.

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 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!

[close]

[Adeel]

@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.

[selmiak]

@SELMIAK: That's awesome, but is it your own work?  I need clarification.

L4D = Left 4 Dead

[Baron]

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. 

[Lasca]

WHAM: Loved it!! Great stuff!

[kconan]

Mike Sullivan's Blogalypse
Home of the famous SpotRotShotâ,,¢ Software

Page 15

January 28th, 2016
It'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, 2016
I 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, 2016
A 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, 2016
E-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, 2016
I 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, 2016
I 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, 2016
Ok 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, 2016
Well 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, 2016
Hapy Leap dy.  evryone cm over for fre tinned fod and amo. Wiopewqwsohugnrytyjhjnrslljhk

[Baron]

Nice!  Three entries and an attempt at plagiarism already, and we're only halfway through the contest!   I'm looking forward to at least another three: don't disappoint me, peeps!

[Sinitrena]

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.

[Myinah]

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.

[Baron]

Two more days, folks!  Get those words scribbled up already!

[Dualnames]

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.

[Alberth]

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.