Excerpts From a Journal; Circa 2246

Summer, 2246, 13th Entry

We ran into a town today. From here, it looks like more of the same. It’s likely that they’ve been…... Johnny volunteered to go, I think I’m going to …... I can’t stomach the sight of the bones, picked clean of their flesh, but I need to find Sarah a gift. It has to be close to her birthday. We’re going to camp here for the night, and head into town when…...

Summer, 2246, 15th Entry

Sarah seemed to be happy with the locket that I found her. A small golden heart on a …..golden chain. Heart shaped lockets aren’t….., but given the circumstances, there is some truth behind the thought being what …...

I wish I knew the date, it has to be close to her birthday. Nobody in our group has kept …... Time is a concept that appears to have been lost in the early stages, forfeited to the mayhem. If I were to state the month, the day, the hour, I’d simply be throwing darts blindfolded.

….. really, how a construct that used to be a keystone in holding society together became lost so ….. There is no time now, not beyond the natural clocks of this world. The sun, an approximation of what used to be so accurately measured, the seasons the only way to count the years now.

At least I can tell the year. Two winters have passed since then.

Summer, 2246, 18th Entry

……treacherous howling last night. It sounds like they’re getting…..The group has agreed that we should move. They don’t seem to ……during the day. We maintain our usual plan for moving.

We’ll move quickly during the day, and rest in the evening. If we hear them at night, then we …… slowly and carefully.

Winter, 2246, 20th Entry

It’s been three days since we abandoned our camp near that town. Their screams seem to be getting further away now. We’re hopeful that they’re moving in a different direction.

Zach and Johnny are thinking we keep moving Northwest, into the more remote parts of Washington. I’m inclined to agree. It seems the further we are from what used to be populated areas, the less often we hear them.

We’ve already lost a few……at night. You don’t see them, the cries seem to ….. as they get closer, and then it’s silence until they start …..

Winter, 2246, 26th Entry

…..haven’t heard them in a few days now. We’re assuming that we’re…..in the right direction. A few more days and we’ll stop….

The weather is warming up. I would even…..that we’re into spring now. Sarah’s favorite time of year.

We talked for hours today. She’s an artist at finding the silver lining. Her optimism is……

Spring, 2246, 32nd Entry

We brushed against the outskirts of Lynden today. After some deliberation, the debate on…..head in for supplies was settled by their screams. It’s been silent for over a….. From the sound, their has to be quite a few in the city.

It’s getting dark now, but we’ve decided to move North, away from…..We’re too close to…..here for the night.

Spring, 2246, 34th Entry

We didn’t put enough…..between us and them. The howling stopped when they were…...and we didn’t hear them until it was…..

They…..just before the sun was up. We lost two. Liz and Elliott. It was actually…..outside that I could actually…..them.

Hideous creatures…..looking, almost translucent. I counted six legs. I didn’t……eyes. They have gaping holes in the sides of their heads, the equivalent of ears I suppose. The speed they move with is incredible. Joey got a shot off at one of them, I’m positive it was a direct head shot, but seemed to have no impact.

Spring, 2246, 38th Entry

……

Still quiet since……Liz and Elliott.

According to Zach, we’re still…..Northwest.

Spring, 2246, 40th Entry

We stopped in the…..but I had to wake Sarah. She was having another nightmare, and we couldn’t…..her wailing. It’s been over a week, and we sill hear the faint…..at night. They’re incessant in their stalking.

Sarah and I spent the late evening…..about her nightmare. She…the day it happened.

The Earth opened up…..swallowing cities whole. Initially…..some type of geological event. Then the…..came, and the news of some creatures terrorizing towns and cities barely…..before the world went dark.

Johnny swears they’re intelligent creatures. That’s why they…..major cities first.

Spring, 2246, 42nd Entry

…..North along the 5. We were…..and found a truck that still had fuel. And a service station, we were able to…..and a good amount of fuel.

We’re…..the highway now.

Sarah spent the day making……about there not being any traffic. She looks beautiful, with her hair blowing…..and her smile.

Spring, 2246, 45th Entry

I’ve lost count of how many days it’s been that we’ve been……It’s the same every night. They only seem to be active when the sun goes down.

We still can’t…..them. We’re out of fuel now, and not entirely…..where we are. We spent…..looking for fuel, but we’re back on foot for…..

Spring, 2246, 48th Entry

Everyone is……since it’s been quiet for a few nights now. For the first time in……Sarah and I actually sleep through the night.

Sarah even tells me about her…..when she wakes up. The first good dream she can remember in…..

The group is getting…..and we are in need of some…..

Spring, 2246, 51st Entry

…..determine today that we’re on the Nicomeki River, and likely just South of Cloverdale, which appears to be a pretty large….. Johnny and Liz want to move along the outskirts of the town, and try and make a supply dive.

It’s actually been quiet for a few….., but some of the group has reservations about stopping. It was an argument, but ultimately……

We need food and…..and actually decide to slip into town and find a house to……it’s been raining pretty regularly.

Summer, 2246, 56th Entry

…..our third day of being at Cloverdale, and so far no sign of them. We’re fortunate that the group here has taken…..Andy seems to be the head of the crew…..confident in the warehouse they’ve secured. They’ve been here for weeks without incident.

Sarah is ecstatic, to finally be sleeping inside of a…..The presence of an armed…..team provides everyone with a sense of security, despite how false it may be.

Andy is actually pretty…..of these creatures. He’s aware that they don’t move quickly when the sun is up, but they burrow, and move slowly underground. What he doesn’t know, is how to……

Joey and Andy told us they believe that they were lucky enough to be missed when Cloverdale was initially…..and these abortions have moved on under the assumption there is no more food for them here. I hope he’s right.

Fall, 2246, 72nd Entry

…….bizarre feeling to be calling this place home. There is some concern with the amount of……left in the city. We’re working on a plan now for a…..as a more stable source of food.

Fall, 2246, 81st Entry

…….supply run with Zach, Joey and Johnny today……piano for Sarah. It’s so good to hear……play again. It’s been so long since she’s had that joy.

She must have spent…..playing for everyone.

Fall, 2246, 101st Entry

We’ve been here for months now. Everyone is acclimating well, with routine runs through the city to collect necessities, and a crew in charge of rationing supplies.

Things have been relatively stable. We did lose a member, I believe her name was Fran. She was sick, but it was refreshing to lose someone to natural causes, rather than to them.

We even had a service of sorts for her, and those close to her mourned with some remnants of normalcy.

Fall, 2246, 120th Entry

Everyone was…..last night. They’re here. Those…..caterwauls shattered our new life of opulence. No breeches were made.

For hours they were outside…..sounding close. Andy has spent hours trying to reassure everyone that we’re safe in…..although I’m not sure he’s even managed to convince himself completely.

A group left already, including Zach from our original band. Sarah and I tried to talk him into……but he refused.

Fall, 2246, 125th Entry

…..got in last night. The count was five.

Sarah…..pretty bad on her neck. I can’t believe it didn’t…..

The group has decided to leave the…..

Fall, 2246, 138th Entry

It’s been 14 days since we’ve abandoned the…..

Sarah’s bite is getting worse. She’s feverish, and delirious. I’m afraid she won’t……

When her delirium breaks, I think she knows she’s going…...telling me the same thing. Not to be…..and not to…..

Fall, 2246, 140th Entry

Sarah passed today. She was……her infection. She was coherent at the end. I don’t know how I’ll……

She kept that smile, even as she……weeping ever so slightly as she handed me her locket…….don’t give up.

Fall, 2246, 147th Entry

I’m oblivious to where we are. I haven’t…..just follow the group. They came into camp just before…... We lost 6.

Fall, 2246, 150th Entry

After the last…..they’re are only a handful of us left it seems. I live in a constant state of replaying…..and picturing her last…..

I’m not sure why I…..

Fall, 2246, 152nd Entry

Another attack last night. One of the guys was able to…..with a decorative knife of some sort.

…..unbelievable, we watched it slump lifeless, right there at his feet.

We’ve spent the day speculating what happened. Nobody has ever seen one killed. Why now? After……Joey thought maybe it had to do with…..

I’m wondering if this is why Sarah wasn’t taken. Did it get a taste of the…..when it bit her neck?

Fall, 2246, 154th Entry

It’s obvious……following us still. Andy melted down several rings, and dipped the tips of bullets.

Everyone is……if this will work or not. Some of the group has decided to keep moving away from them. Andy has convinced me and a few others to stay, and try when they……

Winter, 2246, 157th Entry

They attacked last night. Everyone…..when the howling started. Three days and they finally came after us again.

They tried to take Amy, she appears to be injured, but not horribly. Andy was able to hit it with one of the golden dipped bullets. It was successful. The gold must react with something in them.

Winter, 2247, 165th Entry

We have made it back to the city now. A refractory of sorts has been fashioned in the warehouse, where all of the gold that can be found is being melted…….to cover knives and bullets.

I imagined Sarah smiling, as I tossed the locket into the pot, watching it slowly melt away.