Walker Journal

I feel lighter in myself today, no longer weighed down by the prospects of a dull existence here. Today was a better day. It was not without its faults, as most days here.

A few weeks back we noticed an old lumber mill, it seemed quiet. The blades of the mill once turning ferociously are now dormant. The men and women who beat at the machinery, long gone. We were cautious with this one. After the events of the last lumber raid we had learned it was best to return to the mill multiple times to take notes of what resources we could use before attempting to enter. Keeping a safe distance but venturing closer and closer as we became comfortable with the surrounding area.

I still struggle to put into words what had happened. Our team arrived at the last mill just as a hostile wrecking crew pulled up. It was an ambush. They must have known we were due to arrive and tracked our route. The grim firefight saw us spend most of our energy just defending our convoy. Once both sides were depleted an unspoken truce lingered. Both parties withdrew from the mill and headed back to town to tend to their wounded.

Thankfully we suffered no casualties but the hospital bays were full for days as the injured were nursed back to health. It’s rare that this happens, but it’s always an unnerving possibility.

Today’s raid went much smoother. We arrived just before sunrise and gathered as the warm breeze rolled in. Usually a calming moment but this breeze brings with it the ungodly smell of the undead. Coupled with the rising morning heat it leaves a stench permeating through the mill. That is the harsh reality of life in a raiding crew. Even if the dead no longer occupy the areas you scavenge, trapped air and the spring heat make sure to remind us the smell of rotting flesh leaves much to be desired. We’ve taken to bringing masks along, to help us breathe a little easier in the dank recesses of the mills, stores and other structures we’re lucky enough to loot.

The odour of death left behind by a store assistant after the walkers had fed and moved on, trapped and heated in almost atmospheric conditions is enough to turn the stomach of the most brutal amongst us.

This mill was one of the better ones. There’s still more to gather and once the main crew returns it’ll be the job of those guys to clear the remaining materials.

We arrived back at town in time to upgrade our defences, with the lumber being unloaded from our trucks and almost immediately going to work reinforcing our gates. This town runs like clockwork at times, and when it all comes together like this you forget about the time spent worrying about what’s beyond the walls.

We made sure to keep some lumber back to help Maggie repair an old potting shed. It’s the simple pleasure we must hold onto in these times and when she requested we find something she could fashion into a table and some planters, we were more than happy to oblige. You could see the enjoyment filling Samantha as she rushed over to start building a new potting base for the vegetables.

We’ve yet to find any dried ears for the pigs. The only dried ears in this hell are still attached to the heads of the walkers. I don’t know a man or woman in this town that would risk a bite for the sake of a pig. They make do with the leftovers and in return they provide manure for the vegetable garden. The only real worry is how inconsistent our water supply is. In the wet seasons we can gather enough for a town three times the size of ours, but when the rain stops, the blistering heat punches down and the rivers dry up.

We’re lucky to have built a water tower. It started life as old jerry cans that were heated in the forge and beaten into a larger tank. It provides us with enough to get us through the harder times. Once the tower is tapped for the day, the water is taken to the resource block where it’s boiled and filtered, before being handed out to the townspeople.

Gregory spent a few weeks putting the final touches to the tank, after we managed to grab enough oil cans from the military convoys scattered around. Eventually, the time and energy used to build it will be repaid by the fact we can store enough water to send to other towns to trade for anything we could be running low on.

Like I said, clockwork.