From the journal of Carol Evan, April 3

This journal was brought to me by the writer, Carol Evans, from Newport, Oregon. She had owned a music store and spent her time off hiking and camping in the forests of her home state. She had learned how to live off the land and used her knowledge to make her way to Colorado.

April 3, 2017

 

    I have been hiking for weeks now. I am not 100% sure if I am right about what the date is anymore. All I know is I walk when the sun is up and I sleep when the sun is down. I have not seen many of the undead since I got past Las Vegas. Looking back, I know it was a major mistake to even get as close as I did to that city. Before this pandemic, it was considered party central and the undead had continued with the tradition after they were dead.

     I am lucky to have found out my error while on the very outskirts of the city. I think that the undead from the Strip had started to look for other food sources and had started to move into the rest of the city. I had just stepped into a suburb neighborhood when a group of at least 10 shuffled around the corner. I dived into the nearest house and closed the door as quietly as I could, hoping I had not been seen. I looked out the living room window and saw that they had not seen me. 

     I stayed there for the rest of the day and once the horde had wandered off, I searched through all of the houses near my hiding place. I could only take the best of what I had found, since I had been on foot since my car had run out of gas. It was easier in some ways, I no longer had to move the cars out of my way with my car. But it was harder because there was less to protect me when I ran into undead while traveling. 

     I had gotten very good at disappearing fast enough to avoid being seen. This was not a skill I had before the world ended. I was a good musician and an OK music store owner. I was skilled at being in nature and loved being out in the forest by myself. 

     This new world is teaching me things I never thought I would need. I have gotten really fast on my feet, even with my backpack on my back. I have gotten quieter on my feet and am stronger now than I have ever been. While I have always enjoyed hiking, I can now walk for hours and I don't have to stop and rest as often. I have also become a really good shot with my pistol. It was a present from one of my ex's because he hated me going out alone and, in his mind, unprotected. I had not had any reason to use it until my first run in with one of the undead creatures. Since then, I have had more practice than I could ever had wanted. 

     I found this notebook yesterday in a cabin and have decided to write when I can. I don't know exactly where I am headed, I only know that I have not found a place to be yet. I wish I knew exactly where I am but since that went out the window with GPS satellites, I will just keep trudging along.

As a writer and artist, I appreciate any readers and their comments. Thank you for taking the time to read this blog. Please, come read the other blog I write for our artisan collective, Raven's Castle Creations, on our website at www.ravencastlecreations.com. It includes posts on art, the mythology of symbols we use in our art, history and more! Also, come see the art we produce in our Etsy store at etsy.com/shop/RavenCastleCreations. Follow us on Twitter at @ravencastleart and on Facebook at @ravencastlecreations.