From the journal of Jenna Bless, April 28

April 28, 2017

     We made it out of the Lowe's sometime early this afternoon. It took a while to get everything re-organized and loaded. Not everything that we already had in the vehicles and everything we had taken fit, so we ended up leaving some stuff behind. Most of us had personal stuff that had sentimental value, but no use now. It was hard, but we all left most of it behind. Photo albums, family heirlooms, artwork, all useless now. I left pictures and a box of mementos from my childhood. The kids were asked to choose from their toys and only keep the ones they really had to have. One little girl, Dawn Webb, had bags of stuffed animals, dolls and doll clothes. I know how hard it was for me to just walk away from the few little animals I had, and I am old enough that I was done playing with them. Dawn cried for hours and every time she looks at Linda and Aaron, she sticks out her bottom lip and glares daggers at them.
     We didn't make it out without loss. First, we sent on the pairs to take out the zombies between the front doors and the cars. After five minutes of everyone working in unison, something happened, Nick Carter was killed by three zombies and then one of them bit his partner Henry Mason before anyone else could get to them. Henry did put his machete through the zombie that bit him, but the damage was already done. He now has a choice to make. Does he go on for as long as he can and suffer really horribly, or does he just end it now. Or have someone else end it for him. I don't know what I would do. For now, he was put in the back of Linda and Aarons' SUV with Doctor Ben to see to the bite on his right calf.
    It was later than anyone wanted to leave when we finally got on the road. The first plan was to get out in the morning and head all the way to Aspen, something like 45 or so miles. But since we got out so late, we headed to Basalt instead, a little under 30 miles. The rest of the day went by in an endless blur or roads, traffic jams to clear, and the occasional undead moaner in our way.
     Everyone is exhauster and sad because Nick was really funny. He could do stupid magic tricks, like the coin behind the ear trick. Before all this zombie stuff started, even the little kids would have just rolled their eyes. Now, that stupid stuff really was magic, even for me. Not so much because of the trick, but because the little ones really light up and laugh. Everyone will really miss him.
     Henry and Doctor Ben are now set up in a tent. Amanda and her crew are making a really late dinner. The kids are tired, sad and quiet. No running around chasing each other and laughing. Not tonight. Most of them are sitting on their mothers laps, or cuddled up right next to her.
     Once we eat, the kids will be put to bed and there will be a meeting where Doctor Ben will tell us how far along Henry is.  And I guess, Henry will probably talk about what he wants to do, if he's already made up his mind.

     Tomorrow, we will be in Aspen. I have been dreaming about what might happen. Sometimes, we get there and everything is great. We find the perfect place and make it home. We have power, running water, food, and room to play. We plant food and other good people start showing up. Other times, we get there and there are a ton of zombies, like there was a festival or something. Once, we got there and there was a huge biker gang that killed all the men. Then they started doing really bad things to the rest of us. I woke up sick, sweating and crying.
     Well, we will know tomorrow when we get there. I bet I have more dreams tonight about Aspen and I wish they would all be really good ones. But, we have all seen what some people have become since this stuff started.

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.