From the journal of Marie Costa, May 5

May 5, 2017

Well, yesterday was a really relaxing day. We cleaned up the mess we made when we took out the undead. Some of them had left slime trails as they came after us. Will was going to take out Mark, but I stopped him. I told him that jerk is going to spend some time as an undead cashier and think, or I guess, not think about what an dick he was to all of us before the pandemic. I feel joy when I walk by him and see him in that condition. I put some caution tape around the register area so everyone knows how far he can reach. I know we will have to take him out sometime, but  I want to enjoy his being undead for a while.

We used some of the little sterno cans to heat up some soup and it was so wonderful eating something warm! It was like velvet going down my throat and my stomach was all warm and fuzzy when we were done. I have so missed food that is not at room temperature.
I started covering up the windows on the sides of the doors. The undead know there are live people in here and are banging on the windows, and the sound is drawing more of them. I talked it over with some of the others and we are going to have to take out the ones already out front. Frank agrees and we are coming up with a plan. I think we are going to have to sneak out the receiving area and make our way slowly and quietly around the building. If we can get the attention of the ones on the edge of the group banging on the windows, then we can take them out in small groups that we can manage. When we asked for volunteers, Jake, Will, Alice, Jorge and I stepped forward to help Frank. We are going to go out and try tomorrow.
Tonight, I am going to make sure all our weapons are ready and we all know what we are supposed to do. I wish more of the others were willing to help, but they are all afraid to even step outside. I know there is the chance that we will run into a group we can't handle, but what else are we supposed to do? Hide in here forever? Eventually we will run out of food that is still edible. I don't want to spend the next several years in this place. I didn't even want to spend the time I was scheduled in this place before this began and now, I really want to get out of here and find somewhere else to spend the apocalypse. Almost anywhere would be better than a grocery store. We are lucky that no one has tried to break into this place to take the food already. It's pushing our luck staying here much longer.
There is one truck that was still in our driveway when the shit hit the fan, and I think we should load up whatever is still ok to eat and find somewhere else to be. I am going to have to find out if anyone can drive a big rig truck. I am going to bring this whole idea up when we have the next meeting.
For now, I am sharpening up my stake and making a couple of others to have in case I can't get my first one back after sticking it in some undead's head. Here's hoping tomorrow goes well and no one gets hurt while we kill all the zombies.

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.