From the journal of Marie Costa, May 10

May 10, 2017

Tomorrow is the day that everything is going to change. We have been working for the last four days to get ready to leave the store before something happens. I am so glad we are ready. I've been having nightmares that someone, or a group of someones, were going to come with guns blazing. They wouldn't care if anyone was alive in here, they would just want the food. Now, those of us leaving won't have to deal with any of the horrible things happening that have seen in my nightmares.
Linda, Frank, Will, Jorge, Isabella, Alex and I are still the ones leaving, although I think Jake and Alice are starting to waver. They both helped us to gather the supplies we want to take and both of them have asked a lot of questions. I think if Alex decides to leave with us, Alice is going to go, too. They have been making eyes at each other since Alice started and I think they are going to stick together. I would love for them to come with us, the more people we have, the better for defense. But I also want them to come with us because I have this overwhelming premonition that everyone who stays here is going to be in a lot of trouble and really soon.

We have a really good selection of food stacked by the receiving doors, as well as other stuff like batteries and Sterno cans to heat food up on. We made sure to grab half of the medical supplies on the aisle and lots of paper products. I don't want to have to worry about what we're going to be wiping our privates with, at least, not for a while. We went through the whole store and also took pens, paper, reading material and even dog and cat food. You never know if we'll find animals to take in and I want to be prepared. Dogs could be really helpful in alerting us if someone or something gets too close to Isabella's family cabin.
I made sure we have a good supply of cooking basics, like flour, baking soda, baking powder and sugar. I know most of us haven't done a lot of cooking in our lives, but looks like we are going to have to learn. The prepared, pre packaged foods won't last forever and we'll still need to eat when they're gone. I grabbed a couple of the cookbooks to make sure we'll have some recipes to follow while we learn.
Yesterday, we went as a group to help Jorge check on the condition of the truck we're taking. While he checked the engine, started the truck for a few minutes and checked anything else he felt he needed to check on, the rest of us formed a half circle around the truck. We took out any of the undead that came around the corner of the store and into the receiving area. Linda and Isabella were really nervous about being out side the store for the first time since this all began, but they handled themselves well.
We had been out there for less than five minutes when a group of seven undead teens came around the corner. They were dressed in 80's heavy metal band t-shirts. I would bet all our supplies that none of them had ever listened to any of the groups on their shirts, they just though they were cool. It struck me as hilarious that they were spending their walking dead days in those empty, trendy shirts. I started laughing and everyone looked at me like I'd lost it. I told them I would explain later and we took them out with out broom handle spears. Besides the teens, we had a couple of stragglers that wandered in, easily taken out, and we were done in less than 20 minutes.

Once we got back inside, Alice and Jake were waiting for us and said they're going with us. We told them to pack anything they wouldn't need tonight and be ready to leave first thing tomorrow. When Jackie heard they were leaving, she threw a royal hissy fit, crying, yelling, trying to shame them into staying. But, I was really proud they didn't give in. In fact, Jake told the rest of them they needed to come with us too. He said the same things I have been saying for days. People were going to run out of food and come attack the store. The food wouldn't be good forever and there were too many zombies to safely scavenge around the store. The undead could swarm and break through the windows around the doors if they were allowed to build up, and with less people to pull duty, this could really happen.
Nothing he said changed Jackie's mind, but I could see that Sarah was looking more and more uncertain and Lisa looked scared. Well, they have tonight and the very early part of tomorrow morning to change their minds, then we're  gone. Isabella said we should leave them a map, in case they change their minds after we're gone. I nixed that idea, though. If someone else takes over the store, a map would lead them right to us and the supplies we took.
I'm worried for anyone who stays, but if they decide to stay, there is no changing their minds after. Hopefully, Sarah or Lisa will come with us. If they don't, we just have to put them out of our minds and focus on the people who are smart and come with us. We're going to have enough to worry about just keeping us alive without feeling guilt or worry about anyone who stays here.

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.