From the journal of Jackie Carter, May 14

May 14, 2017

We are officially screwed. It is just past four in the morning and the group outside has placed high power lights all around the store and are taking pot shots at the undead with their rifles. I don't think that they are considering this a serious effort to remove the last of the undead. I think it is just a game or distraction for them in the middle of the night during the apocalypse. But it has trapped us inside this death trap all the same.

Andrew and I were just gearing up to attempt leaving by one of the receiving doors and had packed a couple of bags of supplies. I had just started to open the door when they turned the lights on and the crack I had opened it was illuminated. Andrew pushed the door closed before I could even react and it was a really good thing. We heard a couple of that group saying they thought the door had been opened a crack. We both heard them arguing about it as they walked up to the door and tried to open it. Thank God for Andrew's quick thinking.
We moved away from the door, back to our little nest in the back, far enough away they shouldn't be able to hear us talking. Then we spent the rest of the night talking over any ideas that came up. Sadly, we didn't come up with anything that will work. I don't know what we are going to do.

It's hard to believe that just a few weeks ago, I was worried about having enough money to pay my bills and still eat , too. My apartment was tiny, my car old and my clothes worn,  but clean. My greatest annoyance was having to talk to my sister and mother every couple of weeks and hear about Abby' kids and husband and life. Or listen to Mom complaining that I was failing in my duty to give her more grandkids.
Guess I was failing at a lot, considering I had been single for a couple of years and had no prospects in sight. I didn't own my car, my apartment or, better still, a house. I was barely making ends meet just on my lonesome, but I was failing my family duty of getting married and having kids.
Then the pandemic happened and none of that mattered anymore. My Mom and sister were more than likely dead, as well as Abby's kids and husband. Heck, everyone was more than likely dead. At least Mom won't have to worry about her sister having more grandkids than her or her brother's kids owning huge homes in the suburbs. That competition is done, thank God!
But now, Andrew and I are really in trouble. Come day break, I think they are planning on coming through the windows in the front with one of their vehicles and then they will find us. Andrew might be ok, but they might just kill him on sight. I, on the other hand, am looking forward to being held against my will and raped for as long as I am alive.
I hear something out front. I am going to wake Andrew up and we can go see what they are doing. If I can, I will write more later. If not, God, please protect us and keep us safe and alive.

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.