Day 105

Hello once again. I've recovered enough to be able to fight Sam off of this.

Who knows maybe at some point she will join in with her own official blog alongside me. Failing that she wants to add to her history occasionally alongside my input.

Today was quiet. We fired no more shots still, and no Rani made an appearance. It really is strange that they would just disappear. Last time it heralded an attack, but we have already had that. Glass throughout the building has already been smashed. I heard it myself.

I can only suppose that an easier source of food has been found.

Sam has told me about the house next door, and I am aware you still don't know about the details. I won't be filling you in because I haven't seen it myself yet.

I'm still tired so I want to keep this short, I've just been going out of my mind not having the energy to do this.


So it is New Year's Eve.

I almost dread to think what it will bring but at the same time there's not much worse it can do... Well obviously that's a lie. It could take Sam, who is the only person alive I know of. We could claim the Dodge guys are still kicking, but we haven't seen them in so many days we just cannot be certain. Especially with the extra damage to the camp that we caused on the way out...

I am hoping we can still fulfill my initial plan, but the longer that time goes, the less likely I will be able to do anything about it. And more to the point, the more dangerous it will become. The Rani seem to group together; we've been through this I know. But I worry: what if it could happen on a national, or global level. You could have all the Rani on the main continent of this planet all in one place and all chasing food together. Yes that could be good if there is a military force left out there, but it's hardly a compelling image. Instead of a dozen Rani it becomes a hundred. That becomes a thousand. That becomes a million... Hell without a gun I could barely stay alive with half a dozen. That scaling up does not appeal to me.

I guess in that case finding a castle of olde with fields around would be best...

But I am distracting from the point. This New Year could herald infinite good or bad. We may meet up with more survivors or we may find evidence that we are the last left.

Regardless I hope you continue to read this.

I hope you make another year

But until then I hope you make another day

Day 104

A crisis of faith?

It seems that Pete was sneaking a look on his shift and he confronted me on that issue.

His comment: 'Having a crisis of faith? I'm surprised you can say that. I have two arguments for that. 1) look at the world and how it was created. You believe He made it all. Just because something dark is happening doesn't mean He doesn't exist. The most used comment on God is that he doesn't intervene on Earth because if he did, the devil would be able to commit one act as well. So that answers why he hasn't jumped in to save us: because we did this to ourselves.'

"And 2?"

'You could argue that nothing should affect the way you thought before the end of the world. You believed in God because of all you saw could happen and did happen around you. When the Rani came to be that didn't change any of what has happened previously. It added a new element. Now unless the Rani actually makes something you saw before invalid I see no problem. It's not like it was proven that the universe was a fluke. It just shows that something has happened to humanity. I'm not sure that point makes all that much sense. I guess I mean no matter how big the negative of the Rani is, in terms of belief and memory, negative and positive have no meaning. They both exist. They both are.'

After that he just went to sleep. I suppose he may have just been pretending so that I could think, but he did it again: he threw my mindset from confusion into thought with just a few lines.

I wouldn't say crisis averted, but I think I'll be taking the scenic route towards it at least.


The Rani have been quiet today. It was weird to have silence again instead of that low murmur they seem to have. I was tempted to peek out to see if there was anything, but I'm not that much of a cat to find out.

We didn't take any shots between us today it seems. This is good, I like having the ability to defend myself and not have to run every single time a problem comes our way.

Though hiding until it passes? That is good, I can cope with that. I'm good at that.

I hope you make another day

Day 103

My hopes were not fulfilled. The Rani are still below, though now there is a lot less of them...

Our concern is that quite a pile is building up now so for the ever-so-slightly-more-intelligent Rani there is a chance they can get up to us.

I haven't become desensitised to each shot and fall, but with each I find myself better able to cope with the reflex to be sick. It's not nice. None of this world is. To believe that there is still something wonderful about this world when the dead walk amongst us? When God's rules are broken surely there is something wrong. I know it sounds stupid, but whenever thing's looked like they were falling apart I would fall back on my faith. But it's just fading from my mind and I'm scared because I don't know if there will be anything to fall back on after...

I hope you make another day

Day 102

To put it mildly; today has not been my favourite day.

To be more accurate; today could be described as bloodsport.

The plan today was to unhinge the door and ergo the ladder to the loft and let it drop down. This would prevent the Rani from being able to get to us, and at the same time we would be able to get to them.

For whatever reason the Rani are here (I blame the scent we leave behind as we move) they are staying put. Upon opening the door we were greeted by a crack from it landing on a few followed by a show of hands from below.

I'm not great at maths but just by looking at them I could tell it wasn't going to be fun.

So we lined up shots (with silencers on obviously) with the weapons we had the most ammo with. I thought that at the very least we would get some semi decent target practice. But then I fired. I took one out. My heart wrenched and I was sick. I instantly knew how Pete felt shooting that guy point blank.

Shooting them when they are a horde chasing you is one thing; you can almost forget what they are and just pull the trigger, but when they look at you with almost human eyes with a hint of regret... I just can't cope with it...

It was a very long day and we only shot a few, but it was enough for me. It was more than enough...

I wonder, as I sit here with just a cloth pinned at each corner hiding them from me, if they will be frightened off.

I hope they will be frightened off.

I hope you make another day

Day 101

It rained today. It's strange to have rain after such a long time of just white outside. There is a lot of clearing houses and trees outside I bet.

Pity I had to just listen to it while the Rani are downstairs.

I had an idea today which I shared with Pete. We will be attempting it tomorrow but I need to prepare it tonight. I'll let you know.

I hope you make another day

Day 100

It's hard to believe it has been 100 days since this began. It might as well be a decade. The faces and voices of my family are slowly fading from my mind and it's scary. If I forget them it's almost as if they never happened...

It got cold last night. At least 10 below if not more. It's almost as cold now so I'm in no mood to write. I apologise. With any luck, Pete will take over this within a few days.
I will however try to continue my early days story when he carries on, just to clear things up a bit

I hope you make another day

Day 99

So it is Christmas.

I woke Pete up early to give him his gift. It was one of those old pocket watch things. I normally don't take things from people's homes but I though it would be okay, considering that it was from his home. He didn't and hasn't said anything about it but just pointed at a pocket on his bag. Upon opening it I found a brand new notepad with pen with a note on the front page that I don't want to discuss.

We cooked rations and talked about what we would have been doing normally. Turns out he has his close family around and I have my extended family staying at my grandparents cottage. And though vastly different on the face of it, they are remarkably similar. I must admit though I miss the food...

Okay the truth: I miss the people. I know they have to be dead. We hadn't even met a Rani face to face. I only saw one pass the window as we hid early on. So I doubt they had the experience to survive. I didn't. The only way I did was Pete. I wonder if my care here makes us even? At least it does for fixing my hole... The stitches are out by the way. He hasn't said I don't think.

It hasn't snowed today but it really was cold. Easily 5-10 below.

The Rani are still below as well. Mrrhhhing to themselves as usual. I braved moving over to them today to try and see through a hole. About 5 passed in the minute I looked. I felt uneasy after that so I left it. I really have no idea what to do because it's not exactly nice using our makeshift toilet in the corner, even if the building is big. Pete has said that we should clear that up before leaving if possible. Mainly because if others come and face that it's not exactly pretty.

Pete is looking better and staying awake longer but I will be doing these entries for a while yet. He's not able to concentrate that well on things like this.

I'm fine now thanks to catching up on sleep. Reading books still but they won't last long with how addictive they are...

I hope you had a good Christmas. I didn't have the best one, but in surviving and living another day, week, month, I have gained a satisfaction in the idea of this day. In a strange way I have earned this. True a lot of the time I have followed Pete but would he have survived without me? Maybe I'm just having a bit of a superiority complex right now but I like to think he needs me just as much as I need him...

I hope you make another day

Day 98

It's Christmas Eve today. I didn't realise until I woke up. Normally a lot would be going on at home, but there isn't a thing such as normal now is there?

I'm not going to post much today. I intend to tomorrow but right now I need to pray. Me and my family would always go to evening mass but obviously... I have to do it my way.

With the Rani still there and Pete asleep again after his shift of guard duty I am left with prayer on my knees with my weapons by my side. Would He approve of this? I hope he doesn't mind...

Merry Christmas to everyone, and I hope your day will be as bright as it can be.

I hope you make another day

Day 97

'So here's a question that we haven't asked yet: Why now?

Forget about what did cause this and suppose for a while. If man did it. Why did it take so long to mess it up and actually commit this destruction. If it was God, then why now? He have not sinned more than a month previously... Was it to spite or save. Is it evolution and a freak genetic break that caused this change. If so the odds of it happening at that time are astronomically small. If the first outbreak didn't occur when it did, neither of us would be here now. I would have been out in town with friends, and you would be lost on that Day... whichever it was now.'

So Peter's been awake a bit but he is still ill. It was Day 12 if you forgot. It's not something I will forget.

He has a point about the whole chance thing but I don't know... Although I would like to think there is a reason it is difficult to argue why it occurred right now. At the same time it is difficult to argue why it should happen another time. It distracted me enough from the Rani to relax a while.

Shortly after realising that I fell asleep. I woke with a start and my finger depressed on my gun. Nothing happened. Pete sat next to me drearily holding a gun himself.

'I put the safety on. Didn't fancy you shooting the place up. I quite like it here'
"Smart but for you having the flu and you could fall asleep"
'True but I decided to stay awake so you could sleep. Seeing it has been about twelve hours I was right. But now I have to sleep, sorry'

And he settled down again. I flicked his gun's safety, then mine, and sat ready but reading a book. Ice Station isn't bad you know. A bit graphic but considering our world now? A bit tame...

I hope you make another day

Day 96

I'm sorry I haven't slept and literally only just managed to get signal enough to post something.

They have been making their infernal noise all day but they don't seem to be able to open the door. I have piled some of the heaviest stuff I could find upon it so when or if it opens they will be unable to progress. At least for a little while.

I hope to have better news tomorrow.

I hope you make another day

Day 95

Weather: Tiny flurries all day but it keeps building
Rani activity: ?

Pete's state: ?

My state: ?

Well to summarize the day. The Rani tried to break in. Tried being a lie. They did. But luckily I heard it. I grabbed all the things that were down below. Now we are here. Stuck with them around us. It seems that the Rani want to break into everything if it isn't broken for long enough. I don't pretend to know though. All I know is that the stairs to the loft, which are closed, and then my gun are all that stand between life and death right now.

Their groaning is winding me up... But Pete is asleep still even though I've tried waking him up. All we can do is hide again.

I hope you make another day

Day 94

Weather: It snowed a lot today. It was nice to watch and just relax. It made me forget for a while about all that has happened. It's so strange. In looking back Pete said the same thing. It's not that we are really all that alike I don't think. I think it is more the whole thing that there is so little left that we see that reminds us of good times. The last snow was only February. I had a great time skiving from classes for it then making a fool of myself in getting pneumonia. I'm not being that stupid again.
It's a shame that the Rani have to move past the window though. The world looks pretty much perfect in white.

Rani activity: They are still moving about out there though it's quite a bit harder to see them. I must say though they confuse me daily. They are slowing right down because of the cold, but at the same time they are moving almost like they are human. I'm not stupid though, I know they can run, and will run if I go outside... again...

Pete's state: He is move lucid which is nice because now I don't have to talk to myself which I am sure he is absolutely thrilled about. I haven't spoken to him about the other house yet, but I guess I will have to soon.

My state: I am in a contemplative mood tonight and I'm wondering about what to do and with lack of a better alternative:

Day 1 - Sam's Side

The engine started, which was a good start. I was still in a state of shock and it wasn't until much later that I realised that I actually took in visually what was going on, but I didn't hear a single word.

It's weird really, like watching a film on mute or a silent movie I suppose. I could guess what they were saying and I think I responded but I just kind of went with it.

I saw the other families panicking and packing up but trying to fit more in their cars than us. This was obviously a silly thing to do because if the car got stuck or they had to run then they would have to abandon things and worse they would have to decide at a later date what to leave behind. Dad was reckless yes, but if we had been in the middle of nowhere and had broken down we would have been better off emotionally.

But sadly luck was not with us anyway. By the time we reached the road so had hundreds of families. My Dad looked like he swore and hit the steering wheel a number of times. Then we turned around. We arrived back forewarning the neighbours. Most heeded our warning, and from that I then remember standing in the middle of the road with almost the whole neighbourhood before we split up and locked up almost all the houses. We left one unlocked and stayed there to start. The plan was that we would stay about a week in each house then move up the street, in theory meaning we could survive about 6-8months depending on how much we ate and froze.

Families locked all their food away appropriately and then we chose number 4. The people who lived there (a family of 5) had bailed on us. It seemed the most logical place to hide first seeing as we couldn't lock it and get back into it at a later date.

-------

I hope you make another day

Day 93

Weather: Colder still. I hate the cold quite a bit.

Rani activity: Lower again. Though I think some were walking into the walls downstairs this morning, but I don't know what to think about that... I should be careful and take note of it. They could be up to something; assuming they are able to think

Pete's state: Same as yesterday

My state: I've been getting things ready for another cold day ahead. I've also been trying to learn the ordinance survey maps so that I can actually be useful out there. My mind is buzzing with B routes. But looking online I think I'm understanding better at what Pete is planning.

What I found yesterday is slightly bothering me but with the warmth it is right now I have been watching over Pete and getting food and stuff ready. I still don't like this writing thing but I'm trying to figure it out. I promise I'll try tomorrow.

I hope you make another day

Day 92

Weather: Cold still. No snow though. I imagine everywhere else is getting some. That is normally the case...

Rani activity: Seems to be reducing at the moment but not by much. I would suspect that this is the horde we came across when we first got to 'this village'

Pete's state: Still bad but he's eating and all that so it's not the worst state that anyone has ever been in.

My state: Tired. I took a risk today and left this house to explore next door. Pete won't be impressed but I found some interesting stuff that we'll have to talk about. But for tonight I'm tired. Getting around while avoiding Rani isn't easy and takes a lot out of you.

I hope you make another day

Day 91

Weather: Cold. It snowed today, admittedly not much but it surely is a sign of things to come.

Rani activity: The number still seems around the same though it is hard to tell as they are moving about less

Pete's state: He seems about the same; at the very least there is no deterioration yet.

My state: After last night I am much more awake and continued my duties of finding food and stuff around the house. Even with the number of Rani around they still haven't damaged any of the building as of the moment which is always a positive. I also thought about the Dodge men today and I wonder how they are lasting now. In a way I don't want to know because the idea of them scares me. Even from the building across the road from the police station, in which it turns out are nice carpets, I still felt seriously ill at ease being that near them. Being at the SAS camp? I don't want to think about it. Me finding our weapons was a fluke. I screwed up and did something I shouldn't of. I just opened a door without thinking about what lay behind. I was pretty much on autopilot.

It's cold tonight so I won't be writing more. There's no signal in the loft and I intend to close the door and rest and read.

I hope you make another day

Day 90

Weather: Cold. Rainy.

Rani activity: The number of them seems about the same

Pete's state: After last night's post I took him upstairs. We are there now resting. I haven't done a lot today other than look after him. His temperature is the same as yesterday so I'm hoping this is as bad as it gets...

My state: Tired. I just want sleep.

I hope you make another day

Day 89

This will be a quick post today sorry.

Weather: It's cold still and it was pretty cloudy so the world just felt gloomy.

Rani activity: Increasing further still. This is the main reason for the short post. With the number out there I have to make sure all the important stuff is packed up so if worst comes to worst we can escape with the bare minimum.

Pete's state: I managed to get him conscious for about an hour to eat and stuff, but he's not looking good. I made him shower to try and freshen up. I reminded him to avoid water in his mouth etc as he seemed for a moment to forget and just sway...

My state: A little on edge would be an understatement. The number of Rani around is uncomfortable, especially considering I don't really know the area. Sure I've been looking at the maps like Pete said but I just can't absorb it as easily.

I scouted the loft today. There is a lot of crap but it's seriously well insulated and with how there are panels half put up it's almost like they (the owners of the building) were in the process of converting it to an extra room. There's enough space to stand even near the edges which is pretty cool. I've made it ready so if I hear them break in, or even see them moving too close I will be shifting myself and my company there. Dead end? So? It wouldn't be the first time.

That's it for tonight. I have to keep watch. I need sleep but I guess to do that I will have to move us both upstairs first...

I hope you make another day

Day 88

Weather: Wet and cold. It definitely is headed towards snow again.

Rani activity: Increasing. Not just around the house but in general. It concerns me because if things go south then I don't know what to do; it's not like I can just leave him, and its definitely the case I can't carry him out because the Rani will get us no doubt about that... Just got to pray I guess.
I suppose I should mention that. I am religious. Christian to be specific. Yeah it's pretty generic in England but at the same time people never seem to be all that open about it and I'm guessing people would lose faith in these seemingly 'end of days'. But I put this to you: out of nowhere I find Pete who saves me, and I save him. Both physically and from losing our minds. The chances of our meeting are so small that I just can't believe it is just luck. Maybe I'm a fool for my faith, but it's my choice if I want to be foolish.

Pete's state: Whatever it is it's not lucid, he's just mumbling stuff incoherently and his temperature is über high. I've kept his covers on him regardless as it is actually cold but I'm worried I don't actually know what to do if it gets more serious, all I can give him are flu pills because I don't know what else to do...

My state: A bit stressed when you factor in the whole Rani population and dependence of my friend upon me. I can't do much about that now however.

Day 1 - Sam's side

So we sat there. In awe I guess. I'm not sure it directly shows the feeling though. I'm meaning in the sense of awestruck like you can be if you see a car crash or a terrible thing. It's strange but awe just sounds like a positive word in most cases (ignoring awful obviously, though it can be used in the way of awfully funny...)
A short while later my dad came through. Pale. He had been over a neighbour's house. He rushed upstairs and grabbed things out of each of our wardrobes then threw them into cases and in turn threw them in the car.
He returned to us. Get in we're getting out and going to my parents house. We got up and got in the car.

Next time: No turning back. No left turns, no right turns. Time to walk.

I must admit his sign off is actually starting to mean something to me.

I hope you make another day

Day 87

Weather: Dull and cold. Feels like the freezing temperatures may be coming back

Rani activity: Low. I saw a few in the distance but none within at least 500metres throughout the day

Pete's state: Still sleeping loads. His temperature appears to be the same. This could be a long sit in.

My state: More focused than yesterday. I'm sort of over my little breakdown from my memories. If there is anything I have learnt during this time it is that I have to remember all I have seen and just deal with it because every moment of doubt is a moment I could die...

Day 1 - Sam's side.

So the news flickered back and forth for a while. Until more breaking news arrived. Worse than before: it was a wide scale emergency. The report flashed to a press conference in an undisclosed place in which a military official stood, pale faced. I cannot remember his words clearly but they went something like:
"People of the United Kingdom, and indeed the greater world. This announcement is following an incident yesterday which we thought was an isolated case. It turns out it now isn't. At roughly 4pm in the city of Hereford there was an attack made upon a couple of young men. The guilty party was, for the lack of a better phrase, a mindless beast that only sought to injure. Following this one of the victims was killed. The other escaped unharmed. As of 8am this morning there were no less than 50 duplicate situations. The truth that has been hidden from the media is that these attackers appear to be people who fall near death or who have died. After a short post mortem of the first attacker and victim, scientists have decided to call these things Reanimated-Sapiens. For the purposes of conserving time in discussion please refer to them as Reanimates.
We are advising that people stay inside and barricade themselves in. Another statement will be issued in the next few days. I will answer a few questions."

First 'What has caused this?'
Reply "I don't know"
Second 'What will the government do about it?'
Reply "I don't know"
Third 'What is the best way to directly defend ourselves from these Reanimates?'
Reply "I don't know"
Fourth 'How can we tell if someone will change into one of them?'
"I don't know"
Fifth 'How long has the government known about this?'
"I don't know"
Sixth 'Are other countries affected as well?'
"I don't know"
Seventh 'Will we survive this?'
"I don't know. I'm sorry, time's up, please leave before it becomes unsafe"

He left and the press conference ended. For those interested no further 'official' statements came. Only those from radio DJ's and the like.

--

I hope you make another day

Day 86

I'm still not sure how to structure this so I'll just summarise

Weather: rained a little bit

Rani activity: same as yesterday. Five or ten passed the house, with none taking an interest in it or us.

Pete's state: been asleep for about 20 hours. Woke him to give him food. As much as he is annoyed by it I am giving him the rations as they have the proteins and all that which his body will need.

My state: A bit tired but for the most part I am okay. Considering that I am really the only thing between the Rani and us right now I am pretty relaxed.

Day 1 - Sam's side.

I woke up by my alarm about 9ish I guess and got myself ready for a day lounging about. I had to tidy my room but I would probably put that off until Sunday and then say I couldn't do it as I had some coursework to do for English Lit or Art or something. I didn't by the way

I walked downstairs to find my mum have a look of horror upon her face. It was the news. I sat down to listen to it but instantly regretted it. It showed a crime scene cordoned off by the police in the centre of town. I was actually amazed that they showed Hereford on the main news, it normally gets forgotten. A clip showed the blood then mobile phone footage of the attack. This person was on top of another and it looked like it was ripping him apart. Someone picked themselves from the ground next to it and tried pulling the attacker off but failed and got pushed back with such force they collapsed to the ground. Others then tried to help. Then police came and the footage was stopped. The newscasters apologised saying they shouldn't have been showing the footage as it was part of an investigation.

-------
I'm sorry but I can't continue right now. I just remembered how I felt watching that.

I hope you make another day

Day 85

It was a pretty boring day in all today. It's warm so there's no snow left which is a good thing, but it would mean when we leave the house we'll have to decide whether urban or natural camouflage would be better.

A few of the Rani passed earlier. They are weird if you watch them properly. Sometimes I forget they are not really human any more and question why they are moving like they do. It's so disjointed and awkward.

I'm not sure where to put this so I'll just put it here. This is Sam talking, not Pete. From what I can tell he's got the flu; it came on pretty fast but he's pepped up on flu pills so we just have to wait it out I guess.

I'm doing this because he wants a full record of what happens, from bad to good including illness and how to deal with it. From my understanding he wants people to see how we survive in the hopes that they will learn things and pick them up.

I guess what is important is what I've said above, but I might as well fill you in with more detail over what happened for me before I met Pete on Day12. You may remember from that post I was against posting these things. I am, but he is so adamant about it I just gave in because it's easier that way. Besides I may learn a bit about how he thinks this way.

I'll start tomorrow with Day1 - Sam's side. But for now I'm going to check on him again.

Goodnight from me but I guess I'd better end with his sign off.

I hope you make another day

Day 84

The snow is clearing pretty well now. Another day and it will all be gone. To be honest though I'm less so concerned with that. I currently have a fever and I've barely been able to stay awake all day.

Today we took turns on lookout but Sam took the most knowing I'm not well. She managed to find a safe and it's emergency open key. Inside were the codes to the alarm for the building along with things like the computer and various other documents etc. It now means we don't always have to be on watch as we will know if there is danger around.

I can tell she is concerned but I really think this is just a bit of a cold, it'll be fine in a couple of days.

The house we were at appears clear now. I still don't know what happened there. I almost don't want to know...

Until tomorrow

I hope you make another day

Day 83

I haven't slept more than an hour. Nothing. At all. All day until... I managed to find a window facing the house we were in previously. My heart almost stopped. The house was trashed. All windows smashed and doors broken in. Rani all over. It didn't make sense. The number of Rani were the same amount roughly as before they vanished. It didn't make sense. But then suddenly I had double vision but blinked it away. Sam found me after a couple of minutes.

She looked out then at me in disbelief. She appeared to try to find words then shook her head. She walked off. I followed her through and when I got there she was facing the window.

"Look enough weird stuff has happened with the dead walking Pete"
"I know but..."
"No" she interrupted, "don't but this. I don't like this. How did you know? No don't... I..." She looked at me and just couldn't speak, but nor could I. I embraced her until I found the words.
"I think I should have turned once... I think that's why I know..."
"What, with the leisure pool stuff?"
"Maybe, but I think on Day 4 I was turning during the morning; I had so much contact with them and I was grabbed a number of times..."
After a moment, "You think we could use this, like you did?"
"I'm not sure. I kind of don't want to, in case it's a sign I'm changing slowly..."
"We'll take it as it goes then yeah?"
"Yeah... What's for lunch then?"

That was that. It doesn't make sense but I don't want to think about it any more, at least for now. If it happens again then I'll have to do something about it.

I hope you make another day

Day 82

So after yesterday's post I opened the door. I wasn't quiet about it either. Sam shouted at me to grab my gun when she realised what I was doing.

It was clear.

And I'm not just talking about the corridor. I'm talking house. I'm talking a clear view of about 500metres around the house.

I've never seen them disperse so quickly and my blood just went cold. Sam spoke before I could with a succinct "The hell? When did they leave?"

"You didn't see either?"

"No...?"

"We should have, one of us should have... Get ready, we're leaving"

We were ready within a few minutes. We left. We travelled for about an hour slowly through the cold. -8/9 at least. We found a safe enough place to stay, got in without breaking anything and secured ourselves. Upon looking around it actually seemed like we had found the safest place to stay as yet. Words cannot describe it but rest assured: nothing's going to get within 50 feet of the building without us knowing let alone get close to us. We've reinforced the taking turns on watch rule. We simply cannot risk them appearing just as they have left.

The day has not got warmer so far. All the wires, and pretty much anything if I think about it, outside are just beautiful with the amount of frost on it. I would say spider's webs have increased in size by a good half centimetre in thickness for each bit of web. But as usual the beauty of this world is betrayed by two things: 1) so few to notice it. 2) death around every corner.

Still no Rani. Even in using my binoc's I cannot see anything in the distance. I just can't explain their sudden disappearance. My rifle is ready to reintroduce itself if they decide to visit though...

But before I sign off I just want to say one more thing. Just in the vain/vague (not sure which applies) hope that she is still alive. Happy Birthday

I hope you make another day

Day 81

Sometimes I worry that I am starting to go crazy. I swear I could hear them breathe outside the door. Rani don't breathe. I've had them at my door enough times to know that to be true.

My mind keeps wandering to Day 4. So here is a short amount of recall.

So we stopped and waited for some unspoken reason. I was disorientated so I just sat down and tried to stay awake. I half managed that. I pretty much zoned out allowing my mind to shut down a bit, this of course meant that I wasn't paying attention to what they were doing or saying.

Instead I was treated to heavy breathing (I guess my own) and flashes of those damned eyes... Soon things pieced together more in a way that is indescribable. For a split second I felt like I was one. I actually understood how they thought. Truth is I still do even if it is only a fleeting understanding. I put that as my reason for survival, as my reason for life. The more I think about it though it makes me wonder if it was more important than that. Another what if: what if that moment was the moment I could have reanimated. Did I die? I know it is just another supposition, but I just don't get how I've gotten to understanding their movements, even predicting them. I've never been good really at anything, so how did I manage to become good at beating the odds? I'm no hunter, no tracker, no trained survivalist. I always used to play games in which you had to survive, but this is different. No replays, no cheats, and you have to physically endure whatever is thrown at you. I just don't get it. Why did I of all people survive? I know that is ironic as it was one of the first things I said in my second post (Day 7) but even though I can explain it away with the fact I HAVE it doesn't mean that I should have...

After a while I was awoken by Charlie tapping me on the head. She smiled and pulled me to my feet. And started walking. The others joined her after a few steps, so I kept up. I was less tired now, and I took more attention of the surroundings. I got the feeling I had seen this area in passing but had not actually stepped there. Buildings, buildings, buildings. It wasn't long until I had roughly placed myself slightly further South than where I had met the group. I thought it was a little strange considering we had initially headed North, but at that point I had a few, hopeful, ideas. Mainly that their 'base' was here or that they knew the direct South route was dangerous. They continued their frequent stops, but as I was less fatigued it didn't bother me as anything but an inconvenience.

Regardless I didn't really let on that I knew where we were. It wasn't a case of me hiding facts, I just didn't see it as important. This could be another reason I survived: they had misjudged my confusion and level of deprivation. My watch now read 3am. I estimated walking times and I think I slept for about an hour and a half. It's not a huge amount but 'power naps' are supposed to be good in the short term as they allow you to focus but fail to restore any energy.

--

A thought screams at me; one that scares me to the core. The reason I am reminded of that day now... The breathing I heard as I slept. It was the same I heard at the door not a few hours ago. My heart is fluttering and not in the good way... Something's not right here.

I hope you make another day

Day 80

It got cold again last night and there is a serious frost that has lingered along with a pretty dense fog. The Rani aren't making any noise but I bet myself that was due to the cold as well.

The proof: I opened the door just the smallest amount I could and instantly hands tried to get me. I fired a shot off and the hands receded. Another day, another waste.

Though there is not a lot we can do about it.

I tried one of the ration packs today. Didn't kill me, I suppose that is a plus. Not ideal that it was a mushroom flavour one. I'm just saving the 'good' ones for later.

I hope you make another day

Day 79

I didn't sleep last night. They were at the room's door trying to break in. Strangely there isn't all that many outside so we could in theory get out the window here and make a break for it but I'm just too tired for that.

It's strange though they are more scratching the door than hitting it. I've never heard them do that before...

I would say more but I can't really think clearly. Sun's been out, its warmer but still cold. The snow is melting more. It's going to be really slushy tomorrow.

I hope you make another day

Day 78

It got a lot warmer over today. It's now in the positive figures. It means, annoyingly, that the snow will melt and be slush meaning that we will not be able to move silently for a good few days, and that’s assuming it stays warmer. If it goes colder again we will have issues with ice.

It was warm enough to take a layer of clothing we were wearing off while we moved but annoyingly the Rani still were lingering around the same area as yesterday so we had to back track to try and use the other road which would pretty much take us out of the village and circle around the outer limit for a while before joining another artery road. Lots of walking through country paths.

So we started to circle around and as we got to the end of the first corner of that road I sighed. More Rani However there were a number of houses nearby. We chose to attempt to get there even if it was only to scout the area.

We pretty much crawled along and twice froze in fear as a Rani turned to us but they didn't notice us. I guess because of the Arctic gear we have on.

We made it after an hour of slow progress. The house was open, but only by an upstairs window. This meant that we would have to climb and it would be cold inside but it didn't seem like we had a choice. Sam went first and I covered us to make sure Rani didn't come towards us. She used the drainpipe to climb up but towards the top she struggled because of the weight we were carrying and she slipped. Not enough to fall down but the noise made attracted the attention of the Rani. I turned and fired a few shots at the window then hit it with the butt of the rifle and turned to fire at the, now running, Rani.

I shouted to Sam to drop down and get in the window. She did then shouted to me to get in while she fired some shots. We rushed to the apparent living room door and slammed it behind us. I shoved a small table the occupants had as an ornament against the door and the wall then we rushed upstairs to the bedroom and barricaded that.

I know it wasn't her fault and I guess the ice wouldn't have helped but I was annoyed by it all. The only bright sides are that all the Rani will be in one place again so we should be able to move out soon and that we took about about 20 or so between us. Our shots were not that accurate under pressure though so we wasted a full clip each which is now reloaded. Good practice for experience with the weapons though.

I hope you make another day

Day 77

We left that house today leaving our footprints in the un-sodden snow. It wasn't fresh by then as it has been a few days since it first settled but it was still a sight to see: the world was white. There was only a small amount of the roofs which had melted snow, indicating that they still had heating on, but these were the houses which had the remains in so we didn't check to find the living.

We instead headed to a house slightly further from the main road. I had seen, through my kite sight, yesterday that all the windows and doors were intact meaning either survivors or at least some more food.

We opened the back-door which was unlocked and before us lay a blood trail straight out of the building. I backtracked to the garage which was ajar and opened it finding the former inhabitant of the house. He had impaled his head upon a harpoon before death but looking at the rest of him it looked like he had already been attacked. He just wanted to end it before becoming one of them...

Heading back to the house we found a green bag by the start of the trail. We opened it and our luck seemed to have changed. It was full of survival stuff. Including things we hadn't really thought of.

So called 'instant' bbqs were interesting, but much more so was my attention drawn to a box. A Coleman stove. Attached to which was a screwdriver and a hammer. I remembered vaguely being told that Coleman stoves used petrol. Something that would be easily accessible in most areas. I put it into the keep pile.

There were some thermal underclothes and a one man tent. We decided to take all these things by changing into some and packing the rest. The tent would be good even if it was small. It would be something to get out of the wind with.

Pouring the bag out we found military rations. Whoever this guy was he had a lot of interests and experience. We found on the couch three extra sets of clothing I like the look of. Arctic, urban, and natural camouflage suits with the correct webbing. They were a size too big for me and two for Sam but we took them. One of each.

I took my bags off. Now it was too much to hold them as they were. Instead I loaded my things into his bag as best I could trying to remember packing order from scouts. I kept my emergency bag the same as it was. Sam found a similar bag brand new upstairs. He had obviously preferred the used one.

When we were ready we looked like we were going for a camping trip more than a couple of days out like we had previously. Both of us dressed in Arctic attire for the time being and both carrying a good 10-20pounds more weight. It was heavy and we both needed help putting them on but when set correctly it was fine.

I was dubious about our running ability so Sam volunteered to test it. She ran out of the building and back covering a good 200m in total distance. She ran pretty fast but she was tired after. She wasn't even carrying her full compliment of weapons then.

We decided to carry our old bags along with us for a while and figured the fastest way to ditch the big bags if we needed to. Our new rule? Run for a while but if we get tired shout and we will just have to use some of the ammo we have. We're not SAS, we're not even the run of the mill soldier so the weight we are carrying is huge. I can tell we won't be able to keep walking as much for a while in terms of consecutive days purely as we will start to ache and we don't want that in the situations we can find ourselves in.

We managed to move up a couple hundred meters up the main road today after that but the Rani lingered more there so we held ourselves back. Progress is still good. Keeping positive.

I hope you make another day

Day 76

Our plan to explore the undamaged ruins around us didn't come to fruition today. Sam overslept. I woke her eventually at 3. Considering my rule of wake at 6 and find a place to stay at 12 I think we overshot a little.

I counted 4 Rani throughout the day but I probably missed a few. I was thinking again. Less than a week to someone's birthday and they'll never see it. At least not with their own eyes.

I know that in 'normal' society you are supposed to love your family and they are supposed to love you but that doesn't mean you have to right? So that means you can even choose your family... Even so I would choose them. Partially due to the whole thing that I wouldn't bee the me I am now without them but more so they have looked after me throughout the thick and thin of it.

I miss them. And knowing her birthday is only a few days away makes me miss her the more...

It's still snowing a bit but its not sticking all that well. I guess I should think positive: I can see where the Rani have been. I sort of see a path they haven't tread yet which will be the first call of action.

I hope you make another day

Day 75

Today was D-Day (D for downstairs). We made our way to the stairs and moved the things from the top leaving only the cupboard. We decided that I would be the best to go over while Sam stayed ready for if I had to rush back. I say 'we' but it wasn't really a group decision; it was more a 'she' but I don't mind or hold any resentment about it, though I am going to remember for a later date.

I understand her reasoning though. She doubts herself from the injury. She also knows that she still owes me from our meeting. She claims that we are even as she distracted them and pulled me so I didn't fall off the roof but the look in her eyes when she brings that up makes it look like she feels that I didn't just save her then but from the entire situation. Maybe it's just a damsel complex from how I dived in without thinking. Maybe she feels she wouldn't have made it this far without me. I'm damn sure I wouldn't have made it here without her. I would still be hiding around the south side houses. I wouldn't have got the courage to act upon my plans. That is why I owe her more than she owes me.

On that topic I miss the golf clubs. It's a shame we had to leave them when we got the weapons, but at least we left a few in each of the houses we stayed in just so people can have a chance themselves.

So I climb over the barrier with two weapons on me. I left my rifle upstairs as it was too bulky in such a small area. I swept the rooms. All clear but for one stuck in the downstairs toilet. A silenced bullet settled that one down. I went back to the stairs and told Sam to keep a look out for any Rani moving towards the building in case they knew I had killed that one some how. They probably didn't but you never know with the Rani.

I checked the cupboards and found a couple of stray water bottles. Best before 11-09-10. Better than nothing.

I failed to find anything truly useful so I turned the kettle on and poured that water in. When it was ready I took a few pot noodles out. Both had mushroom flavour but we needed the extra nutrients in that and not just our diet of biscuits and crackers. Enough was left over for a cup of tea, though it would be black. I took the pots up then followed again with the teas.

It was strange to eat warm food after such a long time with it though I knew we would be needing such things more and more if this cold stayed with us.

After a while Sam looked up and said "So, what do you think our chances really are?"

Struggling to eat another mouthful I washed it down with the bitterness of tea. Even though it's taste was strong I suddenly remembered how much I missed it. "Depends. Our chances of what? Making another day?"

"No, no. Our chances of finding others. Of doing this plan of yours. Of making it until new years..."

I interrupted her. "Our chances of finding others? I don't know, but I found you. Your family lived in a house until bad luck occurred. We saw the Dodge guys with that family or at least family-esque group. Of this plan? Don't ask. It's just an idea. Simply there are three potential safe areas in this situation. One is where I worked but I doubt it really is safe because of the main entrance. One is the SAS camp but that isn't going to work. There is only one left, and that is where we are going. And the year? We've made it 75 days. It's only 30 until the end of the year. I have no question that we will make it there.

We have to just keep going regardless of questions. Imagine we were the last two left in England or even Europe but there were just ten people in America or Russia. That's twelve people and that's pretty much a community. Hell a twelfth of the planet each I guess." I sipped my tea again. My answer was and is rubbish. I just know that I have to keep going. If I stop I'll give up and just die. And until there is proof that this whole this cannot be reversed. Or proof that we are the last alive I will not stop. I cannot stop because those facts mean that I have a responsibility to something. A legacy or a future for all of us...

Sam remained quiet and carried on eating. But I just showed that to Sam considering it was better than my actual words. She understands what I really meant now. She smiled honestly today, and not just due to humour but a new bit of hope of self belief. Either way tomorrow we search for more supplies in the bloodied houses of ... This village...

I hope you make another day