Woke up at 1 AM. Barely got two hours of sleep before I heard the sound of zombies outside the shop. My body screamed for rest, but paranoia won. I tried to peek through the sheet covering the door, just to make sure—but in my half-asleep state, I accidentally pulled it open instead. Two zombies poured in. No time to think. Just instincts. Nearly died. Somehow, I got away, but I was covered in blood—mine or theirs, I couldn't even tell.
I spent the next hour cleaning up the corpses, my hands shaking from exhaustion. The stench of death lingered in the air. I really need to barricade this place better. And I need new clothes. This is no way to live.
I'm waiting until 5 AM, so it's not pitch black outside. The plan is to hit the diner next to my base. Also, I need to find a flashlight—wandering blind in the dark is a death sentence.
By the time I got to the diner, I spotted two cars parked outside. If I’m lucky, they’re still in good shape. If I’m not, well… another problem for another day. I’ll check them after I clear the diner.
Inside, it was quiet. Too quiet. Just one zed—an easy kill, but my heart was still racing from this morning. I wandered into a storage room and hit gold: a crowbar. A big find. Now I can pry open doors instead of smashing windows and alerting every corpse in a mile radius. Feeling lucky, I hit the kitchen, raided the fridge, and grabbed some fresh food. Should last a couple of days—assuming I make it that long.
Back at the shop, I secured my loot before returning to the diner to check the cars. Both had no gas. Unlucky. But the engines looked fine. As long as I can get some fuel, I might have a ride soon. Decided to push my luck and explore a little more.
Spotted a gas station near the diner. Might hit it once the fog clears. In the parking lot before the station, I saw a farmer’s truck. Solid build, looked like it could take a few hits—but once again, no gas. Fuel’s turning into my biggest problem.
Next to the gas station, I found a laundromat. Clothes. Clean ones. I needed those. I tried to open a window, but a zed slammed against the glass from the other side. Nearly jumped out of my skin. I backed off and let it break through, then bashed its skull in with my new crowbar. One good thing about adrenaline—it wakes you up fast.
Got inside. Found the gas station store. Jackpot—more supplies than I could carry. Lucky. But I didn’t have a bag. Unlucky. I’d have to make two or three trips to haul everything back to base, which meant more chances to get killed.
While looting, I heard movement outside. Figured it was just one zed, but when I stepped out, five of them were waiting for me. Shit. No choice but to fight. I think I’m getting used to taking them down in small groups. Not sure if that’s a good thing or not.
Took what I could—food, chips, bottled water. Found an empty gas can, too. If I can’t figure out how to use the pumps, I’ll have to siphon from wrecked cars. No idea how to do that yet. Fuck.
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The walk back to base was too quiet. I should be grateful, but it just felt… wrong. Like the world was waiting for me to slip up. I made it home, exhausted and starving. No point in pushing my luck tonight. Ate what I could and scanned two maps I found—West Point and Louisville. Something to pass the time. Still too early to sleep, though. My nerves wouldn’t let me. Maybe I should get out there again.
Headed back to the trailer park for more looting. Goal? A bag. Any bag.
Saw a barricaded trailer. Someone had been living here. Maybe they still were. I needed to check it out.
Signs of life, but no people. The air inside was stale, undisturbed for who knows how long. Were they the ones I heard last night? The ones who were screaming? Had they left in a hurry, or had something else taken them? The thought chilled me, but I didn’t have time to dwell on it. I grabbed what I could and got out.
Looted their place. Feels wrong, but morality is a luxury now. Found some food. Attracted two zeds in the process, but I took them down without a problem.
Then I made a mistake. Opened the wrong door, tripped the wrong alarm. The sound split the silence like a gunshot, an immediate death sentence in this world. My blood turned to ice. I ran, lungs burning, feet barely touching the ground. Every stretch of open road felt like a trap waiting to spring. I didn't stop until I was home, collapsing onto the floor, heart hammering so hard I thought it would burst. I sat in the dark, gripping my weapon with shaking hands, listening to the alarm wail into the night. Every second stretched unbearably long, my ears straining for the inevitable growls and shuffling feet. Waiting for the swarm. Waiting for the end.
Minutes passed. Then an hour. Nothing came. But I didn’t sleep.
When the sun started to rise, I went back outside. Checked some wrecked cars—still nothing useful. But then, I saw them: storage garages. If I was lucky, there’d be something worth taking. If I wasn’t, I’d just wasted more time and energy.
Ran into a couple of zeds on the way, took care of them, but my body was screaming at me to stop. Pushed forward anyway.
Pried open a few storage units. Found a generator. A massive find. I don’t know how to use it yet, but I know I’ll need it. Also grabbed a beanie to cover my head. Not a game-changer, but small comforts count for something.
Kept searching before dark. Opened 14 more storage units. Almost all of them were worthless—clothes, furniture, toys. Some completely empty. Unlucky.
While looting, I heard footsteps. Running. Human.
My breath hitched. Every muscle in my body locked up. My mind raced—could it be the people from the trailer? Were they looking for me? Did they know what I took? My grip on the crowbar tightened, my knuckles turning white. The sound of boots against pavement, hurried, desperate. Not a shambling corpse—this was someone alive. I shrank into the shadows, heart pounding so loud I swore they’d hear it. The footsteps slowed. Paused. Then kept going, fading into the distance.
I waited, counted to fifty in my head. Then I got the hell out of there.
Made it back home without trouble. Took a break, rested, showered, ate, and tried to relax. Not sure how anyone relaxes in this world, but exhaustion has a way of making you forget the fear, even if just for a little while.
Plans for Tomorrow:
- Figure out fuel. I have an empty gas can, but I need to learn how to siphon properly.
- Find a working car. If I can get one running, everything changes.
- Get a backpack. Carrying things by hand is slowing me down too much.
- Be cautious about other survivors. Today was too close—I can’t afford to be reckless again.
End of Day 3