Zomblog: Snoe's Journey Read online

  I may not be religious, but I have at least read this book that these people claim to be acting on behalf of, and I am pretty sure that the God of those pages is not in cahoots with these lunatics. We have to stop them…once and for all. If we don’t, then, this will truly be the end of humanity.

  And in case you were wondering…no, we didn’t leave any of those things alive. And the one that we questioned actually died from the processes used during questioning (none of which involved a head wound). Interesting fact: it did not open its eyes after it died.

  If there is a Heaven, if there is some sort of Final Judgment…I wonder how that thing is faring. I am guessing that ‘surprised’ does not even come close.

  Monday, September 12th

  We have been moving through the mountains. The only problem is that we are coming into contact with increasing numbers of the undead. We are having to fight our way through.

  Of course, this slows down our progress considerably. We have had to move off the main trail and travel along animal trails and less accessible means. Once again, my main concern is that we will be too late. Delays have already allowed Warehouse City to fall and who knows what else.

  Also, we can see smoke rising up ahead. Most likely, another small village or community has been wiped out. My real question is how long it will take them to notice that the Anomalies that we encountered are gone. If they are as important as the one we questioned made it seem, you would think that the general will be checking out what might have happened.

  So far, the reports we get from our advance scouts is that there is no sign of anything except the previously mentioned growing number of undead that lie up ahead. The word has been given that if any sort of detachment comes back, take no prisoners and kill them to the last man or woman.

  I really have a feeling that this is the final chance. We must not only take out this threat, we absolutely must ensure that we leave none behind. All it takes is one seed to sprout a garden full of weeds.

  Part of me wars with this decision. I realize that it is what we must do, but that does not make the idea of wiping out so many human beings one that is easy to live with. And as for the Anomalies, there can be no denying that we are advocating genocide. These things are a new breed…race…whatever. While there are so many things for the good that could come from working with them, we can simply not risk the possibility of any of them surviving in their current state.

  All of my life, I have wondered about how much of who I am comes from my birth parents. There are actually books on the subject. Granted, they are not easy to find, but they do exist. There is this whole idea of ‘Nature versus Nurture’ that I guess has been debated for decades. While there are many things about the way that I am that comes from being raised by Mama Janie, there are other things that are vastly different; things that people comment are ‘obvious signs of being Meredith/Sam’s daughter’ or something similar.

  These things, these Anomalies are something that would probably make for some interesting research by people that are into that sort of thing. It is almost a shame that the opportunity will never arise.

  Also, I just went back and looked at what I wrote this evening. I have refused to acknowledge these Anomalies as actual people. I refer to them as ‘things’ or ‘monsters’ when I talk about them. Maybe that is how I will cope with the fact that I will be part of absolutely wiping out what amounts to a new species.

  Tuesday, September 13th

  We have come out of the mountains and see a walled town or fortress in the distance. There is no doubt that General Carson is there.

  We have had a huge meeting where the plan of attack was laid out. The biggest problem is that we have to surround this place and basically put it under siege. That means nothing gets in or out.

  I am really out of my element at this point. They talked about all sorts of things. The biggest thing that I took away was that we did not stand a chance in what Brian referred to as a “stand up” fight. He said that our only real chance, and he admitted more than once that it was slim, would be to use their own methods against them. Only, we will not be giving them any time to consider surrender (mostly because that is not an acceptable option). Tonight, we will be using all the resources we have to light the horde of zombies milling about their walls on fire. Just before dawn, the signal will be given and we will fire as many rounds of flaming arrows as possible into the zombies at General Carson’s walls.

  Once that fire gets going, we will adjust fire and begin shooting over the walls. Admittedly, there is not a lot of hope that we will be able to start any significant blaze, but if we get lucky…

  Teams are in place with horses to deal with any attempt to break out. The real problem/concern is still that Anomaly facility. If the maps we have are accurate at all, then that building is well within those walls that stretch for two miles on all four sides.

  Four square miles never seemed so big.

  And that brings us to the simple fact that we have nowhere near the numbers to actually completely encircle that place. We are spread far and thin. This does not bode well if General Carson reacts quickly and sends out a full-scale charge with all the forces that he has at hand.

  We are counting (hopefully not incorrectly) on his arrogance. The belief is that he feels like he can’t be touched and will probably respond initially with a smaller force. Any whittling down that we can manage will help in the end.

  So, now for some truth.

  I believe that we are destined to fail. This may never be read by a living soul. Very unlike Sam and Meredith, it is likely that this journal will be stomped into the ground along with my body when the massive army of General Carson and his Anomalies come out in force to deal with us.

  I guess that is why I can write these things down. Perhaps if I actually thought that anybody would read this, I would try to be more positive and upbeat.

  I do not believe that I am the only one who feels this way. There is a somber feeling in the camp tonight. Thankfully, we are not allowed to light any fires or even torches. We are hoping to have absolute surprise when the attack begins in just a few hours.

  So, tonight, I am sitting on a large, flat rock. The moon is dazzling and more than enough light for me to see these white pages and fill them with my ramblings. And really, that is all that this has ever been. One person’s rantings, ravings, and musings.

  Part of me, albeit a very small part, wanted to seek out Jimmy Stonekiller this evening. After all, if this is to be my end, why not spend it with somebody. Honestly, it was just a fleeting thought. My mind is far too jumbled with the thoughts of all the things tomorrow might bring.

  Seriously, I am sitting here on what may well be the true eve of destruction for all mankind. Yes, if General Carson destroys us, it is possible that somewhere, there will be a force…a settlement perhaps…that can stand against him.

  With that thought going through my head, it is too difficult for me to even consider being intimate, much less close, with somebody. That might just be me, though. I have noticed a lot of “pairing up” taking place this evening. It started just after the last meeting. Maybe those folks know something that I don’t.

  In the distance I can see a soft glow where that fortified town sits. I know that General Carson is in there with his army doing who-knows-what. I wonder if they would even care if they did know that we were out here.

  Not that I think I will be getting any sleep, but if this is to be my last night, I think I want to spend some time taking in this world. The moon…stars…even the sounds of distant animals. All of it deserves my attention. I need to have some moments of peace to just take in anything beautiful that I can.

  Wednesday, September 14th

  The actual attack has been delayed by a day.

  Riders came in the night. It seems that Betty went on a recruiting drive and rounded up every single tribe that she could find and that she and Selina have been busy gathering an army of their own. Granted, not everybody they met w
as enthusiastic about joining. I guess that most people really are hardwired to be against the idea of war. Still, when faced with elimination, more will step forward than do nothing.

  But that was only part of the good news, and now we are busy planning a new strategy. It is mostly the same one, but we will be waiting two days unless the general makes any move to leave. I just found out that a half dozen small groups have made the attempt to leave the walled town from various exits and fallen unwittingly into our hands.

  While the numbers are only a few hundred total (including a dozen Anomalies), that is still a chip in the wall of bodies that the general has to throw at us, and you never know when that chip will turn into a crack.

  Do I dare to hope?

  Thursday, September 15th

  It almost seemed like a dream. Happy moments are things to cherish these days, and seeing Betty climb down off her horse with Selina made me feel very happy. Both of them were exhausted, both of them look like they have been dunked in a barrel of zombie guts…but both of them are alive and here with me.

  I did not realize until I saw them just how lonely I felt. Sure, I am surrounded by all these people. But none of them see me as who I am. They all see this person that they want me to be. Many of them probably have walked away rather disappointed.

  Betty is probably the first real friend that I ever had. I mean, sure, there have been people that I have hung out with, people that I did stuff with as a child. But everybody knew me as Sam and Meredith’s daughter. I never knew if they really liked me.

  With Betty, I have found a friend who could not care less. Seeing her huge frame almost fall off that horse, and then to hear her curse and swear at anybody who reached in to help her up…that made my cheeks ache.

  Of course, we had to talk about all of the serious stuff, but after that we just laughed and joked. It was the first moment of normality that I think I have experienced since the NAA originally showed up and attacked the Sunset Fortress.

  As for Selina…she has turned into a bit of a bad ass. She has weapons hanging off of her everywhere. It is a wonder that she can walk toting that much hardware.

  So here is the update.

  I guess General Carson and his men arrived at Warehouse City and did not even bother with a siege. He came at night and just laid into them with his flamethrowers. A lot more people actually got away than those that were killed and/or captured. I guess almost half the people took off the day that they saw the smoke rising from the direction of the Sunset Fortress.

  What nobody could have expected was that the tribes in the area would come to see what happened, and then throw their lot in with us. It seems that Ethan Lind has had a change of heart.

  Ethan sent word immediately and made it very clear that there will be no trade or exchange with any tribe that did not answer the call. I guess that the tribes have some sort of agreement that they call “The Doomsday Pact” which states that if a situation ever arises again with the dire possibilities as when the zombies first came, that all differences would be suspended until the issue was deemed resolved.

  I asked Betty what that meant as far as numbers and made her repeat it. Seriously, I had no idea that they were so numerous. Over twenty thousand souls are a day away from joining us! While we will still be outnumbered, that difference is not nearly as vast any longer. Heck, a few more groups try to ride out and fall into our clutches, this might almost be a fair fight. Of course, you have to take away their vastly superior firepower…but heck, beggars can’t be choosers!

  Sunday, September 18th

  The air is dense with smoke; oily, thick, foul-tasting black smoke. There are screams echoing in the gloom and now a fog has settled in, coating everything with a chilled dew that, if the temperature continues to fall like it has the past couple of days, may actually turn to frost.

  To say that things have gone poorly would be an understatement. The nicest thing I can say is that we, or at least many of us, are still alive. As to what degree we inflicted casualties on our enemy, I don’t think it was anything close to what we suffered.

  We have had to pull back into the foothills. The only thing in our favor right now is the fact that there are fires burning out of control within General Carson’s walled city. The town known as Tillamook is burning. And with it, that cursed factory.

  So, here is what happened:

  Ethan arrived the next morning along with people from Corridor 26 and even a few small settlements along the way. We had to actually pull back to this little bowl-shaped valley on the other side of the last foothills before you reach the flat, marshland that leads into Tillamook.

  Angel and Brian met with Ethan and several others for almost an hour before coming out to address everybody. Since this was largely about deployment of forces and strategy, I was not included. That was fine; I would have had absolutely nothing to offer. Once they finished, they undertook the task of dividing all of the people into various groups with specific assignments.

  I actually joined a team that rode to the ridge and kept an eye for any sort of movement that could indicate that the general might be heading out. Once the battle began, our group—about a hundred of us, all on horseback—was to watch for any sign that General Carson might try to break out the Anomalies and get them clear of the fighting.

  There were three other such groups. We were placed at the main compass points surrounding the area. I was given the east side. That put the foothills and eventually the Coastal Cascade Mountains on my back.

  From where we were, we could watch a lot of the deployment positions of our troops. What we were not seeing, and that should have been a clue or a warning, was any signs of movement from within the walls.

  Just as the sky began to lighten and reveal the dark gray cloud cover that has been parked over us for the past three days, the signal was given: a lone flaming arrow shot straight up into the air. Seconds later, it was raining fire within the confines of the walled city/compound.

  Not more than a minute later, the gates on the east (facing my direction) and the south flew open and these huge machines came roaring out, belching steam and making this horrific noise. As our people regrouped and commenced their charge, sirens began from within the walls.

  What happened next was the first surprise of the day. Pouring out of the open gates were thousands of the undead. They followed the machines out into the open terrain and were promptly lit on fire by nozzles mounted on those huge steam driven behemoths. That put many of the horses in a tizzy. They have been trained well when it came to zombies…not so much when those zombies are on fire.

  Things would only get worse.

  Many of the Natives, rather than attempt to fight their animals, leaped to the ground and began to try and cut a path through the flaming sea of undead. The Freetown army were all on foot, so they were already almost to the fence when the next set of sirens began to sound.

  When those sirens came, the walls were suddenly packed with bowman who began firing these arrows that were tipped with something that made them explode. It wasn’t like they were huge explosions, but when the arrow has already pierced your skin, it doesn’t need to be much to cause amazing amounts of damage.

  Even from where I was positioned, I could see men falling, some clutching their bellies, others missing an arm or leg. The zombies began to fall on these people in droves. Between the flaming zombies and the damage already inflicted, we lost a lot of men in those few minutes.

  At last, a large group of the Natives made the gate. They disappeared through the wide open entrance…and a moment later, a grate of some sort slammed down, effectively cutting them off from us. I could hear the screams from here. I don’t know what happened to them, but not one man ever exited through those gates again.

  I made the decision to come down and join in the fight. We were supposed to act as a sort of rear guard, but when everything seemed to be falling apart, I saw no other choice. We charged down, and that is why I had to rely on what I heard versus wha
t I saw for everything else. I can’t vouch for the accuracy, but I will relate as much of the other stuff that I heard as possible in these few pages.

  I wish that I could do better. If anybody is reading this and the struggle endures because we have failed, I hope that you find at least one thing…one tiny snippet that helps you in your struggle. Lord knows, if anybody is reading this and the fight continues, then at least there is some hope. Seize it and do not let it fade, no matter how grim things look.

  So, here are some of the events as they were related to me: A group from the Freetown contingent fought their way to one of those steam-powered machines. Two of them climbed up and discovered a hatch. You had to turn this big wheel to get the thing to open, and then, once you did, you found yourself in a very dark and confined compartment with a handful of zombies and four Anomalies who were busy operating the thing.

  Both of those men ended up being bitten, but they did manage to kill the zombies inside as well as the Anomalies. The problem they faced after was having absolutely no idea how to make the machine do anything. I am sure that, given time to study it, anybody could get it to do what needed doing. Unfortunately, the two men did not have that kind of time as the zombies outside overpowered the other men that had helped them get to the thing in the first place.

  Zombies were seen pouring in the hatch as the one man from that group who survived managed to fight his way out. Fortunately, he is also immune to the bite, so the few injuries that he suffered were painful and unfortunate, but not fatal.

  One of the groups of Natives riding in on horseback was just about to go through the gate on the south wall when that barred portcullis dropped and cut them off. They could not see too much because it opens right at a T-intersection, so all they could see were the walls of the two buildings that made a sort of avenue and the long warehouse-type building that was about thirty feet inside and created the ‘T’.