Zombies Don't Burn

The weather has been hot and dry which makes for good traveling.  Dr. Jividen was down from New Portland staying with us in our small FEMA compound.  We were running at Ft. Clatsop on the Fort to Sea trail.  Dr. Jividen was looking for signs of the Mortis virus in the surrounding woodlands.  It was all routine.

We had bicycled to the start of the trail out at Sunset beach then ran it out to Fort Clatsop and nosed around there for some time before the sun was threatening to set and it was time to make tracks back to our bikes and get behind the fence before night fall when the zombs are at their most active. 

This entire time we had not seen any Zombies at all.  While Grants people were with us last year they had taken considerable time to chop off heads and burn or bury bodies thus decreasing the danger and general population of the local Zombies - as long as one did not go over near Seaside.  As I've written previously Seaside is a very dangerous area full of tourist zombies. 

So on the way back we are almost to our bicycles when we see white plumes of smoke from around the bridge.  A voice from far away yells at us, "Don't Go Down There!" 

But of course we had to.  Apparently there were some zombies, shamblers, and whoever yelled at us or possibly someone else thought to dispatch it by setting the whole place ablaze. 

We had to go through.  The trail was still there and sandy which acted like a fire break but it was also very narrow so we went through the bracken and hoped the fire did not jump.

It was very warm.

I was worried about the soles of my sneakers melting when I hit areas that were black from being recently burned.

We made it through okay and up the hill enough to see three zombies shambling onward toward whoever had set the fire.

Burning an area to make it zombie free is never a good idea!

1 Year Later - Arrival at the Sand Wastes

My blog is a year old - crazy. 

It has been a year of writing.  I'm no longer at Fort Stevens, as of last weekend.  We moved into the old FEMA camp which is on high ground.  The camp area drained an existing wetland and all that was left was endless sand.  It's everywhere. 

We - the Commander and I.  <3  No regrets. 

At the FEMA compound modular homes were setup in neat militant rows and they all were fenced so survived the apocalypse really well.  The entrance of the camp was hidden more or less from tourists.  The Commander and myself have a tidy little house with all the amenities that a post civilized world can offer.  Some days this includes a hot shower. 

I've adopted an orange hair tom cat.  He catches grasshoppers and brings them to me.  This is the high ground encase of earthquakes / tidal waves.  FEMA put in a big chain link fence with barbed wire around the entire perimeter.  (Thank you government paranoia!)  There is also a lot of drainage keeping this from reverting to wet land. 

Leaving the Fort was so hard.  In these times when you call a place home you figure that's where you'll always be.  So much has changed. 

The new location in the sand wastes allows me to run Astoria, Hammond, Warrenton Oregon areas and someday I will cross the Megler bridge into Washington.  Bicycles are now an important part of our operation.  Some of Grant's people are here and ride guard so I can get across Young's Bay safely. 

I've been visiting the Astoria Library remains when I have time and picked up several books of interest this week.  Several Vegan cookbooks, embroidery and bead craft I think I brought home this time.  I have an utter passion for vegetables.  Wondering if this sand could ever grow anything. 

It would take me too long to fill you all in on what happened to Dr. Jividen, the Mortis virus, and the final demise of the Forts tourist population, but I will be writing of my continued adventures.

Officially - Rain Runner 5 

After April - Rain Runner 5

Rain Runner reporting for duty.  This Monday is my first real day of training back as a regular runner.  The summer had me training a young Runner by the name of Ian.  Ian says running is just way too hard.  He makes me laugh and now that I'm running solo again I miss the company. 

Three days a week I'm in Astoria (what used to be Oregon) running supplies for colonies on board the big ships.  The runs are mostly short - 2 miles at a time but on Monday I start cross training for much longer runs as my feet can handle after being injured in April. 

I'm doing better with my food intake since becoming Vegan.  Something added to the meat, particularly beef made me eat way too much.  After coming into a stash of canned beans I've been more or less alright and slowly losing weight and running better, albeit I need to get back into my former running shape prior to November. 

The rain is coming.

The rain forest has been beautiful.  Warm.  Inviting.  Paradise.  But soon the rains will begin again.  Time to get ready. 

October orange henna dye

Bike parked in local shelter while I gathered supplies. Fort residents make fun of me on it because it's powder blue and no frills.


I'm doing pretty good on my eating. It has been about two weeks. Easter is coming and I had some jelly beans but otherwise I've been good.

I tried to run today, convinced that maybe just .25 of a mile then walking wouldn't hurt. Pain exploded in my ankle at less then a tenth of a mile.

The Commander found new shoes for me to wear. Under Armor brand with more cushion then I'm used to. I usually wear minimalist shoes. But anyway, even with the heavier shoe my ankle tendon was unworkable. I wonder how long it will take to heal. I worry about ambush out in the wild and having to run for my life and leave the safety of my bicycle. It's all I have now.

I used the Henna from Seattle and dyed my hair an October Orange / Red hue that shimmers in the sunlight with lots of tones and highlights. I think it's really pretty. I'm catching plenty of shit about it however. That's all there is for now. I wish I could be more useful around here.

Ankle

I just returned from Seattle. I was doing some running tests up there with their runners and was trying to do my fastest and most enduring pace. I felt something give in my ankle, was pretty sure something had broken around the tendon and yes it did hurt but I kept running. I didn't want to let the Commander or Ft. Stevens down.

Seattle, what a wild futuristic crazy place that is. It is nothing like laid back glad to grow their own potatoes New Portland. It's edgy and sleek and dangerous and so many things all at once I would get vertigo just standing downtown in the streets.

We collected in Moore Theater downtown for running trials. I did well but as soon as I returned to the loft with the Commander I was limping severely. I was given crutches. The rest of the try outs to join Seattle were out for me. The Commander was trying out for a position within the downtown operations but the engineers passed on him without saying why.

Moore theater:








I was invited back to run September, the great race. Thirteen miles at a 9-11 minute mile pace minimum speed. So I start training tomorrow but I have to stay off my ankle so it will be weights, yoga, riding my bike and anything else I can find to do. I wish I could just go get an MRI and find out what broke and how long it will take to heal, but as it is I know I will be rushing it as it is.

I told you I had a trainer now right? He's overseeing my training and my eating. I've been eating pretty well. Not so good in Seattle because there wasn't fresh produce unless you wanted to spend a ton of money. We have little money so that was out of the question. I did come home with a new bicycle that suits me very well and I'm keeping it indoors beside my bed. I also bought some Henna dye and plan to color my hair and see what shade of red it turns out. The lady who sold it to me didn't know. The Commander was given some Seattle shirts after his tour of their facility. The told him to keep trying that the only constant was change.

I am so glad to be home but so intimidated by training tomorrow. I am so scared I'll fail. So scared I'm too old and too fat to do this. It will be an amazing race if I can just make it...


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Junkie

Today I'm on restrictions and putting off the cleaning duty I pulled. I ran my five mile circuit per usual this morning but distracted. I, Runner 5, am in big trouble.

I thought my biggest problem was losing weight. I thought that everything I did toward that goal was toward the best interest of the Fort and everyone in it.

So I took the Methelphenedate I recovered for myself. I knew it from my college days when my roomies used it to stay up all night and lost a ton of weight. I found out later it is identical to cocaine in its structure and effect. I felt good, I could run longer and didn't need to sleep but after not sleeping for so long I did start to go off the rails and I had to look for something else. I told no one I was using it for weight loss.

I found a certain vitamin supplement that made me vomit and sick to my stomach. As soon as it kicked in, I didn't have an appetite.

I would stash my food rations and keep certain recovered items like chocolate for myself - after all, I was doing all the hard work, why not treat myself? So that's how the binges of thousands of calories began to happen and happen and happen.

I tried to just run more and run extra after each binge but the rainy season and the arrival of bikes from Grant's group just meant less exercise. I put on weight. Desperately I starved myself to lose it. Sometimes I could go as long as three days but then binge again and the eating might not stop for awhile, I would let myself go and gain more weight.

I thought that my problem was that I was fat. I thought my problem was I wasn't a good enough person to lose weight and be a thin runner. I thought my problem could be fixed by a diet. I was dead wrong.

Dr. Tom at the fort outed me. He sees addiction as addiction and my behavior was full of clues he just didn't know what addiction I was hiding.

The Commander (who only knows that I snuck food - not about the drugs) restricted my access to most things around the camp and is sending me only on nature runs not near any settlements. But that will end tomorrow. I have to run to Astoria and other nearby towns even zombie infested Seaside. I'm needed too badly.

The Commander doesn't know how to handle my illness, "you're not fat, why are you trying to lose weight?" I feel like I have betrayed everyone at Fort Stevens. I know I've lied, been manipulative ,self-centered and not a very nice person. I see that now but can't see a way out. I still dream of being about half my size. I tossed some of the pills but it is painful physically to dump all of them. I'm in trouble here. I get that now.

I've got a lot of secrets.


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Location:Ft. Stevens State Park

The Second Half of March

It's a long way to the top if you want to rock-n-roll" - AC/DC

It feels like a long way to the top. Seattle settlement agreed to take us in. That was months ago. We just wait and they make excuses. Getting there is problematic but they have resources. Grant went with several of his people and sent word we could go as well. We sent them some of our technology ahead, particularly programming to get essential communication systems back on line. They were grateful, they used the tech, and here we sit.

Seattle means hot showers, balanced meals, a technology hub to work from - a lot less running and more using my skills. We've heard all kinds of stories but I don't know how much is true. Stories about vast green houses, helicopters, armed perimeters and soft linen to sleep on in heated quarters. Hell yeah. *sigh*

I'm Runner 5 in the Pacific Northwest I run for Fort Stevens. I haven't written in awhile as the days just run together so maybe I should catch up.

We've lost most of our members to Portland. When it looked like the fences would fail and Grant left many took off but we still had a lot of technology in the bunker and I and a few other remained loyal and we stayed.

I've been trying to make a green house and grow us some vegetables but my seedlings are leggy and not doing very well. There isn't enough sunlight in this place to grow crap.

Dr. Jividien? Yes, she is still here but the work goes slowly because although I do supply runs, finding her supplies is really difficult. Seaside Providence Hospital has been picked clean and there are so many zombs in Seaside I hate that run.

I typically only run 5-7 miles per day. I know that the Providence runners and Portlandians can go much farther and faster and I guess I always feel like I let my camp down a little bit. Seriously after doing a bunch of farm chores and survival and then running...all I want to do in the afternoon is nap. The only time I sleep good. Night isn't good.

The idea of not struggling for survival every single day -- Seattle why? We know people there....they have our tech...they talk to us but won't let us in. WTH. Every day I wonder... do I plant, do I repair the fence, do I spend my resources on this or am I going to leave tomorrow? But it has been months.

Grant did send us a USB hard drive full of tv and radio which was appreciated. With the warmth the zombs will be back in force. People on the move will be coming in for supplies. The Skunk Cabbage is blooming, the elk bulls are shedding their horns, the garter snakes are out from hibernation and the world starts anew. Local herd count 60 elk, but that's 20 missing - females having young or have they split off?

Keep shining. Keep moving.

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Location:Ft. Stevens

ink

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Zombie Dodge Ball

The Commander has been working on our map system (seen in photo) and working to add more pill boxes (look out towers that are defensible positions) along the perimeter.  We heard that New Portland was attacked but it appears to be a badly strung together mob desperate for food and not the civil war brutality rumored on Ruffle Net. 

My own work has been simple: RUN. 

The weather most days have been fair with about 45 degrees our average temperature.  Some days it's windy.  When it rains it generally lets up for an hour or two, which I believe, is dictated by the tides.  The tides have a lot to do with the wind and cloud activity this close to the ocean. 

I run out to the Quarantine zone but generally stay off the sand dunes.  Okay it's silly I just don't like sand in my shoes and I see the ocean plenty (and last time I was stuck between wild dogs and zombs).

I cut off all my hair.  It was coming in grey and there is no more hair dye.  It's a salt/pepper mix and not bad looking - except I still look rather young in the face because of my large eyes so it's a strange look I suppose all in all.  It's a snap after a shower and if I have to go back out on a run it dries quickly and I don't freeze off my rumpus.

Oddly enough the ladies at the camp kinda sniffed and said, "My husband would never let me cut my hair."  None of them are grey either, even people older than me.  I just hit it early I guess.  The Commander said it looked cute.  He didn't seem to mind the grey. 

He has been later and later to bed and our tv watching is sometimes curtailed for days.  He's worried.  General Grant is thinking of leaving altogether along with many runners and going to Portland.  That will leave the Commander almost back to square one again.  With people gone how will we defend Fort Stevens?  How will we have enough people to plant and produce everything our fort needs?  Will we all end up leaving?  And there is the cruxt.

The Commander is thinking about leaving. 

All the stress day after day and thankless tasks - but he has friends in Seattle and he could be a part of a real militia that is organized with trained soldiers and has fortifications that aren't all made of tin and scrap pieces of old junk.  Seattle he tells me is quite well put together.  If he goes he wants me to come too.

I don't know.

Fort Stevens is my home.  Where would I even run in a place like Seattle?  They probably have motor bikes and that sort of thing....I wonder if it snows there....it never ever snows here. 

Goodnight Fort - Runner 5

The Rain Comes Down

It was 4:30am -- "Commander, are you awake?"  I whispered.  He growled in response.  "I don't feel good" I, Runner 5, whispered.  He wearily blinked open his eyes and looked over and scratched his beard. 

"Anxiety again 5?" He whispered.   I nodded with worry and panic.  "Dreams back?"  He asked I nodded feeling stupidly vulnerable. 

He grabbed the edge of my cot and pulled it over to his and in one motion scooped me over to his cot and cushioned me under an arm. 

"Deep breaths" he said.  I tried my hardest to breath deeply but my heart was in flight or fight mode and I felt like I was dying. 

"Deep breaths"  he said again, himself almost nodding off.  I nestled my head in the crook of his shoulder and he took my hand in his. 

"Think of something funny"  he said.  Like last week at the lunch line when we ran out right as it was Edwards turn and he had dry rations.  Edward was the largest among us and the biggest eater.  I giggle softly.

"That's better" he said, "you have training in the morning you need some sleep."  He said.

"I can't sleep" I stated, I "I just can't."  

But he did retty soon and patted my hair on and off although I think it was in his sleep until morning revelry sounded and it was time to get up.

"Five it was just that run, it did you in, messed with your head.  You'll be better."

"I don't knowCommander, it has been five days now and I'm still having problems"

"You need to be running again.  You've had too much time off.  Not good for someone like you."

"Commander," I said in a little voice as he geared up for the day.  "I never said anything but I'm bipolar and I have a severe anxiety disorder.  It comes and goes and in the winter I get really sick sometimes.  Not always.  Sometimes I do well for years -- but inevitably."

"I know 5.  It's okay.  Everyone's got something."   There it was my worst darkest secret I was afraid he would find out.  "What can I do to help?" He said.  I never had anyone ask me if they could help before.  I expected everyone to be scared of me or think I was a freak.

"I just need some meds - but it won't stop 'this' you know - but it might help it from getting worse.  They're not a cure, it's just management.  I wish they helped more, but they don't."  He nodded.

"Get on that then 5, and I know you're tired, you never did sleep did you?  But go train.  Give me a solid hour putting in miles in the gym today.  Give your anxiety a place to go, got it?"  I nodded getting up.

I got up and before he left he pulled me into a hug and kissed my forehead and I knew I would love him forever.  

Battle to the Pacific 10k Run Nov. 2nd 2013

Lyman Mishler bunker - pictured above, runs far underground, nestling a catacomb of old offices under the hill.  The electricity to it has been out and there are stalagmites growing from the floor but the Commander is working on it as a point of retreat, large enough for everyone to get into if we're attacked or over run by zombies.

There are tunnels that snake out from Mishler - only large enough for a single person at a time to crawl through but it allows for routes of entry to bring in supplies.

The problem is - how to get enough supplies into Mishler and the electricity going again?  Both Grant and the Commander are busy working on the details with a team they've put together.  So - I haven't seen the Commander since my run and since we returned from the trail with a very happy Dr. Jividen.

The Run

I wasn't sure how many runners were running.  Many were from Grant's outfit and are very fit looking although it turned out in practice they didn't know quite enough about running so unfortunately we lost two people but I didn't know them.  I know it's bad, but it's hard to mourn people you don't know in these times.

Dr. Jividen returned with an ensnared elk that has a deviation of its teeth making them rather nasty, long, yellow and brutal - and it now craves meat.  She's so excited, she named him Lucifer.  She's testing him for Mortis or to see if it's yet another sub-strain of the zombie plague.  What will we feed it? I kept asking and I was told politely to shut up - let the grownups work.

It was really windy, up to 25mph gust and we started at Coffenbury lake on the trail, ran up to I think Delura Beach Dune Trail - over to South Jetty - Down to the bridge and back over making a loop of six miles.  I started in the rear on purpose.  There were a lot of jittery runners and I knew they would break off at top speed.  That wasn't me.  I held back and I started with my slowest pace, a warmup pace.  No use burning up all my fuel the first mile.  I was still running that mile when I started passing the other runners - walking, limping along - already.  Lactic acid build up is a bitch. So I ran most of the distance at the same pace only walking a bit over the bridge.

The zombies were out but a little subdued.  I was surprised.  Midpoint on the run I looked around and there was no one in front of me and no one behind me.  The thicket around the trail is thick and zombies can emerge unexpectedly so I kept moving and didn't let my guard down.  Soon the run was over and I was pleasantly surprised to be alive.

I guess a swarm had attacked at the back of the pack and taken out a couple of walkers before the snipers were able to contain the zombs.

There was a truck full of gear and samples that Dr. Jividen collected, and of course the two bodies.  She was unperturbed and called it a huge success.    I didn't get to see what all she collected, from who or how since I was running but it sounded encouraging.  She's working with New Portland and making progress.

Well readers - I hear the Commander.  I think he is finally home.  I'm just resting in my bunk today since its my day off.

Don't Be Nervous

I've been training for this run, a test of Dr. Jividen's Mortis theory - that it slows down zombies.  They're going to dart them (raided a Vet supply shop that darted local elk awhile back) and see what happens.  I'm the bait.

I'm running a six mile loop as fast as I can, but not so fast that I have to walk or run out of fuel because if I walk I'm dead.  They'll come from the trees and behind and even in front of me and I have to out run them. 

Dr. Jividen who loves weapons is setting up a blind up in a tree where she plans to sleep overnight.  She also has some nets to deploy to catch "fresh specimens" and a whole host of tests she's setup.  She has about a dozen people along the trail in trees with either darting equipment and guns making it "safer". 

The Commander who was going to run with me injured his knee.  He won't even be at the starting post.  For some reason having him there was giving me a lot of courage and reinforcement that everything would work out alright. 

He just says, "you've got this, you do this all the time - just do what you usually do." 

I typically don't have the panic button in my head going off at full - what if I hyperventilate and can't breathe to run?  The first mile will be the hardest - the first mile my brain always thinks its in charge but after it finally realizes I'm not stopping it shuts up, turns off and I just RUN. 

Whatever happens - my foot, my knees, my calves - I'm ignoring it.  I just have to run and keep running and find whatever deep recess of power I might have inside that has been since now untapped.  I've read about runners finding that inner power -- do I even possess such a thing?  I hope so or I'm probably zombie food.  I've worked hard on recovering my feet, stretching my hamstrings - God, will it be enough?

Goodnight Fort Stevens, Goodnight  

11PM TV

Plantar fasciitis - makes your feet feel like they want to break off.  Each step is agonizing and even though I rest when I walk or run again it's just as bad as ever.  *sigh* I hobble along when no one is watching.

Dr. Jividen and the Commander have a loop for me to run but I can't read the map correctly and they keep saying my samples are from the wrong locations so I have to go re-run my mission.

I run the paths everyday and if they tell me, "North of Swash Lake" -- I know that and can follow it.  Or if I could draw my own map of how I see the trails in my head and how the directions 'feel' to me...I could follow that map just fine.  But their map makes no sense at all to me and today I failed to ever locate the drop from Fort Rilea.

The Commander is going with me in three days time to run the course and get it worked out in my head but I'm worried he's lost faith in me. Worse, he's fast as a runner.  He's over six foot tall so I'll have to put on some speed and speed work is what absolutely KILLS MY FEET.  OUCH!! 

My results came back from New Portland and my kidney Creatinine level was a 1.1 which was a drop from the 1.2 and 1.3 it generally stays at.  So although I'll still have to urinate every five minutes and dehydration is still an issue as well as fluid retention, I'm okay.

I have colitis again.  A genetic foible like my kidneys.  I can't digest fructose and we have a lot of dried meal packets.  Some must have dried fruit or tomatos or citric acid.  I don't know where the offending food is coming from yet.  It's hard to run when your abdomen is in a lot of pain.  Ironically it also makes me hungry.  I guess it's from not digesting food too well.  I've been having a marathon

of hot chamomile tea.  I also secured me some aloe and L-Glutamine so as long as I can figure out which food is causing the inflammation, I can cure it. 

When the Commander comes in around eleven pm he ceases being the Commander.  He peels off his shirt and dons a housecoat and we watch funny cartoons on the laptop.  This week he has us watching, "China IL" a Brad Neely cartoon.

During the day he's like a different person.  Him and Grant have a committee put together.  They say if we're going to get attacked it will be before winter sets in.  No one wants to have to deal with the rain.  It has been unseasonably clear lately.

Dr. Jividen says that regular zombies can be reinfected with Mortis slowing them down and eliminating their blood lust.  She says we could use Mortis infected ...individuals....as bait for our local zombie population.  The Commander thought the idea was morbid even if possibly effective.

Grant's forces have taken on downtown Hammond and the South Jetty Inn quickly building fence that gives them a kind of 'chute' to Ft. Stevens, a quick retreat path.

Meanwhile I pointed out to the Commander that there is a lot of underground structures at Fort Stevens that we haven't explored.  Tunnels?  He didn't really reply to me, only vaguely acknowledged my observation.  That happens a lot.  I don't take offense to it anymore. 

I usually sleep until he comes in at 11 then I get up for an hour and watch tv with him.  I make hot tea from a little coffee pot he brought in.  He doesn't drink coffee or tea so I guess it was just for me.  He never said, he just set it up one morning.  So far he hasn't invited any of the new runners or people to bunk in our house.  I prefer it that way, people are so annoying.

I hope for a better run tomorrow.  I need to stretch.  I need to make some arch supports I guess.  I need to figure out my colitis.  Feeling overwhelmed today. 

Ominous

I sat on top of a burnt out school bus that had been dragged under the trees to rust and rot.  It was my place to meditate.

Today the Commander ran with me and he is getting better.  He's 6'2" and has a long stride so I get to go faster which today was fun.  The air was crisp and cool but not windy.  The sun was out tanning my face even darker while burning the Commanders head and arms.

I needed the time on top of the school bus because of a certain confusion growing in me over the Commander.  It was just a thing now that sooner or later at night we would end up holding each others hands and he had gone out on more runs together.  Sometimes we were alone in the bunk together making jokes and he seemed more human and vulnerable then.  We liked many of the same things and always seemed to agree.

I was imagining things - I thought to myself.  No way the commander of the entire base would fall for a puny runner.

I was still awaiting my test results from New Portland but my kidneys seemed to be doing much better.  I noted that my diet had very little sugar in it and they had begun to get better.

Every time I was around the Commander I felt funny, self conscious and odd.  I sighed.  Sometimes it was like a tickle at the back of my mind, something I should remember or dots I should have already connected.

War was coming kinda like winter -- on a day like today neither seemed likely.

Several deer wandered up under the bus browsing at the stickery berry bushes.  I didn't want to scare them.  I sat quietly legs crossed.

The last words I had with the Commander he asked if I would be available for a run tomorrow as well.
I didn't know what to make of it so decided to put it out of my mind - there was no way someone in such a high place would fall for someone like me.  He was always so busy, there had to be another explanation...

Poor Commander - it had been a brutally hard week and people had died and people had been saved and costly decisions had to be made and there was no one but him and occasionally the effervescent Grant to take it all on.  He was a solid cold stone so much of the time, but occasionally his humanity peaked out as we watched funny vids on my old laptop or when he reached for my hand in the middle of the night then he transformed and I knew it was a transformation that he only allowed me to see.  Maybe such trust made me nervous.  He was, I mused, about the most dangerous friend I could possibly have - yet also the most interesting.

A Death In The Smoke

I was out in a slow loping jog that carries me along with no worries or thoughts and I was about three miles away from camp doing some surveillance of the houses around our perimeter when I thought I was running into fog but instead the air filled with smoke.  It was fragrant from a hard wood source I could tell, possibly a hold out resident trying to get the chill out of their dwelling.  With heavy air pressure and high humidity the smoke rolled around the ground spreading out slowly like a fog.  It had saturated the area.

I couldn't breathe the damn stuff and my eyes started to water.  Visibility was going down the further I went forward, and it was the right conditions for the Zombies to get more interested in the hunt.  From my flank I heard a familiar gurgle of a zombie and possibly ahead.  It was hard to tell. 

I abruptly stopped, there was a wrecked bicycle and more noises just ahead.  My heart sunk, I picked up the bike and hopped on riding the same direction I had come as quickly as I could.  Whoever had owned the bike must have happened into the same trap and had become entangled with zombs.  It must have been one of our South Jetty Inn residents under General Grant, but which one?

I road the bike back to South Jetty Inn and returned it with as short of an explanation as I could because I'm not good with grief or comforting people.  I loped off at a steady fast jog back toward the Fort with my next mission, informing the Commander of the bicyclers death.  He would know who she was and tonight in the camp there would be a lot of hushed conversations, some tears, some fanatical terror and alcohol consumption.

I would hide in my bunk, play with my pink bouncy ball and curse the stupidity of humanity that had lit that fire. 

1000 Calories Down Today

Dr. Crow said today that if I finished my physical therapy for my ankle that we could play "CLUE Advanced Dungeons and Dragons." 

I swam, did the elliptical and took on a small run today.  The better diet is helping and I've put on more lean muscle.  The tendonitis is in both ankles but especially my right and is leading to other difficulties in my feet. 

Tonight I'm going to go wrap my ankle up in a heating roll and play a game.  

Goodnight Fort Stevens!  Goodnight! 

Grocery Shopping Day

Fred Meyers, Warrenton Oregon 10-13-13

Letters get passed along through the camp.  I have two I need to read.  One from a grandpa, and one from a cousin.  We don't know the letter writers and they're probably deceased but it's a way in which we still get mail.  A few people write back and those get sent out through the zip line the post apocalyptic USPS to destinations like New Portland and from there sent on again. 

My letter today has a photo of a thin blond woman and a man considerably shorter than her with his arms wrapped around her waist. 

You may have guessed that if I'm looking at letters I have the day off in my bunk and am trying to stay off of two very sore ankles.  Dr. Crow says I have tendonitis and something I can't pronounce that sounds like plantar fascititis.  In other words my feet feel like they're going to break off at the ankle with every step I take.

Dr. Jividen has setup a laboratory and has been spending a lot of time with Grant working on some logistics of getting information quickly to New Portland and having the help she needs on hand to process samples as well as people reporting in when they see possible Mortis infected people and animals and a bicycler dispatched to quickly check out the report.  Grant being a smooth talking people person has facilitated the arrangements as best as one could possibly hope to manage in this place. 

The Commander on the other hand - well, he lost his composure and the remnants of the Tourists have seized the opportunity to, "make their voices heard".  Just yesterday they wanted to recommission some of the forts many canons to help defend us during attack.  The canons do still work, they were always maintained --- BUT --- Fort Stevens and it's canons face out to sea so they could shoot at ships.  They're not meant to mow down people and the noise it would create.  *Cringe* 

The Commander has a hundred extra people to feed as more refugees have come in to seek shelter through the winter.  The elk in the park which he had planned on culling to help feed them may or may not be carriers of a deadly virus that causes a non-hostile form of the zombie virus.  A slow acting virus that is difficult to detect.  How the virus is transmitted and its animal hosts are unknown but it has been found in our Runner 8 whose dog was first infected and then himself despite the fact he appeared to be unbitten.  Then an elk was found with the virus and a whole host of people.  Dr. Jividen said the spread is faster than she expected.

So the Commander with shortening food stores, hostile people in his ranks has also been working on

Most Cans Were Missing Labels

widening the camp and adding residential areas adjacent to the main Fort.  Much wire and fortifications have been obtained for this reason and his right hand man "General" Grant has been working on a bold plan to expand and fortify the encampment, but the plan was to be done in phases over several years.  Dr. Jividen and myself arrived with a secret document on Mortis (which she will not disclose any details about) and news from our former runner Hero 13 that civil war had broken out.  With limited radio communications we have no idea of how much of an immanent threat is posed to the Fort.  With so much calamity driving down on our Commander he has been reserved at all times, not eating, not sleeping -- just in the Comms room or doing what he can around the camp. 

Yesterday I went on a mission with five other "Runners" (albeit all but two were on bicycles) to what was left of the Fred Meyers grocery store.  It was pretty well ransacked as you can imagine.  The smell of stuff that had rotted was only mildly mitigated by time.  We were looking for canned goods.  Those that were left were mostly missing the labels.  The bicyclers had saddle bags to pack in the canned goods.  I had a noise maker so encase zombies arrived, and we figured the would, I would lead them a merry chase (if they didn't flank me and eat me.)

As it was a bakers dozen of zombs did arrive about midway through packing up the cans.  I had found an old bottle of Coke and drank it so had some caffeine and sugar in me:  good to go. 

The problem I had with the zombs was when I got back to the Fort, the small side gate I typically run through and which is covered by one of our soldiers was locked.  So, I frantically had to run to the main gate and it was locked.  Exasperated and now almost pinned in (since the main gate is set between two thick areas of trees) I had to run up to the Marina, where I picked up more Zombs and climb up and through the hole in the fence to get inside Fort Stevens. 

As far as I know the bicycle people didn't have trouble but I think they had the radio head set with them and they opened the main gates, but luckily I had lead the zombies away because all our military personnel are gone.  Dr. Crow and Dr. Jividen are still about and a few other familiar faces but many of the Tourists and our 25 Coast Guard citizens are missing. 

The Commander bunks in my room and he finally fell asleep but he looks like hell.  He was having a nightmare.  I reached over from my cot and caught his hand in mine.  He looped his fingers through mine and held my hand tightly then rested easier.  When I woke in the morning he was gone again. 

The weather has been nice - so there is that.  Rain in the mornings generally, but the sun comes out which allows me to run missions.  Soon I'll be a rain runner, and everything will be more complicated. 

99 Problems

Hero 13

We had a transport drop us off at the Lewis and Clark State Park in Clatsop County Oregon.  I was with Dr. Jividen and today we were seeing how far Mortis, a strain of the zombie virus, had spread into the wilderness.  There were about ten miles of trails, one all the way down to the ocean from this point just past Warrenton.  With so many turned to zombies the area was far more wilderness now then it had been previously.  The zombs seemed to prefer areas in the city where human flesh was more plentiful, but we were still weary of the very quiet surroundings. 

 We had to get back to a special meeting the Commander had called but Jividen insisted we work and go out everyday and make the most of each and every opportunity.  We were hanging out at Netul landing, and it didn't make sense to me because we were more or less in the open and we weren't doing anything.  A lonely raven showed up and squawked at us.  I saw a dead mouse being eaten by a slug, that was pretty gross, but we did nothing but wait.

Forest at Fort Clatsop

Eventually I saw a runner in the distance.  Long powerful strides closed the distance easily and with grace.  He was pretty much naked I noticed, except for mud covering his skin. I recognized him, it was Hero 13, my old bunk mate from Fort Stevens.  He carried an old Coke bottle with a rolled message inside.  He ran up to Jividen and stopped handing her the bottle.  He nodded to me and clapped me on the back as he caught his breath. 

Jividen took her time reading the paper which was yellow and looked as if it had been produced on an old IBM electric typewriter.

"What is it?" I asked hesitantly.  She was very focused.

"A recipe" She replied, "for making the Mortis virus more or less anyway, and also for how it's going to be used as a weapon." 


"That's the meeting at Fort Stevens today," said Hero, "Fort Rilea was invited but we declined, you need to know war has broken out.  Alliances are forming and some say that someone attacked Canon Beach colony with Mortis and turned them all in their sleep, that it is now completely a grey colony." 

"Just think all those colonist going about their day to day business and none of them even know they're dead.  Even the animals..."  

"I'm not even supposed to be here," he continued, "Rilea has not allied itself with Fort Stevens or anyone else.  We have enough weapons to remain autonomous for a long while and fortified.  But I had to warn you."  Hero looked at Dr. Jividen.

"Someone is going to come and try to kill you.  I just heard part of it, so I don't know how, and I don't know when but I do know that you're the target.  You need to get out of here.  Like New Portland or someplace large and safe."  Hero looked at us desperately.  "The message isn't from Rilea, it was passed off to me and passed on to that runner.  It came from as far away as Tilamook, maybe even further.  It was meant to go to New Portland, but I knew you were here which is why I contacted you."  I raised an eyebrow, so it was no coincidence we were hanging out at Netul Landing. 

Jividen looked to the sky a helicopter was over head.  Time to go.  

Running Sprints With The Commander

It had been raining on and off all day and there was a camp meeting at five so I was in the bunk playing with the bouncy ball against the wall.  The Commander came in.

"Would you like to go for a run?"  He asked casually.  I had noted that the Commander had come by a pair of track shoes in the last few days and some really pathetic old blue sweat pants. 

"Sure" I replied.

So his run was more sprinting his heart out and then a walking pant.  I explained to him how his Oxygen would get better the more he ran and that he was using 'fast twitch' muscles to sprint but that 'low twitch' muscles were what would get him miles down the road and away from zombs.

He was a fast sprinter so it was a good workout for me, I don't sprint unless I have to because it burns up my energy stores. 

It was a good day until the meeting.  At the meeting all hell broke loose. 

The Seizure

Official Camp Feline - Matilda

Angel was the nurse on call.  Damn. 
"Hello Starbuck" she said snidely.  Starbuck was my new nickname from the troupe that came in with General Grant on bikes.   It was part compliment, that I reminded them of an action hero from Battlestar and part insult because she wasn't very feminine.  Angel used it as an insult.  She hated Sci-Fi, anyone that shallow did.  I stooped by her trash can and vomited into it.  I sat down heavily swaying.

"Been drinking?"  She said in a scolding manner.  If had hadn't been so sick I could have thought of all the ways I hated pretty prissy girls like Angel. 

"I've had a seizure"  I said.  "I don't remember coming here.  I need to go back home."  In my mind at that time home was my house on Russell street - not the bunker. 

"Now Starbuck, what makes you think you had a seizure?" Angel said in a snide manner.  I was stumped.  I mean I didn't exactly recall it and I couldn't put into words at that moment.  I vomited again. 

"I just have these sometimes" I muttered wiping my mouth on my sleeve.  "Where am I?"  I was briefly lost, nothing looked familiar. 

"So how do you feel during the so called seizure? Because I want you to know I'm pretty much an expert on them and I can tell YOU did not have a seizure."  Beautiful.  I don't know how long I sat there, I watched the shadows on the wall getting ever more dehydrated and then thankfully the Commander came in. 

"What's wrong with Runner 5?"  He asked sharply. 

"I think she said she had a bit too much to drink" Angel said with a bit of a musical trill and swaying her hips and flipping her hair.  Yup it was nice and glossy.  She actually giggled.

I looked up into the Commander's eyes, "Sir, I've had a seizure, I'm really thirsty, can you help me back to my bunk?"  He nodded and helped me out into the open and across the green to our bunk.

The thing was I had a run that day and Angel had cost me recovery time by wasting it telling me how I wasn't really a seizure type person.   I guess she had seen a show on tv or knew someone once and thought that all seizures were alike.  Next she could tell me how my kidneys were great. 

Dragged back to the bunk the Commander got me some water.  I drank 24oz then another 24.  Dr. Jividen was there and took a look at my pupils.

"She'll be okay" she announced, "but usually rest is required....hey....why is she drinking so much?"  Jividen asked the Commander.  He sat down close beside me.

"She has a kidney problem" he commented, "that's why she was in New Portland, they were taking some tests."

"Well, she can't eat this hard tack Commander, it's all protein laced with vitamins and fiber.  It's going to be very hard on her kidneys and as a runner she needs some carbohydrate."  He looked genuinely shocked.

"Is that what caused the seizure?"  He asked.  Jividen shrugged, "I don't know, my specialty is with the dead."

"Sorry Commander" I said, "I just didn't think.  Heavy protein taxes my kidneys but I don't know much about it.  I was diagnosed close to the time of the outbreak."  He looked grave.  I thought he was going to retire me as runner right then and there and possibly that is what he was thinking.

"Okay,"  he said, "we'll see about providing you with some apples at least.  Can you be around to run this afternoon?"  I nodded.

I felt really sore about being sick in front of Angel who probably had told the whole camp about me drinking and getting all sick in the infirmary.   There wasn't anything I could do.  I felt terrible and worse I had delayed the mission by hours.

The side gates and perimeter was on lock down right as me and Dr. Jividen were leaving.  We had to cut through the cemetery woods and the woods along the road during October spider season.  I was not happy.  I rather see a crawler than a spider. 

We did find one lone elk on the trail in front of us.  Dr. Jividen darted it and brought it down so we could take samples.  Darting it wasn't as fun and as easy as I thought it would be, the poor thing thrashed down to the bridge that spanned the creek that fed Swash Lake and would have drowned had the tied been in.  But we wrangled it around to take blood and samples.  Dr. Jividen scraped at its hooves even.  She looked inside of its mouth and opened its eyes and inspected every part of the animal - every part.  Gross.  By then it was around 5:30pm -- too close to sundown to stay out anymore and we had to cut back through the woods to the main gates. 

Dr. Jividen was humming to herself she was so happy.  Her happiness made carrying back all the samples not so bad. 

When I got back there was an apple on my bed and under it was a note, "No one listens to Angel she's a flaky bitch.  Everyone is team Starbuck," and it was unsigned on my cot.  I didn't recognize the handwriting.  Was anyone for Runner 5?  I always felt so alone, especially when I was sick, then I felt both alone and useless.