Damaged

1

Even before the 'zompocalypse', I did not have the perfect life. I was homeschooled, taught by my father. We had regular teachings but most of what I was taught were things like which berries were safe to eat in the wilderness and how to throw a knife to land perfectly in someone's skull. People called my father crazy for the things that he taught me but I called him gullible - for believing in all of the lies about the world ending soon. He would always say that when the time came, he wanted me to be capable of protecting myself. It's not something that I want to admit, but I slowly began to think just like the others on the outside of my family- that my father was crazy. But when shit hit the fan and we realized that he was right all along, I couldn't tell if he was lucky or just knew something that nobody else knew.

My father used to work for the military. Maybe that's where he started to lose his marbles. After twenty something years of serving, he decided he didn't want to be in it anymore. My mom would tell me how my father didn't act like that before. But the longer he served, the weirder he would act. The more.. paranoid he would act.

It's been a long time since I've seen my father. For he's been dead for awhile now, but I remember how he used to give off this aura that he was all-knowing and prepping for the future but maybe if he knew about the zombies, maybe then he could've survived.

Nobody knows what started the zombie virus. Maybe ebola had adapted into it. Maybe God caused it. Hell! Maybe we just wished it in to existence from all the books, movies, and tv shows that were created about them. But from the way my father acted during his time in the military, I have my own idea of what happened.

Either way, everyone has the virus in them. If we die, we turn. If they bite us, we turn. The only way for us to actually die and not come back, is by damage straight to the brain. Exactly how it was in the movies. I wonder if my dad knew that, after all, he always made sure that I aimed for the head during our lessons.

Now, I don't believe everything like my father but I certainly believe in the fact that this virus was man made. And when I find the person who created it, I will murder them before they can even exhale.

The past couple years have been absolute hell. I might've liked watching this life on television but living it is an entirely different story. Especially sense I've been alone for the majority of it. My father used to tell me that if something were to happen to him that I should never group with others, it would only lead me to my death. He would say that when the apocalypse came it would be best to be by myself as it is easier to look after one and not many.

If only he knew how lonely and crazy one can become from being secluded for so long. That's why I was grateful when I was saved by a guy named Vasquez. We traveled together for a year and he quickly became my best friend. He had a wife and daughter but they were killed pre-z. He carried that burden everywhere. We lost each other about 2 years ago. Since then I've been on my own, traveling to wherever the wind takes me.

I came from Georgia and was heading to New York until Vasquez came along and said that place was a no go and that Cali was where we needed to be. I didn't object since I didn't have anything better to do. It's not like I had any goals I was working on before he came along, just surviving in this crazy world. The only reason I was heading to New York was because I've always wanted to go and I thought, better late than never. But the longer I had thought about it, the more ridiculous it seemed. After all, New York was one of most populated places in the States. Which means a shit ton of zombies, which in turn leads to my impending doom.

Even though Vasquez and I have long since been separated, I still chose to head west in hopes that I will come across him in my journey. So there I sat, in an old beat up jeep wrangler that I found with nothing with me but my trustee katana, a shotgun, and some essentials. Though I barely have any food, hopefully just enough to last me until I can stop to scavenge for some more. I can only hope that I have enough gas to last too seeing as the gas gauge no longer works.