Project Meyburn

Prologue

Prologue

First rule of living during an apocalypse: Stay alive. No, no, no, scratch that, you would probably be better off dead. But then again, no one really wants to die. As humans it is our most basic instinct to survive at all costs.

But anyway, the first rule of living during an apocalypse is TRUST NO ONE. Not your neighbor who has always brought you flowers, not that random Target employee who seems way too nice, not even the sweet old man you have known your entire life. You either start as a group—or a squad—as I call it, or you are alone. Neither is the best option, but you still have to choose one. To begin, if an apocalypse ever does happen in your lifetime—which it probably will given our species' inherent need to self-destruct—you either set off by yourself or you join forces with other people that you know. Being in a squad is helpful for keeping each other safe, but it also limits the food you can eat, because everything has to be rationed equally. But, on the other hand, being a loner is highly dangerous. Other squads can and will ambush you, steal all of your gear, and most likely kill you just to avoid dealing with you in the future. So, basically you've got to pick your poison.

Now, here is where the two are connected: Do not—I repeat, do not—ever join a group that seems friendly, because 99.999999 percent of the time, they aren't. Yeah, I know you are probably going to say that I'm insanely paranoid and all that, but I'm technically the expert here so bear with me: never join a group that seems open to accepting you. This is a very common technique that is meant to lure sweet, naïve people into their trap. They will steal your weapons and food and probably slit your throat while they are at it because that is just how the world works nowadays.

With that being said, on to the story. My name is Amber, and this is a story—or journal, or memoir, or whatever you want to call it, of how I—I mean we, survived the apocalypse.