Quick Message

Just a quick message to let people know I've left Soot finally. I'm sorry it took so long to get back to you all, but despite having regular access to things like air conditioning, heating, and other electrical convienances there was not a regular access to an internet connection there. Part of the reason I left. That and I finished convincing Soot to work out a trade with New Haven. The details aren't overly important, but hopefully it'll be lucrative. So now I'm gonna head toward Virginia before stopping into D.C. and seeing what's left there. I really wanna check on the Library of Congress to see if anything is left there. It'd be awesome if there was. Anyways, I gotta get going. Break time is over.

Just hanging around

So I'm just hanging around Soot (it's what I've decided to call our little Coal Mining place) waiting for word to come back from New Haven about possible trade arrangements. The folks around here are amicable enough and look forward to doing business. I'm not sure what New Haven could do with Coal, but resources are resources ya know.

I've been here for a little over a month and it's a fairly well run little town. Most everyone, seemed to have known each other before the fall and they all get along fairly well. At first they were a little weary of me, but the longer I've stayed, the more comfortable they've gotten.

The weather has been unseasonably warm which has made for an odd kind of winter. Far more rain than snow so far this year.

I really don't have a lot to say. I miss the folks at New Haven., but I have places to go, people to see.

Electric Blues

So I'm resting at one of the stops I was asked to make. Like Josh, I can't really give specifics as to where I'm at due to the fact that I've been asked not to say. Granted I don't have a whole bunch of people reading my stuff like he does, but there's that off-chance ya know. The trip up here wasn't terribly eventful. Being only one person I was able to avoid most the big clomps of zombies and the smaller ones I was able to deal with (either by avoiding or removing).  It being so cold out has helped a great deal too.  The zombies in this area don't seem quite as active nor do they seem to have caught up to the one's in the rest of the country. Mostly shamblers with the odd smarties and the occassional toughy (not sure what name Josh gave them).

So yes, about the place I'm staying at. It's not terribly large, maybe a hundred people or so. But they have a rather valuable resource. Coal, and a good amount of it. Before the fall, this place was one of the many coal mining villages that dotted landscape in these parts. These places for the most part were completely self-sufficient before the fall. So, it's made them ideal for being after. Most the people here were here before the fall with only the odd straggler coming in afterwards. They've told me they don't really have to deal with zombies terribly often due to the remote nature of their location. When they've had to deal with them, they've been fairly efficient about it. After my second day here I watched about ten or fifteen zombies approach the metal fence they use to protect themselves. The cool thing about that fence is that it''s electrified. So for the most part the zombies fried themselves on it. The couple that didn't were put down by a couple of shots from the guards in their towers.

I haven't really approached them about making any sort of trade arrangements with New Haven yet, though I plan to soon. They know that's more or less why I'm here, but I figured I could use a few days out of the cold to relax and enjoy their hospitality. That, and I like to get to know people before bargaining with them. Helps me understand them better, know what they want, so I can make the transaction as beneficial as possible for both sides. I'll talk to them in the next couple of days about the whole ordeal. See what can be worked out. 

Leaving New Haven

So I'm gonna be leaving New Haven tomorrow, to see if I can find out what's happened to Jen and a few other of my friends. Part of me is looking forward to this, while the other part of me is terrified of what I'll find. But I've never really let fear stop me from much of anything before.

The kids seem to be really upset about me leaving, but after explaining to them that I would eventually be back they seemed mostly ok with it. To be honest though, I don't know if I'll be back. Don't get me wrong. I plan to come back, I do. But winter is starting up and it maybe a long while before I CAN make it back here.

I realize that weather-wise this is a horrible time to leave, especially toward the northeast.  The snows they get there make ours look small and pathetic. But I can't just sit here and wait. I have always been driven forth by my curiosity and my need to "know things".

In preparation I'm taking a good chunk of supplies with me, and Josh has been kind enough to let me know of a few groups that might be up there that I can drop by and visit with. He's also asked me to see if I can make any in roads with them. Help set up the massive trade network he's building. So I'm going to see what I can do. I like to think of myself as likable enough. So it shouldn't be too hard. Hopefully. I'm also being allowed to take one of the trucks and some fuel which is good. I know how hard fuel is to come by.

I should probably get off of here though, continue to pack up and plan my route. I think I might go through West Virginia first. It'll be an interesting trip I think.

Things

I've not written in here in a VERY long time. I suppose partially cause of how busy things have been at New Haven. I think some of it cause I've never been very good at expressing myself in a written format. I always have trouble thinking of how to put my thoughts into words. If that makes ANY sort of sense. I'm not sure it does. So yeah, for a bit Josh was letting me use his blog to post. Namely as a way for us all to keep better in touch when we were scattered from New Haven (what I was calling the compound). But I've not written anything since I've gotten back.

I've been feeling lonely. Heck, I've felt that way since I got here. I just always kept myself busy so I'd not notice. But in the minutes before sleep, I think about things. I wonder if any of my other friends are out there. If they are still alive. I wonder about Jen. Me and her weren't quite dating when this all happened but we still cared for each other. Now, here it is years later and I wonder how she is. I keep debating on going out to look for her, and maybe some others I know were around.

I know it'd be foolish and almost certainly dangerous for me to do. I know that in leaving New Haven would lose a teacher. But honestly, I think I've taught enough to others that they can spread those teachings to others. I already was getting Philip set up to be my replacement, so maybe he'll be able to handle things if I go.

I need to talk to Josh about this. See if he has any sort of advice. The man always seems to have an opinion on something. So maybe he can give me a bit of clarity in this. I should probably talk to Jess too. She's about as close to a friend as I have in this place anymore.

I think about all the people who've died here since I've arrived. Darlene, Little David, Roger, and now Mason. I miss them. Even though I never really got to know them very well, there was small things they did and I miss those small things. 

Anyways, I guess I'll stop yammering on here and go make the rounds, talk to some people. See how people feel about this prospect of me leaving.

A Cold Chill Close to Home.

I'm sorry for those that might be keeping up with this, that I haven't written in quite some time.  Hopefully, you're smart and have been keeping with Josh on his blog.  I haven't had quite as much time to dedicate to this as I thought.  The people out here are so eager and willing to learn new things that I often find myself swamped trying to set up new lesson plans.  We lost one of our own recently.  First one since I've gotten here I think.  Roger was his name.  I remember reading about him before getting here, and I remember talking with him a couple of times. He seemed like a really good guy.  I found it ironic that he spent so much time trying to protect Josh, that the one time Josh was relatively safe, he died.  I suppose it was his time.

It's gotten so much colder here.  But that's good.  The zombies seem to be really poorly affected by the cold.  I really wish I had some proper science gear here.  Now would be a prime time to study them.  Figure out their different hormone and chemical levels.  Find out on a fundamental level what this bacteria does to them, and see if maybe some kind of antibody could be produced into the system.  I can only assume the bacteria attacks the auto-immune system first, so I'm curious what would happen if we could figure out a way to kick start the immune system back up, what it would do.  Hm.  Maybe introduce another bacteria into the system like strep or something.  I should really talk to Evans about this.  He's the doctor on hand.

I've started spending a bit more time with people.  Not really getting to know them, but just hanging around them.  Though, one of the girls here does seem to have some sort of interest me.  Least, she wasn't afraid to approach me anyways.  Persistant too.  Wouldn't let me get out of talking to her.  But honestly.  I didn't mind.  She was pretty cute, and it's nice to have someone taking such an interest in me, and the polite stubbornness reminded me of my old group of friends.  She probably would've fit right in.  Who knows, maybe I'll warm up to her.  I'll have to ask if she games.

Josh also told me about the plan to coordinated transferring some of my students to Jackie and honestly, I love that plan.  My knowledge of the technical and mechanical nature is limited and it would be good to send them for proper training.  I'm much better at history, culture, and the sciences (like Biology, Geology, etc..) than anything else.  Though I tend to know a bit about everything.  Part of doing so much college I suppose.  I need to get myself involved in exercising and these hand to hand courses.  My own hand to hand is horribly rusty, and really, I need to keep in shape.  Especially if those bastards from Richmond try anything again.  What I wouldn't give for dad to be around.  He'd probably be able to help us guess the next step, him being all Military Intelligence and such.  I wish I could remember more of the stuff he taught me.  No doubt it'd be useful now.  I'm worried of a full attack from them.  I don't think we'd be able to handle that, especially if they had other helicopters or heavy artillery.  They really bother me..and I have a really bad feeling when it comes to them.  I just hope I'm wrong.

Come Back Safe

I just got the news.  So many dead up in Michigan, it chills my bones, and I'm reminded of my own loss.  My own friends.  My heart hurts.  I can feel the pain of all they knew, all those that loved them, and know that pain.  I want to cry.  I haven't cried since before the fall.  Not really cried.  I need to cry.  I want those we sent up to come back safe.  I realize I've gotten close to Will.  Consider him a friend even.  I need them to come back safe.  All of them.  I'm sick with death.  I'm so very sick with death.  You would think with it constantly surrounding us, we would be used to it by now, but I am sick with it.  I feel for Jack's people.  I wish I could be there, comforting, helping in some way.  Damn me for being a selfish bastard.