Red Winter Read Free

girl disturbed me. I know she would have infected me, but I've never killed someone before. I mean, I can't even remember the last time I was in a fight. Middle school, maybe?

It makes me wonder about people who try to blame video games for violence. I've played video games for my entire life, and uber-violent ones since my parents would allow it, but killing a person, even an infected person, is a completely different thing. I keep seeing her in my dreams, her blood covered mouth, her tangled hair, her ear-piercing cries.

But that fight is in a different time, a different world. None of that matters now, only survival.

Once I finally got up the courage to leave again, I explored the building pretty thoroughly. I only ran into a couple of infected, but instead of fighting, I locked them in their rooms. They seem to have trouble with doors.

For the most part, the building is deserted. I'm not sure if everyone evacuated or was just somewhere else, or what, but a lot was left behind. Unfortunately, most of the food was spoiled when the power went out, but I was able to salvage a little bit. More importantly, I found a 3G wireless card that worked and a gas generator in the garage beneath the building and a few cans of gas, enough to power my computer and run a space heater when the weather turns, which it has lately.

The only problem is, the noise attracts them.

I've been keeping it on the balcony to keep the exhaust out of my apartment, but just over the noise of the motor, I can hear the collective moan of the horde standing beneath me, shuffling around aimlessly as they search for their next meal. During the day, I sit and watch them beneath me, massed together like a lynch mob that has cornered their victim and is only biding their time to take him to the gallows.

I can only hope that they don't figure out a way into the building. There's no way I can fight that many off.

I have never been much on religion, but I have taken up praying, hoping against all else that someone is out there reading this, that there are other survivors clinging to the hope of rescue like I am, that the army is still active, still doing their best to control the situation, and that they haven't given up on finding those left uninfected.

If you are somehow reading this, know you are not alone.

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

    Oh Holy Night

    It seems fitting that I'd be spending Christmas alone. The past few years, I've found myself spending less and less time with my family. My parents divorced when I was in college and I took my mom's side, alienating myself from my father. I eventually forgave him, but any time we are together, it's very awkward, such to the point where Christmas and Father's Day are the only times we see each other. My mother married a new guy and I absolutely despise him. Last time we were together, the arguing escalated until I broke his nose.

And yet, on this day, what would normally be a joyous day, I'm stuck here, feeding myself off canned food and a hot plate plugged into a gas generator. I would give anything to see someone: my cheating father, my pushover mother, even my asshole stepfather and his spoiled kids.

I treated myself to a little extra tonight, even though it's a waste of gas. I hooked up some Christmas lights, giving my apartment the first artificial light other than my computer screen since the power went out. It really is beautiful, the flashing colors against the dark backdrop of the dead city. I even played some Christmas music on my computer to lighten the mood and drown out the cries of the infected.

Maybe this night will help me, maybe this glimpse of civilization, though brief, can get me through. It gives me hope, and however artificial, it is still hope.

Right now, that is all I have left.

Merry Christmas, everyone. Maybe for just tonight, the survivors can forget their struggles and remember for just a moment what is was like to live in a normal world.

Saturday, December 29,