Aug. 22, 2009 - 6:33am

Finally, some contact with one of my closest friends, through an RRC chat. Tough as nails this kid.

But it is what he wrote that is the most disturbing. Read for yourself.

- Communications from an RRC Chat with Dan P.

Nothing is the same now, since the 24hr curfew, this apartment complex is like a prison. Its hot as hell in here and I'm beginning to lose hope on the electric. The cops all disappeared this morning and even stranger those damn helicopters vanished. I wish they had stayed, the chilling sounds from F bldg are deafening. It really smells like a giant dumpster in here and its hard to breath. I drilled a few more vent holes threw the timbers blocking the windows.... well before the batteries went dead for good. Im glad they lasted this long. Looks like the fire in C bldg finally burned itself out too. Christ!!!! WTF!!!!! Im LOSING MY MIND!!!!!!Who the fuck is banging on the hall door!!!......I cant take it anymore! The moaning sound is strange but I think I know what it is and if im right its only gonna get worse. I have to know.......and its now.

- End of communications

Aug. 22, 2009 - 12:01am

Im feeling very vulnerable with my windows exposed, the doors are strong though. But its the windows that are the week point to this house. The wife is on supply detail, tallying up all the food and water we currently have in the house. When was the last time we went food shopping at BJ's Wholesale Club? Last week?

I can tell she is worried about our external situation outside of our front door, but she doesn't show it. I try to not reveal my sense of panic it either. Nothing new to report on the TV, however two channels that where broadcasting last night are currently white static. There is something screaming inside me saying this situation outside is going to get worse before it gets better.

As I write this now, my Yugoslavian m-72 RPK with a 75 round drum mag in the well, is sitting beside me. Giving off its comforting look of wood and parkerized steel. Im hoping its presence alone will drive away any looters. About an our ago, a guy came sprinting full tilt down my street, hopped my neighbors clean white picket fence and dissapered behind the row of homes. Was that blood on his shirt? It must have just been my imagination.

Something was definately chasing that man, but it did not follow him down my street.

I really need to get in touch with my family and friends.

Aug. 21, 2009 - 4:55pm

Cell phone lines are jammed. Text messaging still works.

The power grid went down at 7:20am this morning. Running power off the small generator that I keep in the garage for now. I only have 5 gallons of gas to feed it. damn. More importantly, I needed to test the web connection as it is my only source of information. The TV just plays 90's re-runs.

Fires in the neighborhood. The black smoke rising in billows all around our area. Mainly to the east. Not sure whats burning, but its big. Our street is still untouched. I can hear sirens in the distance all day, and what sounds like thunder. But there are no clouds in the sky except for the burning billows of black charred smoke.

I need to figure out what is going to be my next move.

Aug. 20, 2009 - 11:54pm

Finally my first piece of real information. I found the entry through one of the forums I check regularly. From what I can tell it seems local too.

- Thread intercept from fargo007,

"Bro , Things aren't looking so good....”

Ron Minatori, A good friend of mine works at a funeral home on Street Rd. He bet me a thousand dollars that he had something come in that would absolutely freak me out. I got calls like this perhaps once a year, and some were worth the trip. Others were not. He knew I spent the last 20 years in law enforcement, so this had better be good, I sez, as I braved the forty fucking traffic lights it takes to go the ¼ mile up that atrocious road. Worse than usual? Oh yeah. I saw a crowd of people gathered around the cemetery, and block after block of their parked cars along the road. What, did a celebrity die? People were in shorts & tee shirts though. This county has always been a bizarre mix of people ever since I moved here.

Pulling up the emergency brake on my truck in the back lot of the funeral home, I was greeted by the unusual sight of Minatori trying to light a cigarette that was literally bouncing up and down in his quivering, but tightly clenched lips. I had never seen the man smoke. After prying the lighter from his sweaty hands, and lighting the cigarette on his behalf, he looked at me, while the unfamiliar acrid smoke caused him to reflexively cough directly in my face.

“I ain't goin' back in there.”

“Ron – what the hell is going on?”

He threw the cigarette down, and as he continued to speak, repeatedly ground and stomped it to oblivion.

“Pickup from the hospital. 30 year old male. Car accident.” His short, choppy answers told me the real Minatori was in there.

“Tore up pretty bad. They finished the autopsy this morning. Massive internal injuries.”

Sure that this wasn't the issue, I pressed further. “So? Something you can't handle?”

I went to push the unlocked door open and look inside. I knew this was the “operational area” of the funeral home. I felt his hand dig into my shoulder with force I had no idea he could muster.

“Watch it. Just watch it, Understand???”

I entered the receiving area, where a body lay on a transport gurney. It had lost its legs above or around both knees, and the condition of the rest of it was not so good. A Y-shaped autopsy scar with coarse stiches the length of the torso. The organs are usually placed in a plastic bag, and sewn back into the torso, and I could spot pieces of the orange bag through rough gaps in the stitches.

A terrible sight, but nevertheless, I approached it. I could feel Minatori approach behind and to my left as I looked at the side of the young man's head, which appeared undamaged, and at least that much of him appeared to be sleeping peacefully.

“Stay back, you dumb-ass!”

I turned back to Minatori to reply with a clever insult of my own, the particulars of which I choose not to share. Looking back at the body, the head was now facing me, and both eyes were open, and directly fixed upon my own.

- End of thread.

I might call off a few more days, and that wood burning smell has gotten stronger into the night. I peaked outside to check if I could see any smoke on the horizon, but it is way to dark to see anything with clarity.

God I wish I had a pair of night vision goggles right now. Currently it seems worth the couple thousand dollars to be honest.

Aug. 20, 2009 - 6:04pm

Surfing the web on my net book while watching the 6 o'clock news, why do I even bother, TV sucks. Warm day out, the windows are open to let the breeze in.

I spent the day at home with my wife, I made a judgment call and decided that we should just take off for the next day or two. Something about yesterdays broadcast has just got my senses on the spike, and they are telling me to stay alert. Besides, we have the vacation days.

Wait whats this,

There is a Sunset curfew in place tonight.....is this serious?

Cant type now, I'm transfixed to this HDTV screen.

Why do I smell a wood fire burning in the middle of August?

Aug. 19, 2009 - 10:13pm

Interesting.

When the 10 o' clock news hopped back on from commercial break just now, the Anchor Sally "whats her name" looked extremely frightened. What was more peculiar was that she was looking at a piece of white lined paper, with scribbled handwriting on it. When she spoke, she wasn't reading from the teleprompter, but from the piece of lined paper.

About 2 words into her sentence the whole news program flicked off, went to white static, then switched to one of those lame ass evening comedy shows.

Something about the expression on that reporters face though, and her words. They where not strong and confident, but rather shaky and frightened...I cant explain it. It just got me on edge, but what I really would like to know is what was she about to report on.

I guess its about time to make this journal. While i search for more information.