Entry 1: Introduction
Hands at ten and two, just as her father had taught her all those years ago. It has been a week and five days since the abandonment of Evelyn's home in Westminster California, a birthplace so near to the beach, the ocean had long since become her backyard. A week and five days, and already, she dearly missed salty sea breeze brushing against her flesh, and the feeling of her freshly waxed surfboard beneath bare feet. The orange faced sun kissing the shoreline goodnight in a soft eruption of pastel hues was an image her mind wouldn't soon forget, yet the decision to flee was automatic. In truth, there was nothing left for the young woman that would cause her to remain, her friends, her family, the life she knew, all dead, and now, she travelled alone over empty roads that would lead her into Atlanta. Perhaps it was a mind distraught and half crazed, or the fear of isolation was to blame, but the hope that her elder brother Ben and his small family had somehow managed to survive the outbreak was one too tempting to ignore.
Soon, the vision of a world shrouded in death outside her moving vehicle became blurred and hazy before olive green eyes. It had started again. Soft features strained as tears welled up involuntarily, and fell in bitter remembrance of her father's death. Damp streams trickled down her sun kissed cheeks, yet no hums of a deep sorrow had escaped, not like yesterday. Evelyn had managed her grief more elegantly today, a sign that her broken state had finally began to mend, or rather, that is what she had told herself. It was a lie of course, but it was a comforting lie that would serve her well for the time being.
As Evelyn journeyed through a once prosperous and pride filled country, her large SUV, her father's former hunting knife, and the radio were her only companions. Her fingers strayed towards the dials to increase the volume of a familiar tune that escaped through the speakers, a personal favorite of hers. The lyrics suggested a more inspiring and carefree mood than her own, and effortlessly coaxed her lips to mimic the words. Since her father's passing, Evelyn held no contact with another conscious mind, and the mix of various songs that entertained her ears in an endless loop had not only maintained a connection with her sanity, but had been her only reminder of what human vocals sounded like. Her voice chimed quietly in her throat as a faint smile slowly blossomed to replace a once saddened expression.
Suddenly, an unexpected sight but a short distance ahead caught her immediate attention. Eyes widened as lips parted slightly in disbelief, her foot quickly touched the break peddle to the floor, and a shrill screech emerged as the vehicle came to an abrupt halt, stopping mere centimeters away from a devastated highway. Metal tangled with twisted metal as a mess of abandoned cars lay scattered about the pavement. Curiously, her sight veered towards the lane across the lush green median, only to discover an identical threat on the opposing side, her route blocked entirely.
"Aw shoot!" she cursed under her breath, "And I was almost certain I'd be in Atlanta before nightfall."
Evelyn's cheeks puffed before an exhaled sigh bore her annoyance to the warm Georgia air, there was no way around it seemed, which forced her to create a path all her own. As both hands swiftly worked to park her enlarged vehicle, Evelyn's petite frame slumped against the seat, a fleeting moment of calm overcame her as her gaze drifted to the countryside beyond the driver's side window. Emerald green mountains covered in a seemingly endless forest lightly caressed the heavens as the sun dipped lower towards the distant horizon, a beauty to behold, yet a daunting reminder that only few hours of daylight remained.
"Well, let's get to work before it gets dark," she audibly encouraged, her voice roused in a soft tone, uttering words only to herself out of sheer habit. The young woman had always been an extrovert with a strong craving for human interaction, even now in her lone company, her mouth still moved to speak.
With the sheathed hunting blade grasped loosely in her fist, Evelyn fastened the weapon to her jeans before she exited the SUV. Arms then stretched skyward within seconds of meeting the fresh air, her muscles loosened, and her once rigid form relaxed. Indeed it was a great relief to be freed from the imprisonment of her own transportation, the hours spent hunched over in the same seated position had been far too many.
"Hello Georgia!" she chirped on a blissful whisper, an acknowledgement for the state that would float towards nonexistent ears as her boots touched the paved road, her first contact with new soil.