John Matthews reached beside himself for a small leather bound book. It was worn with abuse and looked to be stained by all manner of things. The most obvious being blood. He read through the pages though he was intimately familiar with each entry.

Journal Entry One

My father gave me this book to keep track of my thoughts. Said it helped him as a young man just starting out. I doubt I'll be writing much in here.

Outbreak + 74

The day the world ended. You'd think I'd remember much more than I do. I can't tell you what day it was, the date, what I was doing. I remember little more than flashes or panic and packing the essentials. I was in a hurry to return to my families farm but even before the news of the outbreak our city was quarantined. Growing up on a farm you have certain skills and experiences that city folk don't. I spent all my money getting a pistol and ammunition enough to protect myself from rioting and holed up in my apartment to wait for help from the government. There wasn't enough time for rioting. The dead spread quickly and soon enough I was no longer worried about the living attacking me.

Outbreak + 93

Three months since I moved to this hellhole of a city. Now I sit inside my little empire, walled off from the outside world. Enough room to grow food. Enough room to survive. The city around me is silent as the dead shuffle around looking for whatever survived in the open. I was one of the lucky ones. Immune. I had to reinforce the wall that encompassed the back yard of my apartments but it was worth it. I was lucky enough to be able to plant some seeds back there and I am looking forward to harvesting some fresh food. I've been living off of canned goods for long enough.

Outbreak + 97

I still communicate with some survivors spread throughout the city. We use radio mostly but sometimes I'll see someone passing by and wave. I don't let anyone enter anymore. Not after the last time. It hurt so much killing that girl. I don't think my soul could survive killing another human being.

Outbreak + 141

I allowed another into my camp. He was so pitiful looking I just couldn't. It was almost the last mistake of my life. I'm hurt. My walls are gone. Most of my supplies are gone. Fucking raiders. I thought I could get over the girl's death. Go back to helping people. No. Never. Done. If this is my reward... No. I won't help anyone ever again.

Outbreak + ?

I tried to escape the city...

John wrote his thoughts on escape. Though the city had been under quarantine for some time, he didn't encounter anyone at the gates they had set up. The fence was never an option. To touch it was to die. He'd seen far too many people do so with those results, but as he snuck towards the gates he found them open and no one home. So John ran up and peeked through the gates. Nothing in sight. He must have made too much noise though he could swear that he made none. A groan and a growl sounded from behind him and without turning back he bolted through the gates opening. It had been several hours of running before he found shelter in a gas station.

Original storyline without any of the game characters. I was planning on several "maps" to get to the family farm. He'd encounter others but would remain without a group. He'd reach the family farm and that would be the end of the story.