We'll meet again: a Zombie-Apocalypse Romance

Day 1

Dragă Jurnal,

Today, the world as we know it changed forever. The feed of Twitter and basically all social media platforms flared up with videos and sightings of zombies on a killing spree. No official source could deny it or postpone it anymore. I have already arrived in Oslo, Norway and I'm on my way North.

It all started a few weeks ago with whispers of a strange illness, rumours of food poisoning, and an increase in missing persons, violence and homicides. Politicians brushed it off as isolated incidents, but I knew something was amiss. I've read enough about outbreaks in pop culture to recognize the signs.

Last week, I decided to take a sick leave from the criminology lab. It’s the Netherlands, you don’t even need a paper from a doctor to prove you are sick, so it was not that hard. Besides, I’m just an intern, they’ll be fine without me, even in case I’m wrong about this. But if I’m right, I need to be ready.

Packed a good hiking backpack with some essentials: canned food, water purification tablets, a first aid kit, a couple of tools and devices, and my trusty saber from my time in the college fencing club. I bought a bunch of expensive stuff like appropriate layered clothing and of course hiking shoes that would protect me from the weather and help me move in the natural terrain. I got some cash for the journey and even bought some stuff that I could exchange, like jewellery and cigarettes, just in case. I know it seems crazy and it's not making perfect sense yet, but something's telling me that the global economy isn't going to stay unaffected by this new phenomenon or health crisis like they have begun to call it in the news.

As a forensic anthropologist, I'm determined to gather every little piece of info to decipher these creature’s patterns and behaviors, to increase my chances of safety. I got a couple of notebooks to have for multiple purposes, such as taking notes, journaling, sketching, or map making. For both keeping my sanity and retaining key information.

Max thought I was overreacting, but I couldn't stay there, waiting for disaster to strike. Not after seeing those disturbing news reports. He wouldn’t leave with me, jeopardizing his finance career, and wouldn’t believe me, so I had to break up with him. We parted ways, leaving me alone in my pursuit of safety. I had to move fast before curfews and travel restrictions kicked in.

I managed to get out of there before they started closing several borders, something they announced as a "temporary emergency policy" today. I’ve been heading north, towards Norway’s fjords. It's cold up there, and I've heard cold climates slow down those things. It's also less populated, and steep terrain, and I figure my chances of survival are better in a place like that. Bonus for survival: freshwater sources and remote cabins. With my fencing skills from college and my knack for map-making, I felt confident.

There were many problems with crowded flights and airports, so I took the next choice, the train from Amsterdam to Copenhagen (there wasn't a direct train so I had to change a couple of trains), which lasted more than one day, considering the delays. On the final train, I encountered another passenger, Danny, a German mechanic who believed my warnings. We traveled together to here, Oslo, by ferry, where we met Paulina, a Polish vet who carried vodka like it was her lifeline. She was on a solo-traveling vacation, and decided to join us, insisting on being the life of our makeshift party.

We are going together north toward Geirangerfjord, a journey mainly on foot that will probably take many days depending on our pace, but it's the safest option. In these times, her spirit is a welcome distraction…

Day 5

Dragă Jurnal,

The world has gone mad. Governments are in panic mode, and I heard they've assembled some kind of world crisis government. They've imposed curfews, quarantines, and checkpoints. The world government has established squads that venture out at night to eliminate the infected. Going outside after dark is a death sentence, you either die from zombies or from the authorities who keep using words such as "crisis", "unprecedented" and "lethal danger" to justify themselves.

They are rounding up everyone, and they try to contain the population in walled cities. We passed outside of cities like these but they looked like they were bombed, quite gruesome, so now we try to avoid cities in general.

On a sort-of-funny side note, I recently saw a reel of a zombie stepping on a bike lane and getting hit by aggressive Amsterdam bikers. Of course, afterward, it made them zombie-food and the reel started to repeat again, and my awkward smile became worry for Max. I imagined his office being full of zombie-accountants and banking zombies. So weird thoughts. I must keep my sanity, so I need to keep writing and regulating my thoughts and emotions. I really need to get some sleep, I feel so restless these days.

I am using my phone and any sitting time to search and write information about maps and possible routes and destinations, document nearby dangerous areas and possible supply points as the further away into nature we go, the harder is to charge the phone's battery. It's good to have this stuff on paper and read it when I need.

Something to consider is that now it's roughly the middle of summer, however, as we move towards winter, we have to find a place, as the daylight will become shorter in central and northern parts of Norway. By that time, we should have already found a place, made a shelter, and gathered supplies, to wait until winter is over. I haven't shared this worry with the group yet, as it might cause further uneasiness, but time flies and we have to move on.

Day 14

Dragă Jurnal,

The power is now out in most places, either because they want to prevent fires or for some other reason. We're all in the dark now, quite literally. Digital communications of any form have been also out the last few days, only the radio is still working. We carry with us a radio, checking for any signs of other survivors or groups. It's easy to find batteries (and they last) in our small looting and scavenging trips. We often hear radio static or scarce transmissions from nearby radio stations. Most people are left in darkness, relying on analog devices, books, and paper maps. Cars just make noise and attract the undead, so not very helpful. Animals are uneasy, they can feel it, hear it and or smell it. They are smart and hide from the new predators, so forests have become eerily quiet these days.

We're a small but resilient team. We've traveled many kilometers towards the north. Manu, the quiet night-security guy, is a valuable new addition to our team. We met him when finding high ground to safely rest one morning. Sleep is essential after all, for maintaining health and sanity as much as possible, and of course good reflexes. It was hard to gain his trust, but I talked him into joining us, as it would increase both his and our chances of survival being in a small group. He still doesn’t share too much information, and he is not the talkative type. He's skilled with guns and fighting strategy, but he's anxious, waiting for any word from his older brother who is in the army. This only he shared with me when I was trying to reach out and build some rapport: The last message Manu received from him was days ago, a chilling "Run and take cover, I love you."

Day 22

Dragă Jurnal,

Today, I want to document some of the eerie behaviors I've observed in those relentless creatures we call zombies. In the fortunate occasion we face a lone zombie or a very small horde, sometimes I ask the group after we finish it off, to examine its body, with gloves, makeshift fabric face masks for the smell, and lots of attention, hoping to get further insight. Nobody enjoys the sight or the acidic decomposing smell, but the information is valuable.

First and foremost, it's clear that these abominations have entered advanced stages of decomposition. Their once-human skin is a ghastly mosaic of discoloration, with some showing signs of partial decomposition. It's a chilling reminder that they've been "undead" for a significant duration or that the decomposition was sped up by a currently unknown factor that could hold the key to unraveling the origin and progression of the outbreak. News stories of food poisoning could be connected perhaps, as it could have been an infected animal crossing the species barrier from the food chain. It is mostly a hypothesis I hold now. Paulina also mentioned cases of infected animals in the vet clinic where she used to work, and an unknown virus was mentioned, it was quite tricky. 

As a student of bone analysis, I can't help but notice the peculiar bone fractures and trauma patterns these creatures exhibit. Some of them bear healed fractures, while others display injuries consistent with gunshot wounds or blunt force trauma. It's my hypothesis that these injuries occurred prior to their zombification, suggesting that there might be survivors who initially managed to evade the infected but ultimately succumbed to the infection. Understanding these patterns may prove invaluable in developing more effective strategies for defense and survival.

Another intriguing observation is the stark inconsistency in limb and joint movement among the zombies. While some display surprising agility, others seem nearly immobile. I suspect that this variability in mobility may be linked to the stage of decomposition or the extent of physical damage the individual endured before turning into one of these wretched creatures. It can vary also according to terrain, weather conditions, and surroundings. This variance in mobility has far-reaching implications for our group's safety, as it allows us to anticipate potential threats and assess the risks posed by different encounters.

The knowledge I've gained by studying the grim details of these zombies' condition is a small light in the darkness, hopefully guiding us toward better survival strategies. It is crucial that we continue to learn, adapt, and persevere.

Day 35

Dragă Jurnal,

We've been on the move, always staying one step ahead of the authorities, who have declared that people everywhere should be contained for the common good. Danny has been acting strangely, going on scouting trips alone. It's dangerous to separate in these times, but he insists he's just being cautious. He was also asking me a lot about my findings, he seemed quite interested.

As we were sitting in our shelter, Manu was silently cleaning some weapons, Danny was napping, trying to catch up on some much-needed sleep, Paulina was checking our first-aid supplies and I was checking our maps contemplating for our next move and the one after that. We usually have the radio in low volume when we are sitting like this, with radio static being the usual background sound.

But today, we heard a haunting song on the radio, Frank Sinatra's cover of Vera Lynn's "We'll Meet Again."

We'll meet again

Don't know where

Don't know when

But I know we'll meet again some sunny day

Keep smiling through

Just like you always do

'Til the blue skies chase those dark clouds far away

Paulina drank another sip of vodka, sitting on the floor with her back leaning on the wall. Manu stopped cleaning his weapons, and then started again with more nervous movements like he wanted to do the task perfectly.

What the song did to me is that it somehow filled me with nostalgia for a world that's now gone and a bittersweet hope for the future. I climbed into Danny’s makeshift bed and lay next to him. His body warmth gave me some comfort. He softly opened his eyes and wrapped me around with his arm, before drifting again into light slumber. Perhaps he was feeling the same, perhaps not. For the time being, thoughts were unnecessary.

Day 56

Dragă Jurnal,

We're on the move, trying to avoid big cities and hotspots. It's dangerous out here, but we're doing our best to stay safe. I never thought I'd see the day when I'd have to fight off zombies with a broomstick, but it happened yesterday.

We were looting a small shop on the road, which by the likes of it had already been looted before. I wasn’t big on the idea of that location, way too open, had no high ground, and did not have good visibility of the surroundings. Normally up to that point, I had proven my skills at assessing locations and planning ahead. However, our supplies were running low, together with the group spirits, due to our increased pace of travel and few stops. It's true we were all growing tired. It seemed very quiet and not a zombie in sight, so we risked it. We eventually got a few necessities and supplies but got circled by a small horde that came from behind some buildings.

I grabbed a nearby broomstick I saw, to push them in a distance, I didn’t even have time to unpack my own weapons, and I was startled so I just grabbed the first thing I saw. Then Danny took it down with his trusted crossbow before it had the chance to attack further. I was on the front line and kept pushing them far, Danny with the crossbow covering for me, and Manu with his gun shooting cover fire for Danny. I don’t know a lot about guns and ammo, but Manu had a silencer to minimize the noise. I’m more of a sword and knife kind of girl, but in general, it’s safer most times to keep them at a distance, which reduces the risk of getting bit or infected. 

Paulina was scavenging and gathering the necessary supplies behind the guys. She got a surprise jump from a zombie and grabbed a nearby rock smashing its brains out before the guys finished it off. We all must do what it takes to survive. If she delayed a bit more, she would have been bitten, too close a call. Paulina can be a handful sometimes, but her humor keeps us going. She's convinced that vodka is the answer to all our problems. I joined her for a drink after we got back, and we chatted until morning, she’s a lovely person once you get to know her. I got some glances from Danny who was on the lookout. I have no idea what he is thinking, but I think I have started to like him. I now sleep next to him all the time and I am used to his smell and comforting warmth. Sometimes I feel the attraction between us like electricity pulling our bodies closer, but we both do nothing further. We just don’t want to complicate things and try to contain ourselves with this closeness, this could be enough.

Danny's solo trips continue, sometimes in the early morning and other times in the late afternoon, and his behaviour is making me uneasy, I’m not sure, it’s just a feeling. We have confronted him about it, as it is dangerous to separate from the group, increasing the chances of getting bitten. Something’s amiss, but he just brushes it off. Today he said he likes my fighting style and named a move after me “Sonia’s slash”, I felt a bit flattered. Maybe I am just imagining danger? Being so used to it these days and everything.

In this small group, we’ve become a family of sorts, leaning on each other for support, each with our quirks and skills. We stick together because that's the only way to survive. The world outside is a grim, unforgiving place. The world government maintains a tight grip on control, and there's no end in sight to this nightmare.

Sometimes I wonder, if we hide long enough, for the weather conditions and animals to finish off those zombies, maybe a year or two. Are animals also becoming zombies? I haven’t seen it, and I’m not even sure if I want to know the answer to that. Even with all the zombies gone, is the world crisis government ever going to let go of their power and control, and are we ever going back to “normal”? I don’t believe in any shape or form that we are ever going back; perhaps we will make a new “normal”. I try to not think about these things too much, as despair isn’t infamous for helping survival.

Day 78

Dragă Jurnal,

I was right to be suspicious of Danny, turns out he’s a snitch. I found out a couple of days ago, at a weak moment when he wasn’t really thinking, he confessed it when I was on top of him. He confessed that he'd decided to join the world government's side, believing it was the only way to ensure survival, and he asked me to join him, "Come with me", he said before my silence.

He was planning to betray us, to give them information about our group and what we've learned for protection. That’s where he was heading on his scouting trips, at first finding some from their side, supposedly negotiating with them and giving parts of information.

Betrayal cuts deep, and I couldn’t bear the thought of it. I stood up and put back some of my clothes in shock. He was still trying to persuade me, but he just didn’t see how foolish this deal was. If we went there, we would just all be prisoners, and nothing was certain. In a crowded prison -or walled city- what did he think would happen if one person got bit? They would kill everyone, just to be sure. We had already passed a few abandoned places like that on our journey.

He finally gave up his efforts and told me "We'll meet again," as if it's a hopeful promise. But I know better.

"You'd be wise to not hope for that," I replied, my heart feeling heavy with pain as I packed my stuff and rushed outside our tent, to find the others who were nearby.

At that moment we were camped near Lake Olsenvatnet in Telemark County, almost half way to Geirangerfjord. We had to change the destination to be safe. Many thoughts were running through my mind. The place we were at that moment was safe from many factors, but the escape routes were limited, and to escape we would have to face the wilderness at best. Perhaps if we changed our destination to Nordfjord, we would be safer. With Manu and Paulina, we are already leaving, as they agreed it was going to increase our chances. We've put some distance between us and the place where Danny chose the world government over us. I can't help but think of what could have been.

Lately, we have been hearing transmissions from a place northwest, where we think that a small group of rebels are in hiding. We haven’t decided yet if we should approach. But if we can find them, this means others can too. On the other hand, are considering passing by and getting a couple of new recruits with key skills to our small group, since we lost our mechanic.

The world is harsh and unforgiving, and trust is a rare commodity, we need to keep our eyes open for danger. We’ll keep moving forward, facing challenges, searching for a glimmer of hope, and surviving day by day on the run, for as long as we need to. 

The end.