Wayne Gray

Hehe. I commented to tim above about Buck’s sheets comment. He knew both Mark and Wayne from teaching their Ag course, so he has gotten to see them at multiple stages in life. And he has a familiarity with them most of the others in the story don’t. Hell, he will have that with most they find under the age of 30. So keep that in mind when reading him. Mr Buck is a bear of a man. 6’1”, 240 lbs and solid. He’s a silverback gorilla of the human world, and his presence alone makes those around him feel safer. He’s has a lot to contribute, and they’re lucky to have found him. Thanks for reading, Dave!

Lol. Ok. This is an apocalypse. Two guys bunking together doesn’t automatically mean they’re banging each other - they could just be trying to keep together for security. Mr Buck was mainly giving them hell over the proclivity for young guys to rub one out at a moment’s notice, and he was trying to lighten the mood too. But with how Mark reacted, now they might be wondering! And no - this will absolutely not be like TWD or any of its ilk. There will be people who see a chance to stir up trouble, but they’ll be outliers, not the norm. For the most part, people want to be included, safe with others, and they want to contribute. And that’s the truth of human nature. It’s what makes regular people run TOWARD danger to help others. And that’s who this story is about. 🙂 Thanks, tim.💚

Heh. I'm saying humans are flawed when it comes to perception of events. Wayne and Mark are trying to be dutiful narrators, but they're limited by their own perceptions and what they allow themselves to believe based on the information presented. They're not trying to mislead us, but ... they're not perfect. It makes writing this interesting. I'm not going to use it as a gimmick and trick the reader down the line. I'm just calling it out, so the reader doesn't accept everything as gospel.

I said it above, but yeah, I hated The Walking Dead for the portrayals of how awful humanity becomes when given the choice. The recipe didn't change - it was just the most savage rose to the top, and anything else was weakness. I guess once the shock value of zombies wore off, the story had to find new and more interesting challenges. If you can't make surviving zombies interesting, then I personally don't think you've got any business plotting a story. Wayne and Mark have had to learn and learn fast. We've got Mark who is a physical and strategic threat, then we've got Wayne who's trying to catch up a bit. But he's the guy who suspected something was wrong and set Mark and Elizabeth on edge in the first place. They were ready because of him. That Elizabeth got sick was bad luck, but that's how things go sometimes. I hope you keep enjoying it. Glad you're reading.

Thanks for taking it for a spin, Mike. Yeah. There's a reason I went with the first-person, diary format. I'm hoping the payoff at the end will be worth it, but we'll have to see. 🙂

Thanks, kbois! They’ve worked hard to get where they are, and they’ve put their necks on the line too. Yes, they’ve gotten lucky, but part of luck is having the willingness to seize it. So here they are - on the precipice of what might be a turning point in their struggles. And you have to keep in mind that Mark and Wayne are twenty-four years old. To them, 50+ is “pretty old.” I do not share their opinion! Lol

I somehow missed replying to this. Thanks, Danilo! I'm glad you are liking it. I hope you dig the latest chapter too.

I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. Erin and Lisa are both tough as hell, just like Garrett. They are a scouting family, all of them, and they took many camping trips and family outings to wild places in happier times. Garrett has forged himself into a champion forager and survivalist, while Erin has a practical and organized mind. Lisa ... she is something of a tomboy, but can be girly too. But she's just as willing to jump in and do what is needed. She has another talent too that has yet to be revealed, but we'll get there. Mister Buck is a real personality. He's gruff but can be affectionate too. He has recently lost the woman he loved, and he's powering through, but a man can only play that game so long. If we lose something meaningful, we have to spend time to grieve. He has just not had that luxury yet. So for now, he focuses on what he can do to contribute and make the risk Wayne and Mark took worth it. Mark is right there with you concerning leaving the note for others. But if they want to live in a world different than the one they have, they've got to take that risk. Yes, it may bite them. We'll just have to see about that. Thanks for reading and commenting! These guys will be back again soon. 🙂

July 22, 1993 Thursday, 720 AM I think we're as prepared as we can be for our trip into town. We've got our three gas cans, our generator, a few crates to carry things in, empty backpacks, and more. We packed some jerky, water, and nuts too, just in case we ended up out there longer than we'd planned. The top things on the list are gas, the hardware store for wire, tools, and whatever else catches our eye, the grocery store, and Garrett wants us to drop by the bookstore too. There's a

Great to hear! 🙂

I hope folks enjoy this one. It was pretty far outside of my normal fare, but I do like how it came out. Thanks, Chris for the review, and to wildone for the feature!

Sometimes, tossing our woes into a void surrounded by those interested in our lives can help. You have people who care. Nobody can replace her, but you have people who care.

Much love to you guys, tim.

I like this one. I liked it when I first got to read it, and I still do. I'm glad you decided it was worth posting (I feel the same way) and put it out here for us to read. It has been years since I've had a dog, but I still remember how disarming they can be. And I like how that is the case here, with Odie checking Adan out for his master. Then when he'd decided Adan was good people, he led David there. That's a good dog. 🙂 Nice job, tim.

This is such a hard time in life. There's nothing I can really say beyond that which has been said already. But I'll remind you that I'm here, and that I hope you'll reach out if you need help. Also, good start to the story, mr tim. I'm looking forward to reading it all. xoxo

This is a sweet, poignant piece, tim. I love it, though I hate the reason for the inspiration. People will leave us through no choice of ours or theirs, but what a gift - to have those who love us near at the end. you've shown respect and love for your FiL and for all those who value him. It's all we can do in these times. you both know where I am if either of you needs anything.

You're right that he's struggling and struggling hard. He's got "John" helping him here and there, right when he needs help the most, but what he really needs is a friend. After reading the journal, Grant is invested in Troy's story. He feels a pull to be a part of it if Troy will allow that. Thank you for reading this one. I like this story a lot, and I hope you do too.

It’s the truth. Talent doesn’t die, it just sleeps. his will wake again. And when it does, I’ll happily enjoy his success.

Thank you, Mike. I was just writing it down as it happened in my head, flowing straight to my fingers. And yes - it was tim's prompting that made me post it. I wasn't going to. But when a talent like his says it's worth posting, then it'd be folly to argue. 🙂

It's therapy. It really is. Way cheaper than the paid version too. 🙂 I'm glad you liked it, kbois. And forget about cats? As if they'd let me. LOL

Thanks, Chris. 🙂 I think it fits with how music hooks into my soul and drags it about. When I know I need to cry, I will listen to music. When I want to amp myself up, I will listen to music. When I am a bit drunk and am more open to emotion, I will listen to music. It's a perfect catalyst to feel whatever it is I need to feel at that moment. There's nothing else like it.

Thank you for reading. I love writing something that has a cadence. It's hypnotic when I can get it right. Though this one isn't perfect, it's good enough for me. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Ahhh, good point. There's a concept called "carrying capacity," which refers to how many people can be supported by a plot of land. As fertilizer, compost, crop rotation, manure, and other practices are implemented, the carrying capacity of the same size of land increases. None of these guys are farmers, but they understand the basics. Will the basics be enough? Will they discover too late that they took that one extra person they shouldn't have? Time will tell. Yes, the poor kid has gone through hell. He ended the hellish existence of his closest friends out of a sense of duty and love, but he was unable to do the same for his dad. I can't fault him for that. Neither do Wayne and Mark. At least he's safer now and slept deeply for the first time in a week, tucked under the blankets in a comfortable bed. That'll start the process for him, though it'll be a long one. Thanks for reading. More to come. 🙂

That's a good description! They've found someone who will be able to contribute, though Garrett might need some time before he's pushed too much. He has been through hell, and operating on survival mode. Now that his life isn't in danger, he will need to process what has happened, and he'll need some patience. Maybe if they find his sister and mom, that will go better. But the reverse could also be true. We'll have to see. Thanks for reading and commenting! See you next chapter.

Yeah. That had to be terrible. Yet, he was as strong as he could be, and he did his best considering the circumstances. Frankly, he did better than I could have! We'll have to see about his mom and sis. There's more coming. Stick with me. Thanks for reading and commenting!