Many are dying everyday, as it's been four months since this outbreak has happened. These humans, or should I call, creatures of the dead who come to life, have exceptionally changed our world. Life is not going to be the same anymore, and I'm afraid that the human race may not last forever.
If you are reading this, you must know about this world-wide outbreak of "flesh-eating creatures" through the news, through Facebook or any online media, or even through personal experience of seeing them. Airports have been shutting down due to crowded flights and creature-infested airports. Flesh-eaters have even reached other parts of the globe. How? I don't know. Just how I don't know how this whole ordeal began.
You, reader, are probably terrified of the future, and what is going to happen to you. But one thing matters: You are a survivor.
I believe in hope for the rest of the survivors. I believe that if you want to survive in this terrible outcome that has ended up to being our reality, you will. As this outbreak of creatures originated in my hometown, Irvine, California, I have dealt with the pain of losing loved ones, the struggle of surviving, and the questioning of life being worth living.
I still do not know what caused these creatures to come into existence. All I remember is that everything changed so quickly when these creatures started to attack the people of Irvine. My close friends, my loved ones... gone... and ended up becoming just like these creatures. They eventually had no brains and had no feelings.
Putting these guidelines online, I believe, is the best way I can aid to the survival of others. While the internet still exists and as I type these words on my laptop, I know these guidelines will spread quickly throughout other survivors in the world, as there is no better tool to spread word with.
It is best if my identity is anonymous though, if people knew who I was then even they could hunt me down and kill me. Sometimes during these times you can't trust everyone.
I continue to strive for hope. As I'll keep them brief and practical, my guidelines for survival will now be yours, survivor. There is only the living, and the dead.
1) Know the Enemy.
First and foremost, a brief knowledge of what these creatures are is essential to your survival. If you know what they are, you will know how to kill them. These are not humans, not one bit, but, rather, they're the resurrection of a dead human, after being bit by another creature. The bite will turn the dead human into a living (or at least I think, living) creature.
The creature's only desire is to eat living flesh. Whether it's from animals or from humans, they only "live" for one purpose, to eat flesh. It is essential, and almost common sense, to avoid getting bit by one of these creatures, or else, you will die, and then you will end up becoming just like them. If you get bit, you will start to turn pale, get sweaty, and grow cold. These symptoms eventually become more painful, and eventually you will die. After a bit, you will "wake" up, and become just like one of them.
Their bites are extremely infectious. Currently, it isn't scientifically known how infectious these bites are, but any blood does not mean any good. Especially if the creature's blood gets in a human body, then the human is as good as gone.
Their appearance resembles a human being. But they are not human. Not one bit. They are brainless creatures who will not stop until they eat flesh.
The best way to kill these flesh eaters (or re-kill them, in a sense, since they're already dead), is to destroy their brain. Usually with a good shot from a gun or a stab with a knife, however the user prefers. This will ensure their absolute death.
When these creatures are alone, they might not seem like a huge threat. But once they gather in groups, they do much more damage. Be very careful when you deal with them in groups, be sure to have you and your group's backs covered. These creatures are attracted to loud noise and smell. Avoid making loud noises to avoid attracting them to you, and to avoid them getting together in a huge group. If you must go through a group of flesh-eaters, be sure you do not smell like a human, cover yourself in their flesh. It sounds disgusting but it ensures that they cannot smell you, and therefore, they cannot kill you.
So bottom line. Know that they can bite you and you will die and eventually come from the dead, turning into one of them. It's fact, I've seen it happen to the people around me. Know that destroying their brain will definitely kill them. And know that they're very dangerous in groups, so have your backs covered at all times.
2) You have the right to bear arms.
Arm yourself. Find any possible way to find guns or any type of weapon. Whether it's your own or it's from a deserted police station, get as much weaponry as you can. Train yourself on how to use the gun and how to conserve the bullets. Every time you shoot a gun, you must mean it. Ammo will run out pretty fast, so only use guns in desperate situations.
Be sure when you try and kill them, try to not spill as much blood as possible. It's still unknown how easily the infection can be transmitted.
If you are timid in killing them, you must man-up to kill these creatures. It is essential for survival. If you end up being successful in killing them, never celebrate too early. Do not get comfortable just because you head shot three or four flesh-eaters. You never know if twenty more will come out of nowhere. In these kind apocalyptic times, there is no time for a comfortable celebration of victory.
3) Gather up in a group, and find a place to camp.
It is a smart idea to gather up with other survivors. People who end up alone have a quicker chance of dying. The best idea is to get in a huge group. Of course there will be people that won't be so cooperative. Disagreements will happen. But just always push through as a group. It's always a better chance of survival when your group has great chemistry, as each person knows their own role in the group. Just like a sports team, your group will do better if they act like a team, with the same goal of survival.
4) Don't get too attached.
Close friends and your loved ones will be lost and become flesh-eating creatures. If one of them gets bitten, you must kill them as soon as you can, no matter how much it hurts. You must kill them. The faster you get rid of them, the faster you and everyone else in the group will accept they have become a flesh-eating creature and not their human self. It's essential to keep a cool hand and not let your emotions take control of you.
If anyone in your group has been infected with a bite, shoot them in the head. Make the decision as quick as possible. The quicker, the better. It will hurt you emotionally. It won't be easy. But dispersing of flesh-eaters from the group as quickly as possible is necessary and the safest option for the group. You must get used to how your loved ones will die and become a flesh-eater.
5) Evacuate, Fortify, and Hide.
If you live in a big city or town, it's best to leave as soon as possible. Grab only your essentials and leave with a group. A flesh-eater outbreak WILL occur quickly in big cities and big towns, because of the huge population of people. Big cities are like nests for the birth of flesh-eaters; many are literally born there. Try to avoid small towns and cities.
Find a suitable building, one that is solid and has easy to seal entrances with a back way out. Once you and your group have gotten in, barricade your group inside. You do not want any flesh-eaters getting in. And if, by any chance they get in through the entrance, they should be easy to kill as long as the entrance is covered because the entrance is narrow, and the zombies cannot spread out and surround you.
A good idea for a suitable building could be a Costco or a Sams Club. Being a warehouse, they are pretty stable and have a few entrances and stashes full of food and supplies.
Building alarms would also be a good idea. If you could find any motion sensor alarms from an electronic store, just take them. No need to purchase things any more. If not, maybe some old fashioned tin cans and string hanging above the entrance, alert you when someone crosses it.
A great place to hide from flesh-eaters is a country house with a lot of land around. There is plenty of land to grow crops and secure longevity. Also, there is plenty of land to spot flesh-eaters from afar, to avoid any unpleasant surprises.
It is also a plus to know your way around. If you have a map of the local area, put it to use. If you have a compass, use that to help you navigate. Knowing your way around gives you the advantage and helps you to avoid helpful, sticky situations.
It's always best to have a backup pack of necessities in case you quickly have to evacuate. Unexpected events will always happen in times like these.
6) Train your body.
If you have the time and space, start running and doing sprinting exercises. Developing habits of running will improve your cardio. The better your cardio, the better your chances of escaping from flesh-eaters. These creatures may be extremely dumb, but they are very good at chasing after what they want, for long (and seemingly infinite) periods of time. Having a great running speed and endurance is a bonus, and it helps you in the long run when you're running away from fifty flesh-eaters.
7) Take Inventory. If you see the opportunity, take it.
Time is of the essence, so collect items according to priority. Food and water are the of the utmost importance. Start filling up bathtubs of water, or wherever you prefer to keep your water.
Gather as much food as you can. Canned/pantry style foods are the most ideal, as they will not spoil easily. Once these are gathered, perishables are good to get too. These should be eaten first before they spoil.
Gather up anything to defend yourself with. Anything that could resemble a shield or a weapon. And then grab warm clothes, pillows, and blankets. And finally, keepsakes, books, board games, etc. There are going to be times where you simply have nothing to do and you just need to kill time. A little fun and recreation will not hurt.
If there's any opportunity to get more food, water, ammo, medical supplies, or even scrap metal that can help barricade the fort, take the opportunity. Be cautious, but take it. These opportunities will not always come up, and supplies do come up short eventually. Once you take the opportunity, this will benefit you and your group's survival chances.
8) Set up rendezvous points.
Before you go out into a dangerous area filled with flesh-eaters, always set up a rendezvous point at a certain time in which to be there. This will help with organization, and avoids any waiting around in a "sitting duck" situation. Never do you want to be idle in a setting like that.
Usually, a good rendezvous point is a secure, quiet, and easy in-and-out place, such as a deserted warehouse or a quiet basement.
9) Escaping sticky situations.
There are times where you are going to end up in a desperate situation, whether you're surrounded by a bunch of creatures, or cornered by one. There are certain things you can do to escape these type of situations.
One thing is to always aim for the head. Always find something to penetrate their brain. A stick, a knife, a nearby sharp metal, anything. As long as you find a way to destroy their brain before they can infect you with their bite, you'll be good.
Utilize your possessions. If your shotgun ran out of ammo, use it as a melee weapon. If you forgot about that grenade you have been carrying for weeks, use it now.
Always look for the small way out. There's always something you can do that flesh-eaters can't, such as quickly get through small holes or quickly climb over tall fences.
Never climb up a tree in attempt to escape from flesh-eaters. Yes, it will provide a temporary escape from them, but eventually they will fill flock around the tree, and there will be no escape.
Never panic in desperate situations. Always aim for the positive outcome, it is always possible to escape. We are smarter creatures than them. It's always possible to escape.
10) Dress appropriately.
Even small things like the way you dress will help your survival. Dress lightly, but wear a leather jacket and denim jeans or something of the sort. Anything that is hard to penetrate, but is still lightweight is a suitable thing to wear. It is pretty difficult to bite through denim and leather.
11) You must have the will to live.
This part is up to you. You control your own life. You might find yourself giving up. The world is going down the drain. Many in your group (including you) will contemplate on taking their own life. "Maybe life is not worth living anymore."
I do not want to enforce my beliefs on you, but I do believe that we should carry on. We should not give up. We need to keep on.
Learn to enjoy the little things in life. Whether it's the beautiful flowers outside, the time you spend with your loved ones, a romantic relationship with another person, find something. Find times to laugh. Life is never worth giving up.
The fate of the human race does depend on you. Yes, you, survivor. If there is any bleak hope of replenishing the human race, you must know what to do. You must establish a new community to repopulate and eventually regrow the human race. Yes, it will take time. It may take many, many years. But it is possible for the human race to be restored to its normalcy once again.
Again, share the word on these guidelines that I give you. Keep on keeping on. There is hope. This is not the end. Things may look dark, but there is no triumph without suffering. Believe that.
May God bless you, survivor. I hope to see the human race triumph.
- A man who lives for hope in adversity.
