Outbreak: Kara

It’s been two weeks, maybe three, since I had been to my house. I’ve never been good at keeping time. Plus, this bus is pretty lonely. It feels like it’s been three years since I’ve talked to anyone. When I realized that the world had gone to Hell in a hand-basket, I decided that I would just keep the bus instead of returning it. No one’s come after me yet, so I just assume no one really cares.

And how could they care? All their friends and family have probably been eaten or turned into cannibals. You don’t have time to worry about a missing bus when little Jimmy is trying to bite your face off.

Honestly, this thing has pretty much become my new house. I feel bad for not going to search for my family, but I decided it was pretty useless considering Billy probably ate them. He always did have a large appetite.

“He’s a growing boy!” My mom would always say when anyone would ask why Billy was going back for a third serving at dinner.

Yeah, he grew up into a mighty fine cannibal and ate our whole family.

Or maybe they didn’t get eaten. I didn’t remember the car being in the driveway when I got home… Maybe they’re still out there somewhere.

The thought was pleasant but I pushed it to the back of my mind. I wasn’t going to hold my breath. The chances that they survived probably weren’t good. I wasn’t about to count on finding them alive because nothing hurts worse than getting your hopes crushed. I decided to cut my losses and abandon all hope of ever seeing my family again.

I laughed despite myself. I thought about how crazy I must look; camping out on a bus and laughing with myself. I thought I was weird before, but this is another level.

Time passed slowly for me. I don’t know how long it took, but I managed to make my bus self-sufficient. I don’t mean to brag, but I’ve become an excellent raider. Sometimes I feel like Lara Croft, raiding tombs and escaping risky situations. Except instead of tombs, I’ve been raiding local stores and houses for supplies.

I’ve almost been eaten a few times, but things are really looking up for me. I converted the front of the bus into a lounge area by removing a few detachable seats. Big Lots had a wide selection of comfortable pillows and blankets to make the area more comfortable. I grabbed a few board games and cards to play with. (Although after five straight games of Solitaire and a one round of single player Monopoly, things get a little dull.)

The back of the bus is purely for storage. Gas containers, weapons, extra food and water are all back there. I was lucky enough to fill up a few gas containers before the electricity stopped working and I’ve syphoning gas out of abandoned cars isn’t so bad. I have enough supplies to make it for at least a month by myself.

I try to move frequently to avoid getting swarmed by zombies, but there are times when I can park and relax, maybe nap if I’m up for it. I’ve taken up a hobby in knitting. I figure I might be in need of new clothes later and Hobby Lobby really didn’t have much else left.

Although things have been pretty peaceful for me, I haven’t had much human interaction since this whole deal started. I don’t know who I can trust. One time I drove right past a guy who was waving his arms and signaling for me to help him. I was almost tempted to pull over and let him aboard, but then my supplies would be cut in half and who knows what kind of person that guy was, anyway. I feel bad about it sometimes, but what are my choices?

Thinking about that guy that I left behind made me start thinking about my humanity and question whether or not I’d interact with another human again. Those types of thoughts only served to weigh me down. I had to brush them off and get on with my own survival.

The scenery in Knoxville was starting to get repetitive and a bit crowded with the general cannibal population. I decided to make my way towards Sevierville to look for new shops. I don’t know much about that area, but I feel like there should be some farmland out there. Thoughts of fresh fruit seemed like heaven on Earth to my stomach.