Surviving Malton

I spent two days on the edge of Havercroft, venturing over into the Barrville during the day. I killed four zombies in two days before I started running low on ammo. I'm starting to get better at using the shotgun, and I'm getting really good with my pistol.

But it's still not safe over there in Barrville. I made my way back to Ackland Mall to search for more supplies again. At this point, I'm almost fully stocked again. I'm going to head west again tomorrow, after one more day of resting.

I’m still in the Ackland area. I’m holed up in the Mall right now. Yesterday I went out on a sort of patrol, just heading south east. My path was completely clear of zombies. I made it all the way down to Shore Hills before I crossed my first zombie. This one was wearing a flak jacket, and it blocked a lot of bullet damage. I came close to killing it, but didn’t manage to get the final blow before I had to pull back.

Over night I hid in a hospital — Maria General Hospital, I think. While I rested, one lone zombie managed to break the barracades and get in. Luckily, another survivor was able to dispatch the zombie and re-barricade the entrance. (I still haven’t quite figured out how to make a good barricade.) I couldn’t help wonder if it was the same zombie I shot at a few blocks away. Did it know where I was? How would it now?

The next morning, I went back to the same spot, but there was no zombie, but there was small group just north, gathered around the Mules Monument. I literally emptied all my remaining bullets into the group, finishing off one, and damaged another pretty badly.

Out of ammo, I headed back to Ackland. I’ve been here ever since, resting and searching the gun shop for more ammo. Either I’m getting luckier, or better at searching, but I’m finding stashes of pistol clips and shotgun shells all over the place now. I’m carrying more ammo now than I ever have before.

Radio chatter and mall conversations seem to indicate that the zombie menace has been dealth with in the Ackland area. My experience reinforces that — I had to walk six full blocks to see even a single zombie. Reports of occasional break-ins still come through, though, so you can never be too careful.

Different people are either going to or coming from the Barrville area — due east of the mall. Some people are escaping the zombie menace, others are joining the fight against the zombie hordes.

Others report that Lumber Mall is under seige. Too bad, that’s in Penny Heights, way on the other side of Malton. It would take me a few days — at least — to get over there safely.

The next mall nearest to Ackland, other than Caiger, is Nichols Mall in Stanbury Village. That’s dangerously close to the Ridleybank suburb, an area known to be completely overrun by zombies. It’d be a dangerous trek to get from here to there. Are there even any survivors over in Nichols?

I made it Ackland Mall. So far, this place seems a lot safer than Caiger Mall was — at least safer from other survivors. I've been here a couple days so far and haven't seen any survivors killing each other.

The area is still a mess. Survivors only retook the mall a few days before I got here, so there is a lot of cleaning up and organizing to do. As people come into and out of the mall, I hear that there is still a fair amount of zombie activity in the area. 

I used up nearly all of my supplies just getting here, so I've been rummaging around the various stores to replenish my stocks  before I head back out. Especially the gun shop. I've always got the axe handy to help me out in a pinch, but you can't beat a shotgun blast when going up against a zombie horde.

It’s been almost two weeks since I’ve last written. So much has happened in that time.

I stayed a couple nights in Caiger Mall. There I saw survivors killing each other. It was pretty shocking.

When I first got to the mall, I was so relieved. There were hundreds of survivors milling about, and it seemed so civilized and orderly. I managed to clean myself up and get a change of clothes. I was thinking that I could stay there for a while, that there was saftey in numbers. With enough people and all the supplies in the mall, we could fight off any zombe horde that tried to get in, and wait it out in relative comfort until the zombie menace is finally dealth with.

Then, I saw survivors killing each other. It was horrible, terrifying. I learned that the zombie infestation has driven many of the survivors crazy. Some survivors even help the zomibies find others survivors to feed on. The rest of us — the true survivors — have no choice but to put them down, if we want to survive ourselves.

After a couple days in Caiger, and after seeing a number of survivors killed and dumped into the streets, I really didn’t feel safe in the mall anymore.

I wondered around down. Hiding and resting in various buildings, looking for supplies, and killing a few isolated zombies I came across. I walked all around Chudleyton and much of Darvall Heights and only saw a few zombies. At the time, the area seemed safe.

I was able to listen in on a lot of chatter over the radio. Most of the malls are broadcasting on a dedicated station. After leaving Caiger, I started listening to broadcasts coming from Ackland Mall further south, on 27.50 MHz. Ackland Mall is in Havercroft, which until recently had been completely overrun by zombies. But that changed.

Several organized groups of survivors banded together, went into Havercroft and cleaned up the zombie mess. They made Ackland Mall safe for survivors again.

I heard most of the drama unfold over the radio. It was pretty exciting.

Some survivors are trying to get organized around Ackland Mall, to keep it permanently free of zombies. It would good to have a safe mall so close to the center of town.

But I haven’t just sat an listened to the radio. I’ve killed a few zombies myself. I’ve gotten pretty good at using a pistol, a shotgun and axes, and I’m now able to get past most of the barricades that people set up.

At the moment, I’m a few blocks away from Ackland Mall. I was going to head over there today, but I ran into a zombie, and luck was not with me. I used up all my shotguns shells, all my flare guns, and every bullet I had, and didn’t manage to bring him down. If not for my trust fire axe, he might have gotten me.

Finally, the axe finished him off. But at the end of it, I didn’t have enough strength to make it to the mall. It’s pretty nerve-wracking, because I saw a horde of about 20 zombies a few blocks away from my location just before I ducked into a building. I don’t think they saw me. I hope not.

I'm still at the Kenefie Lane Police Dept. I spent all day listening to radio transmissions coming in from all over the city. There's a lot more activity going on than I see myself. Many, many other survivors must be out there, well hidden. That is a thought I find somewhat reassuring: We are surviving even in a a city overrun by zombie hordes.

There's a Caiger Mall nearby. I'm going to try to get over there soon, if it's not too barricaded.

I also spent a much of my time searching the police station and I've made some good finds. A radio, another pistol, even a couple shotguns. And lots of clips and shells.

Once I get all rested, I'm going to venture out. The station is safe enough, and there are lots of other people here with me, but I'm tired of hiding day after day like I have been doing. Tomorrow, I'm going to go look around. And, if I see a zombie — this time I'm prepared.

I went north and tried to get into the Kenefie Lane Police Dept again — this time I got in. Finally. The station is set up pretty nice, too: Generator, lights, radio transmitter. There's a good number of people in here, too.

Being here, this is probably the most relaxed I've been since I came to Malton.

I also found a few good supplies: A couple pistol clips of bullets and a flare gun. Once I find a few more clips and rest up some more, I think I'll be ready to defend myself. I won't always be on the run. This is a good place to rest.

Overnight, I saw a number of flares light up the night sky from all directions. Something big must be happening in Chudleyton, but I don't know what it is.

On my first morning in the new suburb, I continued my search for bullets. I went east over to Rodwell Row Police Dept, but it, too, was boarded up to where I couldn't get in, and so was the warehouse just to on its northwest corner. I still haven't been able to get into a single police station in Malton.

There was a lone zombie in the cemetery there, and I tried to attack it with the fireaxe a number of times, but I guess it's a little too wieldy for me at the moment. I didn't hurt the zombie at all. It was pretty embarrassing to see myself flailing about the way I did, over and over. You'd think I would hit the zombie at least once out of sheer luck, but no, not this time.

Nearly exhausted, I made my way back to the other warehouse next to the Tiplot Museum to rest up some more.  Maybe tomorrow I'll try searching further south, in West Becktown.

Well, I made it to Chudleyton!

When I left St Eutychian's Hospital, I knew it was barricaded so tightly that I wouldn't be able to get back in, so it was a one way trip for me. As soon as I stepped outside, I heard much moaning and groaning from zombie hordes to the east and south, coming from many locations. I guess I picked the right time to get out of Darvall Heights.

I moved quickly. Heading northwest to Postlethwaite Crescent Fire Station to check for supplies. Here is where I had my first bit of good luck since I woke up in Malton a few days ago — I was able to get in, and after a quick search, I found a good hefty fire axe! Looks like a tool to use against zombie skulls! Finally, something to use besides my fists.

Postlethwaite Crescent Fire Station was set up pretty nice: Lights, generator, fuel, and a radio transmitter. It was almost civilized!

Next, I hoped to find some bullets. I continued my north east path to Halse Crescent Police Dept, but that place was boarded up tight. I couldn't get in. Halse Crescent is right on the border of Chudleyton, so I started moving south east to the center of the suburb.

I made it to Kenefie Lane Police Dept, in Chudleyton, but it was also boarded up tight. I moved further south to the Vetch Building, which looks like a good place, but I was still hoping to find some more supplies. I went even further south to the Knyfton Row Fire Station, which was inaccessable. South of there, though, was an old warehouse I could get into. I searched around, but all I could find was a sturdy length of pipe and some old newspapers.

So that's where I am now, resting in the warehouse after a long day. If I had a radio, I might be able to hear the transmissions from the Postlethwaite Crescent Fire Station over in Darvall Heights. But tonight, I'll just listen to the wind, the crickets and the moaning of the zombie hordes.

People have been filtering out of St Eutychian’s Hospital all day. There’s only a few survivors left in here. The barricades are so strong that I won’t be able to get back in if I leave. I’m still resting for a time — I’ll be heading out to Chudleyton soon enough. I hope I’m not the last one out. I don’t have enough supplies to defend myself if they get in.

Wish me luck.