Young Writers Society

June 13th, 2024

A man walks down a ruined and abandoned motorway packed with congestion that will never free up. The cars broken, the batteries dead and along with the owners. He carries a medium sized brown backpack near filling with a hunting rifle slung over it. Everything he carries looks worn: the backpack; his clothes; even himself. Grey hairs streak through his hair once a chestnut brown. As he walks his keen, trained eyes scan the horizon. Behind every car could be a bandit; behind every fence could be an infected; behind every lamppost could be tripwire. Years of experience have taught him to use extreme caution where others had failed and payed. He'd seen what happens if you don't. He walks alone and tired but fixed on his destination: a small forest on the right side of the motorway up an also small hill. He leaps over the barrier with surprising agility despite his obvious age dividing the left side from the right and makes his way directly up the hill like a compass pointing always at the unchangeable north; the trees.

Something catches his eye though as he moves between the labyrinth of decaying metal and cracked concrete breaking his focus. He stops. A small battered orange book- a journal, peeking out from in a small clump of rich, green grass curiously almost begging for him to take it with him. He hesitated then, without expression, bends down to take it. At the very least it would burn well on the fire. Save him the trouble of gathering wood he thought as it was getting too late to do so comfortably and safely. He was also very curious at the contents despite him telling himself not to get distracted. He knelt down and put it in a small pocket at the front of his backpack. The orange glow of the sunset giving everything a more softer- peaceful feel to it much more relaxing than the colour of grey and rusty metal everywhere he looked.

He gets to the trees. Large thick pines standing out rather oddly when surrounded by barren farmland for miles around. The sap from the trees smells fresh and relaxing and when mixed with a small campfire which he builds most night feels just like Christmas back home except with the absence of company, presents and good food. He's been alone for years. He found a few sweets in one of the cars earlier on in the day which was a treat and he had some rabbit back at his camp which he had trapped yesterday. He hoped it was still there when he got back. Sweets aren't that substantial.

Sure enough when he got back to his camp, just a small ring of rocks where the fire would go to contain it and a sleeping bag, it was still there hanging from the tree overhanging the fire; the rabbit. The long burnt out fire staining the ground in the ring a charcoal black. He settled down, back to the tree, for a moment before busying himself with a fire for the night. The sun finds it's way through the thick forest in little beams of warm, orange light scattering itself across the forest floor creating complex silhouettes of the trees and leaves above as he carefully nurtures the small tinder into a good, warm fire.

While chewing on cold smoked rabbit leg he opened his brown backpack and pulled out the orange journal from earlier. It read on the front "Frankie's Journal - KEEP IT OUT" and was decorated with numerous skulls and crossbones to make his point clear. The drawings and writing seemed to be child like around the age of eight- maybe nine. The cover is incredibly dirty but you just make out a faded orange colour. The pages are also too in a similar state. The pages are mostly ripped or gone altogether but it doesn't look like decay, more like the pages were ripped clean out in anger.

Flicking through the book shows that some are still intact. The writing is neat and round like but still obviously child like. The man thought he might as well read through what pages are left before he burns it for the fire once he runs out of twigs. He starts at the beginning of "Frankie's Journal":

March 18th, 2020.

Sorry I haven't wrote in a while, my last journal was taken from me a day after my last entry about three days ago. The men in uniforms told me it was "unnecessary" for our "evacuation". I don't want to move; it doesn't sound very nice where we're going; the men in uniform aren't very nice either. I hope they aren't the same there. Nice people are better than bad people.

Dad won't tell us why we're moving and I don't really want to get closer to the men than I have to. I ask him pretty much all the time but he remains silent. The closest I've got was the day we got the evacuation order last week where he must have noticed my mood. He said that, "The bad people are coming and they are all very ill. We must go if we don't want to catch it." I don't get why we should run from ill people even if it is a very nasty disease like flu. Surely we should help ill people? I didn't say that though. He looked scared and tired enough.

Sis was the one who gave me my new Journal, I liked the old one better 'cause it was blue; I know it must be hard for her to get it though so I thanked her. It is definitely better than nothing. Tommy thinks I'm strange writing in a Journal. He said "It's a girly thing!" but I don't care. When I asked Sis where she got it from she simply said, "From friends," then stopped talking. I don't believe her though; her friends don't seem the type to be able to get paper when even food was hard to find now. Mum's meals are small now and not very filling but once again I said nothing. I know Sis must know what's going on but she doesn't tell me. Mum and Dad must have told Sis not to which is odd 'cause she always tells me stuff and she never listens to them! Must be serious... At night she looks out the windows and listens to all the shouting from the soldier's barricades looking scared. I know something is going on. Something very bad. The same reason why we're moving away.

We went into the big, green truck as soon as the sun rose along with a lot of other people from the town. It's very cramped in here making it hard to write with the constant shaking of the truck and people knocking into me at every corner, hence the mistakes sometimes in this entry. The roof above me is green canvas with no windows to look out off. Usually I love looking at the scenery but now I can't, even to know where we're going! I hated it: the men won't tell us how long it will take to get there which annoys me, it's stuffy in here and you don't have a lot of room which makes it hard to hide my book from the men. Dad asked the same question to the red headed soldier and but he says nothing- or tells us to shut up! The evacuation order that came in the mail a few days ago just said the time, where to meet at and what we can bring which turns out to be not a lot, just some clothes and a few possessions. We aren't allowed anything electrical or valuable now which is a shame because I got a nice new video game for Christmas. I guess paper is now valuable so that's why I can't take it. It never used to be; I remember Sis' pile of drawings. This Journal will have to last me.

The man next to me won't stop making weird noises. He looks weak and grumpy and he has little deep black bruises over his face. I swear they got more and more deep in colour as the journey progresses. He's one of the few on the truck besides me not sleeping although he is trying his hardest to do so- I can tell. Despite him looking very weak I don't want to talk with him or bump into him when the truck turns. He looks grumpy and irritable. But I guess we all are though. We have all been taken from our homes and being moved to god knows where. Maybe he even doesn't know!

We're stopping for a toilet break and fresh air in about an hour. I'll find somewhere to hide my Journal in my jacket for the rest of the Journey and try and sleep. Not going to see or learn anything anyway staring at the floor or the sleeping people's tired faces.

-Frankie.

March 19th, 2020.

We arrived late last night tired and exhausted. So exhausted that as soon as we got our address for our "house" we all immediately went to bed without getting changed. It's a lot more cramped here but not as bad as I thought it was going to be. We have four rooms: room for Mum and Dad; One for me and Sis; A bathroom and a main room with an oven and counters. There is no electricity here but we've had a lot of "practise" as Dad calls it from the more frequent power outages back home. It's cold at night but it's not that bad really. We live in a large, grey apartment block along with a lot more families, both moving in or long time residents. Surprisingly there is little noise. Perhaps they all had the same idea as us. "Hit the hay" as Grandad Henry used to say. 

I keep telling myself it could have been a lot worse. When people say "evacuation" you think those cramped camps you see in movies and on the news. This is more moving house into the city in a big apartment. Sis is fast asleep on the other bed opposite me meanwhile I have the light on writing this. Usually she would get mad at me for having the light on this late; she likes her sleep. I think she is taking it easy on me now 'cause I now know what is going on. I like knowing what is going on anyway but that doesn't mean I like what is happening- I guess.

When we stopped for what was meant to be half an hour after I finished the entry yesterday we lost the old man who was sitting next to me before. The one who looked ill and bruised. I didn't see much of it but I certainly heard the gunshot and I definitely saw the body. One of the soldiers shot the man at point blank. We were confused at first about what had happened but soon the soldiers were ushering us back into the truck turning a thirty minute stop into a twenty. They left the body behind, a large gaping hole left to in it's head.

I asked the woman next to me what had happened. She looked at me kindly like I was a stupid which I didn't like. Old people always treat me like a baby even though I'm nine. Mum says I'm big! But luckily she still told me what happened. Apparently the man started shouting at her for reasons unknown. No one could work out what was he was saying. Pretty soon he pulled a small knife out on her and tried to kill her: "Disturbingly, without hesitation the soldiers shot him through the head. At that moment I realised he was one of them."

"The bad men?" I replied.

She smiled again at me, "I guess you could put it like that." Then she sighed, "But they're not really bad it's just this damn infection!" She suddenly sounded more angry. "My son isn't a bad person it's just the virus..." She whispered to herself.

I was quiet for a moment then I said back, "But if it's just a disease can't they cure it? Why kill them?"

She smiled again, "Child- Do you not know why we're leaving?" I shook my head.

I told her what dad told me.

She shook her head, "Parents should not keep information in this time from their children, it's not safe and you need to know. That's what I taught my boys." I sat up waiting. She turned to me smiling, a glint in her eye, "Would you like to know?" I nodded eagerly.

She told me about the infection and how it created men into monsters, dulling their mind into mush. She told me that the virus was worldwide and very dangerous and how many countries' governments have fallen into ruin. How the monsters it created turned on us and tried to kill us like that man had done just then. I heard some of this on the radio and TV when Mum and Dad thought I couldn't. Big words like "Marshal Law" and "Anarchy". It never really fit together for me.

"We're moving to the quarantine zone in another city where we will be safe. The military are there to keep the infected out and us in." She said.

I didn't like the sound of real monsters. I liked playing monsters with Tommy back home but they were never real. They seemed to come from people too making it worse. Imagine shooting a family member who was ill. I told Sis later on that I knew. She agreed that it was good for me to know. She paused a moment to then finished with, "It's probably good that you do. You are mature enough to know." Then dozed off. Sis always knew what to say. She got me.

"Is there a cure?" I asked slowly.

She paused for a moment, "Not that I know of but I guarantee that they will be working on something. We'll be safe in the city for the time being with the walls."

I thanked her for telling me this and she dozed back off again as if I was the only reason why she stayed awake. Perhaps I was.

Back on the bus we eventually we got here, the image of the man's broken body less vivid now but still there- always. Some things can't be unseen. We stood at the back of a long queue of people. We would be waiting impatiently but we were too drowsy after the journey to be impatient. Dad signed some papers handed to him by a woman sitting at the desk at the front of the line. I didn't get to see the papers despite my obvious curiousity. She then passed Dad a note with our address on it, that much Dad told me, a leaflet and some red cards saying "Rations".

We quickly carried our few possessions to the apartment which luckily was fairly near. As I said before, we quickly went to sleep not even bothering to change our dirty clothes.

I should go to sleep. To be honest if I wasn't thinking this all through in my head I would have dozed off hours ago instead of writing in my Journal. The man especially sticks out in my head. I can tell this is the start for me of something bad.

-Frankie

April 2nd, 2020

Attended the local school round here. It's the only one still functional and within the quarantine zone. As I mentioned in yesterday's entry I found out the Tommy was also living in the same quarantine zone as me despite not being on the same truck which was great! He lives in a similar apartment, a little bit smaller, about five minutes away from me. We walked to school together and saw The Wall keeping, as the old woman said, us in and "them" out. It's really big much bigger than any wall I made out of Legos when I was younger. It was also a dull grey like everything else here not multi-coloured sadly. You could see large groups of armed soldiers up on the walls patrolling around occasionally stopping to peer outside with their torches or at you. The walls made me feel titchy but sort of safe. I doubt anything could get in through that easily.

The school itself was a lot smaller than my old school and had a lot more kids in it. It combined the two classes our age with the two classes in the year above. It was a tight squeeze. I stuck close to Tommy as all our other friends were not here. The local kids were all looking at us most curiously others not so friendly-ish. Sis being fourteen was at the older kids school which I doubt was a lot better. There were no posters or pictures on the wall like my old one not even the one I really liked with the quotes on it. The walls are blank and boring only ever interrupted by a crack from years of wear and tear. The equipment is even worse here: broken rulers, blunt pencils, leaking pens and lots of the tables and walls were covered in big words I don't understand, even at the time of writing! I don't complain though with all the shortages going on; the army taking everything they need to fight. I asked Sis why there wasn't any toys yesterday in our house. She said it was because the soldiers needed them. I nodded but I don't see why soldiers need toys to play with.

Our teacher was no better. We had mean and horrible teachers back home too including the notorious Mrs Elephant face. I even have drawings in my old Journal of Mrs Elephant face. But this one was really strict and mean making a little girl cry within the first hour and shouting at many more. She also didn't know much too, it sounds like to me that she was just a random person that they picked up off the streets. Shame that they picked the most horrible one they could find. If there was a world record for most horrible teacher ever, I would vote for her in a heartbeat.

We had a special assembly after "maths" and one the soldiers was speaking to us. He looked big and more important than the ones who were standing next to him. Me and Tommy sat close to the front as we both really wanted to hear about it especially Tommy. His parents had told him even less then mine had about the infected. I don't like not knowing stuff and neither does Tommy but his respect for his parents was on the opposite end of the spectrum to Sis'. The soldier told us the "ground rules" about the quarantine zone. Like how if we saw an infected quickly move away and tell a soldier straight away; never to leave the quarantine zone without papers, "But you won't get permission anyway if your parents have sense"; never to harbour an infected even if they are family and how to tell the symptoms of the infected. The early symptoms weren't that bad. Things like tiredness but can't sleep, light hurts them, angry, irritable and loss of memory. But then you get things like black patches like the ones I saw on the man on the truck who got shot. Then they looks different and they get really angry. He also took questions and answers from the kids. He seemed nice but seemed to be pretending a little bit to be nice- I guess like a TV show character pretends that they are a spaceman.

I have to go now. It's dinner now and the food is better here than back home. Rations are more plentiful and less... icky...

-Frankie

April 24th 2020

The kids at the school have finally stopped being so unfriendly towards us after the incident a few days ago. Perhaps they realize now that we are all on the same side and "we" have just as bad as "them". I'm still a bit annoyed with Ben, the meanest one for thinking that us "outsiders" have it less bad as them. We've had it just as bad as them especially Tommy with his Mum and all... That's probably his reason for hitting him so hard. Ben seems to have loosened up a bit after the incident. Hiding in a corner crying does seem to make you lose your ego a bit.

Anyway me and Tommy finally could play tag with all the other kids without getting stared down instead of standing in a corner talking about stuff. I miss games of tag with friends back home but they are who knows where now. I met Rhianna, the girl who cried on the first day thanks to Miss Eagleface, the name me and Tommy finally agreed on after much debate on the way to school. She seems to have toughened and taking the offensive against Eagleface after that but still seems a bit timid inside. Sometimes I see her wandering the streets at night despite the curfew ducking behind walls when the searching lights circle round. I wonder why she doesn't just go home at night it's not safe at night.

Sis came back late again last night. I wish she wouldn't do that it just makes Mum and Dad mad at her. She wouldn't even tell them where she'd been or even say sorry! She just comes home looking like she's been crying and very tired. They were arguing for hours so I went out to play football with a can with some people. Nearly everyone got cuts from the can but it doesn't matter; it was good fun. I know something is going on with Sis. At least when I ask she doesn't fight with me like she does with Mum and Dad but she still doesn't tell me or even give hints. Not even the teensiest hint.

Bye.

-Frankie

July 19th, 2020

Fourth day of Rhianna staying with us. It's nice having someone the same age as me around. She walks to school with me and Tommy now much to his displeasure but I don't care. I still can't believe I didn't notice no one took care of her for so long; she was always really skinny and tired. She sleeps on the sofa but she could practically take Sis' bed since Sis is barely around anymore. She still hasn't told anyone where she goes. Sometimes she doesn't come back till the next day. She barely goes to school anymore! Mum and Dad are still very worried but I think they have had enough with having abuse shouted at them from her. They can't stop her. I still think she just has a boyfriend even though when asked she quickly snaps at you like wherever she is going is some dark secret. I'm tempted to follow her after school (when she does go) but Rhianna says I should give her some space. Rhianna seems to know things like this about people, maybe it's just because she is a girl, so I agreed with her. For now.

-Frankie

September 5th, 2020

Massive shoot out on the walls right now. It's really scaring me and especially Rhianna. I know it reminds her of what happened at her home. She told me about that once and only once. I can tell the infected are trying to break their way in again ferociously. The attacks are becoming more and more frequent every time. They get bigger and stronger too it seems every time. At least last time Sis was around so we knew she was safe but we haven't seen her since Monday. Mum was crying in their room and Dad was just hugging her trying to be brave but you can see how worried he is too. I just hope she's not out there with them.

They ain't gonna break in tonight. The wall is so big nothing can get in. That's what they tell us! What scares me is what the infection does to you. If it makes you so angry and determined to kill your friends that you will throw yourself straight at guns and an impenetrable wall oblivious to the fact that they will die... How can you resist it if it gets you? What happens if a family member gets it? There is no reasoning! You might need to end up shooting them yourself! That's what scares me; what it does to a person and what it does to people around them.

-Frankie

January 19th, 2021

Breakout of the flu on the other side of town: About a dozen kids not in school today cause they are banned from leaving their homes! The military don't want people leaving their homes and spreading the disease with very little medicine around. I'm not complaining about some kids staying at home; more arm room for me though I've heard rumours that Jack, the little messy haired kid is on the brink of death from it. He's always been prone to illness; he's quite weak and skinny a bit like what Rhianna was like before we took her in. Rhianna could have been like Jack. Near death and on the streets alone. At least I've still got my family.

Sis has started coming home again at nights but I don't think it will last long. She always looks worried when she's at home like she'd rather be somewhere else. Wouldn't we all Sis? Mum and Dad have started interrogating her again but she mostly just zones out when this happens- Or leaves the house. Brianna has agreed to my plan of following her to wherever she goes along with Tommy.

Till the next time.

-Frankie

March 7th, 2021

What everyone though was the flu which everyone seems to be getting recently (except for me, yay!) was actually the cold for Tommy which means we are all good for the plan tomorrow! The flu has only killed a few people so that's good. At least it's not the infection or something really nasty.

Speaking of nasty things though Cam and Harry, two brothers, one in my class the other in Sis', were both killed yesterday. What they did was stupid, they were always idiots but so were the soldiers: stupid. They just wanted to have a bit of fun so they both pretended at the middle of the night to be infected people and then climbed up on the inside of the wall. The soldiers shot them all on sight killing them both.

I guess the soldiers were just doing their job at keeping the infected out but it's still sad. It seems like the virus brings out the worst in the healthy rather than the infected. At least they are just animals now relying on instinct. They don't know what they are doing. We still have our minds yet terrible things still happen at our hands.

Rations have been cut even more which I think is due to more frequent attacks. I'm always hungry and tired now. It's hard to sleep with the sound of heavy gunfire and screams most nights.

-Frankie

March 15th, 2021

Yesterday was the day of Sis' execution. They made it short and quick. Five soldiers. Five guns. For harbouring an infected the man shouted. That's where she was going every night. To take care of her best friend and her best friend's boyfriend. She was so stupid... What was she thinking? They are just animals after a few days! She was lucky to not get ill! At least she has the "privilege" of having a few more days left on this ruined planet. With what few days she had though she barely saw us. I still remember her harsh words cutting into Mum. She ain't wanna see any of us...

Mum rarely comes out of the house now and Dad seems noticeably sombre. He's had to work overtime to get ration cards to make up for Mum not working. He's always tired now and rarely talks to me.

Sis only asked to see me yesterday right before the execution. She just hugged me and told me that she was so sorry. How that she thought if she took care of them they would be fine. She never thought they would get stronger and break out... Her final request was to tell the scientists what she knew from keeping them over the months. No one knew until then that they got stronger over time after the initial infection and no one really was glad to hear this. Dr Mapleberry was pleased to here this though. He kept on saying words like "fascinating"

It's all Sis' fault though. Why would she hide an infected in the city? She knew more than I do about the dangers they pose! Did she really think that any of her friend was left in there? I know she's my sister but in this world, only the strongest survive the test. And she failed bad.

A soldier was killed by the two infected and three people were infected. They were quickly shot as quickly as killing deer. They were noticeably bigger than the normal ones which suggests grimly that Sis was right. We'll miss you Sis but you messed up and took people with you. I hope your happy that you felt you could help what's left of your "friend".

-Frankie

March 19th, 2021

You know what Sis? If you can hear this up wherever you are now. FUCK YOU SIS! FUCK YOU! IT'S YOUR FAULT SHE'S GONE! YOURS!  SHE'S GONE! I HOPE THAT WHATEVER IS LEFT OF YOU FEELS THE PAIN I FEEL FOR ALL ENTERNITY IN YOUR DISGUSTING SQUAT OF HOLE YOU LIVE IN IN HELL!! FUCK YOU! SHE'S GONE BECAUSE OF YOU! GONE! FOREVER! IF YOU HAD TO DIE FROM YOUR OWN FUCKING STUPIDITY DON'T TAKE OTHER PEOPLE WITH YOU!! GO IT ALONE YOU SELFISH BITCH!

STAY AWAY FROM ME SIS!! NEVER COME BACK TO ME!!

-Frankie.

June 26th, 2021

I miss Rhianna. After the execution not even Tommy talks to me. None of the kids do. They're scared of me... Tommy says he only does it 'cause his Mum tells him not too. I know he's lying though...

-Frankie

November 24th, 2021.

I want my old life back! The one back home! Home home! When there were no infected, no quarantine zones, no rations, no killings! It's lonely with just me and Dad at home now. It's lonely everywhere now. I'm an outcast now at school. No one will talk to me not even Tommy. I don't want to anyway I see them all staring at me and whispering about my family. I've become cold and isolated but I like that now. I won't get hurt this way. No one realises that if you don't care you don't get hurt and if you don't get hurt you can concentrate on surviving through this.

Dad practically works himself to death now only to come home to a deserted, derelict building. The bite of winter is closing in again on the quarantine zone and I feel it squeezing me all the time like someone is slowly suffocating me. At least last year we had a home that had a fireplace but our home was burnt down in the most recent attack. The damn infected have learnt how to use fire now to devastating effect. We're not the only ones who will have to go through winter without a home but we sure still feel alone. After the incident involving my sister no one talks to us much except if they have to. My dad takes it the worst. He likes having people around. He misses Mum very much and so do I. Luckily I will soon stamp out that last bit of weakness. I need to move on to live.

I don't need other people.

-Frankie.

December 25th, 2021.

People are starving on the streets. Without a home they are too cold and get very ill easily meaning that they aren't allowed to work in case they spread something. If you don't work you get no rations meaning you starve. Children and adults alike lie dead with metres of me and Dad. We still have food luckily but it's not a lot. Dad works hard but gets close to nothing. He's broken inside now all he does when he gets home now is stare at the wall for hours muttering to himself.

The soldiers don't help the dying people they're too busy looking out for themselves just like everyone. It's meant to be Christmas now I told myself. I laughed coldly at those empty words I thought I would reassure myself with. No one cares now about looking out for each other and I'm with them. Our care for each other only extends to keeping the wall up and that's it. If I cared about this little girl next to me with the sunken cheeks who is crying constantly I would do something. But I don't. I need to look out for myself first and frankly, she's annoying.

I'm down to my last pen and I'm running out of pages. That's okay though. The infected will kill us all before I finish. Their attacks are getting more and more frequent. I hear horrible noises outside the wall every day and night which tears right into my heart! It scares me still despite me crushing all other weakness out of me. I guess it is still good to be a little scared of things. It's only a matter of time till the wall comes tumbling down...

-Frankie

Febuary 24th, 2022.

Gunfire on the walls hasn't stopped for days. The time is near. I'm packed and ready to go when the time comes. I'm scared of what is out there it's only natural after being stuck in here with no outside contact. Are their other quarantine zones? Are they all destroyed? Is there anyone out there? I don't know but I must go.

I'm not taking anyone with me. They'd just slow me down. I'm hiding my stuff from Dad so he won't try to stop me. I doubt he will though I can barely remember the last time he spoke to me. Even if I did want him to come with me (which I don't) I doubt he could even hear me...

-Frankie.

March 1st, 2022.

"And starward drifts the stricken world,

Lone in unalterable gloom

Dead, with a universe for tomb,

Dark, and to vaster darkness whirled.

(“The Testimony of the Suns”)”

-Frankie Jorge Mackenzie.

There are no more entries after this quote so the man closed the journal slowly. The fire had long since lost it's original intensity and now all that is left are small burning embers and an over-cooked rabbit. The embers illuminate the ground and trees weakly while the rest is as dark as the deepest part of space.

He doesn't want to relight the fire with the journal. The man feels like he owes it to this "Frankie" to keep his journal safe. It looks like that the kid didn't make it because of the condition of the journal, the ripped pages and the absence of the boy. Instead he threw some nearby twigs onto it to relight it. He was very cold, maybe even colder than the one the boy described but now they all share the cold he felt. The last quarantine zones that he had known of were overrun about a year ago. Where he and his family lived. He hadn't noticed the cold while he was reading though but now he started to shiver has he carefully nurtured the fire back up.

He chewed on the rabbit while he pondered what he thought happened to the boy. He never came to a conclusion though as he, Derek Tobias Southgate, died five minutes later...