Author : Michael Georgilis

Always follow this rule: never go to a hospital. No exceptions. Heal as best you can if someone is hurt. Abandon someone who can’t or won’t move. Tell them this risk when they join you. Friends help you survive. People who endanger your survival are no longer friends. Offer friends a bullet if you leave them. If they accept, remove the head afterwards. Cremate. Move on.

Scratches are minor. Bites are death. Friends should tell friends if they are bitten. Friends who hide their bites are no longer friends. Pity them. Do not keep them. Tell them this risk when they join you. Give them a bullet, or let them do it themselves. Some will try to fight back. Be ready. Remove the head. Cremate. Move on. Grieve on the road.

Know your enemy. Do they shamble? Do they run? Run away from shamblers. Drive away from runners. No matter what, move. Be paranoid. Travel during the day. Eight out of ten deaths occur at night. Don’t become a statistic. Cut your hair short. No ponytails. Easy grab spots. Wear close fitting clothes. Take extras for tourniquets. Wear coats for weather only. Wear running shoes. Take only what you can run comfortably with. Sleep in safe houses. Have two escape plans. Set up watch shifts. Cry, but be alert. Watch the dark like it would swallow you if you didn’t.

Defend yourself. Guns are obvious and dangerous. Aim for the head. Never shoot twice if once will suffice. Always reload. Clean your weapon. You are always one jam away from death. Avoid combat. Always look for ways to circumvent. Converse ammo. Have back up. Use shotguns for crowd control and bottle necks. Fire and run backwards. Never fight without a full magazine if possible. Count your shots. Three shots left, the battle is over. Run. Use these bullets with care. Two for escape. One for you. Choke on the muzzle. Point up. Think of home before pulling. Move on.

Scrounge with intent. Go as a group or not at all. They are never alone. You shouldn’t be either. Listen before entering. Moaning, shuffling, you leave. Desperation is the only exception. Enter with firepower. Create bottlenecks. Have two fall back points. Have an escape plan. If it’s clear, move quickly. Ignore the smell and the bodies. Take only what you can run comfortably with. Move on.

Know your locations. Malls are bad. Offices are bad. Hospitals are worst. Off shore is best. Prisons are good for long-term stays on land. Useful for headquarters to a large group of friends. If the coast is not an option, search for a prison and lots of friends.

When you find a haven, sweep the place. Fight for it. Don’t let it go. Set up homes. Regulate food intake. Attempt to grow sustenance. Make decisions as a group. Laugh. If food growth allows, friends can become closer. Skeletons can regain their flesh, their smiles, and reclaim the mantle the virus annihilated long ago.

Never count on permanency. Food, medicine, equipment runs low. Always be prepared. Exercise. Practice. Leave as a final option. Things are different in havens.

But the rules stay the same.