October 24th, 2010

Hi Dusty Blue. Huge update. Dad is alive. He's alive and he found us, like three hours ago. I had to write down the update but I really want to go be with my family. He's alive, Dusty Blue. This is real life. I'm taking it as a sign. Nothing can kill the Grimes family. Not a thing.

P.S. No, I have no idea what will happen with Mom and Uncle Shane.

-Gail

...

October 26th, 2010

Good morning Dusty Blue. We have only been driving for about forty-five minutes and I'm already getting car sick. We're on our way into the city, which is probably the dumbest plan we have yet this far. But the drive is going to take a good couple of hours, which means I have some lay time to update you on the last few days.

First things first: my father, Rick Daniel Grimes, is alive. And well, all things considered. Two days ago Glenn, Amy, T-Dog, and Morales got back from their supply run. It was quite the scene. Glenn was in this new red sports car he found and damn it was loud. All the adults were freaking out at him because they thought walkers would hear it. The supply rig followed behind eventually. It's this massive truck that belongs to the Morales family. One by one, the supply runners came out (except for Merle. My dad said he was forced to tie him up in Atlanta and leave him, but when he and Daryl went back for him, he was gone. Good riddance, he was a sick fucker).

Amy ran at lightning speed towards Andrea, and the Morales kids ran for their dad. Despite my better judgment, a part of me was watching, hoping that by some miracle my own dad would appear from inside the truck. I wished for it every time a supply run came back, and the disappointment was getting old. But I wasn't alone. Carl looked even more hopeful than I did and he started to cry once he knew that our dad was not coming back. Mom does her best to comfort us, but I know that it kills her as well.

I took to wallowing in my own self pity and stare at the dirt beneath my feet. My attention was caught when I heard Dale asking questions about a "new guy." I looked up and it felt like someone swiped the ground out from below me. My father was standing a few meters away from us. He looked as dumbstruck as I felt. Carl shouted out for him and ran as fast as his little feet could carry him. Mom took off too. And forgive me, Dusty Blue. I froze.

I don't really know what I was feeling when I first saw him. Obviously, I was so happy. And relieved. It felt like a miracle. I said that I froze, but it was only for a second before I ran straight into his arms. More like I hesitated. Thinking back on it though, I think I was feeling scared.

There's something I haven't told you yet. Before we came to this camp, before the world went to shit, before my dad got shot on the job...I really hated his guts. When things were normal, Dad and I fought like crazy. My parents passed it off as teenage angst, which only made me more mad. For the year before the world ended, Dad and I were fighting so much that I was spending more time at Uncle Shane's house than at my own. And I think that made my dad hate me more. It was never anything important. The fights, I mean. They were always something stupid. He didn't like my clothes, or my friends, or the music I listened to. I felt like nothing I did would please him, so eventually I stopped trying. A week before he got shot he grounded me for talking back, so I was giving him the silent treatment. On my birthday, he wished me a happy birthday and told me he loved me before going to work. I ignored him. And seven hours later I was in the hospital wondering if that was the last time I would ever see him.

So you see, Dusty Blue, looking at my father coming back from the dead (in the non-walker sense) was a lot. Our group fell under his lead pretty quickly, which I know annoys the shit out of Uncle Shane. And to be honest, I'm a little uneasy about it too. I got so used to relying on Uncle Shane for the last few months...for the last few years. But I feel like we've been given a second chance, me and my dad. I want to make it worth it.

-Gail

...

October 26th, 2010

Still me. Still the same day. Things are really looking up. I never told you where we were going before, but we arrived at the Centre for Disease Control a couple of hours ago. It took some convincing, but the guy living here has agreed to take us in. And you would not believe the lifestyle he's had. Jenner, is his name. He's like a scientist or something. He showed us how the disease that creates walkers works. And then treated us to a four course meal with WINE. Even Carl and I got to try some. We both think it's gross.

And this place is huge, I mean it's got everything. I got to sleep in a real bed, and we all got to take a shower for the first time in months. It was pure bliss, let me tell you. There's a giant kitchen, a gym, and a dining room. Bedrooms for all of us. But the best part is the rec room. That's where I am right now, writing this. I think it's my favorite because there is a little nook around the corner in the back that has lots of cushions and pillows and stuff. The rec room also has some old video game machines, I mean like ancient video games, but Jenner said we can't play them because they use electricity we need elsewhere. Same goes for the TV and VHS player. But that's okay, because there is a bookshelf stuffed with games and puzzles and decks of cards. Oh, and there's a ping pong table too! What I'm most excited about is the mini library Jenner has going. I mean come on, this guy was living alone in luxury while the rest of us were scavenging for scraps of food? How lucky is he!?

I'm gonna start picking out books to read tomorrow morning. Mom and Carol sent the kids to bed already and I'm definitely next. I must be in crazy survival mode right now, because the thought of Mom telling me to leave this cozy, cozy spot makes me want to go feral. Maybe if I pretend to fall asleep here she'll let me stay. Something they never tell you about the apocalypse is how little personal space you get. I shared a room with Carl back home, but sharing a tent with him and our parents is a bit much. Aaaaannnnd I can hear her coming in. Maybe she won't notice me if I'm quiet enough...

Okay I just peaked around my corner and she didn't see me. I think she's also looking to see what books there are. I get my love of reading from her. I get a lot of things from her. Oh, someone else is here. Strange. Oh, it's just Uncle Shane. He sounds mad. Oh God, I hope they don't start banging while I'm here. Maybe I should make a run for it now bef-