Next entry is completed. Csanchez: Thanks for the mild interest. I hope it’ll increase as the action picks up…although I apologize that the initial action is slow. Also, Eric’s sword is suited to his character. His viewing his situation as if he was a fantasy hero helps him cope…and fight.

-Alright. This is our third entry, it’s September 23rd of 2010, and we haven’t had any major changes, but I do feel like things are getting a little bit tense. Eventually, we’re going to have to--oh, my God. Hey, Rachel. Come over here.

-Why? What is it?

-Look over there. At Laura’s window.

-Oh my—whoa.

-Yeah.

-Wait. That’s that Chad Stone guy?

-Stoned Chad? Yeah.

-I know him. That’s the sketchy kid who’s always wearing sunglasses inside.

-Uh-huh.

-Wow, is he actually—

-Still wearing them? Yeah.

-Wow. Look at that. I mean, she must be—

-Getting really desperate? I’m sorry, but that’s just disgusting.

-I know. They could at least pull the curtains.

-Seriously. I mean, they get put in a tough situation, and they just totally lose it. It’s terrible.

-You do know that no one’s making you watch them, right?

-I know, Peyton, but—

-They’re doing it right next to a front window, okay? It’s fricking ridiculous.

-So? Maybe they don’t care.

-Still—

-And she’s doing it with fricking Chad Stone. Do you have any idea how wrong that is?

-Calm down, Rach.

-You’re just a tight-ass.

-What did you just say?

-You’re a tight-ass. Just get over it.

-I’m a tight-ass because I wouldn’t screw Chad Stone? You’re a non-discriminating skank.

-“Oh, yeah, I’m just going to go be this total snot and use these huge-ass words so people will think I’m smart.”

-Look, guys--

-So let me clarify. Oh, sorry, I mean, let me clear that up for you. It means that right now, you’re too desperate to care who you have sex with. Lewis is locked in another room somewhere, so he’s not an option, so you might as well go start hanging on Cade and hoping he’ll put out for you.

-Oh, God…

-But no. Clearly he has other things on his mind. So you have to expand your options. Hell, you’re disappointed that no one took Ryan seriously when he said we should have an orgy. You’d even do one of us. Anything to satisfy your hormones, or for you to have fun and be sexy and popular because that’s all you’ve ever known in life, and if this hadn’t happened, that would be all you’d ever know.

-Rachel, stop it.

-You’re just bitter because you haven’t done anything because nobody wants to do it with you.

-Peyton—

-No, I’ve just exercised self-restraint, which you probably can’t even define. And you’re not just like that with sex, either. Believe me, I’ve lived with you for a month, and I know that you have absolutely no sense of when to stop going for what you want. It doesn’t matter who you have to step on, it doesn’t matter what gets in your way, because as far as you’re concerned, nobody else has feelings. Nothing in the world matters but you, and whatever stupid fucking trivial thing you’re after.

-God. Someone’s in a pissy mood.

-Please, just--

-Why the hell are you even here if you hate it so much? I’d be happy for you to go to one of the state schools with a bunch of other bitches like you, and see how long it takes for you to claw each other down.

-Because some people don’t have mommy and daddy to pay for everything.

-So work hard and get a scholarship. Don’t just come and infiltrate places like this, where real people come to be safe.

-I can’t take this anymore.

-You’re not a real person, okay? If you were real, you’d (voice fades out. Sound of door creaking shut. Brief period of silence.)

-Hey.

-Hey. Um, what’s going on?

-Nothing. I think things are a little bit tense with those two, and now they’re just kind of venting. They’ll be fine: I’m actually kind of relieved.

-Oh.

(Period of silence in ‘foreground’ of recording. Muffled, distant voices are barely audible.)

-Um…

-What, Cade?

-We’ve kind of been sitting here for a couple of days, and it doesn’t look like anything’s really been happening. So Ryan and I were wondering if we should run downstairs to my room. We can get more food, and—

-Scottie, I’m thinking that what they really want is their X-500.

-Yeah. Actually, that is what we care about.

-Trust Ryan to be honest. I guess that does mean that everyone can get some fresh air…

-No.

-What’s wrong?

-No—I mean, I’m sorry. I just feel like it’s a bad idea. I mean, there’s the virus and everything, and they told us to stay upstairs…actually, I was wondering about trying to block the stairs off.

(Period of silence)

-Why, Eric?

-Never mind. Just forget it.

-Well…we should probably just stick around here for a little bit longer. Who knows, maybe in an hour they’ll get a TV station running again and tell us that they found a cure, and that everyone can just go out and go back to their normal lives now.

-No, Andrea.

-That’d be so awesome. If that happened, I’d just go outside and start running.

-I know. I’m starting to feel so fat--

-It’s not even that. I just want to get outside. Every time I walk past that window over there I look out I think, “Oh, I should go running down there today. I haven’t run in that area in a really long time.” But then I remember why.

I mean, look at that. Look at that field. I just want to go running across it and get to all the trees. I miss those trees. Those trees are just—

-Probably hiding a bunch of infected zombies?

-Wow, Eric. Those were my favorite woods on campus. Now you killed them for me.

-I’m sorry. I just…need to shut up now. Sorry.

(Period of silence)

-Don’t worry about it. Everything’s going to be fine, including Scottie’s woods. We just need to keep it together.

(Period of silence among speakers: distant sound of a door clicking shut.)

-And…I think they must be done in there. I’ll be right back. Hey, somebody get out Catch Phrase.

-Okay, I’ll…

(Voice fades into silence: sound of door creaking open, and softly shutting again.)

-Hey, Rach.

-Hey. I’m so sorry…

-It’s fine. Are you okay?

-Well, seeing as I just blurted out a bunch of things that I never meant to say to anyone…and how I thought that once I got to college I’d never cry in a bathroom again…and how there’s really no justification to my crying in the bathroom right now…

-Oh, come here. Look, it’s okay…it’s okay…

-I don’t want to be a bad person…

-You’re not. Shh.

-But I guess something like this was bound to happen at some point. We’re stuck in here together: eventually all our worst parts would start showing up…

-No, you’re both just stressed out, and sometimes that stuff happens…shh…but now you have to get it together…we don’t want everyone to start losing it.

-I know…this is so awkward…I hate when this happens…I’m sorry.

-Don’t worry about it. Um…are you two okay now? I mean—

-I apologized to her. I don’t know if that’ll ever help.

-It will. Just calm down, wash your face, and come out when you’re ready, okay? We’ re going to play Catch Phrase.

-Okay. I’ll be there in a minute.

-No rush. Just think about how you’re about to own all of us. I bet that’ll make you feel better.

-(Weak laugh) Thanks, Andrea.

-No problem. But Peyton…is she--?

-Still in the other room.

-I’m going to go talk to her, okay? But you don’t have to worry about that.

-Okay.

(Sound of rustling and faucet being turned on. Sound of knocking.)

-Peyton?

-(Muffled) Yeah?

-It’s me. Can I come in?

-Whatever.

(Sound of door opening and clicking shut.)

-Hey. Are you okay now?

-Yeah.

-What’s going on out—oh, my God. Are they actually doing it over there?

-Yeah. They’re actually trying to live before something…before…

-Stop thinking that way. It’s going to be okay. Don’t look at me like that: we’re going to get through this, okay? But if one person loses it, everyone else will, too.

-Go tell Rachel that.

-I did tell her. But she is kind of upset right now. She feels really bad—

-No, she doesn’t.

-Come on, you don’t know—

-Yes, I do.

-She said she apologized.

-Right.

-I think she probably meant it.

-No, she didn’t.

-I just talked to her. She’s—

-She’s a bitch. She’s just creepy and oversensitive about it.

-No, she’s not.

-I’m sorry. She is.

-Look—

-You can’t deny it. I’m sorry.

-Okay, so I can’t. I can’t stop you from thinking that. But you’re stuck in here together, and you have to at least pretend to stand her.

-Oh, my God. You didn’t just tell me that.

-I did. You’re stuck here. You have to at least try to act like—

-Yeah, we’re stuck here. It fucking sucks, but we’re stuck here. I didn’t even want to come to this fucking shithole, but now I’m stuck here. And I’m stuck here with all of you.

(Period of silence)

-Peyton…

-Leave me alone.

-Normally I would, but—

-Leave me alone.

-I can’t. I need to know what I can do to help you.

-Open that fucking door, then. Let everyone out. Stop being so goddamn paranoid about that stupid virus that probably doesn’t even exist.

(Period of silence)

-I know this isn’t fair. It’s not fair to any of us.

(Silence)

-We’re in the other room. You can come when you’re ready.

-Yeah. Right. Whatever.

(Silence)

-Okay, then.

(Sounds of door closing. Brief silence.)

-Hey, Andrea.

-Hey. We all set?

-Yeah. We’re doing girls vs. guys.

-Awesome. Where should I--?

-You can sit here.

-Thank you. Are we--?

-Um…Andrea?

-What, Scottie?

-Did you know you were still holding that thing?

-I—oh, crap. How long has this been recording for? I must’ve turned it on before…

(Period of silence)

-Oh, God…

-It’s okay, Rachel. In a couple months we’ll get together and all listen to this whole recording, and it’ll probably seem really funny then.

-I hope so.

-It will. Let me finish this, and then we can start playing. This is the end of the entry for today, and once again, nothing’s changed. But I’m sorry about that little, uh, tangent. Yeah.