Free Zombie Reading: The Dead Are Among Us

In a world filled with zombies on the move, there are thousands of stories of survival and struggle against the hordes.  If you are looking for free zombie stories to read, there are many on the internet.  I was recently introduced to a new zombie story blog - 

The Dead Are Among Us

So far, the story has a prologue and three exciting chapters, but more are on the way. From the Prime Minister to the local shopkeepers, everyone is threatened by the dead.  Who gets bit, who survives, and who is destined to shuffle across the world is very much in question.

If you'd like to follow the author and learn when new installments are posted, follow The Dead Are Among Us on Twitter. 

Five Ways To Die During A Zombie Apocalypse

 A zombie apocalypse would be an easy time to die.  The world would be filled with perils.  The dead would be ravenous and would be relentless.  Many of the humans would be ravenous and panicked.  Perhaps worst of all, the evil would be opportunistic.  Against this backdrop, there are many different ways to die.  But, here are five ways to die that would be very common.

1. You could die because you are too loud. 

Zombies are attracted to noise and commotion.  If you or someone in your family is making noise, they will hear it and start to home in on it.  If your child is crying or your dog is barking or your supplies are clanking together in your backpack, all of that will attract zombies.  Needless to say, a zombie apocalypse is a bad time to argue with your spouse.

A Zombie Walk in Brisbane Australia - photo by Andrew Mercer (www.baldwhiteguy.co.nz), CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

2. You could die because you are visible.  

Zombies go after what they can see.  While some zombie fiction gives the dead special abilities to sense the living, at the most basic level, zombies go after people that they can see.  If you are caught in a Zombie Apocalypse, you'll have to be very careful about moving out of your home unnecessarily.

  

3. You could die because you lack supplies.

Do you have extra food and water in your home?  Do you have extra supplies of your prescriptions?  Do you have any way to grow your own food?  Do you have a way to collect, clean, and purify drinking water?  The lack of vital supplies could force you to go out and seek new supplies.  Venturing out to get supplies is likely to make you more visible and therefore more vulnerable.

4. You could die because you are too sentimental.

Humans have feelings.  We know right from wrong.  We know how to help each other.  Unfortunately, a zombie apocalypse scenario may force us to face scenarios where we have to make a choice between helping someone or surviving.  Those are soul shattering decisions.  We may have to decide whether we can change an outcome successfully before committing to a course of action.  If we can help someone fight off a horde of zombies and we die, that doesn't help our family or our group survive.

Even on a smaller scale, sentimentality may cause problems.  For example, if you decide to evacuate, you'll need to pack your car with supplies and people.  If you pause to save old photo albums or other sentimental family treasures, your window of time for escape may close and you may lose your opportunity to evade the zombie onslaught.

5. You could die because you didn't stop and think.

The main advantage the living have over the dead is brains. You have to stop and think about what you want to accomplish, how you will accomplish it, what the risks are, and how you will survive if something goes wrong.  

Survival Tip: Wear Clothes to Be Seen

If you ever watch survival shows on television, you'll see that the smallest of decisions can make a big difference.  Take clothing for example.  The survival shows always seem to feature people hiking off into the woods wearing clothing that is in muted earthy tones of green, brown, tan, and gray.  These tones that make the wearer feel like they are one with nature also help them blend into nature.

A simple wardrobe change can make a hiker much more visible.  If you must have earthy tones, consider wearing something that is reversible and provides a blaze orange option.  For example, this Buckshot Polar Fleece Reversible Hunting Jacket provides a camouflage on the outside, but is also reversible to provide orange on the outside.  If you are hiding from zombies and bandit, the camouflage option is just great.

However, if you've wandered off a trail, gotten totally lost, and haven't seen anyone for days, blaze orange will come in handy when you are jumping up and down on a hill top hoping to be seen by a plane full of tourists.  It's just the smallest of clothing changes, but it could be a life saver!

Jackets aren't the only thing that is reversible, you can always add a reversible hat.  If you don't go for reversible, just remember that red, orange, and yellow can save a fellow!