Someone I know says that we inherit the consequences of our choices. This being said, the best course of action when faced with any sort of crisis or breakdown of normality is to stop, think and choose wisely the next step to take. The plan that (may) will ensure the survival of (at least) two nobodies requires some good choice-making, a dash of hope and more than a little luck... Also an assault riffle, MRE's and the welding equipment I told my boyfriend he could NOT use in the downstairs of our house.

Ok. The outbreak has started. Did I mention I live in New Orleans? Spitting distance from the famed Cities of the Dead...The above-ground ones. My boyfriend and I share a house in an area of town known as Mid-City and I am a bartender for a hotel in the French Quarter. He is an Ironworker/welder. We have no children. Our house is the tallest on the block, towering over the houses on either side. We live on the second floor where the floodwaters of Hurricane Katrina never reached. All windows access the neighboring rooftops (for the agile) and it is possible to use these rooftops to evacuate an overrun house. However, by securing the downstairs windows with welded chain-link and destroying the stairs, the chances of being overrun lower dramatically. Once the main stairway is blocked or destroyed the house effectively becomes an isle in a Sea of Zack. Add a contraption to lower a ladder and a pulley-platform, paint a big DEAD INSIDE sign across the front and cover the windows with blackout curtains. Now, we wait for the end of the world. And maybe practice a little of that repopulation stuff. To combat boredom.

There is a large high school just across the street where reinforcing/baricading materials, food, chain-link fencing, baseball bats and whatever else is required may be found. I am not going to list all of the supplies already available to us; assume we could ride out at least a class 3 storm in high comfort and relative ease. There is a veritable smorgasbord of survivalist goodies waiting for us in a five-block radius including gas stations, grocery stores, schools and churches. Even a wilderness/extreme sporting goods store.

Now, we all know what happens to the best laid plans of mice and men, so naturally there are some alternate ideas for just-in-case. If we absolutely cannot stay in the city (say there's a hurricane or something) we can reinforce the weak points of the Ford Explorer, load the essentials and roll out. I think the sunroof on the thing might make an excellent firing point and also give us an exit if we should become trapped. Any roads out of the city will probably be clogged with cars that may or may not contain infected/reanimated evacuees so along with a wedge-bumper we will need a winch and perhaps a roll-cage. There are a few different routes we could use but where we would go is one big question mark.

The boyfriend and I have been talking about the idea of more firearms. I'm thinking perhaps a Mini-14 or an SKS for myself. It will be hot-pink camoflauge and if I don't survive the outbreak I'll at least die knowing some big, burly LMoE might be taking out Zack with my lil old pink riffle.