The First Feather on Earth

May 26, 2015.

Dear Journal.

I have decided I want to try to go to Orillia. It's a risky gamble but I have decided to at least try to find other survivors. Now, I know what you might be thinking, "What brought on this change in mood?" Well, it's because of what I discovered today. Let me start from the beginning.

I woke up same as usual, got out of bed, and made myself some breakfast. From the looks of things, my stockpile of bread and non-perishable fruit cans are going to start running low soon, especially after the bread starts going bad. I then decided to move my temporary home base to the public library. So grabbing my saddlebags and stocking it with 2 apples, a dozen pencils, my laptop plus charger, a pair of scissors, and a roll of Duck Tape. Unfortunately, the library was not a viable option. It was locked and the only way I could get in was by breaking the glass door, just like with Foodland. So after that, I decided it would be worth my time to use the computers for the internet. I haven't used it on my laptop because it was practically useless for the internet, being a Netbook and all... Uuugh.

Anyways, when I got on the computer and logged in, what I was met with only shocked me just a little bit. Google Chrome still worked. Not wanting to Look a gift horse in the mouth, I decided to look up probably the most important thing. How to find other survivors. Unfortunately, almost all of the long-ranged ones required a HAM radio, and all the other ways just kinda flew over my head in the explanations. A luxury that I don't necessarily have at the moment, as I have no idea how to A) operate one, nor B) find one. So I decided to use what little time I had left on the internet to quickly find out different ways to collect water and food, how horses walk/run, and even what kind of animal I was.

Results: Basically nothing new except the fact that I was most closely related to a Pony. I sighed. Of course, it had to have been a pony. Oh well, at least I have wings unlike a pony, so I wasn't entirely pony. Also that there are different names for the four stages of walking-to-running for ponies. I can't remember the one, but the rest were trotting, cantering, and galloping.

But anyways after that, I got the dreaded 503 Error, Service Unavailable. Once I started seeing that, I realized that the internet couldn't hold itself together any longer. After picking up a couple books for entertainment I went to head home. The odd thing was the fact that I could almost feel as though something was watching me... more than the usual feeling I got from the local birds anyways. Taking this as a bad horror movie cliché, I hastened my pace, practicing the "Trotting" technique I had learned from the computer.

As I got home I quickly realized why I had that feeling. I was being watched, but not by an ally. No, this was the feeling you get when being stalked by a predator. The feel of being hunted. I was almost to the door when a coyote jumps from out of nowhere! I had managed to duck out of the way just in time and then, giving in to my instincts, I turned around and, using all of my minuscule body weight, bucked it square in the head! I think I even hit it in the neck, due to it collapsing a few feet away from me and not getting up. Not giving time for rational thought I hastily galloped into my house, tripping as I went it.

Calming down, I took a look outside my window to see five other coyotes walking away, one of which was carrying the one that I believe I killed. That one took a look back at me and gave me the scariest death glare I had ever seen. It just became personal. Thinking fast I knew I had to set up some form of self-defence, and I realized something. There was an almost certainty that there was a gun shop somewhere in Orillia. So I decided to try to make some defensive armor. I already have a weapon right in the kitchen. It's called a knife, look it up... oh wait... right, you can't... Fuck. Well, anyways I actually upgraded that by cutting a broom handle into fourths and taping a knife to the ends of each of them.

Well, anyways the armor is pretty much a shopping cart with another shopping cart grate zip-tied on for a lid to make a big box, with wheels along the bottom. The only way to get in or out is if you cut the zip-tied and push the grate off, and yes I have a bag of zip-ties in case I want to use it again. How do you move in such a contraption? The same way that you pilot a ferry in Venice. You use a big, sturdy stick and propel yourself by pushing against the ground, thus is why it has the wheels.

And that brings us to now. I've already stockpiled as much non-perishables as I can in my numerous saddle-bags and I layered the inside of the box with my thick comforter. Of course in my main saddle-bag, I'm going to have my trusty laptop and charger, a couple extra knives, my Oxford Large Print Dictionary, Basil, and my Special Pillow. It's special because I made it... with Grandma... *sighs* I think I should get my sleeping arrangements in order. Night everyone...

--Yours truly--

Alex J.

May 27, 2015.

Dear Journal.

I need to keep this short because my battery life is just as such. So I made progress today, I passed by the gas station a couple of hours ago, and boy I am glad I brought extra zip-ties! There was this big-rig there and I could faintly hear the HAM RADIO playing, of course, I couldn't get in because it was bucking locked! In my excitement and frustration, I kept thinking on how much I wanted to just fly up there and kick the window in! then I felt something a bit off with my back and next thing you know, my wings were stretched out! Experimenting with these new muscles I found I learned how to open and close them, but that's it. Bummer I couldn't flap and fly. Oh well. At least I know there's SOMEbody out there playing a looped message. Anyways I got a sweet amount of loot from the gas-station in the form of food and possible weapons. Let's just say I did kinda upgrade the Makeshift Mobile Pony Home (MMPH). Yyyyeah... now it has 8 lighters attached to it at even points on the cart and I just so happen to have one or two aerosol cans in my main saddle-bag now. *snickers* And yes I know how to use both with hooves. Oh, and I picked up these WICKED aviators as well! Anyways I gotta hit the hay, the mutts haven't attacked yet thankfully. Night everybody!

--Yours Truly--

Alex J

May 28, 2015.

THANK! YOU! GAS STATION!!! I got attacked by those coyotes again today, and guess what? THEY'RE SCARED OF FIRE! I'm not going to put down the details but I can safely say that they won't be bugging me for a while. Speaking of which, I think I know where all the bugs have ran off to. Because the closer to Orillia I get, the more bugs I end up finding! After a very itchy experience, I found out that I had a flea! I then decided to use my duck-tape to hold down the aerosol can button and gave myself a nice, hot fire-bath. Basically, I just ended up popping off the lid (I'm starting to run low on zip-ties. I might be able to do re-zip it about 4 more times) and jumping through the stream of flames a couple times, then shook myself like a dog. After that, I think the bugs learned to let me be and I continued on my way. I'm almost at Orillia finally and I know the first place I'm going to. Anyways I gotta hit the hay, Night everybody!

--Yours Truly--

Alex J