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I started working on this months ago, and stopped a day later, then picked it up recently because I wanted to finish it. While it's mentioned below, I'd like to say it here: I know that this might be a mess, and not everybody will like it. But that's the fun of it all; it's not official, and will never be official, so it's fun to create stuff or imagine what happened that hasn't been explained yet. Whether you enjoy it or hate it, I had fun doing this! :)
7 DAYS TO DIE (UNOFFICIAL) LORE—TIMELINE
THIS IS AN UNOFFICIAL TIMELINE OF THE LORE LEADING UP TO THE SETTING OF 7 DAYS TO DIE. ALL EVENTS DEPICTED IN THIS ARE UNOFFICIAL/UNCONFIRMED AND SHOULD BE TREATED AS SUCH (duh).
THIS IS NOT PERFECT. MUCH OF THIS MAY NOT SEEM REALISTIC OR MAY BE TOO CONSTRAINED. IF YOU FEEL THAT SOMETHING DOESN’T QUITE FIT, LET ME KNOW AND I CAN CHANGE IT. IF YOU WANT, YOU CAN HELP OUT.
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BCE-April 24, 1986 CE: History is unchanged.
1986
April 25
- A nuclear inspection team arrives at Chernobyl, the negligence they discover and resolve in reference to a soon-to-occur safety test is ruled as 'criminal' by the Russian government due to the estimated damage that would've occurred if the test had gone through. As a result, the true danger of Nuclear Meltdown does not set into the psychology of first world countries and they continue with lax construction of reactors.
2000
January 1
- Y2K occurs in computers across the planet. Multiple systems are permanently fried, pushing technology back several years. DIVERGENCE occurs.
2018
OCTOBER 9
- The United States Of America grants Puerto Rico statehood. The flag now carries 51 stars.
2025
June 9
- A meeting is held at the United Nations in New York to discuss political tensions between North Korea following the death of Kim Jong Un seven months prior. A 19-6 vote is enacted to increase security at the Korean Demilitarized Zone.
October 7
- North Korea attempts an attack on soil with the launch of four ballistic missiles aimed at Guam and Hawaii. Three are confirmed duds; the fourth strikes Guam’s Tamuning. Thousands are killed in the attack. Minutes later, the United States launches three ballistic missiles; all three successfully strike the capital of Pyongyang, killing several thousand people in its limits, including NK leader Kim Ju-ae. South Korea and Japan experience one of the largest refugee crises in human history. This leads to a depression in the region that lasts several years.
October 22
- A local group known as the Woodstock Militia form in the United States, their goals claiming to be “nothing more but the peace among man.” Their numbers grow over several years, expanding beyond North America.
October 23
- Backyard Bunks, a company set on the construction of backyard fallout shelters, is successfully funded and founded in Manchester, England by US expatriate Donovan Clarke, beginning construction immediately.
2032
September 2
- A Woodstock peace rally in Iraq is ambushed, leading to dozens of rally-goers dead or missing. An investigation discovers collusion between some members and a terror group known as the COG, or Caliphate Of Glory. The WM is banned from Iraq as a result “until further notice.”
December 22
- The United Nations begin talks on expanding territory further into the North Korean ruins. China argues against it.
December 30
- Talks at the United Nations ends with the UNSC voting 17-8 on territorial expansion through the North Korean ruins. China warns against this.
2033
March 27
- US expansion into the North Korean ruins begin, expecting to take a total of 18 months to succeed. Protests occur near the border. Later in the evening, a brief riot breaks out, leading to the death of a Korean Border Security Officer and several arrests.
April 1
- China sanctions the United States. As a result, the US sanctions back. The Trade War, as it is simply called, begins.
- Stocks in Chinese trade fall soon after.
August 13
- Backyard Bunks expands into the United States, quickly gaining popularity in major cities, with several hundred requests in just that single day.
September 11
- A terrorist scare occurs in Washington, D.C., after a vehicle was pulled over containing a homemade nuclear weapon. The bomb was successfully deactivated and disposed of properly.
September 19
- China begins underground nuclear testing in a remote region of the country, prompting fears in the United States and Japan of potential military action.
- Coincidentally, hours prior, Russia also announced that they would resume nuclear testing 18 years after it was discontinued.
September 29
- Lucky Larry’s, one of the largest casinos in the midwestern United States, opens to the public in the city of Gravestown, Arizona.
December
- A mass shortage of functioning antibiotics leads to an outbreak of Cholera in India, killing 3 million from December to January 2034, where it is eventually placed under control with international aid.
- Due to the Trade War, the United States experiences what is called “The Year Without Christmas.”
December 19
- United States scientists work with the United States military with the creation of a contagion with the intent to overwhelm enemy territories. Early testing is a failure.
2034
- Nuclear plants undergo a worldwide reconstruction effort to improve performance and defend against large-scale man-made attacks. Very few nuclear plants are completed.
January 2
- Seven bodies are discovered in the Cascade Range. All of them are mauled, covered in human bite marks, leading to rumors of a cannibal group nearby. Law enforcement denied these claims.
January 10
- The United States cancels the remaining expansion into the North Korean ruins, stationing soldiers as far as the city of Wonsan. China lifts few of the sanctions; the United States follows suit, but the Trade War persists.
January 11
- Construction of bunkers by BB in all Las Vegas hotels are complete.
March 18
- China ceases its nuclear testing temporarily, out of fear of radiation leaking into neighboring territories. Russia continues its nuclear testing.
March 19
- Midterm elections begin in the United States.
June 7
- Chinese President Chen-Chi is assassinated while on a trip in the United States. The United States is immediately blamed for her death. Many terror groups across the world claim responsibility. Some say this was a tactic to prevent any retaliation by China.
June 11
- China, upon full belief that the United States is responsible for the death of former president Chen-Chi, declares war on America.
JUNE 12
- World War III, or simply known as “The War,” occurs as late as 6:18 PM EST. It is unknown precisely who fired first, but blame rests solely on China.
6:15 PM
- The Integrated Operational Nuclear Detection System (IONDS) detects seven nuclear ballistic missile launches from an unknown location.
6:17 PM
- NORAD confirms all seven launches. USAF enters DEFCON 1, prompting immediate takeoff of all available bombers. Several of them head for China, believed to be the sole cause.
6:18 PM
- POTUS authorizes full-scale retaliation. Several US ballistic missiles are launched.
- The War commences. China denies any action against the United States, despite their declaration of war the day before, but are bombed shortly after. The United States preps a full-scale invasion scenario into China. The seven immediate nuclear missiles are destroyed. Several more are launched from ocean level, believing to be submarine-based launches. Three of them reach the west coast of the United States. Several submarines are destroyed by military response.
6:23 PM
- Los Angeles is struck by two nuclear warheads several seconds apart. Few of the city’s skyscrapers collapse from the shockwave and sheer force of the explosions.
- News quickly spreads across the nation, confirming the detonation of nuclear weapons in Los Angeles. Panic spreads nationwide as people try to evacuate. Highways quickly go into gridlock, forcing people to escape on foot. Several people take shelter in several bunkers, only to quickly fill up.
- Divisions of the US Armed Forces are deployed in several cities to assist in the evacuation.
6:28 PM
- Seattle and San Diego are hit by two separate nuclear warheads.
- The San Diego warhead was not a head-on strike, instead striking closer towards the outskirts, nearest to the highways. Most on the highway were killed in the immediate blast, while those in the inner city survived.
- Thirty-two more ballistic missiles are confirmed launched from China as retaliation. Many of them strike the west coast and further inland. The midwestern US (Colorado) all the way to the east coast is spared from ballistic strikes due to NORAD’s immediate response.
6:30 PM
- Gravestown is devastated by two consecutive nuclear strikes. The majority of Navezgane County is spared the immediate effects of the detonations.
6:30-8:00 PM
- Six more nuclear warheads breach past NORAD defenses from China, striking Portland, San Francisco, Las Vegas, and even reaching Austin, Texas.
8:00 PM
- No further nuclear launches from China. Birds are in the air and are headed for China. Cities affected/destroyed are Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Xi’an.
- Over the next five days, the USAF is deployed across the United States and throughout China. Martial law is declared in the US, and POTUS is relocated to the Mount Weather Communications Shelter on June 14.
JUNE 14—RUSSIA BECOMES INVOLVED
9:58 AM EST
- A van containing a nuclear weapon is detonated in the US capitol. Armed forces are sent to assist the injured and dying.
- NORAD detects several Russian submarines off the east coast of the US. DEFCON 1 is once again in effect, formerly set to DEFCON 2.
10:10 AM
- Russian aircraft arrives in Washington, D.C., dropping soldiers across the city with the intent to take over the White House and overthrow the president. It is revealed the president is hidden away.
- Evacuations are set for the unaffected areas of the city. Several Russian soldiers kill people attempting to flee the city limits.
10:14 AM
- POTUS and NORAD authorize launch of four ballistic missiles targeted at Moscow, Russia.
10:16 AM
- Four ballistic missiles are launched from the United States towards Russia.
- USAF continues to evacuate the outer regions of Washington, D.C.
10:17 AM
- ­A second nuclear weapon is detonated in the capitol, killing millions. It is unknown who detonated it or where it was detonated.
10:19 AM
- Russia retaliates by launching seven nuclear ballistic missiles targeting New York, Washington, Orlando, Boston, and Atlanta.
10:22 AM
- The United States launches nine more nuclear missiles targeting several Russian cities.
- Several Russian planes fly over the skies across the eastern seaboard attempting to drop soldiers with the intent on invasion. Many of them are shot down, their soldiers killed in their parachutes, regardless of the Geneva Convention.
10:25 AM
- Two Russian bombers drop three nuclear warheads onto Columbus, Ohio, destroying the city entirely. The resulting EMP causes the planes to crash, killing all onboard.
- Poland, France, and the United Kingdom join the conflict, firing their own missiles at Russia and China.
- Several Russian planes touch down in Detroit, Michigan, assuming complete control of the city over several hours.
10:40 AM
- Moscow is struck by two of three nuclear warheads, one failing to detonate. The other nine launches strike other Russian cities, including Saint Petersburg, Omsk, and Samara.
11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
- New York City, Orlando, Boston, and Philadelphia are hit by nuclear warheads and sustain heavy damage. Russia retaliates against Poland, the United Kingdom, and France with nuclear launches targeting them respectively. London, Paris, Nice, Manchester, Warsaw, and Marseille are all struck.
- Many refugees within the United States flee towards the center of the country, residing within the countryside and avoiding major cities. Denver, Oklahoma, and Houston—to name a few—are mostly deserted, with many vehicles remaining on the roads, forever trapped in gridlock.
- The east and west coasts are in complete blackout, a result of the EMPs created by the nuclear detonations.
- China has gone quiet in all military aspects. US soldiers in the region have confirmed that survivors are surrendering.
- Russia invades sections of the UK and Italy, expanding their territory with the intent to take control of more military weaponry. At the same time, their government no longer exists. Many survivors in the affected regions panic; the country is in absolute turmoil, with riots occurring everywhere.
- The northern area of Manhattan is mostly unaffected by the blast, but the radiation has killed most of the people in the vicinity. Cars are left running, filled with the corpses of those who succumbed while trying to escape. Bodies of USAF soldiers can be found as well.
- Riots break out in the few US cities still densely populated. Martial law is further enforced.
- The Blackout occurs: Many power plants within the affected regions are abandoned or destroyed. A rolling blackout occurs across most of North America. Very few cities still hold access to electricity.
June 14
- Radiation from the seaboards begins to seep into water systems and streams, which will begin to irradiate and pollute most major water sources across the country in the coming weeks.
- Patients in hospitals across the United States begin to die by the millions as backup power fails.
- Order starts to break down across several areas in the mid-US.
- Several more nations join into the conflict, firing their weapons at Russia and China.
- A global, limited nuclear exchange occurs. Action between nations is limited to several minutes. Detonations occur over three hours. 49 nations are confirmed affected or destroyed by the exchange. Very few nations remain unaffected or functioning, such as Africa, Australia, regions of South America, and parts of the central US. The rest struggle or collapse from radiation or economic failure.
June 15
- An undetonated nuclear warhead in Moscow suddenly explodes. Millions are killed in an instant. Remnants of Russian missile command see this as an attack and immediately fire twelve more nuclear missiles. They launch in random directions.
- Poland is hit again. England is hit again, London is devastated. Paris is struck again, causing the collapse of the famed Eiffel Tower. Uganda, Africa is struck, leading to them retaliating against Russia.
- The United States is once again hit by Russian warheads. New York’s north side is hit, killing millions of survivors. Washington, D.C. is hit again. NORAD nearly shoots down all of them. One surviving missile strikes Kansas City, devastating it in moments.
- After this day, no further nuclear missiles are launched from any nation. Communications break down across the world. The Great Silence begins.
June 16
- The War ends. Two-and-a-half billion people are dead. Many more are injured and dying; the death toll is expected to climb another billion over several months.
- Several countries drop communications, either intentionally or unintentionally. The United States, for two weeks, is isolated from the rest of the world except for Canada and remnants of Mexico.
June 18
- Radiation has seeped into the water systems of many inhabited US cities. People are poisoned and begin to die. USAF remnant soldiers begin to ration food and water to the population.
- NORAD is abandoned, its surviving crew scattering across the mid-US.
- Surviving members of the Woodstock Militia regroup in Denver with the intent to boost morale across the surviving states.
- Navezgane County, Arizona regains contact with the mid-US states. Several other counties of other western states soon do the same. Navezgane’s climate is heavily altered. Snowy regions plague the mountains, while plant-life blooms elsewhere. The area surrounding Gravestown is abandoned, filled with the bodies of war victims and populated with survivors, who are only now emerging from their bunkers with the intent on beginning a cleanup effort.
June 20
- Cleanup attempts begin across remnants of the nation with the help of USAF. The president is relocated to Denver, Colorado and addresses the nation to his best extent.
July 2-5
- The United States is divided into three sections: The States, The West Wasteland, and The East Wasteland.
- USAF members return from overseas after weeks of silence. Many have died from radiation poisoning and were buried in China.
- Survivors from neighboring countries, including China and Russia, begin to appear on shorelines as they make their way to the States. Very few are turned away. Many Chinese and Russian survivors surrender, only to be taken in and sheltered. It is from these survivors that the extent of the damage from the war is revealed. Russia’s economy collapsed in a matter of days, whereas China’s economy “seemingly collapsed the moment the very first bomb touched down.”
- People begin farms in their own backyards, planting gardens and producing crops.
July 5-16
- Power plants across the States are restored; the lights turn back on across the country, even in areas across the Wastelands. Navezgane County’s power is restored. Some power plants have melted down in recent weeks, irradiating parts of North America for thousands of years.
July-August
- The Great Meltdown occurs, a period in which power plants across the world experience near-simultaneous meltdowns as a result of abandonment and lack of maintenance. Several European countries are irradiated, millions killed.
- Japan’s nuclear plants melt down; those who were unable to flee die quickly of radiation poisoning.
- Hawaii is spared from the radioactive cloud, which eventually reaches North America by early August.
- The west coast of North America is devastated by radioactivity from the GM. Those not already killed by the war are killed by the cloud.
- Alaska is spared from the radioactive cloud.
- The majority of South America is spared from the radioactive cloud, but its west coast is devastated.
- Most of Europe is devastated. Those who are able to escape are forced underground.
- The world truly becomes isolated. Two billion more die during the Great Meltdown. Three-and-a-half billion survivors remain on Earth.
- The States are spared from the radioactive cloud that covers the majority of the planet.
- Very few places on the coastlines are spared from the radioactive cloud, such as Navezgane County.
- Many cities lie dead, full of the remains of the people who used to live there.
August
- An outbreak of Cholera occurs in Tulsa, Oklahoma. A mixture of radioactive and infected water leads to 100,000+ dead, an eighth of its population.
OUTBREAK OCCURS
- A mutation via radiation exposure leads to the full-blown outbreak of V-713, or known more as the Muerto contagion in North America.
August 4
- Cases of an unknown pathogen are reported in Navezgane and several other spots of land across the western board. Reports of infection are heard in Albuquerque and Sante Fe, New Mexico, Salt Lake City, Utah, and Denver, Colorado. Due to recent outbreaks of Cholera and other dangerous diseases, USAF and doctors collaborate to deliver protective masks, while simultaneously quarantining the sick.
August 5
- Bodies are found in multiple areas across several states, in similar condition to the bodies found in the Cascade Range months earlier.
- Muerto spreads into several more towns and cities. Hospitals quickly become overwhelmed with new admissions.
- Many fear the outbreak will reach their area and attempt to leave. Highways are once again clogged, while soldiers attempt to console and comfort those panicking, encouraging them to return home.
AUGUST 6 – THE MUERTOS RISE
- Cases spread further to larger cities.
- Hundreds of infected individuals begin to die in hospitals; some die on the streets. Several areas are quarantined, with hazmat teams burying the dead; in most cases, the dead are burned once space runs out.
- Reports of attacks begin to pile up in areas hit hardest by the infection. They are dismissed as riots and labelled as “fearful anarchists.”
- In the evening, sudden mass ‘riots’ break out across the western board. News reports depict people chasing each other and knocking others to the ground ‘with the intent to maim or kill’.
- Citizens, sick or healthy, attempt to flee the cities and areas that are in chaos. Many seek protection by local police forces, but are gunned down mistaken for attackers.
- Police forces in the main cities are quickly overwhelmed. USAF forces in the area respond with deadly force, but many of them are overwhelmed as well.
- Roadblocks are set up on highways, hoping to contain the violence to the cities—however, reports emerge of similar attacks occurring in small towns and even villages.
- The cities’ streets are a mix of stampeding civilians and crazed attackers.
August 7
12:00 AM – 5:00 AM
- USAF forces are forced to pull out of Denver’s limits. The president is long gone, relocated to De Moines, Iowa.
- Roadblocks outside Denver, Salt Lake City, and Santa Fe are overrun by infected individuals.
- Doctors confirm on radios and functioning stations that the attackers are deceased. The Muerto contagion is gained its name, but the infected are rarely, if ever, named as zombies.
7:23 AM
- The president addresses the nation, revealing the full scale of the situation and urges calm. This does little to prevent further panic.
8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
- The infected overrun multiple military outposts across several cities.
- USAF forces conduct mass napalm bombings in Salt Lake City, Denver, Santa Fe, and more, in an attempt to control the spread. The effort fails.
- Reports arise that USAF forces have gunned down refugees pouring into towns neighboring Denver and Santa Fe. Outrage spreads quickly as the infected continue to migrate further east.
4:00 PM – 11:00 PM
- USAF outposts in Fort Collins, Colorado and Rapid City, South Dakota are overrun by infected.
- Reports of infection arise in the city of Wichita, Kansas. Suspected cases are either quarantined or killed to contain the spread.
- Fort Collins is firebombed by USAF pilots. Containment is initially a success, but the sound draws mass herds of infected hosts. The fort is declared a lost cause.
August 8
- Outposts and blockades are stationed across several areas not yet hit, such as Navezgane County. Cities further to the east succumb to infection and riots.
- Firebombing methods are abandoned for major cities; citizens are left to their own devices. Many die in the panic.
August 10 – August 11
- The Muerto contagion is reported in Navezgane and several other counties. People resort to locking themselves in their homes or committing suicide. However, many commit suicide by either poisoning or hanging, leading to reanimation.
- Suicide patients begin to reanimate over several hours, leading to a siege of infected hosts in several towns.
- The Diersville hospital is under siege throughout the 11th, leading to the infected escaping and attacking the neighboring folk.
- Infection reported in Perishton.
August 13
- Perishton under siege.
- Diersville confirmed lost. Many residents forced to fend for themselves. USAF forces abandon the town after failed attempts to control the infected hordes. Some fleeing residents are gunned down, mistaken for the dead.
- Several nuclear weapons are dropped on Denver, Santa Fe, and Albuquerque as a last resort. The resulting blasts irradiate the entire region. Navezgane County is more or less sealed off from the rest of the nation.
August 18
- Power failures plague large regions of the States.
- The infection is controlled in several areas via USAF border fences.
- USAF forces begin airdrops in areas affected, but still holding survivors.
August 25
- Navezgane is declared a hazard zone. Airdrops still occur, but it is forbidden to set foot until otherwise.
- The Muerto contagion is contained; half of the States survive.
- 7 Days To Die begins.
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CONTRIBUTORS
u/Making_Bacon
u/watson895
u/Buggaton

It was a quiet night in August, and I was riding my bike back from my friend Kyle’s. He lived just down the street, which was nice seeing how everyone else had already gone off to college. We lived in a quiet, hilly area of Wisconsin; the home of Jeffrey Dahmer, Ed Gein, and others as I had often joked. So, yeah, i was leaving, and that journey changed me.
When I was rounding a curved corner, I saw a red truck coming from the opposite direction. I tried to swerve to avoid it, but the truck tried to avoid me by doing the same.
I was told by doctors I was lucky to be alive, let alone have the use of all my limbs and function in a perfectly normal way. After some physical therapy and painkiller prescriptions, I was released from the hospital. My senior year of high school went pretty well, and I got into a school with an award winning engineering program. My only complaint was that my high school best friend, Kyle and I didn’t talk much anymore.
Myself and six other colleagues were essential in combating the spread of climate change, “The Seven Saviors” is what the media called us. Outside of work, I had an incredibly supportive wife, and three brilliant, kind-hearted children. Everything was going perfectly, until it wasn’t…
You know that feeling you have when you graduate, or being laid off from a job? That feeling of not being exactly sure of what to do next? I had that feeling one night when I returned from a convention in the Philippines.
About a block from home, a plume of smoke floated above the rooftops. Being July and assuming it was a really large bonfire, I paid it no attention. Turning onto my block, where my house once stood, I saw a heap of wooden planks and roaring flames. In that moment, all I could think about was my family, and I jumped out of my car and ran toward the burning building.
“I’m afraid I can’t let you any closer, sir.” a firefighter cautioned.
“That’s MY house! Can you at least tell me if my family is ok?”
“The investigation is still ongoing, so you’ll have to wait over there with the media trucks” the man carelessly stated while coldly smoking a cigarette.
Ignoring his order, I stormed past him and sprinted closer to the raging, crackling inferno. I thought that maybe, with all that equipment on, I’d have the advantage and get away and find out what I needed to. All it actually did was make his tackle more painful.
“Daniels, get off that man, now!” Barked a scratchy voice about ten feet back. A tall, thin man in a suit and jacket approached, extending a hand, “So sorry about that, Dr…” he paused searching his notepad “Mort. That firefighter’s new to the unit; was previously enlisted in the Marines. Hopefully I can answer any questions you may have. Follow me.”
He led me to the side of the nearest firetruck, out of earshot from the nosy reporters. “Robert DeLanely, FBI” he said, flashing a badge. “To answer the question most pressing right now, it doesn’t appear as though any of your family made it out.”
My eyes welled up with tears...I thought of my children, Rebecca was planning for her first year of college in a few months. Stacy (my wife) and I were planning a new business...had it really all ended so abruptly, and for nothing? Shaking, I collapsed by the rear tire of the truck and started crying.
I felt a hand on my shoulder “The bureau extends its sincerest apologies. As hard as this must be for you right now, I’m sure you realize that’s not why I’m here. While combing through the contained areas, we found a note that leads us to believe this wasn’t an accidental event.” He unfolded a piece of paper and handed it to me. “Does this make any sense to you”
I tried to steady my shaking hand to read it… Throughout life, the only reliable companion is yourself. In success and failure. -Yours Truly, The Despots
“No, no it doesn’t.”
DeLanely frowned a bit and rubbed a small snake tattoo on his wrist “Didn’t think so. Let us know if there’s anything you can think of that may help our investigation. Here’s my card. Do you have family or friends nearby you could stay with?”
I told him yes, and while the investigation was wrapping up, I stayed with my folks about an hour away.
A few months went by, and that note always stuck with me. What could it mean? Who were these people? Why did they want to come after me?
One Saturday morning, I was unpacking at a new apartment; it would’ve hurt too much to rebuild on the spot where my loved ones died. I decided to take a break and spend extra time looking at photos I left with my parents a few years back. As I turned the pages of an album, something fluttered to the floor. Picking it up and reading it, it answered everything.
Back in my undergrad days in college, myself and a few other students helped a professor conduct research. Three of these students were the stereotypical college frat douchebags who you wondered how they managed to stay alive for so long; let alone get into college. A couple of times, I jokingly referred to them as “The Despots” as a way to blow off steam. With that realization, a fire grew inside me which I didn’t even realize I had. These dipshits, who barely graduated, were the ones responsible for MY depression? MY almost quitting the field of engineering? MY FAMILY’S DEATH?
I went berserk for awhile; throwing things, screaming, and even punching a hole through the wall, only to be stopped by a pipe.
I sat on the floor, staring at the moonlight cutting through the blinds of the patio. I felt something I hadn’t in a long time. Not just happiness, but great joy. Grinning widely, I realized I lived in the technological age! I was capable of finding these jealous bastards and do something about them.
By six that evening, I had the info I needed in order to track two of them down. I was smart though. I had seen enough documentaries, and YouTube videos to know ways people were caught. I waited. Conveniently, I had professional engagements in areas close to where they lived in the coming months. It would be suspicious if I visited the area abruptly and they went missing. If I waited, I had an alibi.
The following six months went off perfectly fine..at least for me. As for those douches; Ralph and Hector, well..let’s just say those engineers met their engineer. Ralph was easy enough to track down at a casino in Reno; a few drops of liquified sarin in his drink seemed to do the trick.
Hector a was bit trickier. I don’t know if he was worried I would track them down or not. Turns out he was in Buffalo since graduation, and lived in one of those houses with the fancy “smart furnaces”, where you could control the temperature with an app. Puncturing a gas pipe proved to be fairly easy, easier than hacking the app he used at least. Should’ve seen his head flying down the street like a baseball.
I still hadn’t found Rick though...there wasn’t much I remembered about him that I could use to track him down. I knew he hadn’t moved terribly far from me.
At first, I didn’t feel anything about what I did. I did what needed to be done. They no longer deserved to live, though whether they ever deserved to can be debated by a class of philosophy students too busy stroking their egos to realize their degrees will get them nowhere.
You see, however, I developed a problem. I became addicted to killing. Hookers, kids, old fucks with dementia? All too easy to lure in and get rid of. Knowing you have that much power over another person’s existence is truly exquisite. They were all going to die, don’t get me wrong, but the more they squirmed, the worse it got for them. A slice to the throat for those I pitied, and slowly placing them in acid after being drugged for those I really wanted to watch suffer. I now understand why people hunted, you know? I loved the thrill of doing it and not getting caught, avoiding evidence being traced back to me...nothing else was as exciting anymore.
I must’ve gotten a bit too sloppy, because a year later, I was driving back from a summit in New Mexico on renewable energy when I was pulled over. Praying it would all go smoothly, I complied. Hands on the wheel until asked to do something. I reminded myself.
“License and registration please” demanded an officer
I turned to face him, and, it was that agent, DeLaney. Shit.
“Hey, small world! How’s it going?” I said, trying to stay calm.
“Great. How’re you managing?”
“Surprisingly, pretty well overall. Have a new place, traveling again for work.”
“That’s good to hear. Well, listen. I recognized your car from that night, and wanted to warn you. We believe there’s been a serial killer active in a couple..” He glanced to the back of the car “Wait, what’s that?” he asked
“What’s what?” I replied, trying to act dumb
“Do you mind if I check out your car?”
“Go ahead” I knew I cleaned out that car before I left Albuquerque. He wasn’t going to find even a strand of hair.
As the detective opened the car door, I saw the snake tattoo again, and it was in that moment it clicked. Rick, the douche from college, had a snake tattoo on his wrist as well. Tonight I was going to finish what he started...
He leaned into the car’s backseat, and pulled out a knife from under the front passenger seat. He looked shocked and turned to me “Do you want to explain something?” Trying to move before he could process, I punched him, and in his dazed state grabbed the knife from his hand. I got in one good stab to the side before he drew his gun. “Drop the knife. I don’t want to use this on you.”
“I know who you are, and you’re going to see your buddies soon enough .” I yelled pointing the knife in his direction, as a crowd started to gather on an overpass bridge.
I heard the gunfire as I fell. Detective DeLanely stood over me as I lay on the road, bleeding out.
DeLaney bent down and used the gun barrel to move my face to see him “Tell them I say hi” he smirked as I took my final breath.
Or, so I thought.
I heard the sound of heart monitors and people talking.
“Hey there buddy!” It was my mom sitting in a chair by the window. Wondering where I was, I shot up and glanced around. “Aghhh” my head was on fire.
“Careful! That car did quite a number on your neck, sides, and forehead. It may still be a few days before you can get out of bed.” A doctor standing in the doorway stated, scribbling on a notepad.
“Car? Wasn’t I shot?” I asked, looking around the sterile hospital room.
My mom laughed, “Shot? Haha, no luckily not. You were riding back from Kyle’s and a car hit you. You’ve been in a coma for almost a full day.” She started choking up, “We weren’t sure you’d ever wake up to be honest.”
In that moment, I experienced what horror truly was. My world, the next 27 years of my life, were all made up. I was devastated..my dear kids, my loving wife, my career; all a hallucinogenic lie. Kyle stayed by my side until I was ready to check out of the hospital.
1.7 million people sustain a head injury every year. Some die, most don’t, and if you’re really lucky, walk away completely unharmed.
Eventually, I learned to make peace with the world my head built in those few short hours of a coma. I’d never meet my children, my wife(I actually still love her; as crazy as that sounds), or maybe even make some great contribution to the world.
I did make peace with everything..except one thing. Nothing was as pleasurable as being in control of another human’s life. I longed for it once more. Except, this time I would be far more careful than in that fantasy world. I decided to call up a friend I hadn’t seen for a little bit in this world, or decades in the one I dreamed up.
Grinning widely, ready to begin my game, I asked “Hey Kyle, do you want to hang out tonight in the woods?”

It was a quiet night in August, and I was riding my bike back from my friend Kyle’s. He lived just down the street, which was nice seeing how everyone else had already gone off to college. We lived in a quiet, hilly area of Wisconsin; the home of Jeffrey Dahmer, Ed Gein, and others as I had often joked. So, yeah, i was leaving, and that journey changed me.
When I was rounding a curved corner, I saw a red truck coming from the opposite direction. I tried to swerve to avoid it, but the truck tried to avoid me by doing the same.
I was told by doctors I was lucky to be alive, let alone have the use of all my limbs and function in a perfectly normal way. After some physical therapy and painkiller prescriptions, I was released from the hospital. My senior year of high school went pretty well, and I got into a school with an award winning engineering program. My only complaint was that my high school best friend, Kyle and I didn’t talk much anymore.
Myself and six other colleagues were essential in combating the spread of climate change, “The Seven Saviors” is what the media called us. Outside of work, I had an incredibly supportive wife, and three brilliant, kind-hearted children. Everything was going perfectly, until it wasn’t…
You know that feeling you have when you graduate, or being laid off from a job? That feeling of not being exactly sure of what to do next? I had that feeling one night when I returned from a convention in the Philippines.
About a block from home, a plume of smoke floated above the rooftops. Being July and assuming it was a really large bonfire, I paid it no attention. Turning onto my block, where my house once stood, I saw a heap of wooden planks and roaring flames. In that moment, all I could think about was my family, and I jumped out of my car and ran toward the burning building.
“I’m afraid I can’t let you any closer, sir.” a firefighter cautioned.
“That’s MY house! Can you at least tell me if my family is ok?”
“The investigation is still ongoing, so you’ll have to wait over there with the media trucks” the man carelessly stated while coldly smoking a cigarette.
Ignoring his order, I stormed past him and sprinted closer to the raging, crackling inferno. I thought that maybe, with all that equipment on, I’d have the advantage and get away and find out what I needed to. All it actually did was make his tackle more painful.
“Daniels, get off that man, now!” Barked a scratchy voice about ten feet back. A tall, thin man in a suit and jacket approached, extending a hand, “So sorry about that, Dr…” he paused searching his notepad “Mort. That firefighter’s new to the unit; was previously enlisted in the Marines. Hopefully I can answer any questions you may have. Follow me.”
He led me to the side of the nearest firetruck, out of earshot from the nosy reporters. “Robert DeLanely, FBI” he said, flashing a badge. “To answer the question most pressing right now, it doesn’t appear as though any of your family made it out.”
My eyes welled up with tears...I thought of my children, Rebecca was planning for her first year of college in a few months. Stacy (my wife) and I were planning a new business...had it really all ended so abruptly, and for nothing? Shaking, I collapsed by the rear tire of the truck and started crying.
I felt a hand on my shoulder “The bureau extends its sincerest apologies. As hard as this must be for you right now, I’m sure you realize that’s not why I’m here. While combing through the contained areas, we found a note that leads us to believe this wasn’t an accidental event.” He unfolded a piece of paper and handed it to me. “Does this make any sense to you”
I tried to steady my shaking hand to read it… Throughout life, the only reliable companion is yourself. In success and failure. -Yours Truly, The Despots
“No, no it doesn’t.”
DeLanely frowned a bit and rubbed a small snake tattoo on his wrist “Didn’t think so. Let us know if there’s anything you can think of that may help our investigation. Here’s my card. Do you have family or friends nearby you could stay with?”
I told him yes, and while the investigation was wrapping up, I stayed with my folks about an hour away.
A few months went by, and that note always stuck with me. What could it mean? Who were these people? Why did they want to come after me?
One Saturday morning, I was unpacking at a new apartment; it would’ve hurt too much to rebuild on the spot where my loved ones died. I decided to take a break and spend extra time looking at photos I left with my parents a few years back. As I turned the pages of an album, something fluttered to the floor. Picking it up and reading it, it answered everything.
Back in my undergrad days in college, myself and a few other students helped a professor conduct research. Three of these students were the stereotypical college frat douchebags who you wondered how they managed to stay alive for so long; let alone get into college. A couple of times, I jokingly referred to them as “The Despots” as a way to blow off steam. With that realization, a fire grew inside me which I didn’t even realize I had. These dipshits, who barely graduated, were the ones responsible for MY depression? MY almost quitting the field of engineering? MY FAMILY’S DEATH?
I went berserk for awhile; throwing things, screaming, and even punching a hole through the wall, only to be stopped by a pipe.
I sat on the floor, staring at the moonlight cutting through the blinds of the patio. I felt something I hadn’t in a long time. Not just happiness, but great joy. Grinning widely, I realized I lived in the technological age! I was capable of finding these jealous bastards and do something about them.
By six that evening, I had the info I needed in order to track two of them down. I was smart though. I had seen enough documentaries, and YouTube videos to know ways people were caught. I waited. Conveniently, I had professional engagements in areas close to where they lived in the coming months. It would be suspicious if I visited the area abruptly and they went missing. If I waited, I had an alibi.
The following six months went off perfectly fine..at least for me. As for those douches; Ralph and Hector, well..let’s just say those engineers met their engineer. Ralph was easy enough to track down at a casino in Reno; a few drops of liquified sarin in his drink seemed to do the trick.
Hector a was bit trickier. I don’t know if he was worried I would track them down or not. Turns out he was in Buffalo since graduation, and lived in one of those houses with the fancy “smart furnaces”, where you could control the temperature with an app. Puncturing a gas pipe proved to be fairly easy, easier than hacking the app he used at least. Should’ve seen his head flying down the street like a baseball.
I still hadn’t found Rick though...there wasn’t much I remembered about him that I could use to track him down. I knew he hadn’t moved terribly far from me.
At first, I didn’t feel anything about what I did. I did what needed to be done. They no longer deserved to live, though whether they ever deserved to can be debated by a class of philosophy students too busy stroking their egos to realize their degrees will get them nowhere.
You see, however, I developed a problem. I became addicted to killing. Hookers, kids, old fucks with dementia? All too easy to lure in and get rid of. Knowing you have that much power over another person’s existence is truly exquisite. They were all going to die, don’t get me wrong, but the more they squirmed, the worse it got for them. A slice to the throat for those I pitied, and slowly placing them in acid after being drugged for those I really wanted to watch suffer. I now understand why people hunted, you know? I loved the thrill of doing it and not getting caught, avoiding evidence being traced back to me...nothing else was as exciting anymore.
I must’ve gotten a bit too sloppy, because a year later, I was driving back from a summit in New Mexico on renewable energy when I was pulled over. Praying it would all go smoothly, I complied. Hands on the wheel until asked to do something. I reminded myself.
“License and registration please” demanded an officer
I turned to face him, and, it was that agent, DeLaney. Shit.
“Hey, small world! How’s it going?” I said, trying to stay calm.
“Great. How’re you managing?”
“Surprisingly, pretty well overall. Have a new place, traveling again for work.”
“That’s good to hear. Well, listen. I recognized your car from that night, and wanted to warn you. We believe there’s been a serial killer active in a couple..” He glanced to the back of the car “Wait, what’s that?” he asked
“What’s what?” I replied, trying to act dumb
“Do you mind if I check out your car?”
“Go ahead” I knew I cleaned out that car before I left Albuquerque. He wasn’t going to find even a strand of hair.
As the detective opened the car door, I saw the snake tattoo again, and it was in that moment it clicked. Rick, the douche from college, had a snake tattoo on his wrist as well. Tonight I was going to finish what he started...
He leaned into the car’s backseat, and pulled out a knife from under the front passenger seat. He looked shocked and turned to me “Do you want to explain something?” Trying to move before he could process, I punched him, and in his dazed state grabbed the knife from his hand. I got in one good stab to the side before he drew his gun. “Drop the knife. I don’t want to use this on you.”
“I know who you are, and you’re going to see your buddies soon enough .” I yelled pointing the knife in his direction, as a crowd started to gather on an overpass bridge.
I heard the gunfire as I fell. Detective DeLanely stood over me as I lay on the road, bleeding out.
DeLaney bent down and used the gun barrel to move my face to see him “Tell them I say hi” he smirked as I took my final breath.
Or, so I thought.
I heard the sound of heart monitors and people talking.
“Hey there buddy!” It was my mom sitting in a chair by the window. Wondering where I was, I shot up and glanced around. “Aghhh” my head was on fire.
“Careful! That car did quite a number on your neck, sides, and forehead. It may still be a few days before you can get out of bed.” A doctor standing in the doorway stated, scribbling on a notepad.
“Car? Wasn’t I shot?” I asked, looking around the sterile hospital room.
My mom laughed, “Shot? Haha, no luckily not. You were riding back from Kyle’s and a car hit you. You’ve been in a coma for almost a full day.” She started choking up, “We weren’t sure you’d ever wake up to be honest.”
In that moment, I experienced what horror truly was. My world, the next 27 years of my life, were all made up. I was devastated..my dear kids, my loving wife, my career; all a hallucinogenic lie. Kyle stayed by my side until I was ready to check out of the hospital.
1.7 million people sustain a head injury every year. Some die, most don’t, and if you’re really lucky, walk away completely unharmed.
Eventually, I learned to make peace with the world my head built in those few short hours of a coma. I’d never meet my children, my wife(I actually still love her; as crazy as that sounds), or maybe even make some great contribution to the world.
I did make peace with everything..except one thing. Nothing was as pleasurable as being in control of another human’s life. I longed for it once more. Except, this time I would be far more careful than in that fantasy world. I decided to call up a friend I hadn’t seen for a little bit in this world, or decades in the one I dreamed up.
Grinning widely, ready to begin my game, I asked “Hey Kyle, do you want to hang out tonight in the woods?”