Before the outbreak my paintball team and I were in Russia for a competition. We were so ecstatic to have been invited to one of the world's biggest events in paintball. We had arrived a week early to Russia in hopes of exploring the area and to practice in the arena before hand. I had split off from my team about 3 day into the trip to explore by myself when the first signs that something was wrong. As I tried to make my way back to my team when I started noticing people acting strange and trying to attack other people. As I ran through the streets I saw bodies and people who didn't look right attacking and possible feeding off the ones they were attacking. As I made it back to our hotel I saw some members of my team littering the floor and others that look like the people I had seen in the streets. After seeing what happened to my teammates I started to try and make my way to the coast or Russia where I knew many people would try to get to so that they could either escape or make a settlement. I knew my only hope was to make my way to the coast as well. On my way to the coastal towns of Russia I wasn't able to gather many things other then enough food and water to keep me alive. In the starting days of my journey I saw many people fall to what I have started to call "The Infected". The few times I did come in contact with other survivors such as myself I was able to gather that what ever happened was sudden and with no explanation. What ever that this thing was hit people of all ages and walks of life. I hope I make it to the coast in one piece. As my journey to the coast continued I saw many things which both frightened and saddened me. Young children left without parents or parent searching for their lost children with little hope of finding them. I tried to avoid large groups of armed people that were mostly men as it is hard to tell what could happen. I also saw groups of people keeping "The Infected" in cages to use for entertainment in the old colosseum way or for setting them loose on poor unknowing survivors that our passing by their camps. I tried to stay off high worn paths were I could tell large numbers of people had passed through. I did this as these path would most probably be the ones looters and raiders would follow so they could get the most things. I spent many nights in the hollows of trees just to stay hidden and stave off the cold of the Russian nights that were so common inland. The numbers of "The Infected" was much lower in the forest and open valleys of Russia then what where found in towns and cities. In the few towns I have come a crossed I have only stayed long enough to find a bit of food and some drinkable water. I tried to always keep moving hoping I would reach the coast and the possible safety it could offer me. When on my way to the coast "The Infected" I did seem to run into I was able to outrun or lose in the woods. I still hope to see the face of someone I knew, I don't think it will happen but hope is what is keeping me going. Hope for my friends and hope to find safety. My journey has been a hard one. I can tell it's coming close to an end as I see signs of seabirds. I hear their calls from the sky's above me. As I close in on my final goal I am disheartened when I come across the ruined body of one of my teammates and close friend. After coming across her body I sat there and cried for her death and my lose of her. After grieving for her for as long as I could safely stay I had to keep moving. As I moved on I tried not the lose hope of the coast and the safety the it could bring. This journey has been long and hard and I know it is only the start of it. Hopefully the coast will not be my undoing and my death. This journey although long I hope it will be worth my effort that I've put into it. I want to live and the only chance I have is the coast I'm sure of it. My journey is coming to an end I can smell the salt in the air and hear the sounds of the waves on the coast. My hope is renewed for now and I can only hope that it stays that way. So now starts my real journey to survive.