Name: Shari Shemesh
Age:  35
D.o.B:  02/01/1984
Blood: O-
Sex: F
Relationship: Sister Fox Prospero, Parents Unknown, Dog Max
Job:  head psychologist for a small grade pharmaceutical manufacturing company
Skills:  head psychologist for a small grade pharmaceutical manufacturing company. 4H in middle school, minimal awards in bow hunting ( game fowl ). Collage swim team. Broad stroke. Major in psychology, at time of outbreak continuing education as a year one student in general medicine.

Outbreak Backstory:

Nothing ever happens in small towns, at least that's what Shari always thought. You wake up, brush your teeth and hope the coffee is strong. You get in a car so you can drive to a job that you don't ever remember caring for and begin your day like many others before it. Except for this day.. the day of the outbreak..the day everything changed forever.

Before the outbreak Shari worked in a lab as a head psychologist in a small grade pharmaceutical manufacturing company. She started on the manufacturing line straight from high school, was always punctual and met her specs. Eventually, she climbed through the internal departments like so many before her. Continued her education and moved to a secured Lab on the premises, where her only job was to do psychological studies for trial pharmaceuticals before market. At the time of the outbreak she was enrolled as a year one student in general medicine.

Shari is the oldest of two girls, the mother was a hotbed of confusion, addiction, and insecurities. The girls were from different fathers, Fox father never having been identified, and Shari's father leaving when he learned of Fox. The mother left before Fox had graduated high school, which left Shari to care for Fox. Long story short, its always been just the two of them. Fox had always been the hot one, a stubborn wild child if you will, but very intelligent, even if she did have her own idea on what is "right or wrong". While Shari on the other hand was practical, a provider. The quiet one. The girls being close in age, grew up tight. They didn't have much but they had each other. In their small town it was expected that if you seen one of them, then the other wasn't to far behind. Inseparable since Fox was born, Shari now feels lost without her sister and is determined to find her. Fox is all Shari has ever had, all that is real to her from the old world she left behind, and especially now in this new existence of survival. Finding Fox is the only hope left in a dark and dismal new world.

Shari's outbreak story isn't anything spectacular . It started just like any other day, wake up, brush teeth, let the dog out, make coffee.. you get the drill... MUNDANE, until she went to work. That particular day as she pulled into the secured gated parking garage the first thing she noticed most is that people were leaving, some seemed fine, while others looked under the weather and sick. She was immediately concerned, working in a drug manufacturing company you know the drills and
protocol they are seared into your brain, endless training and many classes....

Day Of Outbreak:
Journal Entry
Day 1
8:25AM
“If they were infected with a virus why were they leaving? I was ushered into a sterile room along with some of my peers, others are missing. No one will answer anything They drew our blood and tested without much explanation. This is not good. Called Fox, no answer.”

12:12PM
“Most of us are cleared and marked as “ uninfected”, but some of us don't seem to be so lucky. Outside the room I can hear shouting and mayhem, people want to leave to go home to loved ones, but they wont let us go. They wheeled a big screen TV in the corner the room. Everyone in here with me seem to be scared. I don't think I am processing what is being said exactly, every channel has been taken over with doom. Everyone is in a panic, is this really happening? I can't believe what I am hearing and seeing, only two words are burning into my stalled brain, CONTAIGEN. OUTBREAK....... Fox where are you? Please call me back.”

1:27PM
“ Fox finally called me back, she is ok but she is so far away! We both made plans to meet at a middle point. We are finally being released, something about saving our self?? I am heading home to pack.

3:32PM
“ I'll never see my home again, I can feel it. I've packed essentials, dry goods and my dog Max. into the Jeep and I am just sitting here in my driveway a knot of fear sitting deep inside my chest. Fox isn't answering again … she HAS to be OK! “

12:11AM
“ Pulled over for some rest, have been traveling non stop. There are a lot of people at this rest stop, who like me, are going to meet up with loved ones. I can't wait to see Fox and know she is ok! It does feel better to have people around after driving so long alone with nothing but Max for company. I still haven't heard from Fox, I think phone lines are messed up .. I just get a busy signal. “

From that day on Shari spent her time, trekking, hiking while looking for shelter, food, water, dry clothes, and gas. Searching for her sister along the way. The first obstacle Shari found, gas was becoming very hard to find, many vehicles left behind due to dried up gas tanks. Dead skeletons which were beginning to litter the major interstates. At first it was relatively easy for Shari to hitch a ride when needed with other survivors going her way. That quickly changed, people started becoming leery and skittish, some would become hostile and paranoid without reason. Most wouldn't make it very far before an incident with rioters or run in with an infected. Food became just as scarce as gas. Major water sources littered with dead or infected bodies made it undrinkable. At this point it became hard to tell which groups hunger clawed at their insides the most? The infected.... or the survivors?? No one is safe.

[ Journal entries are unknown days with random scribbling on multiple pages. The following are excerpt from a few of Shari's pages. ]
“ I find myself alone. Living in shadows. People are becoming scarce. The only evidence of human life is an occasional campfire recently used. It gives me hope, but also a sense of dread and doom. It isn't always a good thing to know someone else is out there close.“

[last entry]
“ Tonight I found a cubby hole easily camouflaged. Its been raining a lot here in this new place I find myself. It seems the number of infected I have encountered is greatly out numbering the amount of survivors. I detest having to take down the infected, but have quickly learned I really have no choice. I can't think about it, the pain and death I've seen and have had to administer. Survival ... at all cost. In my travels I have heard of this island, where survivors have been known to go. There are rumors of grandeur and how there are so many people in this one place. I had myself convinced it wasn't even real. I can see it when the lightening flashes, the island. My heart is racing I want to keep moving get to the island, but its dark now and unsafe to travel, even in the rain. I hope Fox is there, warm and dry. I hope there are others. Tonight the darkness seems to be enveloping me. I am so close. It hurts to be so close. What if Fox didn't make it? What if like the last couple towns, she isn't there? Tomorrow I will find my answers, hopefully tonight is the last night I'll have to keep watch, in the dark, alone....... “

• This topic was modified 6 years, 11 months ago by  Shari Shemesh.