The sun was shining through the trees caressing her face with it's warmth. The branch Lacie fell asleep on the night prior provided her safely from them. The people without voices or souls left to guide them. The world was over run with these "people", who with their aggression tear up those with life still left surging through their veins. Her friends, when she still had them around that is, called them "walkers". For aside from ripping up living things all they did was walk. The "walkers" weren't even a real danger when there were one or two, it was when they multiplied that danger set in. Opening her hazel eyes Lacie let out a sigh. Traveling by forest, when a person is alone these days is safer than being in the city. The walkers couldn't climb trees. Finding it easier to tame Lacie put her black hair was put up in ponytails. This hairstyle also kept her hair from sticking to the back of her neck from this heavy heat. Lacie had been alone for six months after losing both of her good friends to two separate hoards of walkers. Using all the hunting and fighting skills she had learned from her brother, she had survived. That was all one could do these days was survive.

Unstrapping herself from the tree Lacie put both her sleeping bag and the rope back in to the backpack she carried along with the sheath for her katana, and gun holster then climbed down. Time to hunt for food and get a move on. Her gun a Beretta handgun wasn't much for hunting but it did the job. Through the trees she saw something that was rather rare these days, a deer. Excited, Lacie used the tree she had slept as camouflage. Aiming the gun, a frantic man runs right into Lacie with ease, seeing as she was so petite in stature. "What the hell!" She yelled at the clumsy man."We have to get out of here! There is a hoard behind me!" His eyes fixated on her, shocked that there wasn't any worry in her eyes. "Get away from me! You made me miss my kill!" Looking around, the deer was gone. "You owe me a deer!" The man agreed he would get her a deer if she saved him. Dragging the man she found two walkers feasting on a rabbit."We need to kill them and rub their guts on us." Lacie went to the walkers executed one with her katana through the back of the head, and kicked the other one back when it lunged at her. Ripping the katana back through the decayed skin and skull of the walker she had just killed, her eyes remained on the other one. This walker only had one eye and plenty of bullet holes in it's torso. As if it were practiced her katana went through the eye of the second walker."Hold your breath" Walkers being decayed people always smelt awful but when you cut them open the rotting flesh smell was almost unbearable. Her katana cut the flesh easily of the walkers stomach. Blood poured out along with it's intestines and liver. "They won't be able to tell us apart from others like them if we smell the of like animals." The man gagged on his on vomit as Lacie started to wipe the walker blood and guts on herself."Well aren't you going to do the same? Don't be a pansy." Shaking a bit he kneeled next to her and began slowly doing the same. "Now just walk slowly. Do you have a camp?" Just then growls could be heard echoing through the trees. Twigs snapping under the walkers feet made them rather easy to hear in the forest. Shaking the man nodded and began leading the way. The walkers had caught up to the two in no time. After a little while the man welcomed the walkers as only unwanted company instead of nightmares.

Two miles before his camp the two broke away from the walkers as not to lead them to the mans people. When they got to his camp no one really seemed to care that the man returned at all. The group had two RVs, a few tents, and a picnic table. "There you are safe but you still owe me a kill." Lacie started uselessly wiping the blood and guts off her shirt and skirt, it had mostly dried. "Yes I know. Why don't you stay here until I do? My name is James by the way thank you for the help." Frowning at the idea of being apart of his group she refused to shake his now extended hand. "I will stay close by" She point up to a tree near by that she observed could hold her weight. Two men approached Lacie and James."Who's your friend?" Laughed one. "Yeah she's a pretty little thing." Giving the intruders death glares she began to walk away. Ignoring any extra comments that the "idiots" had to say she began to hunt for some kind of food. Idiots. This isn't a bar! It's the end of the world. When Lacie was sure she was far enough that the gun shot would not lead the walkers to the camp the real hunt began. The sky was losing it's light and the temperature was starting to be a little more bearable. However the night was dangerous so she needed to make it quick or wait until tomorrow to eat. The forest was overly quite, her foot steps were the one thing to make noise. After a few moments it was time to give up and she headed back toward James camp. When she got back there he had been waiting for her with some food and a wet towel. "I am guessing you had no luck." James teased watching her come back empty handed. "The damn hoard must have scared them off!The damn bastards!" She growled and looked away from her new acquaintance. "Well here." James pushed the wet towel, a bag of chips and a water bottle in to her arms. "The water is from the creak near by. I promise to get you that deer tomorrow hunter girl." She accepted his offer on the fact that he owed her. Leaning against a tree she began to wipe off the dried walker blood. "You never did tell me your name." James ran his left hand through his golden blonde locks trying to make conversation."My name is none of your concern. I will be gone tomorrow." The sound in her voice was flat and unfeeling. Once Lacie got all the walker blood off of her that would come off she handed the towel back to James. "Do you want to come and meet the others?" Shaking her head she turned around and headed toward her tree. "Are you going to be comfortable up there." His last attempt to get her to converse failed and he watched her take two knives out and climb up the tree to a high branch.

The next morning Lacie found herself witnessing sunrise. The sky beautifully lit with light blues, purples and hints of yellow. Hours and minutes being no longer important. The human race began to rely on the position of the sun, to give them an idea about how long until they had to go back into hiding. The height of the branch she was on allowed her to see the entire camp below her. Only the person on shift to watch for walkers was awake. Adjusting her bag and weapons she again descended from her branch to hunt. The best time in hunt in Georgia or any hot area was in the morning when the air was still cool. Keeping close to the ground Lacie looked for any animal tracks. This is when she caught a break and found fox tracks. The trail was still warm. Taking out her gun she followed the trail to a slightly lifted tree that held a foxes nest underneath. The three foxes looked at her with big eyes. She took a deep breath then shot two of them in the head, the third got away. It was their survival or hers. The shots echoed through the forest. Birds flew upwards away from the noise. Grabbing her kill Lacie ran quickly away from the spot, for walkers followed not only smell but noise also.

The camp was buzzing with life once again. Laughs and voices could be heard over the quiet wind. Even if she didn't care enough to leave to far from the camp to keep the walkers at bay, their noise would chase away the animals . "Hey Hunter girl" James ran up to her upon her return. "I see you had luck today. I want you to meet my group leader!" He smiled and pointed to a tall man who had his eyes fixated on her. "I am not trying to gain entrance. So why would I have to meet him?" Clutching on to her game, not wanting to share it with the others. "Well you are going to stick around until i get you a deer right? Well I am a terrible hunter so that is going to take a while. Frank would feel more comfortable if he knew who was tagging along." Lacie looked to Frank, who smiled and waved at her. Lacie and James walked over to Frank. "Hello young one. Where are you from?" Was this man belittling her? "That is none of your business. I am only here until James kills a deer. He made me miss one. Once I get what he owes me I will be leaving." James laughed nervously. "James isn't a very good hunter or shot. So I am assuming you will be here for a while. I want your name" Frank seemed hostile now. "My name is Lacie." She wanted to kick his ass but she was out numbered. "Great Lacie. Welcome to the group. I want you to start hunting for us." Lacie wondered where this man had the nerve. "What if I say no?" James could feel the tension heightening. He didn't mean for Lacie to be treated this way. " We will have to end you." Two more men and a woman came to Frank's side. "By the way. You will be sleeping in the RV so someone can always keep an eye on you" The woman with the long brown hair snatched away her kill. "Frank that's not fair she didn't do anything."James yelled at his leader. This caused the bald man standing next to Frank to push the blonde over and pull Lacie in to the RV. A prisoner now...This is why she hated the living.