I was twenty-four and had already been through hell and back. I had lost my family, and most recently my best friend. I was on my own for the first time and it terrified me. Of course one would think your main worry in the apocalypse would be the zombies, but it was actually the people, the ones who would take advantage of there being no law at all. This world was sicker than it was before, and I honestly didn't feel like taking it on alone. Being a woman in this world sucked major balls as well, I mean I'm not saying women can't handle themselves as well as men, but people figure that we're easier to take advantage of.
I pulled my knife out, hands trembling as I kneeled over my friends' dead body. He was bitten not too long ago and had just passed. "I'm so sorry." I whispered as I lined the knife up to his head. "Ok, you can do this, Harper. This isn't your first-" "Argh!" He sprung up reaching for my arms and snapping his teeth. "Shit." Crunch. The knife went through is skull, smooth as butter, causing his body to once again go lifeless.
I wiped the tears from my eyes and got up and began walking, acting as if I had a plan. I had no idea what I was doing, or where I was even going. I just needed to get away from his body. I adjusted my backpack and took a deep breath, looking ahead at the leafless trees, and the air, thick with fog. Fall had just come and I could tell it was going to be a cold winter, first thing first, I would need to find shelter.
I had been walking for a few hours, my feet aching, and hadn't ran into a single person….unless you count the undead. On the way I had caught a few squirrels, which was great since I was running low on food. My dad had taught me how to hunt and track at a very young age, not to toot my own horn, but I was pretty dang good at it.
Straight ahead there was a small farm house, and thank God for that. I opened the door slowly and quietly with my hand gun raised. I searched the area and it looked like the place had been abandoned for some time. Quickly, I put together a fire and cooked up what I had hunted. Once my stomach was full, I laid down, looking up at the roof with patches here and there. I closed my eyes, wishing I was somewhere else…wishing things were the way they use to be, my eyes growing heavy with sleep.
"Well, hello. Aren't you beautiful." I sprung up, my heart racing, but was stopped by the force of two, strong arms placed on my shoulders. "Woah, no need to be in such a hurry." Another voice said in the shadows. The fire un-veiled the face to the voice, a man, rubbing his hands together, wearing a large grin. "Let me go you fucking creeps!" I growled trying to jerk away from the man restraining me. "Now, that's no way to talk to guests, now is it?" He crouched down, tucking a piece of stray hair behind my ear, causing shivers to run down my spine.
He caressed my face, I seriously thought I was going to vomit. "Now, just cooperate with us and all will be fine." My eyes darted around the room, trying to make out if there were any more figures lingering in the darkness. "Don't you worry, it's just me and my lovely friend Ray…we'll be gentle." His finger ran down my collar bone. Sure, I thought I would run into a bad bunch of people at some point, but not the same day I lost the last person from my group.
The men started chuckling, as one started to unbutton his pants. I grabbed around me, but nothing. "Just relax, this will all be over before you know it-" "The fuck it will, you sick pieces of fucking shit!" A voice roared, echoing through the small house. Smack. Went a bat into the first mans' skull, "P-please sir, we meant no-" Wham. And to the ground his lifeless body hit. "Dumb ass mother fuckers!" The man yelled, beating both of their heads to a pulp. He was very tall, but I couldn't make out the features of his face. Should I run? Honestly, I had no clue, I was in complete and udder shock. Come on, stand up Harper, you got this. "Shit, I'm sorry, darlin', heard you telling these fucking creeps off while I was walking by so I had to fucking investigate. Can't fucking stand rapists. I do not tolerate that shit." And I thought I swore like a sailor. "I'm Negan, by the way." He crouched down by the fire, placing his weapon of choice down and putting his hands up to warm them.
He was an older man in his mid to late forties. He had quite the beard and that's all I had really noticed at the moment. "I'm Harper. Thank you." I said quietly and dumb founded. He licked his lips and flashed quite the dazzling smile, causing my face to redden. "A-are you alone?" I asked gulping as he looked over at me with dark brown eyes and then back to the fire. "Yup, and just recently at that. This world is fucked up. I've had plenty of fucking groups and I just can't fucking take loosing anymore people."
Plenty of groups? The apocalypse had broken out about a year ago and I had just lost my first group, I couldn't imagine going through several of them. I bit my lip as I studied his hardened face, wondering if that meant I would still be on my own. "I'm sorry. I lost the last person from my group as well." I pulled my knees into my chest, hugging them.
"You seem like you're a tough fucker though, the way you were telling those assholes off. I think you and I could be a good fucking team." He said as our eyes yet again met. What did I have to lose? This stranger had just saved my life, so, why not? "Sounds good to me." I said, a small smile on my face. "You just can't fucking die, ok?" He grinned over at me, "Can't make any promises." I said quickly. He chuckled, "We'll get along fucking great, I can already tell you that, sweet heart."
Sweet heart? I'd bring that up later, but not now. I was glad that Negan had found me, I yet again, had someone to endure this hell with.