I do not own the Walking Dead or any of its characters.


She has been watching the camp for several days now. It's been easy for her to hide in the woods, being that she is naturally silent and this group is not the most observant though they like to pretend that they are. It would be even easier if she didn't have her walkers growling softly and clanking their chains, agitated at being so close to live meat. She keeps them despite their threat of giving her away. They offer almost as much protection as her sword, which makes keeping them around worth the hassle.

She has thought about making her presence known to the camp. She has always been a loner, but something about the security of a group is tempting. There are other people to watch your back and collect food. She doesn't really care about the company—she does just fine on her own. However one doesn't come across security like this every day.

By this point she feels as though she knows the people in the camp personally. Even though she has only been here a few days, she is observant and has picked up on a lot of small details that the group probably doesn't even register about each other. She knows the "leader" of the group, a former cop with dark hair and strong facial features. His big ears amuse her as much as she can be amused at this point. She isn't a fan of cops but she can't help but respect their work. She had enough dealings with them thanks to her boyfriend that she feels she has no choice but to respect their work. She gives her chains an irritated tug and her walkers grumble as they stumble forward, their balance off because of their missing arms. She lets a small smirk cross her face. They got what they deserved anyway.

She knows the family with the abusive husband. He makes her sick to her stomach when he beats his wife. It's despicable, and no human should get away with it. But what really makes her furious is the way he looks at his little girl. She had children herself (and her heart still contracts painfully in her chest when she thinks of them) and the idea of a child's father looking at them in that way makes her want to take the man's head off with her bare hands. She has had to restrain herself many times so she wouldn't reveal herself through murder.

She knows the mother and two children who are waiting desperately for their father to come back. There seems to be a small part of this group that has gone on a mission to Atlanta for what sounds like are much needed supplies. The city is extremely dangerous, as she well knows. She lived in the city before the world went to hell, and at the first sign of an outbreak (her boyfriend coming home with a fever and waking up the next morning drooling and groaning and trying to eat her was definitely a sign), she left the city and opted for the wooded areas instead. At least she had some cover in the trees.

She wonders alongside the small group of survivors if their family and friends will make it back at all. Over the past few days she has been drawn in to their feverish waiting game, and finds herself intrigued despite herself. Maybe she will wait around just a little longer. Just to see if they make it back.

She knows the older man and college age blonde who are almost equally concerned for the blonde's older sister. She herself doesn't have any siblings so she finds herself unable to relate. She wonders if the two women are the old man's daughters. The dynamic doesn't seem quite right between him and the remaining blonde, but she otherwise can't figure out their relationship. He doesn't talk about the absent woman as though she is his wife.

She also knows the woman and her son who lost a husband and father when the outbreak first started. From what she has pieced together from hushed conversations that are hidden from the boy, his father was in a coma in the hospital when they had to flee the city. She thinks that must be the hardest loss of all. It's one thing to know that your loved one is dead for sure (she gives the chain another irritable yank at the thought, relishing in the sound of the aggrivated walkers behind her), but not knowing what grisly end they may have faced is a whole new level of nightmare. The broken family seems to be in a permanent state of low-key grieving, though she has also observed the woman sneaking off with the former cop. This also makes her angry, and her heart aches for the little boy who sits alone during these times.

But all in all they seem to have a good system here, despite their individual faults. They are human after all, and their humanness is exactly what has kept her around for this amount of time. Normally she would have left long ago. Deep down she knows that this is not the place for her. She knows that she does better on her own, and she is just preparing to move on when suddenly one of her walkers crumples to the ground, the chain going slack in her hand.

She whirls around, pulling out her sword with practiced precision, and comes face to face with a crossbow aimed right between her eyes.

"What kinda crazy bitch are you?" asks the man behind the weapon. His voice registers more surprise and awe than anger, but the anger is still there.

Before she can move or even draw a breath, the crossbow shifts and her other walker falls beside the first one. She keeps her sword out, ready and armed, but remains still because she knows that his weapon is much faster than hers. She would have to take the time to swing while his finger is poised to end her life with the pull of a trigger.

"Drop the sword and put your hands up," he commands. She considers taking the swing anyway. She can move fast, and though his guard is up she thinks that if she moves just so she can at least take the arrow in an arm or leg instead of in the head.

"I said drop the damn sword," he repeats, moving closer so that her opportunity is gone. She drops it and it clatters noisily to the ground beside her fallen walkers. In the blink of an eye all her defenses are gone and she glares daggers at the man who picks up her sword.

"Give me one reason I shouldn't kill you right here and now," he challenges, his eyes narrowed to match her expression. She doesn't speak. He might look tough, but she can see in his eyes that he wouldn't actually kill her. Disable her maybe, but not kill her. Still, she is at a disadvantage here with no weapon so she chooses to remain silent. He takes an aggressive step forward and if she weren't so angry she would roll her eyes at the obvious bluff. She can see the gears turning in his head when she doesn't flinch or even blink.

"Move," he commands, urging her forward with his bow firmly trained on the back of her head. She has no choice but to turn and walk in the direction of the camp.


There we are...chapter one! Please let me know what you guys think! I hope to continue soon while season one is still fresh in my mind. (I just rewatched it recently.)