I'd always been a tough girl. I was always getting myself hurt as a kid, from broken bones to road burn. I could always take it though. When I was a teenager, I always took the gun with the biggest kick, knowing I could handle it. When I was older still, I was knocking back whiskey with my papa like I'd been doing it for 30 years. So when shit hit the fan, I thought I'd be fine, that everyone was making it sound worse then it's gonna be. I really had no clue what I was getting into.

"Kay, everyone's here." I announced as my aunt wheeled her stuff into my grandparent's house. It was 10 days after the first reports of the virus popped up. My whole family situated ourselves in my grandparent's brick house. Myself, my brother (Kobe), my mom, and her boyfriend (Rafeal) were all staying in the living room upstairs. My grandparents had their bedroom, of course. My aunt Sara, my uncle Greg and their three kids were in the living room in the basement. My other Aunt was in the spare bedroom downstairs. It was my idea for everyone to come here: the house was the best place for us all. It was out of the way, so there weren't many people around. There were tons of weapons: my papa's hunting supplies were all stored there, and so was all my hunting stuff. My uncle Gred and Rafeal brought their guns too. Between us all we must've had about 30 guns and a few compound bows with about 60 arrows. Rafeal collected swords, so he brought a bunch of those. It was perfect.

2 Months Later:

"Come on, Kobe. We gotta go." I say softly to my little brother as a pat his shoulder. He nods slowly and goes to my truck. Yesterday, the last of our family died. A week ago, it was just me, Kobe, and my papa. Papa went out to the yard to grab some wood for the fire after I argued with him that I'd do it. He wasn't young and I could defend myself the best. But he insisted.

I was stirring soup over the fire when I heard the deep scream. I grabbed my bow and raced out to the yard. My papa was on the ground near the woodpile, with a nasty walker gnawing on his shoulder. I nocked an arrow and let it fly. It thunked against the walker's rotten skull and it slumped to the ground.

I raced over and knelt beside my dying grandfather. "Shy." He whispered to me. "Take care of your brother. I just want you to know I've always been so proud of you. You've always been such a trooper, always so tough. If anyone can get through this, if anyone can thrive in this kind of world, it's you. I love you." His eyes lost focus and I could feel his breathing stop. I stood and nocked another arrow in my bow. He was gonna turn soon and I had to put him down. I had tears streaming down my face and I aimed between his eyes.

"I love you too." I whispered back as I impaled the arrow into his head.

After that, I decided it wasn't safe at the house anymore. Kobe and I loaded up the truck this morning, and now we're heading out. We start the drive up to my papa's land. He has a few acres of woods about 20 minutes from his house with two cabins and a lake. The cabins aren't his, but the one is never used, and the other one belongs to a family friend.

We arrive and I check the used cabin to see if our friend is there. The cabin's empty. I go back to the truck and strap my bow to my back, just in case. "Kobe." I say. "Start grabbing some boxes and bring them in the cabin."

"Okay, Shy." He responds. I take a box and bring it inside. I go back outside, and Kobe goes in. We continue this system for a bit until I hear something.

"SHY!" I hear my brother scream at the top of his lungs. I drop my box and sprint out the door. Kobe is getting his intestines ripped out by a walker. I put an arrow through its eye and it drops. Not again, not again, is all I keep thinking.

I stand over Kobe, already bawling my eyes out. "It came from the other cabin." he tells me. "Shy, please shot me before I turn. Please." He begs me.

I nod, with fresh tears falling down my face. I ready my arrow and point my bow at his skull.

"I love you Shy." He says and laughs a bit. "At least I'll get to see mom and Rafeal again, and everyone else. Right?"

"Yep. You'll get to see them again, bud. Tell 'em I said hi, okay?" I pause and he nods. "I love you." I shoot and his body jerks before falling still.

I wipe my tears from my eyes, but they won't stop. I repack the truck with all our stuff then grab a shovel. There's no way I'm not giving my brother a proper funeral. After I bury him, I'm leaving. I have a map, I have supplies and I'll be outta here. Out of my small hometown in Southern Indiana.

I've always wanted to go to Georgia. Maybe I'll head there.