The fall of Atlanta was fast and bloody. It was only a matter of days before most of the population was dead. Or not dead. FEMA and the Red Cross stopped sending supplies. The military pulled out of the city. Thousands of people piled into their cars and tried to leave, only to be stopped by hordes of the dead. Then they started bombing us. And through all of this, I survived. Not sure how or why. All I know is that going through something like this changes a person. I went from barely being able to catch a rat in my New York City apartment to taking down the dead when they were in my way. You find out quickly what you're made of when you have your back up against the wall and the dead are groaning for your flesh. I felt like someone had scooped out any feelings and left just two - fear and anger.
The frustrating thing is that I wasn't even supposed to be in Atlanta. I moved to New York for college, and found a nice job and an apartment, with no plans of ever going home. But then my father, who I hadn't talked to in five years, died. His new family insisted that he would have wanted me there, which I highly doubted. I finally decided to go when a lengthy conversation with my roommate convinced me that it would be closure. Put my father to rest.
The outbreak happened three days after I arrived. Caroline, his most recent wife, had offered me a room for as long as I wanted. I took the opportunity to visit some old friends. I sat with my third-grade best friend, staring at the TV as strange news reports flooded in. I knew I needed to find my mom. She couldn't handle this on her own. As I made my way to the bus stop, I saw them. The infected. Corpses dragging their feet, moaning and clawing. I don't remember the rest. I just ran. And hid. Somehow, I made it through. Even when they bombed the city, I lived.
Eventually it all stopped. No more help, no more military, no more bombs. Just the dead. And the survivors. I decided to leave Atlanta, thinking that maybe, in places with smaller populations, the damage would be less severe. All I had was a backpack full of canned food and ill-fitting clothes, and a handgun and machete that I had picked up sometime in the chaos. I would have been dead soon after if it hadn't been for Glenn.
A month had already passed when I headed for the outskirts of the city. I was slowed down by the hordes of the dead. Walkers, Glenn called them. I managed to work my way past them, doubling back and doing a lot of short trips to avoid a confrontation with those things. I could fight, but I didn't like what it did to me. How it made my blood boil as I suppressed the urge to cry out in anger. Killing those things brought out a side of me I didn't like.
I was holed up in a grocery store when Glenn found me. The aisles were dark, and most of the food had gone bad. I had done a quick sweep first, but it was devoid of the dead, which was a nice surprise. I slowed down to look for food, but the majority of the store had been picked clean. I was just going to leave when I heard the door open. I readjusted my grip on the machete, my knuckles turning white. I crept down the aisle, keeping myself close to the shelf. I slowed as I reached the end, and I poked my head out carefully. I saw a figure disappear down an aisle a few feet away. I listened carefully, but I couldn't hear the labored breathing typical of the dead. I was bracing myself for a run to the door when I heard a muttered oath. The voice sounded on the younger side, possibly my age. I hedged for a moment, biting my lip.
"Screw it," I whispered to myself. I stepped out of the aisle, and walked forward. I looked down the next aisle, but it was empty. I continued for three aisles, until I had to skid to a halt to avoid being seen by a college-age man. He was carrying a duffel bag and a handgun. He lifted his baseball cap to push back his black hair. He was staring at the items on the feminine hygiene shelf. My mouth twitched into a smile. He had no idea what he was doing.
"Need some help?" my voice sounded awfully loud in such a quiet space, and it cracked from disuse. The man jumped, and turned to face me, gun at the ready. I held my hands up, "Don't worry, I'm not dead, and I'm not going to hurt you."
"W-who are you?" he stammered.
"Katie Novak," I said, as if it mattered anymore, "You got a name?"
"Glenn, I'm Glenn," he said nervously, glancing over his shoulder. "Are you alone?"
"Yeah," I nodded. I glanced at the feminine products, "I'm guessing you're not?"
"I'm with a group," Glenn explained. "There are women and children there too. They send me to do supply runs a lot, and I was asked to pick up some...specific items."
"Tampons?" I asked with a smirk. Glenn nodded, and I stepped forward. I glanced down at the shelf. "Anything specific?"
"No," Glenn shrugged. I grabbed a couple of boxes and handed them over. He tucked them into his duffel bag.
"Did your group set up in the city?" I asked. Glenn opened his mouth to respond, but shut it quickly. He glanced down at the floor, avoiding my gaze. "I'm sorry, I'm being kind of presumptuous. I just haven't had a conversation with someone in a long time, and it's depressing, wandering the city on your own...The thought of meeting and talking to new people sounds nice."
"I understand, but I don't know anything about you," Glenn said with an apologetic look, "I mean, you've survived this long, you must be pretty tough."
"Which could mean dangerous," I offered. I sighed, and tucked my tangled black hair behind my ear. "Before this crap happened, I was going to NYU for environmental science. I'm not exactly G.I. Jane. But I'm a quick learner, and I work hard. I promise I'll help out in any way with your group. And if it's not a good fit, I'll leave. Could you at least help me get out of the city? You can make a decision then."
"...Alright," Glenn said, shaking his head as if already regretting his choice. "I'm all wrapped up here. Are you ready to go, or do you need anything?"
"No, this place is pretty empty," I said, "and I have all of my stuff with me. Let's get out of here. We've been lingering too long anyway."
"Agreed," Glenn nodded. He lead the way down the aisle, holding his gun in front of him. Glenn stood by the door, and pressed his hand on the glass. He glanced at me, and I nodded. He pushed it open, and I poked my head outside. Glenn nudged me, "any walkers?"
"You mean dead people?" I hissed, "Yeah, just a few wandering around, none of them near the door."
"Come on," Glenn stepped outside, and I followed. We hurried along the front of the building, and he led me through various alleyways. We changed direction suddenly on multiple occasions when faced by hordes of walkers. I started to lose track of where we were.
"How do you do this?" I whispered as we huddled behind a dumpster.
"I used to deliver pizzas," Glenn shrugged. He peeked around the dumpster, "Let's keep going."
We were making our way down the alley when something snagged my leg. I looked down, and the top half of a walker was clutching my ankle. I suppressed a scream, and brought my machete down into its skull. It sliced into bone with a sickening thud, and the fingers went limp. I kicked it off, and I pulled the machete out, blood dripping from the blade.
"Ew," I shivered, wiping the blade on the walker's shirt. Glenn tugged at my arm.
"More walkers, we gotta go!" he urged. I straightened up and we ran down the alley, the sounds of hungry moans reverberating off of the brick walls. After a few minutes of jogging, Glenn lead me to a fence on the outskirts of the city.
"Through here," he said, holding back a section of cut fence. I stepped through, pulling my arms in to avoid the sharp metal. Glenn stepped through after me, and set the metal back in place. Walkers started to gather on the other side, so we hurried in the opposite direction. We ended up on the interstate. There was a line of abandoned cars on the road leading away from the city. We walked on the road out, our feet shuffling on the asphalt.
"You don't happen to have a car, do you?" I asked as the silence stretched.
"No, but the camp's only half an hour away, and the sun's still up," Glenn reassured me. Most of the trek to their camp was in silence. I tried to engage him in conversation, but he wasn't taking the bait. I just felt fortunate that he allowed me to go with him in the first place, so I wasn't going to push it.
The camp was between the top of a large quarry and a forest. Cars were parked along the dirt road, the most notable being an RV. An older man sat on top of it, binoculars hanging around his neck and a rifle held in the crook of his arm. As we approached, he waved at us.
"Looks like Glenn found a friend!" he called. I rubbed my hands on my thighs, wiping off the sweat that had accumulated there in the oppressive Georgia heat. Tents were spread along the treeline, with several people milling about.
"Whoa, you have a lot of people," I said, eyes widening. "If this many people survived here, then maybe it's not too grim farther out."
"Let's hope so," Glenn said. "In the meantime, we're all counting on each other to survive."
"Of course. And I'll help any way I can," I nodded firmly. As we reached the camp, a burly man with a broad nose and fluffy black hair approached us
"Who's this?" the man asked, glancing between Glenn and I.
"Shane, this is Katie," Glenn gestured at me. "I met her in the city. She's all by herself."
"Nice to meet you," I said, holding out my hand. Shane eyed me for a moment before shaking it.
"You survived out there by yourself?" Shane asked.
"Yes sir," I said, shifting my weight from one foot to the other.
"Military?" he asked skeptically, glancing down at the tank top sticking to my flabby skin.
"No, just lucky enough to survive," I chuckled with a shake of my head. "Really not sure how I did it."
"Well, there's always room for more," Shane said with a smile, seeming to have decided that I was worth their time. He pointed at two women and two children sitting on camping chairs around a firepit. "Why don't you go talk to Lori, she'll introduce you to everyone. Glenn, get that stuff into the RV."
"Which one is Lori?" I asked as Glenn headed over to the RV.
"The brunette," Shane said, his mouth momentarily twitching into a smile.
"Thanks," I nodded at him and he patted my shoulder. I walked over to the group. Lori watched me approach from under her hand, shading the sun from her eyes.
"Hey," I said, "I'm Katie. Shane said I should come over here, if you don't mind me joining you."
"That's fine. Have a seat," Lori gestured at an empty chair. I slung off my backpack and sat. "I'm Lori, and this is my son, Carl."
"Nice to meet you, Carl," I shook his hand, and he gave me a small smile. He had brown hair and bright blue eyes, and looked about ten years old.
"This is Carol, and that's her daughter Sophia," Lori introduced me to the woman with short cropped gray hair, and her blonde daughter. As we exchanged pleasantries, more people walked over. I was introduced to Andrea, Amy, and Jacqui as they joined us. We chatted pleasantly for a while, and they listened politely as I told them about meeting Glenn. This lead to a discussion about feminine hygiene, which made Carl and Sophia leave to play with the other kids.
"It'll be nice to have another woman around," the older man from the RV said as he walked over. It was apparent that he wanted to introduce himself, so I stood up.
"What, so you can make another person do laundry?" Andrea asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Absolutely not!" the man said, holding his hands up, "I just think women are better at having meaningful conversations, that's all."
"Hopefully I won't disappoint," I said, offering my hand, "Hi, I'm Katie."
"And I'm Dale. It's a pleasure to meet you," Dale smiled and shook my hand. "So, is the city still looking bad?"
"Very," I sighed. "Just walkers. I ran into a few people, but not many. And certainly not ones that you want to talk to. Glenn is the only person I've met that seems trustworthy."
"He's a good kid," Dale said with a proud nod. "We've got a good group of people here."
"Well, most of them," Jacqui muttered under her breath. I glanced at her, and she nodded to a motorcycle near the RV. "The owner of that motorcycle and his brother are two of the biggest hicks I've ever seen. You might want to be careful around them when they get back from hunting."
"I grew up around hicks, so I should be fine. I speak their language," I said with a suggestive wiggle of my eyebrow.
"So what's your story?" Dale asked. "Are you from Atlanta?"
"I grew up in the sticks when I was a kid," I began, my jaw tightening, "but my parents split and my mom got custody. We moved to the city, and once I was in highschool, I started applying for every single college outside of Georgia. I got into NYU, and am - er, was - a student there. Sorry, that's probably more than you needed to know."
"It's always nice to hear about people's lives before this," Dale waved his hand, "I think it's something we should hold on to."
"What about you then?" I asked.
"Well, I'm retired," Dale said, glancing back at the RV. "My wife and I were traveling around the country. She passed away before any of this happened."
"I'm so sorry," I said, reaching out and patting his arm. He shrugged.
"Such is life," he sighed. "Well, I better get back. It's nice to meet you, Katie, and I'm sure you'll fit in just fine."
"Thanks," I smiled. I spent the rest of the afternoon being introduced to the other survivors, and I got a tour of the camp. Carl and Sophia seemed to have taken to me. They always seemed to be at my elbow while Lori and Carol explained what chores I could help out with. As the sun began to set, two men arrived at camp.
"The hunters have returned!" the older of the two announced in a loud voice, accompanied by a smug grin. His jaw was wide, and he had a military haircut. The other man had a wispy goatee, and blue eyes that were narrowed either at the sunlight or just naturally. He had a crossbow slung across his back, and several squirrels dangling on a string attached to his belt. I watched curiously as he walked over to the firepit and detached the squirrels. I was standing a few feet away, collecting laundry from the line with Carol.
"The smug looking one is Merle," she whispered, "and that's his brother, Daryl."
"They look fun," I said in a toneless voice, and Carol hid her smile behind a t-shirt. Daryl began to skin the squirrels as Merle walked over to him. He stopped as he passed Carol and I. He looked me up and down with a curious expression.
"Who're you?" he asked. "Never seen you 'round here before."
"I'm new," I said. I set down my pile of laundry on the ironing board and held out my hand. Might as well try to be polite. "I'm Katie."
"Well hello Katie," he took my hand with a wolfish grin, squeezing it much harder than necessary. His eyes roved over my body again. "Not bad."
"Uh…" I trailed off, not sure how to reply. He still had my hand. I pulled it out of his grasp and wiped the sweat off on my shirt. Merle edged closer, flicking a button on someone's button-up shirt that I was holding.
"You get here today?" he asked, staring at me with unnerving intensity. I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, using it to hid my side-step away from Merle and towards Carol. I ducked my head, hiding behind my hair.
"Yeah, Glenn and I met in town earlier," I said, going back to folding laundry. Merle tilted his head to the side so he could get a better look at me.
"All by your lonesome, then?" he asked, his lower lip sticking out in what I assume was a sympathetic look. I shivered, and not in the good way.
"Mhmm," I mumbled, my eyes focused on the pair of shorts I was folding. Merle reached out and grabbed my hand. My head snapped up.
"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on you," he purred, rubbing his thumb along the side of my hand. I snatched it away from him, and gathered my pile of folded clothes.
"Thank you, but I can keep an eye on myself," I said, my voice sounding much firmer than I felt. "There's no need for you to worry about me."
"Well honey, I might keep my eye on you anyway," Merle said with a wink. I glanced at Carol, who just looked back at me with a helpless expression. I turned my gaze to Daryl, who I could have sworn looked sorry for me under his stoic scowl. I stalked off with the clothes, Merle's chuckle reverberating in my head.
"What's the matter?" Lori asked me as I walked over to her tent.
"Here're your clothes," I handed her the pile. I glanced back at Merle, who was still watching me. "So, I don't have a tent, or really anywhere to sleep. I was wondering if I could bunk with you guys? I know that's a lot to ask, but I'd feel...safer that way. Would that be ok?"
"No problem," Lori nodded. "We can scrounge up some extra bedding for you."
"Thanks," I crouched down next to her. "So, what's your story? I've heard everyone elses."
"It's just Carl and I," Lori said. She cleared her throat, and ducked into the tent. She gave me an expectant look and I followed her inside. There were two camping mats with sleeping bags. She put the clothes away in a duffel bag. "My husband..."
"You mean Shane?" I asked. Lori pressed her hand against her mouth to cover a smile.
"He's just a friend," she said, her expression sobering. I raised my eyebrow at her, but refrained from comment. "My husband...he didn't…"
"He didn't make it?" I finished for her. Lori nodded, avoiding my gaze. I reached out and squeezed her hand. "I don't think my mom made it out either. When the outbreak started, I tried to find her. Her apartment was empty. I have to assume…"
"C'mon, dinner should be ready soon," Lori stood up and walked out of the tent, slumping her shoulders to avoid hitting her head. I followed suit, and we all gathered around the firepit. Daryl was gracious enough to share the squirrel he had caught, but he and Merle kept to themselves. I sat in between Lori and T-Dog, tearing the meat off of the bone with my teeth. There were some beans to go with the meal, and I watched Carl pick at them dispassionately at his mother's feet.
"Don't like your squirrel and beans, kid? You ain't Southern," I whispered to him, which brought up a reluctant smile. Shane was on Lori's other side, and he smiled at me.
"Not much can get this little twerp to smile," he said, ruffling Carl's hair. Carl ducked out from under Shane's hand, but he was grinning. I wanted to say something to Shane about him taking care of Lori and Carl. Not many people would be up to the task of protecting someone else's family. But I kept my mouth shut as I watched Shane tease Carl. Dale regaled us with stories from his road trip. I was finding it hard to eat, because my throat felt tight. Tears threatened to fall from the corners of my eyes. It felt perfectly normal, camping with these people. They gave me hope. But there was still that looming fear of the walkers hanging over our heads, which was tearing into my peace of mind.
Shane took watch as everyone got ready for bed. Dale let me use the bathroom in his RV, and gave me a spare blanket and pillow.
"I'm sorry I don't have much more to give you," Dale said, tugging at his chin.
"The fact that you're giving a stranger anything is very nice of you," I said, patting his arm.
"I don't think we can afford to have strangers anymore," Dale said thoughtfully. "We all need to stick together to survive this. You're our friend now, Katie."
"If you had asked me this morning if I were ever going to have friends again, I would have said no," I said, "I've never felt this fortunate. Goodnight, Dale."
"Goodnight," Dale nodded, and I hauled the bedding out of the RV. I glanced up at the roof, where Shane was standing. He had a rifle cradled in his arms, and was looking out towards Atlanta.
"Thank you," I called up to him. He glanced down, but his face was in shadow.
"For what?" he asked, and I could hear the grin in his voice.
"For looking out for us," I said. He gave me a curt nod, and I responded with a little wave. I turned and walked towards Lori's tent. The sun had set, and I could only see by the stars. In the darkness, I didn't see Daryl's motorcycle. My foot slammed into the wheel, and it wobbled.
"Shit!" I muttered, dropping the blanket and pillow to reach out and steady the bike.
"Watch where you're going, fat ass!" a voice hissed. I looked up, and saw two pairs of eyes staring at me, lit up from the dying embers of the fire. Daryl stood up and walked over.
"I'm sorry, I didn't see it, with this damn blanket in the way," I said quickly, "I didn't do any damage though. It's a really sweet bike."
"Whatever," Daryl growled, crouching down to inspect his motorcycle. I reached down and picked up the comforter, which was now covered in dust. I was attempting to fold it without hitting the motorcycle when Merle walked over.
"Let me help you with that, honey," he crooned, taking the blanket from me. I leaned forward and picked up the pillow. "Now, where are you set up?"
"Lori's tent," I said, hugging the pillow to my body. Merle tucked the blanket under his arm.
"Why don't you come keep me company instead?" Merle asked, closing the distance between us. "She got a kid. Could be more restful with me. Or not, if I'm lucky."
"N-no thank you," I stammered, holding my hand out. "I'll take the blanket, please."
"Aw, c'mon sweet cheeks," Merle said, reaching out and brushing my hair away from my face. I flinched. "Now, don't be like that. Merle'll take good care of you, don't you worry."
"Merle, leave her alone," Daryl snapped. "You got better things to do than chat her up."
"What's better than sweet-talking a fine woman?" Merle's hand pressed against my lower back, "I'm set up right over there, why don't you-"
"What's going on over here?" T-Dog walked over to us. He turned to me, "Katie, is he bothering you?"
"Nah, we're just talking," Merle said, sliding his hand up my back and pulling me into a side-hug. "Getting to know each other."
"It's late," T-Dog said, grabbing my arm and pulling me away from Merle. "Time for everyone to go to bed."
"Yo dawg," Merle said mockingly, anger boiling under his words, "why don't you leave this pretty little thang alone?"
"I'm fine, really," I said, grabbing a fistfull of blanket and yanking it out of Merle's grasp.
"Hey!" he growled. I gathered the blanket up in my arms, stepping away from Merle. T-Dog moved with me.
"Can you walk me to Lori's tent?" I whispered to him. He nodded, and we started walking away from the fire pit.
"Whatever, bitch," Merle mumbled venomously. T-Dog bristled, and started to turn around. I grabbed his arm.
"It's nothing," I said, my voice shaking. I kept my hand clasped around his forearm until we reached Lori's tent. "Thank you."
"It's no trouble," T-Dog said. "If he bothers you any more, let me or Shane know, ok?"
"I will," I said, "Goodnight."
"Goodnight Katie," T-Dog rubbed my arm before turning around. I unzipped the tent and stepped in, nearly tripping over the blanket. Lori had a lantern on, sitting up with a concerned expression.
"What's the matter?" she asked as I put the blanket and pillow down at the far end of the tent. I folded it so that I could use it like a sleeping bag.
"Merle's an idiot," I said, putting down the pillow and fluffing it aggressively, "I'm going to need to pull myself together and tell him that he can go fu-"
"Katie," Lori said pointedly, glancing at Carl. I turned, and saw that Carl was awake, peering at me over the top of his sleeping bag.
"Sorry," I said, kicking my shoes off. I curled up in the blanket, and rested my head on the pillow.
"You comfortable?" Lori asked.
"Mhmm," I mumbled. Lori reached out and turned off the lantern. We laid there in silence, only hearing the chirping of crickets and other night noises. I spoke suddenly. "So they have a perimeter set up, right? Like, with cans strung up in the trees, right?"
"Yes," Lori said. I grew silent, staring up at the tent's ceiling.
"Shane will protect us," Carl said after a moment. I glanced at him, but it was too dark to see him. I closed my eyes, holding onto that thought.
The next few days went much like the first as I adjusted to life in camp. It felt strange to be surrounded by so many people. I was tense, and found myself reaching for my machete whenever someone walked up behind me.
"You feeling alright?" Dale asked me one afternoon, as I stepped into his RV. He was sitting at the table and cleaning his rifle. "You look a little jumpy."
"Camp's just a lot to handle, after being alone for so long," I said with a shrug. I sat down across from him, and drummed my fingers on table.
"Is there something I can do for you?" Dale asked expectantly.
"I don't know," I sighed, shaking my head. "I'm just antsy."
"Maybe you could go out and look for food," Dale suggested. "I'm sure there are plenty of wild berries out there just waiting to be picked. Or maybe even try hunting with that machete of yours."
"Isn't that the Dixon boys' job?" I asked with a frown.
"They don't own the forest," Dale smiled. "You could even ask Daryl to teach you how to hunt."
"Seriously?" I snorted. "I can't imagine him wanting to help me out."
"Give it a try," Dale said, putting his gun back together. "The worst he can do is say no."
"You have a point there," I said, standing up, "which is why we look to you for guidance."
"Why thank you," Dale nodded at me with a grin as I stepped out of the RV. I walked across the camp, noting that Daryl and Merle were both missing.
"Where're you hurrying off to?" Shane asked me from the fire pit. I slowed down to stop next to him.
"I thought I'd go look for edible plants," I lied. I didn't think he'dl like the idea of me wandering into the woods to looks for a Dixon. Shane eyed me for a moment.
"Alright, just stay within shoutin' distance," he said sternly. I nodded and headed into the woods. It was silent, except for the occasional bird calls. The leaves rustled overhead as I inched through the woods. I tried to look for signs of Daryl, but I had little to no tracking skills. I just walked on instinct. I paused to pluck a few blackberries from a bush and popped them into my mouth. I closed my eyes, enjoying the tart taste rolling over my tongue. I heard a twig snap and my eyes opened. I slowly reached down for my machete. I gripped the handle, and pulled it free from the belt loop. I crouched there, wound up like a spring. I lept up and spun around, the machete held over my head. A hand grabbed my wrist.
"Whoa, whoa there little lady!" Merle exclaimed as he held my arm back. "You could kill someone with that thang!
"What the hell were you doing, sneaking up on me like that!" I snapped back, sticking the machete handle back through the belt loop. I rubbed my arm where he had grabbed me.
"Saw you wandering around, thought I'd check on ya," Merle said, tilting his head to the side. "What'cha doing out here?"
"Picking berries," I said flatly.
"I can see that," Merle said, reaching out and grabbing my chin. I flinched away, but his grip was strong. He rubbed his thumb over the corner of my mouth. He removed his hand and brought it up to his mouth. There was a purple stain on his thumb, and he licked it while staring at me. "Ain't got no bag or bucket, though. What's really going on?"
"I just wanted some time to myself," I said with a shrug, taking a step back. "Camp's kind of crowded."
"Oh I hear ya, sister," Merle chuckled with a shake of his head. He swept his arm out, gesturing at the surrounding trees. "And look at us now. All alone."
"I noticed that," I mumbled. I took a few more steps back and reached for the gun tucked into the back of my jeans. Or the gun that was supposed to be there. "Hey!"
"Quick, ain't I?" Merle grinned, holding up my gun. I stood frozen, my hands balled up into fists. "You don't need a gun when you got me lookin' after ya."
"Give it back," I seethed. Merle let out a hearty laugh. "Look, what if a walker shows up?"
"You got your machete. And besides, if you really want it," Merle snickered as he shoved my gun into the front of his pants, "you can come get it."
"You're disgusting," I spat, my eyes darting between his face and the gun.
"I'm disgusting?" he questioned. "You're the one staring at my crotch, honey!"
"Whatever, freak," I sighed. I moved like I was going to walk away, but I spun around and reached for the gun. Merle grabbed me before I could reach it. He gripped my upper arms and slammed me into a nearby tree. The bark cut into my back. I struggled against him, trying to reach the gun. He let go of my left arm so he could grab the gun and toss it aside. He wound his fingers in my hair and yanked my head back. I was staring into the tree branches when he leaned in, his breath on my neck.
"You think you hot shit, huh?" he growled, twisting his hand on my arm, sending jolts of pain through my skin. "You're mine, honey. You just gotta accept it."
"Fuck off!" I snarled. He pulled back his arm sharply, his nails digging into my scalp. The movement made me drop to my knees.
"We're gonna have us some fun," Merle growled, licking his lips. Fear caused a cold sweat to bead along my skin, and my heart pounded.
"Merle, what the fuck are you doing?" Merle looked up, and his grip on my hair slackened. I was able to turn my head to see Daryl walking towards us, cradling his crossbow in his arms.
"Just foolin' around," Merle said, looking back down at me. I grabbed his wrist with both of my hands and tugged. His hand pulled out of my hair, taking several strands with it. I bit back my yell of pain as I flung his arm away from me. I stood up and walked over to my gun. I picked it up and held it loosely by my side, eyeing the brothers. Merle was rubbing his wrist. "Damn bitch, what'cha do that for?"
"You kidding me?" I asked. "You were gonna rape me, shithead!"
"Wouldn't be rape if you just went along with it, girly," Merle sneered, taking a step forward. Daryl jumped in front of him, putting his hand on Merle's chest, "Yo man, what do you care for, huh?"
"Just leave the bitch alone," Daryl said. I bristled, my grip tightening on my gun, but I remained silent. Daryl turned to me, "What'choo doing out here, anyway?"
"I was looking for you," I said, trying not to smile at the confounded look on both their faces, "I want to learn how to hunt and track."
"Why didn't you ask me, sweet cheeks?" Merle asked, trying to get past Daryl, who shoved him, "Dammit Daryl! Leave it alone!"
"Just go back to camp, where you belong," Daryl snarled at me, his eyes boring into mine. I didn't need telling twice, and I spun around and jogged towards camp. The sound of raised voices grew faint as I put as much distance between myself and them.
"What happened to you?" Carol asked as I walked back into camp. I joined her, Lori, and their kids by the fire pit. They had books spread out around them, the children doing math problems.
"Tripped like the idiot I am," I said, not making eye contact. I ruffled Carl's hair. "Math, huh? That's no fun."
"Katie?" Lori questioned, but I just looked up at her and shook my head. I spent the rest of the day content with my chores, jumping every time someone said my name or touched me. Luckily Merle and Daryl stayed lost most of the day. By the time they got back, it was dark, and we were all gathered around the fire pit.
"What we got on tonight?" Merle asked as he sat down across from me. He stared at me through the flames.
"Same as last night," Dale sighed, "more squirrel. Which we really are grateful for."
"Something new would be nice," Amy commented.
"Well then go hunt it your damn self," Daryl commented from his motorcycle, just out of the firelight.
"Some people ain't got no manners," Merle said, grinning at me. "Ain't that right?"
"Whatever," I mumbled, looking down at the ground. I tugged at a blade of grass near my foot. People fell into their own conversations, and I chatted with Lori. I could feel Merle burning a hole in the side of my face with his stare, but I kept my eyes on Carl and Lori.
"I got something better than math books," I said to Carl with a wink. I reached into my bag and pulled out a worn book. "I was thinking I can read it to you when we go to bed."
"What is it?" Lori asked as Carl took the book, flipping through the pages.
"The Hobbit," I said. "I happened to have it on me when...You know…"
"Oh, the Hobbit!" Amy exclaimed. "I haven't read that in years."
"If we gonna talk about kid stories, I'm turning in," Merle grumbled. He stood up from the fire and shot me one last grin before heading off. I took the book back from Carl and opened it to the first page.
"I could read it here, if you guys wanted," I said with a shy shrug. "Even if people aren't into this kind of thing, it's better than not having a book."
"I think that sounds like a great idea," Dale said. "Anyone have a flashlight for miss NYU?'
"Here," T-Dog held his flashlight out to me, and I took it.
"I can't read and hold it at the same side," I said. I turned to Carl. "Want to hold the flashlight for me?"
"Sure," Carl grinned. He held the flashlight in his small hands, and pointed it at the book. I cleared my throat, and began to read.
The days turned into weeks, each consisting of about the same. I woke up and got ready for the day with Lori and Carl. We would find something to pass as breakfast, and help Carl do some studying. Then we went about chores for the majority of the day. I left the hunting to Merle and Daryl, never venturing outside of the camp. Once the sun had set, we would gather around the fire and I would read from The Hobbit. But I was getting restless. My reprieve came in the form of a supply run.
"Are you sure you want to go back there?" Lori asked me as I tied my shoes. "Whenever someone asks you about how your survived, you never give them a straight answer."
"That's because I don't have a straight answer," I said, pulling my hair into a ponytail. "I know the city pretty well. Not as well as Glenn, I'll admit, but I can help. I'm tired of sitting around camp."
"Just be careful," Lori said tersely as we walked out of the tent, "Carl's grown rather fond of you."
"And you haven't?" I teased, scrunching my nose. Lori elbowed me with a grin.
"You've been a good friend," she said. We joined the crowd gathered by the RV.
"So, we got Glenn, T-Dog, Andrea, Morales, Jacqui, and Katie," Shane said, turning to glance at each person in turn. "That should be plenty to restock on supplies. We'll be able to hold out until-"
"You forgot me," Merle said as he walked up to the group. "I'm going to."
"If he's going I'm not going," T-Dog muttered under his breath, and I nodded fervently.
"Oh, c'mon!" Merle snapped. "I was military. Ya'll need some strong leadership to keep you safe. Ain't that right, Katie?"
"I vote Glenn for fearless leader," I said with a scowl, adjusting the handle of my machete, "or Morales or T-Dog. Just not you, Merle."
"Why not?" Merle asked, his chin jutting out. "What I ever do to piss you off?"
"Plenty," I said, my lip twitching into a momentary smirk.
"Morales, you're in charge," Shane said firmly, "and don't do anything to get yourselves killed. Be smart. Be watchful. Get back safe."
"Aye aye, Captain," I said with a mock salute. Shane rolled his eyes. I glanced at Carl and Lori, the first looking amused. I ruffled his hair. "Want anything special?"
"Comics would be nice," he said with a shrug.
"I'll see what I can do," I smiled. I glanced at Lori, and she gave me a nod. I nodded back, and followed the group as they made their way out of the camp. T-Dog and Morales took the lead while Andrea and Jacqui walked behind them, talking in lowered voices. Glenn and I trailed behind them. Merle brought up the rear, his rifle slung over his back.
"Are you still glad that I brought you to camp?" Glenn asked as we trudged down the trail.
"Yeah, it's nice to have company," I said. I shot a glance back at Merle and lowered my voice. "Well, most of the company is fine."
"Has he…" Glenn trailed off. I stared at him with a raised eyebrow.
"I think I know what you mean, and no, he hasn't," I reassured him. I glanced down at the ground and muttered under my breath, "he tried though."
"Sorry, didn't catch that last part," Glenn said with a quizzical expression. I waved it off, and we chatted lightly as we made it into town. We huddled together by a post office.
"I was thinking we could try the department store," Morales said. "It doesn't look like it's been looted."
"I can get us there," Glenn nodded.
"Well hop to it, Mr. Miyagi," Merle said, grinning at his own joke. I opened my mouth to snap at him, but Glenn grabbed my hand. He shook his head. The rest of us followed Glenn along a path winding through alleyways and side streets. We finally made it into the department store, through the storage room in the back.
"You guys stay here, I'm going to go look for more places," Glenn said as the others wandered around the store.
"Oh no you don't," I said. "You're not going back out there alone. I'm coming with you."
"Are you sure?" Glenn asked. I glanced pointedly from Merle to Glenn, and he nodded. "Alright, let's go."
"Hold up," Morales said. "One of you have a walkie talkie?"
"I do," Glenn said, holding up the radio.
"Ok. Be safe out there," Morales nodded. Glenn and I headed back outside.
"Where to?" I asked. Glenn rubbed his chin. He pointed down the alley.
"That way," he said. "We can go up the stairs and across the roof. That way we can spot anything good."
"Or bad," I commented as we mounted the stairs. We headed outside. I reached out and grabbed Glenn's arm. "Hang on a second."
"What is it?" Glenn asked, his shoulders tensing. I pointed across the street.
"I bet that place has comic books," I said, indicating the bookstore. "I promised Carl I'd look for some."
"We need to get in and out fast, not dink around in bookstores," Glenn frowned. I grinned at him, pulling out my machete. I ran across the street. "Hey!"
There were a few walkers in sight, but by the time they caught my scent, I was in the bookstore. It was empty, with books strewn across the floor and a few bookcases tilted at odd angles. I crept along the edge of the store, and walked to the comic book section. No one had felt the need to take any, so there were plenty of comics to choose from. I grabbed a Batman comic, along with a Superman and Spiderman comic for good measure. I tucked them into my bag. I stilled as I heard something shuffling in the next aisle. I tiptoed around the bookcase, and saw a walker stumbling through the sci-fi and fantasy section.
"Appropriate," I muttered. The walker turned at my voice, and growled as its dead eyes latched onto mine. It ambled forward, reaching out for me. I tightened my grip on my machete, and stabbed it into the walkers' forehead. It slumped to the floor as whatever life it had was snuffed out. I braced my foot on the walker's shoulder and pulled the machete out. I wiped the blade clean on its dress. I hurried back to the store entrance, and looked outside. Two walkers were shuffling just outside of the bookstore. I was wondering if I should wait in the store when they both turned and started groaning. They walked towards me, so I launched myself out of the store. My machete went into the side of one walker's head while I kicked the other. I pulled my machete out and stabbed the second one just as it made to grab me. It missed by an inch, and shuttered as the machete made contact with bone. I sprinted across the street, to where Glenn was waiting.
"Holy shit!" Glenn squeaked. "That was crazy!"
"I lived here for a month. I can handle it," I said with an impish grin. As I cleaned the blade on someone's lost jacket, Glenn's awed expression dissolved into a frown.
"That was the stupidest thing I've ever seen someone do," he said. I tucked my machete away and shrugged.
"This area's pretty quiet," I said. I reached out and gripped his shoulder. "I'm ok, that's all that matters."
"Promise me you won't be so reckless," Glenn said. His frown deepened as I winked at him. "Promise!"
"I promise," I sighed, holding my hands up in defeat. Glenn eyed me for a moment before heading down the alleyway. He lead me through the nearby buildings. I followed him from one rooftop to the next, relying on his keen sense of direction. I stopped suddenly, grabbing his arm.
"Ow! What?" Glenn hissed. I held my finger up to my lips for silence. "What is it?"
"I thought I heard…" I trailed off uncertainly. My thoughts were interrupted by a loud whinny. Glenn and I stared at each other.
"Is that…" his eyes grew wide, "a horse?"