This is my take on some of The Walking Dead characters and plots. I do not own anything. Please don't be too harsh on me as this is the first time I have ever posted. I have several other stories and themes I would like to share… but we'll start with this. You will notice that i took many liberties with characters and plots. Who wants to re-write a story we already know, right? Enjoy.

Breath rushed to escape my lungs. Rushed to escape his lungs. Our hearts pounded a harmonic rhythm in the sweat and exhaustion filled air. The scratchy tickle of his leg hair against my smooth skin was welcoming. It made me feel more alive. I couldn't find any words to say, so I lay still gathering myself one gasp at a time.

4 months earlier…

"Shane, what the fuck are you doing?" I stomped my way through the tilled earth toward the brut.

Shane stood at 6'2" with dark and brooding eyes. He hated me, not sure he cared much more for the others in our group. But, he hated me.

Those dark eyes turned toward me, his body remained still and showed no sign that he cared I was coming. Then, he bent over again. Picked up a piglet and slit its throat while it squealed in terror.

"Noooo, Shane! No, stop!" I shouted and began to run. He couldn't be this stupid. Those piglets would in no time at all have grown to full size hogs. Big enough to feed us all for months if handled right.

I reached him and threw the weight of my body against his, attempting to tackle him to the ground. My body just hit a brick wall. Sure, he budged and was unbalanced, but it was I who ended up on the shit and blood covered dirt.

"Get away from me girl." His boot connected with my side rolling me over. He didn't kick me to do damage, just to push me aside even more. He reached for another piglet and that was all I could take. I lunged at his knees and was able to take him down. The piglet ran to the corner of the tiny pen and Shane and I were wrestling on the ground. He wasn't trying to hurt me, just detain me. But I wasn't having any of that. I was pissed and wanted to do whatever I could to stop him.

"Shane, listen to me. You can't do this." I knew my green eyes were flashing with my rage and desperation. "We need them." Shane's body rose above mine and pinned my arms to the sides of my head. I was stuck. My long, brown hair was plastered to the sides of my face. My back and legs were sinking into the cold earth. In the stinking pen, my dignity began to slip away as I knew I had lost. He had bested me and would if he wanted kill every last animal we scrounged together.

His weight was lifted off of me and I saw that Rick had joined us. Shane and Rick had been partners before the planet died and the tension between them was for some time now proving that without structure and order, their friendship was not going to work.

Rick threw Shane aside with what I'm sure was all of his force. Because even though Rick was in amazing shape, Shane still had him by 2 inches and about 30 lbs of bulk.

"What do you think you're doing? Why were you fighting? She's a woman you asshole!" Rick shouted to Shane as the latter gained his footing and stood menacingly glaring at me.

Shane didn't answer Rick, he didn't have an answer. He didn't understand why I had attacked him. All he was doing was feeding his group. His people. Then he saw a crazy woman running at him. He thought I was always up his ass. Never took my watchful eye off of him.

Since we joined groups a year ago I had apprehensions about him. Rick was a part of my group and Shane was in the other. When we joined there was much to celebrate. Families were back together, friends and yes, co-workers. It was clear to myself and everybody else there was going to be a battle for leadership. Many sided with Rick, but there were enough that sided with Shane to keep his ego inflated enough to try stunts like this.

"Rick, we need to eat. We can't wait. I was going to leave three. Three will be enough."

"Shane, three is not enough, we need them to breed. And not to mention the size. You just cost us hundreds of pounds of meat. We could've waited. Daryl is out hunting right now." Rick surveyed the scene. Shane had slaughtered 3 pigs and was onto the 4th. Blood covered the ground and when he glanced in my direction saw that i was also spotted with blood. "Did you hurt her? Riley, did he hurt you?"

"No." Shane and I spoke at the same time, his voice defiant, mine subdued.

"He's just a prick." I knew Rick had this handled so I left. I knew what I looked like walking away. I am 5'10", not very skinny, but more muscular. I liked how clothes fit my curves. Only now I knew that the men were probably watching me leave because I was filthy, not sexy. Not that I cared, but I was embarrassed to be leaving in such a state.

I wanted Rick to stand up to Shane and finally show him who the real man in charge was around here. Knowing it would never happen, I nevertheless left them to hash it out however they could.

As I walked through the pasture I thought about days that used to be. On a day like today the sun would no doubt be shining and the birds chirping, rabbits would be digging in the gardens and kids playing in the yard.

Not today, probably not again in my lifetime. The sun was forever hidden by thick clouds of ash and dirt. It was very dry now and difficult to grow crops. The cows have had to be slaughtered and used for their meat because we ran out of feed for them. What little grew in the gardens I passed, needed to be consumed by us. Children need their veggies after all.

I didn't mind this new world. It was a world for survivors. There was no more electricity, no more running water. Well, for us there was because my group ended up with some intelligent people. Lucky us. They were able to get the wells pumping water over 3 very large wheels that generated electricity. We had many rolling brown outs when people tried stretching it too far. But hey, we had something.

We had to fight for what we wanted, and not always in the figurative sense. We would from time to time find a group of unwanteds at our gates. Some would just go away when we told them we didn't have enough space, food or water for all of them. Others, attempted to challenge our camp and so far have all been unsuccessful. Farmers are more heavily armed than I ever imagined. We came here with our own guns and weapons… but these farm folk, whew. Anybody who challenged us only had to get a glimpse of our weaponry and they soon backed down. With the exception of twice. But I don't want to think about fights anymore just now.

I loved our little plot of land. And also knew not to take it for granted as most of the planet looked like the result of a war zone. Heavy fog of black, no green in sight. Death. I needed to protect this place, and if assholes like Shane couldn't see the whole picture, see the long run… well, something would need to be done with him.