This is my first Walking Dead story. It's probably not even that great but I can't get it out of my head so here it is.

Disclaimer: I don't own The Walking Dead except for my own creations Teddy and Atticus.

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Teddy ran her free hand thru Atticus' shaggy blond curls. Her index finger traced the small scar on his cheek from that day. When she had found him she was sure that he had been bitten. She had heard terrified screams coming from an SUV and when she got there there was a corpse trying to find its way into the SUV. Teddy didn't think twice and slammed the hammer she had into the corpse's head. When she finally managed to open the door there he was, covered in blood from head to toes, clutching an equally blood soaked teddy bear. She held out her hand and he eyed her suspiciously until an echo of groans rang through the deserted highway. He had jumped into her arms and she ran, never looking back, not stopping until her legs and lungs finally gave out.

That had been, what she imagined to be, a year ago. They had endured a lonely and hungry winter together, barely surviving off of scavenged cans of food and little water. She knew that if she didn't find them a safe place they wouldn't last another winter. The little man was maybe five, still had baby fat, he needed more than what she could offer. They had run into a group with a few women and men that had kindly offered to take them in. Her and Atticus, had agreed but in less than a week their camp was overrun by corpses. They had been lucky to have been out in the woods picking berries and wood for a fire when the panic ensued. She had trained Atticus to always be prepared incase of an emergency, thankfully, he had better listening skills than communicating skills. When they heard the screams he had rushed to her side and she picked him up and ran like the first time.

But she couldn't do it anymore, all the running and little food and water was getting to her. She couldn't remember the last time she felt relaxed enough to sleep a few hours. She was losing hope, until, she found this place by accident. It was a small daycare that would be enough for them both for awhile. A loud gurgling from Atticus' stomach shook her out of her thoughts. She shook him to wake him up.

"Kid? Kid. Wake up. I need to go out to get some food, come on. I need to know you're awake and alert."

His eyelids drooped over clear blue eyes, his chubby little hands rubbed furiously at them to try to get rid of any sign of sleep.

"You good?" A nod, that's all she ever got, a nod. "Remember, I need you to hide in that small closet. Don't come out until-"

Her instructions were cut off short by a balding fat man stumbling in through the broken window. She shoved Atticus towards the closet. The man looked up from his crouched position, something in the way he looked at her made Teddy feel helpless.

"Holy shit. Look at you. You alone? You bit?" He inched closer to Teddy.

"Please I don't want any trouble, just go." Teddy pointed out the door.

The man looked around the place. "Go? Don't think so. Place looks big enough for both of us. I'mma stay."

Teddy chanced a look towards her hammer but was caught by the man. He pulled out a revolver and pointed it at her.

"Now you wouldn't be thinkin about tryin sumtin stupid, would you?"

"Go. I ain't gonna ask again." She balled up her fists trying to looking intimidating. Something in her mind told her she was capable of doing it and she listened. She tried to lunge for the hammer but it was a mistake. He lunged for it too and knocked her to the ground. Teddy had grown up being tossed around like a punching bag all of her life, she was used to it. She tried to tackle the man, mistake number two. He swung and connected his fist to her face. Punch after punch, face, body, legs, everywhere. She bit down on his forearm and he pushed her back into the wall. A shot rang out.

Teddy fell to her knees clutching her chest in pain. She could feel the warm liquid spurting out of the wound. She could barely process his words, only snippets.

"Fuck...attract all the biters...dumb kid..."

Then silence. Every thought in her mind stopped, only an emptiness remained in there. She dozed off into a painless slumber.

Teddy felt as if she was floating in a black abyss. She could feel a small tug on her arm that could only be from Atticus. She tried, she tried so hard to open her eyes or be able to tell him that everything would be alright. Fear took ahold of her and it hit her, she would never see Atticus again, she was gonna die.

"...don't touch...Carol...she'll turn." She could hear a mans voice.

"...not leaving her...honey, hold on...don't give up...sweetie, please." A woman's voice, a voice so sweet to Teddy's ears.

She felt a tight squeeze to her hand and finally surrendered completely to the abyss.