~Charlotte~

So…the apocalypse happened. And here I am in my next door neighbours car stuck on a highway trying to get into Atlanta with them. The fucked up thing is that we have been neighbours for my whole life and we have never spoken to each other. And they offered to give me a ride. And I gratefully accepted the kind offer.

Everything seems to feel darker now that the dead are walking around eating people. I would always look up at the night sky and count the stars, but as I am sitting by the cool window I cannot bring myself to look up into the darkness as I fear it will somehow give me nightmares.

Two children are sitting in the back of the car with me, both boys by the names of Alex and Tom. The driver is their father Daniel and in the passenger seat sits his wife Alice. I haven't really spoken to any of them, and I have acknowledged the fact that not speaking to them is probably classified as being rude, but I feel like if I talk it will come out as one noise, unable to form words. Therefore I continue to listen to my music and rest my head on the cool window.

We are not moving and we haven't moved for quite a while now. Maybe I should speak now? I take my head of the window, my forehead feels wet, I then proceed to open my mouth to speak, but Daniel talks before I get the chance.

"I think it's time we get out the car. Lots of people are out of their cars and I think we should talk to them."

I gulp. Socialising is my weakest spot. Daniel and Alice are already out of the car and helping Alex and Tom get out of their seats. I take off my headphones and let them hang around my neck. I open the door and hop out of the car. Alex and Tom are lucky they have their parents. Mine went on holiday to Spain without me. But I was happy that I would get the solitude. I can take care of myself, I'm seventeen.

Before I slam the door shut, I take out my large rucksack full of food, water and other supplies. I go round to the boot of the car to see that the four of them are gathered around talking.

Here's my chance to finally speak to them. "Thank you so much for letting me come with you." I tell them.

"Not a problem, sweetie. You can still tag along with us. We don't mind." Alice tells me. I nod in appreciation.

"I don't want to be a burden. I think I should go along on my own."

"Charlotte, I don't think that's a good idea with these…" Alice trails off, she clearly does not know what to call these things. "monsters…roaming around. You should stick with us."

I hesitate, not knowing what to do. Go alone, and probably die. Go in a group, and probably die.

I smile, "Thank you."

The family smile back at me. I look down at the boys. Everyone in the family are ginger, except for Alice, who has dirty blonde hair. Alex and Tom are eight and ten and they both look exactly the same.

I take off my black hoodie and tie it around my waist.

"Well," Daniel claps his hands together. "Who's hungry?"

Daniel and Alice are too kind to be human. Why haven't I had conversations with them before? They offer me to stay with them, give me food. I don't understand their kindness.

Tom and Alex are talking to two children, a girl and boy who I heard introduce themselves as Carl and Sophia. I am off in the distance watching Tom and Alex having a joyful conversation. Daniel and Alice are talking to two people called Shane and Lori. I presume that Sophia and Carl are their children.

I see Alice turn her head around to look at me, she gestures me to come over by using her head. I take a deep breath. Got to talk to someone soon. I shuffle my way over to the four of them.

"This is Charlotte." Alice introduces me to the two adults. I do a small wave with my right hand and a faint smile that I am pretty sure they didn't see.

The man introduces themselves, even though I already know their names as I heard it when they were introducing themselves to Alice and Daniel.

I look back at the four children who are now setting up a game of checkers.

"Are they your children?" I ask them.

"Carl is my son. Sophia's parents are over there." She tells me and points to a skinny woman with short hair and a large man who I feel uncomfortable about. I quickly divert my eyes away from the man and look back a Lori who is staring at Carl.

"And his dad?" I ask in my small voice.

"Dead." She breathes.

My heart stops when she says that word. That's probably what my parents are. Dead.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what happened to my parents." I tell her sadly.

I look up at Shane. "I thought she was your kid."

I kind of felt hurt that he called me a kid. I'm no child.

"Charlotte lived next door to us. We offered her a ride. She was home alone, because her parents are on holiday. We saw her leave her house with a rucksack and suitcase and she started to walk down the street, all by herself. We drove up next to her and told her that she could come with us." Daniel tells them and I recall the moment.

There were dead people lying down on the pavement and I simply walked past them. I was shocked from an event that occurred in the house before I left. I didn't tell Daniel and Alice what had happened.

When I opened the front door of my house, one of those…things attacked me. Dropping the suitcase in shock, I had to do something. I refuse to die. It grabbed me and tried to sink its rotten teeth into me. I pushed it back, running for the kitchen. With a yank I pulled the drawer filled with utensils right out, the cutlery clattering on the tiled floor. The monster was still hungry and I was lucky it was just the one. I got on my knees and heard the groans of the monster coming closer.

I grabbed onto a sharp knife that I could plunge into the dead mans skull. It shuffled towards me and I stood up from the cold floor. It got close again and I held it by the neck. When I blinked, my knife was in its eye. Blood poured out of the socket and I yanked the sharp knife out from its head. Blood was on my hand that I used to hold the monsters neck, blood was splattered on my face and shirt.

I went upstairs into the bathroom, cleaned my face, changed my shirt, got a hold of my luggage and left.

The knife I used to kill my first dead is held my leather belt, ready to be used again.

"And I am grateful that they offered to give me the rid. I don't know what I was thinking, walking out there, prepared to face the world on my own. It's god that there are kind people in the world…" I tell Lori and Shane.

I somehow managed to stay with the four of them, having long conversations on what their plans are. Shane and Lori were talking about setting up a camp after seeing Atlanta was completely swarmed with infected and being destruction of the military installation.

"Shane thinks we should set up an outpost at the quarry. You're happy to join us." Lori informs us.

Daniel, Alice and I nod our heads, agreeing that a camp with a group is a good idea.

Tom, Alex, Sophia and Carl all come over, complaining that they are tired. Sophia's parents also come over.

"Mom, I'm hungry." He tells Lori.

"I know Carl, we all are."

"Why don't I get him something to eat then?" Sophia's mom said softly and walks over to her car and her husband follows.

I turn to Alice. "What are their names?" I ask in a whisper, somehow afraid that they will hear.

"That's Carol and…" her face turns solemn, "Ed."

I heard a car door slam, fear over came me form what Ed done to Carol. I could tell he was an abuser, the atmosphere around him screamed, "Don't come near, bitch."

Carol returns, "I must've forgotten to pack them." She informs Mrs Grimes.

"That's alright. I appreciate the offer." She replies.

I scratched the back of my head, feeling uncomfortable when Ed returned to the gathering.

"So, a camp, eh" Ed said.

We set up camp at the Quarry around a month ago and our group has become large.
The camp was great, tents were pitched up, we had good, protection. It was a great place for us to stay. Hopefully nothing bad will happen. Atlanta was a no go, completely dangerous full of those walkers. The first people to join us was Dale, Andrea and Amy, all coming in with Dale's RV. The next to join our little establishment was Morales and his family. He had two kids who were Carl, Sophia, Tom and Alex's age. They were called Eliza and Louis. Jim came along by himself, but he didn't use to be like that. He had two sons and a wife, but they didn't make it. Then came along the ex-pizza delivery guy, Glenn and T-Dog and a woman called Jacqui who came in all by herself.

All of these people were friendly, but the two that I gotta keep my eyes on are the Dixon brothers. The youngest isn't bad, Daryl. He has a crossbow and it reminded me of my dad who use to always go out hunting with his bow. He use to teach me how to use one. Merle scares the crap out of me. He hits on every single woman here, even me.

I get on alright with everyone here, but I'm not close to anyone. The person that I have probably spoken to the most is Amy and Carl. Amy and I get on well and because we get on really well, I am sort of close to her sister Andrea. Carl and I are close because before he goes to bed I read him a chapter of Harry Potter. Right now we are on Chamber of Secrets. I am glad he is enjoying it, he hasn't read the books and has only seen one film.

We all use what we can to get by and to continue are daily routines. Glad I remembered my toothbrush and toothpaste. I enjoy watching Amy and Andrea fishing in the lake, they've told me that they use to fish all the time with their dad. I wash the clothes with the women, but I isolate myself from them, not wishing to speak and sit on a rock, listening to music. I am able to charge my iPod with a portable charger that uses batteries and I have a stock full of batteries. Amy tries to include me into conversations with the women, but I tend to say a sentence, then say no more.

I sit on a log by the unlit campfire, kicking stones with my feet, making irritating scratching noises, but I don't care if they annoy anyone. They didn't bother me as I was listening to music. Dale is up on his RV with a gun ready, looking for anything in his binoculars. Lori was cutting Carl's hair.

"Charlie," I look over at Amy. "Sh-h." Charlie is my nickname that the people here have started calling me.

I stick my tongue out at her, which is a childish thing to do, but oh well. I turn my head back round and direct my eyes at the blaring sun. The heat was radiating my body, filling me with warmth. I sigh.

I hear the sound of stones scratching over my music and felt a presences next to me, blocking the sun.

I open them to see Glenn standing above me. He moves his mouth and I hear soft murmurs. I remove my headphones.

"Excuse me?"

"How are you?"

"I'm good." I reply, proceeded by an awkward silence. I clear my throat, "You?"

"Yep, I'm good."

I laugh, "Good."

He laughs too, but it stops and a longer awkward silence follows.

"Well, I gotta get going. Heading off to Atlanta. Wanna tag along?"

"Nah, I'm good. Don't really know how to shoot. Probably best that I stay here."

"Come on. You should come with us."

"Who's going? Andrea, Morales, T-Dog, Jacqui, Merle." I groan when I hear his name. Everyone hates him.

"Don't like him."

"I didn't think a girl as shy as you is meant to hate."

"I am entitled to my opinions on things and people."

"What are your opinions on me?" He asks.

My heart stops, then beats really really fast. What are my opinions on Glenn…? "I guess we shall see. I'll go to Atlanta."

~Glenn~

Shane doesn't trust Charlie. He goes on about how she is probably putting on an act with her lack of confidence and how she will probably slit our throats whilst we sleep. Nice thought. But everyone knows that she wont hurt a fly.

Shane wanted me to talk to her to try and get her to come to Atlanta. I didn't have to try that hard. Easily persuaded.

I walk over to Shane who is sitting with Carl.

"Charlie is gonna go to Atlanta." I say. I don't want her to go. She probably is a strong girl, but I don't think that she is.

He looks up at me. "That's good." He wants her to go to see if I can find out things about her. I have a feeling that she wont open up.

"I'll go tell the others."

~Charlotte~

Glenn left to go speak to Shane. He distrusts me and I distrust him. I don't know why. When I first met him he was alright. Guess something changed his opinion.

I want to kick myself for telling Glenn that I would go to Atlanta. I turn to look at him, he is with Shane, but walks off towards T-Dog. Crap. He's gonna tell people that I am coming. I will be a burden to them. Why did he offer for me to come? Maybe he is gonna kill me when I am there? Is that why he went to talk to Shane?

Stop. You're being paranoid.

I scratch my forehead, regretting my choices.

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