A/N: This is just for fun. Mainly OC/Daryl. Another project I started, and who knows if I'm actually going to complete it. But don't let that discourage you! Encourage me to continue if you like it! R&R and enjoy. :]

Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead.


Chapter One

People…I thought to myself as I watched the small group head into a building across the street from where I was hidden. I lay flat on my belly on the roof, my eyes watching the streets below. I had been here for hours, scanning the area, zoning out a little as I watched the mindless creatures meander about, my thoughts taking control. Like, for instance, what was I doing? It had finally happened. The world had ended and very few had survived the epidemic. Now, these creatures walked the earth. Once human, though definitely not any longer. They were dead, unliving but mobile beings. I mean, I loved zombie movies, but I never expected to live in one, because that's what those creatures were: flesh eating undead.

I had been hiding here in Atlanta for weeks now, maybe even longer. It was hard to keep track of time anymore; the days sort of melded together after a while. I had taught myself to scavenge, to scrounge, and even to kill. Well, if you can call it killing, considering they were already dead. I learned quickly, mainly because there were quite a few facts I already knew.

Okay, so I learned most of my techniques from video games. Sue me. They got me by, didn't they? And I had survived, that's all that mattered. Until now I had never seen anyone else come through this city since it was taken over. Besides the gang of Mexican's that resided on the other side of the city, it was only me. And then they started showing up.

First it was this Asian kid. He was quick, knew his way around the city. A scavenger, like me. He got in, got what he needed, and got out. A few times I had thought about catching up with him, talking to him. I missed people. But I never got to. And then he came with a group of people. Five others. Why the hell would he bring five other people on a run for supplies? It was insane. They were going to get themselves killed! And sure enough, they ended up getting trapped in a building. I wanted to help them, but I had been on my own all this time, would it be safe to?

After that I ended up crawling back into my safe zone inside the building, ignoring what was going on outside. I didn't want to know if they would survive, I wanted to block my mind away from it. I felt like such a coward. Was this how I was going to end up? Alone, dead, eventually zombie bait? I remember hearing the sound a car alarm and racing back up to the roof to see what was going on. I got their in time to see that the group had escaped. Lucky them.

I sat on the roof for hours, staring at nothing. I bet they were all brave; all helped each other out without thinking, and took care of one another. And here I was, sitting here alone, clueless, and feeling hopeless. I frowned at myself. This was not how I was going to go out. I glanced over at the building they had previously occupied, pausing a moment as my eyes focused on the hazy distance. There was still someone up there! Someone on the roof!

I lifted my binoculars to my eyes, getting a better view. It was a man, and he was handcuffed to a pipe. Had the other group left him there? Was he infected? I slowly lowered the binoculars. If I wanted to change my way of thinking, be more brave and able to survive this, what better time than now? I steeled myself, gathered my things, and headed out of my hiding area.

I unchained the door, slowly pushing it open and peaking outside. It seemed most of the zombies were occupied with the recent escape, heading steady down the road. Good, they were occupied. I adjusted by bow on my shoulder and held my hunting knife loosely in my hand. Maybe I could get by without being noticed at all. I eased myself out of the building and down the street, keeping myself low and hiding behind cars and corners when need be. They were definitely distracted, alright, and I made it safely to the alley before climbing the fire escape up the side of the building.

After pulling myself onto the roof and adjusting the weight of my supplies, I made my way slowly over to the main chained up. His eyes were closed, but I could tell by the movement in his chest that he was still alive.

"Hey, mister…" It was weird hearing my own voice. It sounded strange, considering I haven't had to talk in weeks. "Are you okay?" His head moved a little, rising up as he blinked a few times as he looked at me. He stayed silent at first, and I could tell he was trying to judge if I was real or not.

"Look at this freak," he finally mumbled, a southern drawl to his speech. I frowned. "Spawn of Satan come to rescue me, eh?" Okay, so I knew I looked a little different, with my long dark hair streaked with purple thrown up into a ponytail, my lip, nose, and eyebrow piercings, and my arms covered in tattoo sleeves, but I was by no means evil looking. Besides, how could he say that with the world overrun with flesh eaters?

"Well, fuck you, too. Stay here and rot for all I care," I replied, turning on my heel to leave. I had no patience before the world was ending, and I had even less now, especially for people who were raised to be narrow minded hicks.

"Hey…hey, wait!" I heard him call out, the handcuffs rattling against the pipe as he pulled on them. I looked back over my shoulder at him, raising an eyebrow. "Come on, get me outta here." I looked at him a moment longer. Ignorant as he may be, I couldn't just leave him here. I sighed and walked back toward him, pausing a moment as I observed him.

"You're not bit, are you?" I asked. He shook his head.

"No, some dumbass cop chained me here and left me to die," he replied.

"And why did he do that?"

"Hell if I know! Can you get these off or not?" I rolled my eyes. I ignored my need to be a bitch and just walk away as I knelt beside him, observing his cuffed wrist.

"Does the cop have the key?" I asked. These were premium cuffs, how was I supposed to get him free?

"Nah, the stupid nigger dropped the damn thing down the drain." I paused. I hated that word. But I should have known he'd be racist. I ignored it and sighed.

"I don't know how I can get these off without removing the pipe or removing your hand." He groaned at my statement, and all I could do was shrug. "Maybe I can go find something to cut through it."

"What are you waiting for, then? Get goin'!" I stared at him, raising an eyebrow. He groaned a little. "You're my only hope, spawn, so just go find something to get me free." I couldn't believe how he was treating his last hope. I groaned as well, standing up. I couldn't just leave him here to die.

"I'll be back in a while. Don't go anywhere," I tossed out sarcastically before I headed back down the fire escape. So here I was, deciding to be a stronger person, and had to deal with a lousy excuse for a human being. I guess I couldn't judge much, though, I've had my fair amount of people who I didn't like and didn't like me, and I'm sure most, if not all, of those people are dead now. I stopped suddenly as a loud sound echoed down the alley I was in.

Shit. Stupid me thinking too much and not watching where I was going kicked a fucking trashcan lid. I glanced out in front of me, the undead already catching on and speeding toward me. I turned and fled in the other direction onto the street, running as fast as my legs could take me, dodging wondering zombies in my path. I was lucky that a lot had moved on from the recent distraction, but that still left more than enough to overwhelm me if I got caught.

Don't think, don't think, don't think…I thought to myself, defeating the whole purpose of the thought, I'm sure. I risked a glance behind me, happy there was a good bit of distance between me and the traveling horde now after me. I turned back around in time to see one come at me, its decaying hands outstretched to grab whatever it could. I gasped and threw my hand up, the blade of my knife cutting into the creature's skull. I quickly jerked it out and kept running, ignoring the blood dripping onto my hand. I finally made my way to familiar territory, running inside a nearby building, knowing that they were going to follow. I ran past the clothing racks and displays, up a narrow flight of stairs before coming back out onto a roof. I could feel the strain in my calves, hurting from the intense run, but I couldn't slow down now. I reached my destination, speeding up my pace before launching myself off the building, over the narrow alley below me, and onto the next building's rooftop.

Sure, this might have seemed awesome, had I not screwed up the landing. I tripped and fell to the ground, skinning my knees up as they hit. I groaned in pain, rolling over onto my back as I closed my eyes, trying to catch my breath. I could hear the moaning of the zombies as they tried to come after me, and lifted my head to see them tumbling one after one off the edge of the other building. I let out a small laugh.

"Dumbasses." I forced myself up, wiping the blood off my knife and hand onto my jeans before heading across the roof. I didn't get very far before I sat down again, leaning back against the edge. I had pushed myself too hard, and with little food and no real meat I had been eating; my body sure as hell felt it. I could feel my mind going blank, my vision blurring before I slumped over.

Maybe a little nap wouldn't hurt.