The smell of rotting flesh filled the air. That's the only thing Samantha could ever smell. The dead corpses stumbled around the woods, and she watched them from the tree branch that she was perched on. She had come out here in search of food, whether it be something that she would have to kill or something that she could forage. Samantha just needed something to eat. Having an empty stomach was something that she was becoming used to, and sometimes she didn't even notice how empty it was. But today, her stomach was growling and cramping due to her hunger.
A light rustling sound came from the bushes down below, and she quickly pulled her gun out, ready to shoot. A little squirrel ran out of the bushes and Samantha put the gun down. If she shot that, the bullet would probably make the poor thing explode and it wouldn't be edible. Before the world went to shit, she had never been hunting, she had never even shot a gun.
A quick movement caught her eye, and she looked down to see the squirrel lying dead in the leaves, an arrow sticking out of it. "What the hell?" She muttered, and tucked the gun into the waistband on her pants. A tall man with short shaggy brown hair and a cross bow slung across his broad back walked out from behind a tree and went and pulled the arrow out of the squirrel.
He dropped the dead body into a small sack he was carrying. He looked around the forest for a little bit before walking off, and she quietly slid down the tree and followed him. She followed him for what seemed like hours before she groaned in annoyance. The bastard was leading her in circles.
"What do yeh want?" His voice was gruff and his accent was thick. She cleared her throat and stood up straighter, trying to make herself seem braver than she was feeling.
"I wanted to see where you were going with that squirrel." He scoffed.
"That ain't none of yer business. Yah need to go on yer own way, I ain't got time for yer shit." He turned around and walked off. She continued to follow him, feeling excited because she had found another living person, but she was also anxious. He could turn around and kill her with no problem, and she wouldn't even have time to realize what hit her.
"Listen here, I won't hesitate to take this arrow and shoot yah in yer god damned head. So, turn back around, and mind yer own buisness." He was getting pissed now, it was evident in his voice and facial features. His blue eyes were squinted in anger, and his tanned face was becoming flushed with a red hue.
She hesitated for a minute, but then called out, "I'm just hungry. I'm sorry that I had to be so stalkerish, but I just saw that squirrel and I'm dying for some food." He eyed her cautiously before clicking his tongue.
"C'mon girl. Let's go." He said jerking his head.
"You mean it?" She asked, not being able to stop the smile that was forming on her pretty face.
"If yah want to go, then shut up and start walkin." He barked. She obliged and followed him all the way back to a small campsite. There was an RV and quite a large group of people.
"You have a whole camp? I thought that maybe it was just you!" Samantha exclaimed, her eyes widening as she took in her surroundings. The people in the camp began to take notice of her trailing behind the large brute of a man, and she bit her lip. Hopefully they would take her in. She was tired of being alone.
"I never said that. C'mon." He demanded, jerking his head towards the RV.
A loud voice then cut through the silence, making Samantha jump and take a step closer to Daryl. "Hot damn, baby brother! Yah left to go get food and yah came back with this hot piece of ass. Good job. Maybe yah weren't as gay as I thought yah were." The sound was hickish as hell, and it was mocking. The man was larger than his brother, both in stature and build.
"Leave her alone, Merle. C'mon girl." Samantha then decided to speak up.
"I have a name you know. It's Samantha. You never told me your name." He rolled his eyes.
"Daryl Dixon." His name fit his appearance. Rough and so very country. She smiled. She liked that name. A man stepped in front of us, and Samantha backed up quickly. He was in a worn pair of jeans and a brown shirt with a badge on it. He was a cop before all the shit went down apparently.
"Who the hell is this?" He demanded, and Samantha felt nervous. What if he made her leave? She swallowed audibly. Licking her lips, she opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off.
"This here's Samantha. Found her out in the woods. She was all alone, lookin' for food." Daryl sounded irritated, like he didn't want to deal with the cop's shit.
"So, you just thought it would be okay to bring her here without asking anyone else? She could be dangerous!" The man was obviously irritated, and he rubbed a hand through his short brown hair, gripping the back of his neck roughly.
"Shane, calm down. Look at her, let's just give her a chance." A tall, slim brunette came over, placing her hand on his arm. Samantha assumed they were married. The attraction between the pair was undeniably obvious.
"My name is Lori Grimes. Ignore Shane, that's what everyone else does. And make yourself at home." She said, gesturing towards the campsite that had an assortment of people in it. Samantha smiled to herself.
Home.