Thank your for taking the time to check out this story. I always appreciate objective criticism and any ideas that will help me grow as a writer and help adapt and grow my characters more.

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Disclaimer: Rated M for Violence, Gore, language, Nudity, Sexual Content.

(Life with out hope)

The fresh smell of the wet dew that gathered in the early morn was always a comfort. The start of a fresh day, the rebirth of nature some would say. But now death's putrid smell lingers, the rotting corpses of the flesh left behind and the decomposing walkers slowly falling apart as they wonder the land looking for their next meal. Air was stale as tensions were high, it's only been a day since the attack on the camp and any moral that had formed with the group was buried with the ones who lost their lives. Silence engulfed the small group, some in memorial others just in a state of shock. What was there to say, the safe haven they had formed for themselves turned into death and carnage.

"Where do we go from here?"

It was the first sound to enter the ears since the blood curling screams of those whose flesh was torn by the ragged teeth of the dead. It didn't even register who had asked the question, just a general consensus of alert was brought upon them. Rick was the first to step forward, he slowly looked around at all the sad lost faces amongst him. His natural instincts from being a cop came into play, he realized he need to not only be strong for himself and his family but to help keep the group going as well.

He gathered his thoughts for a minute and headed towards Dale. "We'll need to scrap what we can and make sure the vehicles are in running condition. Is there any more repairs you'll need to do to get things running until we can find a safe place to gather more supplies?"

Dale took his hat of and wiped the sweat from his brow. "Shouldn't be more then an hour or so to get everything going."

Shane stepped forward in true form and took Rick's lead. "Glenn, you and Rick look over the map. We're going to need an idea of where we're going to go. We're going to need to find a small town that has some supplies. Right now we have enough to sustain us a few weeks tops. We're going to need medical aide, gas, ammo and weapons sooner then later."

Lori stood forward never letting go of her firm hold on Carl "We can start gathering everything and load it up."

With out another word the group started to break apart and go into survival mode.

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"We're not going to be able to travel around in vehicles forever searching for hope. We need to find a place that we can make into…" Dale stopped for a second, the words escaped him.

"Home?" Glenn nervously blurted out.

"A safe house sounds more on point" Shane interjected "But where exactly would we go. We have no supplies and what place would we make into a fortress impenetrable from the walkers?"

"Needs to be deep in the woods." The deep southern drawl that entered the conversation was a sudden surprise. No one had expected Daryl to take part as much as he had.

Rick, Shane, Dale and Glenn were gathered around a map out side of a deserted gas station they had come across on they're escape from Georgia. There was only five walkers total. Two wandering around the pumps and the other three inside. The excessive summer heat was pushing the decomposition of the walkers a bit faster then usual. One had lost it's entire lower extremities and was nothing but an upper torso. What was left of fingers were digging into the pavement trying to make it's way to a potential meal. The other was slow and staggered, the gurgling growl was echoed through out the abandon gas station. Daryl made quick of the two outside and with out haste went to deal with the remaining inside behind him followed T-Dog. The woman and children were close by loading up and stocking everything that could be scavenged. Daryl and T-Dog were still inside when the men started to form into a think group.

Daryl Continued "The deeper the woods less wandering walkers…"

"Less?" Shane interrupted…

"No matter where we go they're going to be there. Out in the woods they won't be in as great of numbers. They would be extremely more manageable."

T-Dog stepped forward with a bag filled with supplies from the gas station and set it down "What about a lighthouse?" Everyone just looked at him confused as if he lost all sense. "When I was a kid I visited my grandma every summer in Alabama. One day I got lost out in the woods by her house, about an hour or two deep in the woods I came across a lighthouse. I don't know why it was there but this was twenty years ago and when I saw it looked as if it had only been built in the last year or so. I made it my summer club house."

Shane snickered "What would we do in a lighthouse?"

"It would be a good watch out tower, give us shelter from outside" T-Dog snapped back not liking Shane's attitude.

Glenn popped to life and grabbed the map "Before all this happened my friends and I started researching and playing around with wind powered turbines." Glenn noticed the looks from everyone "Hey, just because my friends and I build things for fun does not mean I'm a geek."

T-Dog just laughed "Yeah, who doesn't build wind power turbines on their free time."

"Building a wind generator from scratch is not that difficult of a project. All you need is basic power and hand tools, and some degree of dedication." Glenn opened the map. "Where was your Grandma's house T-Dog"

"Small town called Hardaway your not going to see it on the map though." T-Dog approached the map and pointed to Union Springs "It's right in this area, all this here is nothing but deep woods and more woods. Daryl would have loads of fun out there. We go they're we probably would never see him again"

"I'm game." Daryl replied while lighting up a cigarette. "I don't need a fancy lighthouse to survive"

"Columbiana has a store that carries everything and more that I would need to put together a wind turbine also there is tons of solar panels and equipment as well. Ones in the 700-1000 Watt, 8-11 foot range can be built fairly easily." Glenn handed the map to Rick almost looking for his permission to go forward with the plan.

"Wouldn't we need a power converter as well?" Rick asked as he took the map..

Shane started to pace around agitated "So what are we suppose to do drive from here all over Alabama trying to gather scraps to build a hippie farm?"

"That hippie farm would give us power, shelter, we could use the trees to cut up wood build a barrier. It's either adapt and make our way or continue to wander around this wasteland dodging death everyday." No one had ever heard Glenn stand up before yet alone go off on someone like Shane.

"It would be nice to make a safe place for Lori and Carl. Hunting would be easier in a location like that. Could even start to grow vegetables if it was a stable enough of environment for long term stay."

Glenn grabbed the map and the bag T-Dog set down. "Then let's get going at the rate we're at it's going to be at least a week before we can get close to the store."

The group was alive with energy it was the first time since this happened that they had some what of a set plan. No one expected things to work out as optimistically as Glenn perceived they would, but it was the prospect of hope. That glimmer of a chance that they might be able to function a some what sustainable life with out the constant fear of being torn limb from limb was all they had. It was all anyone had who lived in this hell on earth.