AN - one of the points of the graphic novels and TV show is that gender doesn't matter. However, early in the series, women weren't looked at necessarily as warriors. That was curious to me. So, I started this little story with the idea in mind of what can happen in this 'new world'.

By the way, I'm a guy.

Enjoy!


Sunny skies.

Oh, how those darn summers in central Georgia could be so hot. When you're alone in the world, except for your ex-boyfriend and his best friend tied up in chains as walkers, you don't care about anyone but yourself. It's not a selfish thing. It's just that there's no one for you to look out for. Your loved ones have transformed into monsters, your child is…well, she wouldn't think about that then. And when you focus on the necessities of survival instead of living, doesn't natural selfishness make sense?

The mind can wander when you're alone. You can go into dangerous territory too. Memories of what life once was can haunt and consume you. And if you rest too long on them, throw into despair. And that just wasn't her style. Life needs to be lived. And with the constant reminder of what can happen with her all the time in chains, it's not like she didn't want to live. Or maybe she didn't.

She crossed Highway 24, not too far from Atlanta. One of the boys straggled a little, but a quick tug of the chains would fix that. She paused near an old mailbox. The word on it said, "Green" and briefly wondered who those people might've been. Blinking those thoughts away, she headed south, away from the mailbox. After a quick adjustment of her kitana, she resumed her laborious march to nowhere. Just like a walker.

When she passed a short bridge, she heard something funny. In the woods, it can be a tricky thing to pinpoint where sounds come from. She turned around and could hear a weird kind of clicking sound. It wasn't something she was accustomed to lately and she didn't understand.

She stopped. She grabbed her sword. She looked around.

Her long locks clung to her shoulders in the heat and humidity. The grip tightened on her kitana. There wasn't anything nearby and still those strange sounds kept up.

And they were getting louder.

Deftly, she put her hood up. Scanning right, then left, and then right again, she could feel some weird kind of breeze blowing tree limbs and leaves. A rustle of little sounds accompanied the bigger one and it unnerved her. And when she turned back towards the south, that's when she saw it.

A horse. And not just a horse. A rider too.

It was a woman. She had brown hair and was bouncing in her saddle. The woman wore blue jeans and a cowboy hat. The horse was running at medium speed and seemed to be enjoying itself with the woman on it.

Michonne chuckled. Sure, it made sense that a farmgirl would have dressed this way, but even before the world died, this wasn't an unusual sight. But still, this was a stranger and Michonne hadn't come across very many ones. And the ones she did, weren't nice. So, she placed her sword back in her scabbard and stopped moving.

The horse galloped closer.

Michonne watched.

And just as the horse came near them, Michonne gasped as the woman took out some kind of weapon ready to strike Michonne's boys! No way!

A baseball bat was swung near her! Michonne quickly withdrew her sword and blocked the shot! The horse whinnied and all too soon, the farmgirl brought the fine mare to a stop and stared at her.

They watched each other, panting during the Mexican standoff. The farmgirl's curious eyes met Michonne's furious ones. But the brunette didn't know what to make of what she saw – here appeared to be a woman with deformed walkers in chains, and she was holding a sword. Nothing added up. Nothing.

"Whatcha doin'?" the brunette asked.

As usual, Michonne didn't answer. The other woman huffed.

"Whatcha doin' with those two walkers?"

Again, the fierce warrior didn't say anything.

"Fine." Farmgirl said, tsking the horse to a small gallop near her. "My name is Maggie. If you're out here lookin' for trouble, you're gonna git it. Otherwise…" she eyed Michonne up and down, "you can follow me up the path to my daddy's farmhouse. Mailbox is marked 'Green'. Come if you want. Yah!"

And with that, Maggie kicked her spurs and the horse quickly galloped away. Michonne watched her go, letting her sword fall down.

.