Note(s): I don't own The Walking Dead universe, franchise or any other established building/thing that is owned by others. I'm so sorry that I have not updated in a bit. I have been in a few performances and got side tracked with this. The next chapters should come quicker, *SHOULD*. I hope you love the chapter. Thank you for commenting, following and liking my stories! Please comment, follow and like. ( ;

From Thy Writer,

~ Allison Damon

Chapter 2

Consciousness taps me on the shoulder, waking me out of the darkness that fills my head. My head feels stuffy and full of cotton, and my senses are dull. Another thing I become aware of is the ache in my body which has mostly set into my bones. Oh, how I wish my body would be numb at the moment. It would be such bliss. But since I don't even get that kind of bliss, I decide that I want to know what's happening at the moment. So I strain to open my eyes, but no matter how hard I try they are made of lead. But with that failing, I shoot for hearing something instead. It takes me a bit but I eventually take in the crunching of gravel, moaning of geeks and…multiple voices? How odd, but I do remember the man in leather. Now that I think of it, he has probably moved me into a different location. I'm pretty sure of this because if I remember correctly there's no gravel in the quaint town I temporarily lived in. I then turn my attention to the voices around me. They're different mix of pitches and genders of males and females and all that fancy jazz. I try to catch any words and conversations floating around me but I can't grab hold of anything. My mind is too sluggish to work through and connect anything. It troubles me a lot to come to this revelation. And I start to bring up depressing things that could happen…

A sudden jerk brings me back to the present, which sends discomfort shooting through my body. I don't mean to but I let out a groan of protest slip through my lips and in turn alerts the voices of my consciousness. Instantly I feel a gentle shift and feel myself being lain down on a flat hard surface. I don't like this-being lain on an uncomfortable surface and I'd rather be pressed against something warm again. I again emit a soft sound of protest at this and try to shift my body. But this impromptu plan is put to a halt because of the vice grips holding me into place which in turn taking my freedom of movement away. 'Oh come on! Just leave me alone in peace!' I think with irritation and desperation. But of course I never get my way, and now a stupid insistent hand keeps tapping my cheek. And a voice keeps calling to me with urgency. At first I consider ignoring all of these attempts to rouse me fully, but the logical side of me reminds me of the stupidity in this. I put all my strength and determination into the task of prying my eyes open. And I don't succeed in this task, at least not until a minute or two afterwards.

The first thing that greets my eyes is the blinding sunlight and three different people. I move my eyes to the first person-who ironically is the man in leather, who rescued my life from an infected. 'Wait…maybe I shouldn't use that adjective. It makes me feel as if I am a damsel in distress-which by the way I am not nor will I ever be.' I think to myself with a sure mind. I then let my eyes wonder to the next person. He's a tall Asian man with black hair and kind and honest eyes. And I know for sure that I can trust him, something informs me I can. The third and final person is an average height man who is middle age-or at least that's how it seems. He has a full scruffy beard and medium length hair which are both graying and his eyes and the way he holds himself like a leader. 'This is good. Living people who won't eat my face off is definitely a thumbs up for me.' I tell myself in positivity with an optimistic attitude. I don't realize it but I get stuck in mind until the man in leather pats my cheek a few times just like as it was earlier. I blame my unresponsive and spacey attitude on my current state of health. I snap my attention to him and listen to what he is trying to say.

"Are ya with me? It's about time! Been callin ya to pay attention for a while now." He said to me in annoyance and it shows very clearly on his face.

"Would you stop? You're going to make cooperate less." A dark fair skinned women tells him in amusement, and it seems like she's trying to lighten the mood or break the ice as most would call it.

"She'll cooperate jus fine." He replies to her with confidence and cockiness. Then he states a several more words, following up with his previous statement. "Besides, she'll last through the questionin. She lasted with the walkers before this."

"He's got me on that one." She states to me with an odd joyous defeat that astounds me. No sadness is in these words at all, and it makes me think-what an odd group. "But…intimidating her will still get you nowhere." She tells him with fake arrogance and in turn starts a debate between the two. Oddly enough, it doesn't bother me but amuses me instead. But after a few moments of this going on, I decide its best to just interrupt while I can.

"As interesting as this debate of intimidation is, I would really like some of my answers to m questions-preferably. Ya know the simple ones-who, why and where." I croak, butting into their amusing conversation. Uhg, my throat feels like a desert. The discomfort must show on my face because next thing I know he's pulling out a bottle of water.

"Here, take a drink of this." He then proceeds to help sit me up and support me so I can drink the beverage he offers to me. He monitors my water intake and only letting me take sips of it. I guess so I don't have a vomiting session and I greatly appreciate this, I really don't feel like going through this. After a few minutes of monitored water intake, he takes it away and focuses his gaze on me. "All right, I'll answer yer questions."

"Uh, ok. Who are y'all?"

"I'm Daryl." The man in leather informs me.

"I'm Michonne and that's Rick." She introduces herself and the leader with the scruffy gray beard.

"Ok, cool. So where are we?"

"Twenty miles from where ya collapsed and this is my group's camp." Daryl tells me straight to the point.

"Why did you help me? I mean-you could have left me to die and you didn't have any reason to. So I'm curious as to why?"

"It's not right ta leave ya for dead. Everybody her agrees with me." The Asian man tells me. His whole answer is full of candor and it makes it hard not to believe it. "And I have to say you're probably really smart for lastin-"

"She's stupid that's what she is!" Daryl interrupts and objects at the Asian's statement. "Almost got killed, made a mistake. Ain't no room for mistakes. She's not Smar-"

"I am not stupid! If I'm stupid I would have stayed with my group when the walkers took over my camp and killed all of them! I could have stayed and DIED! And if I didn't die there, I would have died with the man who is most likely to escape and abuse me agai-" I interrupt but eventually cut myself off. Crap, I revealed too much. I freeze up and reprimand myself for blurting out all the information that is suppose to stay unspoken of. Man, I can't even keep my own secrets at this point…and it's pathetic. I then start to chew on my bottom lip in a fit of nerves that overcome me as I await their reaction. And just as I have, they all freeze in shock. If I wasn't so afraid, I would have been laughing at their expressions. I know it's all over with now. They're going to interrogate me and hate me. They will kick me out and let the walkers have me for lunch and it will suck. Oh, God I'm dead. I'm so dea-wait…if I carry this out right I can make a dash for it and nows the perfect time. They are distracted right now in their moment of shock so I better do it now. I don't have time to think on this so I just role with it. I quickly hop off the table and grab my things at the same time and dart out of there.

I don't go on jogging for too long, so I'm pretty sure I have on been traveling for a mile somewhere in the woods. I notice that I am by a small stream and a huge rock beside it. I move towards the rock and sit my tired and aching body on it. It's all over with now. It's because of my stupid tongue I ruined my one chance in living a safer place. And now I'm at the bottom of the chain, the great surviving chain. They probably think I'm some kind of freak with odd luck that will run out. And maybe they're right; maybe I am some type of freak that ruins everything. I mean Eric always told me this and I lived with him; he was my guardian. And the sad thing is, the more I think about it the more I believe it. Uhg, this is so frustrating! I hunch over and let my head fall heavily in my awaiting hands. This is so pitiful…I feel so useless. I sit like this for a while and I don't know how much time passes. But the only thing that brings me out of the infinite time world in my mind, is the rustling sound near me. Twenty feet away, I think.

I quickly swing my head up quickly and try to decipher what direction it's coming from. The noise consists of snapping twigs and crunching leaves and shuffling. I'm not able to locate it until it repeats a couple of time. It's on the front left of me. I silently slip off of the rock and prepare myself to attach. Raising my axe high, I wait till the unknown comes around a tree separating me from it. I keep enough tension in my arms to keep power in my swing. And when the body comes around, I aim for the head and swing. 'Oh sh- crap!' It's a living person! I instantly redirect my swing seeing as it's too late to stop the motion. My blade ends up in the tree three inches away from his head. I instantly let go of the axe and stumble backwards in panic and shock.

"I…uh I'm so sorry! I swear I did not know you where not a geek. If I would have known, I wouldn't have swung!"

He didn't say anything to me, but only walking past me. I stand there for a few minutes then decide to sit back on the rock if nothing is going to happen. I stare at the woods floor while I sit here. We stay there in silence for fifteen minutes, though it feels like hours to me. He looks as if he is going to speak yet not having the right words to say. It's that or he's trying not to explode with well hidden and controlled anger. He paces and stays in this silence and considers for a few more minutes. It's agonizing; I don't know if he's going converse with me calmly or shout at me in anger-I think he's feeling a bit of both at the moment. Suddenly he spins around facing me, with a serious face and opens his mouth. And I wait for the words to fly, fearing for the worst. One thing's for sure, he has my full attention…

"What ya just did was completely stupid of ya."

"I know…"

"And ya ought ta have yer hide ripped off."

"Yeah…"

"Ya understand I won't have it around me."

"Yes sir…"

" Good…ya gonna come back ta camp?"

"…yeah." I reply to him in shock but quickly snap out of it. I slip off the rock and go over to the tree to grab my axe. I sling my back over my shoulder.

He directs a curt nod towards me and starts heading back to the camp. "Follow me 'n' don't get lost."

"I won't." I tell him with amusement slithering through me.

"Good, cause I'd leave yer bratty ass out here."

"Harhar, very funny." I reply sarcastically but truly feeling amusement in this part of the conversation.

"F****** hilarious." He tells me seriously.

Everybody is still in the place I left them, when I had impulsively darted from the area. They're huddling around the flat surface that I was laid on previously-an old table. All of them are chatting away, they are all serious faced and holding weapons of some sort. It confuses me so much-I mean this whole group is odd. They looks as if they are all ready to scatter, but why would the-oh. I get it now…it's a search party. Oh my god, they were going to look for me! It is so amazing! But the question is, why? Why would they want to look for me? I don't mean anything to them so it doesn't make sense, even if the probably explained to me earlier. I better not question the opportunity that is being placed before me on a silver platter. I watch them as we get closer and one of the members turn around when the person hears us.

"Look, Daryl found her!" A slender young woman with camo shorts voices to the others. A previous military server, from what I can tell with the gear and stance. I wonder if there are any oth- "Woe, ok! What are you doing?" I spill out in panic as I feel someone pick me up from the back. I pivot my head around to see who has decided to bug me. Black hair, a bit shorter, different voice-the Asian. Ok, not cool; not cool. Then I start to wiggle and struggle, determination filling my veins. I will not be carried like this, I have legs.

"Put me down!"

"Sorry, I can't do that." He informs me.

"Why not!?"

"Because you look like you're about to collapse and you're not doing so great in health wise. I mean you were wobbling like Bambi when he started to walk."

"Who said I would collapse? And Bambi, really?"

"Yes, Bambi. And I really don't feel like finding out if you will collapse or not."

"Would you stop with the vice grip? It's annoying. And put me down! I'm serious, if you DON'T put me down right no-"

"Alright, enough talking for you." He tells me while covering my mouth with his hand. He then finishes the rest of the way to the old table and sets me on top of it. Maneuvering so that he can look me right in the face while still able to hold his hand over my mouth, he addresses me with a stern look. "If you do not calm down, I will restrain you accordingly to what the situation calls for. Are we clear?" Man, he's acting like an older brother that I never had. It reminds me of my old friend in Atlanta. He was an Asian too; his name it Glenn. Man, do I miss him. But anyways, it's very interesting to think about. And as nice as it would be to replay to him and be obedient, I'd rather give into temptation and resist.

"Luluawl." Instantly he reacts to me, being forced into shock and indignant.

"Son of a-did you just lick me!?" He yells and yanks his hand away to wipe away the spit I applied to his hand.

"Yes I did! You asked for it!"

"Why you little-" He lunges for me and I instantly slide to the other end of the table which makes him land on the table with an 'Umph'.

"If you don't want my spit covering your hand you should have thought about that earlier!" I reply to him snarkily and with a smug tone following through. My win fills me with triumph and I let a grin breaks out on my face. The frustration and the contradictory amusement masks his face. And in the background, most of the campers are laughing and the others who aren't are smiling. I guess they're warming up to me quickly. The Asian then let's a grin cover his face rests back on a vehicle behind him. This gives me a chance to just look at him, and every minute I'm around him something nudges me. He's all very familiar to me but I don't know why I haven't had a lot of friends when growing up. But the more and more I look at him, the more and more it comes back to me and then it clicks. I know him, I used to see him in Atlanta all the time. One of my few best friends, Mr. Glenn Rhee and excitement bursts through me.

"Glenn!" I blurt out and launch at him to crush him in a hug. I guess he predicted this already because he meets me halfway.

"I knew you'd catch on soon!"

"You know Glenn?" A kid asks me, who looks to be about fifteen years old.

"Yeah." I tell him and the look on his face informs me he wants to know more. "I've known him since I was thirteen when I moved to Atlanta. The most awesome person I know." Just as I was about to explain more, the man with the graying beard steps forward; looking right at me.

"My name is Rick Grimes and I'm the leader of this group. I want you to know that if you're going to stay in this camp I don't want any stunts like today's pulled. It can jeopardize the camp and yourself."

"Yes sir, I won't do it again."

"Good, well…"

"Alice."

"Alice, welcome to the group."