A explosion jolted Rhea from her sleep. She jumped up to her feet to see a large ball of fire only blocks away.
Monty barked frantically startled by the loud noise. Rhea shushed him and stared in awe at the sight.
As the flames began to lessen movement caught her eyes. A group of cars hurried away form the scene.
Rhea could easily make out the RV, gray truck, black Jeep, red SUV, and tan station wagon.
She could also easily make out the hordes of biters that were attracted to the echoes of the explosion.
The diner would soon be run over by the masses and that would trap her and Monty to the roof.
"Shit." she cursed under her breath. In a flash she grabbed her pack and Monty's collar.
In a swift move, her backpack went flying over the side of the building and the dog onto her back.
Rhea raced down the ladder and scooped up her bag, hoping its contents were still intact. A whistle brought Monty's attention to her.
They ran as fast as they could in the same direction as the group of cars. As much as Rhea hated it she would have to follow them in order to stay away from the crowded streets.
The two ran down the streets, jumping over rubble and bodies. The air around them grew hotter as they got closer to the sight of the explosion. The only thing that was left was a sign that read "Center of Disease Control: Atlanta, Georgia".
Rhea didn't have time to stop and look at the damage. Following these people's trail would either help or harm her.
The group was surprisingly slow for having actual transportation. Rhea and Monty caught up to them because they had stopped at a roadside motel. Keeping distance between them, Rhea sat atop another hill over looking the area.
She guessed it was a good time to see whether this group was just a bunch of travelers like herself or if they had other motives.
It didn't take long for her to find out. Once she saw the two children of the group she knew they were just normal people.
She watched them gather and talk. Picking out the leaders was another easy task.
Two men, one with a sheriff hat and one with a police baseball cap. They seemed to run the show and everyone listened to them.
Then there was him. Rhea's eyes shifted to a man who stood with his arms crossed just outside of the circle.
Although he was part of their group he purposely set himself apart. Rhea decided to be extra cautious with him.
Now that she knew they weren't a band of murderers or worse, Rhea devised a new plan.
She would follow the group since they seemed to be organized and knew what they were doing.
This would make scavenging easier and finding safer shelter. If she kept her distance they would never know she existed.
Plus they drove pretty slowly so she could run behind them and track them if she fell behind.
Car doors loudly clunked shut and Rhea clicked her tongue for Monty to follow her. She made her way down to the pavement below and took off into the trees. She got a good headstart on them before the cars caught up. Her bow bounced against her back with each stride.
Monty kept next to her as they flanked the cars. Hidden by the dark shade of the trees they were virtually invisible.
Rhea felt a bit of triumph at how well her plan was working. She had been following the group for almost a week now.
They never traveled too far each day. By night fall she would find their camp and set up her own just an ear shot away.
When they ate they would talk about their plans for the next day and Rhea would fit her own path so she could get ahead of them.
The occasional biters were never too much of a problem for Rhea and Monty.
They were either easily out run or she would have to sacrifice one of her arrows to take it out.
For some reason there weren't that many on the sides of roads. Rhea guessed they were either deeper in the forest or stuck in cities.
That night, the group had found an abandoned camping ground to take shelter in. There were no cabins but the area was enclosed in small wooden fences. Rhea watched the group survey the grounds. A few of them went into the welcome center and ranger station.
The other's hung around the RV and pulled out chairs and set up tents. Rhea quietly laughed to herself.
If it wasn't for the apocalypse these people would look like they were on a regular camping trip.
The hair on the back of her neck began to stand up. Someone was looking at her.
Rhea saw the man who usually went off by himself to hunt standing at the edge of the fences. He was looking in her direction.
She froze up. Had he seen her? She was well hidden by a berry bush and Monty was laying down at her feet.
There was no way he had seen her. The man stood staring at her spot for a few more seconds before heading into the woods.
Rhea shook off the discomfort and ventured over to a rock formation. She would make her camp there.
Just as she finished making a tiny fire pit, she saw the man come back from hunting. Several squirrels hung off a rope and a large rabbit was in his hands. He was met by a woman with very short hair. She took a couple of the squirrels and went to a table.
The rest of the group was sitting around their own fire. They weren't going anywhere for the time being so Rhea went off to hunt.
The thought of having fresh meat made her mouth water. Canned food was getting bland.
A twig snapped under Rhea's boot as she walked through the trees. Her eyes scanned the branches above and Monty covered the forest floor. Rhea raised her bow and sent off an arrow. A quiet thud sounded as the bird she aimed for hit the ground.
She bent over to pick it up, weighing it in her hand. The feathers would be good for the arrows she was making.
Monty growled and then took off. He ran behind a fallen tree. There were sounds of a scuffle and then a shrill cry.
The sound was cut short. Rhea smiled. He had caught whatever little creature was hiding there.
The proud dog emerged from the tree, tailing wagging furiously. In his jaws was a rabbit. Rhea pat his head and began to head back to camp. A fairly good sized bird and a rabbit. Just enough for the two of them.
Rhea sat down and piled a couple cut up branches into her fire. She took out a lighter and sparked the wood. The small fire took and she was instantly warmed by its heat. Taking her knife she started skinning the rabbit. Monty circled their camp as she prepared dinner.
Rhea was glad she still remembered all the skills her grandfather had taught her. Those summers she spent on the reservation were well worth it in the end. The whole apocalypse had brought her closer to her Native American roots. She was in touch with her hunting and survival skills. Rhea began to carefully pluck the longer flight feathers off the bird.
Monty's deep bark roused her from her thoughts. He barked again, louder this time. Rhea began to panic.
The other group would have definitely heard him. She glanced back at them and saw the men standing defensively.
Her cover was blown. Monty rushed to her side and whined loudly. Rhea grabbed her knife and stood to see what he was fussing over.
A dark shadow crept closer to her fire. Rhea didn't need to see it to know it was a biter. She could smell its rotting flesh and hear its deathly groans. The living corpse staggered into her camp sight. Rhea could hear loud footsteps coming towards her from the other camp. She groaned angrily and lunged at the biter. She plunged her knife into its temple and kicked it's body to the floor.
Monty barked at the approaching men and she quieted him sternly. She stood her ground and waited for them to come closer.
Rhea patiently waited as she watched their faces changed from stone expressions to looks of surprise.
Four men came to her camp. The two leaders, the lone wolf guy, and a bulky black guy. All of them held some sort of weapon.
Rhea's eyes roamed over all of them. Two guns, a cross bow, and a bat. All she had was a knife and a bow.
Hopefully they weren't looking for a fight.
"Told ya we were bein' followed." said the cross bow wielding man.
He had piercing blue eyes, muscular arms, and scruffy facial hair. A typical Southern redneck.
"Shut it Dixon." warned one of the leaders.
His dark eyes and strong jaw set made Rhea uncomfortable. He looked like someone who shouldn't be trusted.
"Who are you?" asked the other leader.
He was the opposite of the other man. Gentle blue eyes and an approachable manner.
"Rhea." she answered not taking her eyes off of any of them.
"Put away the knife." the dark eyed man motioned with his gun.
"Put away your gun first." she challenged.
"You aren't in any position to be making demands." he snarled back.
"Shane don't get all worked up." the leader stepped in front of him.
"What are you doing out here?" asked the black man curiously.
"Same thing you're all doing." she simply replied.
"Were you following us?" Shane asked aggressively. Rhea laughed to herself at his touchy, tough guy personality.
"Yeah. Didn't do nothing to bother you though. Just trying to find resources and shelter easier."
"Are you alone?" the gentle blue eyed man spoke again.
"No. I have my dog."
"So you're pretty much alone." the black man restated.
"Go back to the camp. Tell them it's ok. Shane stay here with me."
The other two gave Rhea one last glance and walked away. It was just her and the leaders now.
"Rick Grimes." said the man as he held out a hand.
Rhea shook it tentatively and turned to the other man.
"Shane Walsh." he said without extending for a hand shake.
"I feel like I'm about to be interrogated. Look I'll leave your group alone. If you don't like me following you then I'll split."
"It's not that. You haven't done anything to show us harm." Rick said.
"Aw c'mon Rick you're not doing what I think you're doing! We have enough people to look after already.
She's been on her own. She don't need our help."
"Shane. She's just a kid. One person isn't going to change anything."
"Uh, sorry to interrupt but I'm twenty five. Not a kid. And he's right I don't want to intrude on your group. You look like you have enough to deal with."
"Rhea is it? Don't take his word so seriously. You being able to survive so well on your own is a good thing. It means you got skills that can help us out. I'm not asking you to come with us for your sake but for ours. Right now Daryl, the guy with the cross bow, is our only way of getting food. We have kids to feed and with you we could have a better chance at food."
Rhea contemplated his offer. The sob story was pretty convincing. But she had been on her own since the beginning.
She didn't even know how to act around people anymore.
"Rick don't waste your time." Shane growled.
Monty stepped up to the men and sniffed them. He turned back to Rhea and sat next to Rick. His calmness was a good sign.
Maybe he could smell the cop on them.
"Well I guess if I go with you we won't have to walk everywhere anymore." she joked.
"Great. Shane go over and prepare them. I'll help you with your camp."
Shane huffed angrily and nodded. He stomped off to the other camp. Rhea wasn't so sure about the decision to join these strangers
but it couldn't be worse than what she had done already.
"There isn't much. Just my pack and bow. Thanks for the offer though."
Rick nodded and waited for her to gather her things. She snatched up her kills from earlier and followed Rick to his people.
Monty walked behind her wary of meeting strangers. As they got closer to the car, Rhea could make out the faces of the watchful group. They all looked at her with hard stares. She felt uncomfortable as she put down her stuff and sat in a chair Rick brought for her.
"Rick what are you thinking bringing in a stranger."
"Lori we just lost people. It's not going to hurt having another pair of hands."
Rhea studied the thin woman talking to him. She had wavy brown hair and big doe eyes. She was obviously his wife and the young boy attached to her hip was their son. Rhea smiled reassuringly at him when she caught him looking at Monty.
"You're name is Rhea? It's interesting." an older man asked her.
"Yeah. Nice to meet you all..." her voice trailed off. This was awkward.
"I'm Dale. Where are you from?" he asked trying to keep light conversation going.
"New York."
"Glenn lived there for a bit. Is that right Glenn?"
A skinny Asian guy looked up not expecting to be part of the talk. "Yeah for a year." he stammered.
"How did you get all the way here?" the woman with short hair piped up.
"Well as soon as this all started I left when things calmed down and I didn't stop. I don't have anywhere to go."
"No family?" she had a look of motherly concern.
"Their in California. I don't know if their even alive."
A small blonde girl came out from behind the woman. She gave Rhea a sympathetic frown.
"Are you all heading somewhere in particular?"
"We just left the CDC. Wasn't much help there like we were hoping for. As of now we don't have a place in mind." Rick replied.
"We should be heading for Fort Benning." Shane growled.
"We don't know if they got overrun like all the other refugee camps." Rick shot him down.
"I wouldn't try. All of the refuges I tried to get into were long gone. All of them were either burned to the ground or swarming with biters." Rhea sadly pointed out.
"How bad is it?" Dale looked at her.
"Well, I can't really say. I learned to stay away from large cities. I've only been traveling on small highways and back roads."
The members of the group all had a sorrowful expression. Rhea felt bad for them. They had obviously gone through a lot.
"Come on Sophia. It's time to get to bed." the short haired woman stood up and led her daughter to a tent.
After she left Lori followed her with her son and so did many others in the group. Rhea was suddenly alone.
Rick came over to her and sat in the chair next to her.
"Guess we skipped the introductions. Over there is T-Dog", he pointed to the black man, "That's Dale and Andrea," a blonde woman leaned against the RV door,"the little girl and her mother are Sophia and Carol, Glenn is the kid, Lori and Carl are my family, and that is Daryl Dixon," he pointed last to the lone man.
He was cleaning his cross bow by his gray truck. He glared in their direction at hearing his name.
Rhea tried to remember all of their names quickly.
"What happened at the CDC? I saw it explode and then I saw your group leave it." she asked.
"Generator ran out of fuel. The whole place was programmed to self destruct when that happened."
"Was anyone there? Did you find out about what's going on with the biters?"
"We call them walkers. And yes, Dr. Jenner the last scientist was there. He wasn't in his right mind though. We don't know much more about why people come back than we did before. We lost Jacqui there. And before the CDC we lived in a quarry. Got attacked by a horde of walkers. Andrea lost her sister Amy, Carol lost her husband Ed. Another family went to find their people when we decided to leave."
"I'm sorry. That is a lot to handle." Rhea really felt bad. These people's lives had been changed so quickly within the last month.
"What's your story? If you don't mind me asking. I do need to know who you are."
"It's not much of a story. I was just a struggling art student in New York. I had friends and a life. But then people started getting sick and people started dying. The military came and kept anyone from leaving. One day everyone was supposed to do to various refugee centers. I didn't leave my apartment. Good thing too because a day late the military shot anyone they saw on sight. I stayed in New York for a week. When help didn't come I decided to leave. Monty was all I had and well that was it. I had no where to go and no one to find. I was just surviving."
"But you survived pretty well on your own." he added.
"Yeah. It helps that my grandpa taught me how to hunt and live out in the wild when I was younger. It's a benefit of being Native American I guess. Monty has police dog training so he keeps me safe. I'm just lucky."
Rick nodded thoughtfully and put his hand on her shoulder.
"Well it's good we have you now. I'm sure you'll get along just fine. My son Carl will definitely love having your dog around.
We should be getting some rest. We're moving on early tomorrow."
"Ok. I'll just sleep here then."
"You don't have to. Daryl! Do you have the extra tents?"
Rhea turned to see that the man was still up. He stood up and rummaged in the back of his truck.
"Yeah. Got a small one." he said.
"Let Rhea borrow it for tonight." Rick ordered before going into his own family's tent.
Rhea walked over to Daryl and took the bundle from his hands.
"Thanks." she said avoiding his piercing eyes.
Daryl just shrugged and hopped into his truck to sleep. Rhea sighed and found a secluded spot to set up the tiny tent.
There was barely enough room for her and Monty. Sometimes she wondered why he was so big for his breed.
The tent would have to do and it was only for a night.
Rhea kicked off her combat boots and slid off her skinny jeans. Monty laid out next to her and she adjusted her position.
Nothing was predictable anymore. She had firmly believed she was going to be alone for the rest of her journey.
But due to one slip up and now she was part of a group who were just trying to stay alive.
Rhea closed her eyes and tried not to think of what the future could hold.