Sorry for the delay, it's funny that when I began this I said that I would probably update every Sunday, and Sunday was the only day when I didn't post anything. Lol, anyway, hello again, if your all curious I will introduce a new survivor in the next part, so get hyped if it's yours! Also, March 20th is approaching, now It pains me to say this, but I have gotten so may amazing submissions, and I love them all, but with the amount I am getting, I may have to stop allowing people to send more, I want to try and get every Submitters character into season 1 as possible, but I am trying to move the story, and with the amount I am getting, I may have to stop it at points to introduce them. So, you can still submit if you want, but after March 20th, that's it, no more submissions, sorry. Okay, now let's get on with the story.

Emily Cardin – 18 Years Old

Alice decided to go to sleep again, so I just laid down in my sleeping bag. Through the tent I could see shadows of trees and bushes start to move by the positioning of the sun, they slowly glided through the tent. I try to think of what decisions I made to get us here, sleeping in Josh's dead wife's tent. Would it be different if we all just waited for the horde to clear? What would happen?

My guess is if we stuck together, we might have been able to stay together, I don't think Shane wanted other people to join our group, but it would be nice to sit with Rebecca in an old tree and sit by Nick while he watches Alice and Taylor play together and listen to Fredrick's old tales of butler hood. I don't even know what me and Connor would be doing, if me and him were alone in the woods, it would have been the perfect time to tell him I love him to, but now I'm alone, and he might be…

I decided to get ready, I'll do anything not to think of Connor dead in the street. I got my backpack which was filled with food, some medicine, my combat knife in its sheathe, my family photo, a bottle of water, and a pistol that was fully loaded. I took my time to organize my things and then I quietly slipped out of the tent.

I instantly noticed the change of the temperature, I could already feel the heat on my skin, and the sun was baring down on us all. Last year, when me and Connor were together, it was a little colder then the other summers, me and Connor had to wear a jacket to keep warm, we both joked about how much hell we were going to face in winter, and oh god we did. But this summer, it's the exact opposite, it's almost boiling outside, I take off my flannel jacket and wrap it around my waist, exposing my black t-shirt.

Then I see them, Josh and his son Lewis. Lewis is almost my age now, he has short brown hair, and is thin, he is also a bit taller then me even though I am one year older now. Josh on the other hand is huge, I don't know how much he weighs, and I don't know how much food he ate to get that big, but he was fat, and he was tall to. He had a big beard and always had a hunting rifle on him.

We met Lewis and Josh two months ago, after we escaped the city, me and Alice were alone, I still had my backpack, but I was low on food, and soon we had to scavenge for food. Me and Connor never really bothered to hunt since we got so much stuff at the beginning at the apocalypse, and we scavenge a lot of things, but when me and Alice tried to scavenge, we almost didn't get anything. Me and Alice were close to starving when they found us. The day we met them I fainted and when I woke up we were at there campsite, I considered running and taking Alice with me, but then they gave me food.

I remember starting at the food, it was like it came from god himself, I devoured it all in one sitting. I got a taste of what it's like to crave something when Connor devoured those Oreo cookies, it was funny at the time but now I know what he went through.

We couldn't leave without risking our lives, and Lewis and Josh were very nice to us, so we've been staying with them ever since. I've been learning to hunt and scavenge under Josh's guidance and I'm doing whatever I can do protect Alice.

Josh is watching Lewis trying out the bow and arrow he gave him, Josh tries to let him use one of his hunting rifles, but Lewis doesn't really like guns, so he decided to pick up using a bow, he was terrible at it a first, but he's gotten better, yesterday he landed an arrow on the target.

Josh notices me.

"You ready to go Em?" Josh says.

I always loved Josh's voice for some reason, it was a mix between deep and soft, it kind of reminded me of Shane, and even though I don't like the nickname he gave me, I still enjoy hearing it.

"Yep, are you?" I reply.

"Yea, we should probably go now, these old bones aren't getting any younger"

Then he just starts laughing to himself, he always laughs when he tells a supposed "Joke", but the way he laughs almost makes me laugh, it almost makes me forget that Connor is missing…

"Lewis!" Josh calls out.

Lewis is right outside the campsite, Josh set up mini targets, so we can practice shooting, Lewis looked focused, but the second his dad called he looked a little annoyed.

"What!" He calls back.

"Me and Em are going on a supply run!"

"Ok! I'll stay and take care of the girl!"

Josh looks a bit worried and calls out again.

"You sure you don't want to come with us! I can show you how to- "

"I said I'm fine staying here dad!"

I didn't like the way Lewis usually talked about his dad, he wasn't spoiled or anything, but it seemed like Lewis never really wanted to talk about what his dad wanted to talk about.

"Okay then fine! Make sure no walkers come and take you away!

Lewis nods and goes back to shooting his arrows, one sticks on the target.

Me and Josh get our things ready again and we set out. The campsite they set up fades the further we go into the woods. They are supposed to pack up now and head further north, but there actually settling in for a bit, as he tells me, but with the way the campsite looks, it looks like there staying for a long time.

The campsite is set up on top of a little hill with no trees, The tents are usually in the center of the hill, but are spread out, so me and Alice are near the campfire and Josh and Lewis are near the entrance, of course Lewis and Josh have the biggest tent, complete with a small living room area, and two site bedrooms that are connected to each other and the living room area. There is a big brown canopy that covers the campfire so when it rains, it won't dry it out. The campfire is in the center, with chairs so we can sit near it, Josh has also set up lanterns on branches in case it gets to dark, we usually don't need to turn them on, but we sometimes do. Right next to his tent is a generator, that powers his mini fridge, so the drinks stay cold. Right near the camp is a station wagon with a lot of gas left in it, he also has stocked up on gas cans, that is where he puts most of his storage. Finally, a little further away from the camp, is a target range he set up, so we can practice shooting things.

It's a bit crazy how much stuff he has, I asked where him where he got it all and he told me that he went camping a lot, so he usually stocked up on camping supplies. He also loved to eat, so he bought a mini fridge because the bigger one he had was getting crowded, and since he likes to hunt a lot, he got flashlights and lanterns and guns and set up the target range, so he can prepare to hunt.

I guess he was VERY lucky because when the apocalypse came, he instantly took his wife and Lewis into the car, packed up all the stuff he could and drove off, they kept heading north, because that's all people were doing these days, and a few days into it, just when things seemed to be getting better, his wife got bit. He never really tells me about his wife other then she died, and she was hot, I feel like there's a bigger history to it, but I don't ask him anything that might get me, and Alice kicked out.

Josh walks further into the woods, I follow as quickly as I can, silently watching his blue hiking backpack go up and down on his back, he is carrying his hunting rifle now, and he's checking how many bullets he has. I don't usually strike up conversations with him, but it was dead quiet, and it felt weird to just keep walking.

"So what areas are we going to hit?" I ask.

"We stay away from downtown, to many walkers there, and make sure to check some of the houses sheds, last time we did we found a working radio." He says.

"Sure" Is all I say.

Josh looks at me and then he says something completely out of the blue.

"You know, maybe will find them there."

"What?"

"Your friends, I don't think all of them made it, but there's a possibility, right?"

I know he's trying to cheer me up, but the thought makes me depressed again, there's no way will ever see them again, I know it. Once you split up you go different ways, if some of them are alive, they might be In North Carolina by now, and I'm stuck here.

"Yeah, maybe" Is all I can say.

We continue walking in silence as we get closer and closer to Townsend. I don't know why Josh suggested the thought of me seeing any of my old group members again, I know I might never see any of them again. I just wish things were the same, I wish I was still with Connor, I wish we never thought up off the escape plan and just waited together, I know we had to leave, but I just wish…

As I'm pondering a memory surfaces in head. It was the day I helped Connor to the nurse's office. I didn't really think much of it until now. That day I was walking at the time with one of my friends Beth, she started going on and on about her new car, homework, cutest boys in school, when I heard a crash and people laughing, when we got to the stairs, Connor's glasses were on the floor broken and he was struggling to get up.

No one helped him, not even my friend Beth who donates to charity a lot, I would have kept walking but seeing him there stumbling around for his broken glasses made me feel horrible, so I walked out of the crowd and helped him up, his books were all over the floor so I picked them up to, and together, I led him to the nurses office.

We were right at the door when he said thank you.

"I just helped you walk, it was nothing." I remember saying.

"Well, I am blind without my glasses, so you helping me walk is kind of a big deal for me." He said.

"I know, but please don't feel the need to return the favor or anything, I just wanted to help out."

Connor at the time looked young, looking down embarrassed, it might have been weird for him to stand next to a girl, he looked like the type of person who never has talked to a girl before.

"Anyway, just be careful ok?" I said.

Connor nodded his head.

After that day, I caught him staring at me more then once, one day, my friend Beth didn't come to school, and I was sitting alone at our usually table when Connor came to sit by me, he asked me to help with his math homework and I said sure.

It was obvious though that he knew what he was doing when it came to math because he got the answers instantly before I did, but I didn't mind it, I enjoyed his company. Every time Beth and I weren't hanging out, I usually hung out with Connor. We both used to just ask for help on homework we had, but then we started to talk about things I never told anyone, and he did the same.

Soon we were watching funny horror movies, playing video games, and talking about life. Connor had a dead brother named Jason, my parents were on the verge of breaking apart, we talked about things that we could never say to any living soul.

The feeling of happiness generated into even bigger feelings, and soon, I liked him, he was cute to me, and very funny and kind. I could tell the more we hung out the more he liked me too. But we never really said it, we just continued being best friends, but that feeling of love lingered inside me, it was still there at school, at home, in my room, at the movies, when prom came up.

Then the apocalypse happened and that feeling of love faded away, I was more focused on my survival and Connor's survival, both of Connor's parents died and who knows where the hell mine are, so it was only me and him, fighting walkers, scavenging for food, we spent more time together then I ever thought was possible.

Then it happened, the feeling of love happened again, and I liked him, but I didn't want to tell him, not yet, I wanted everything to be perfect, a perfect location, a perfect dress, a perfect world.

But I held back, I never told him, and we just continued surviving, I never really loved him so much until that night, when he was about to die, and he chose to save me and Alice, he chose to tell me rather then wait and I feel like such a piece of shit, even though it's been three months.

All of this happened while me and Josh were walking to Townsend, the memory of when I met Connor made me even sadder, because now I know I'll never see him.

Finally, the town came into few, right across the street was a bundle of houses, with little trees and a lot of grass and vines in between them, we have been entering the town this way for a month, we've taken a lot of stuff here, so we needed to keep moving.

"Remember, just like the other times, stay close to me, and try not to go off by yourself." He said, and then we took off into the town.

Josh led the way, we walked deep into the town, we avoided the downtown area like he said and focused more on the houses further away from it, there was a lot of stuff Josh found that others, like myself, wouldn't be able to see, he saw hidden compartments containing forgotten food, he stole gas from cars I no longer thought worked, and he picked up backpacks from other undead survivors that didn't make it.

Although, to his credit, Josh couldn't get everything he saw. I had to crawl through tiny spaces to get stuffed away flashlights, I climbed up onto to roofs to get a better vantage point, and I did find a lot of stuff in the shed that he couldn't find.

After, I think 3 hours, we were slowly running out of shops and houses to scavenge, we've been to this place a lot and now we keep seeing the same streets and houses. I think it occurred to me and Josh at the same time that we have run out of places to look for stuff.

We decided to take a break by in a small playground, Me and Josh sat on the bench together, I looked through the things we got while Josh was looking at his gun. Even though this was probably the last run in this town, we got a lot of things, cans of food, notebooks for writing, flashlights and water. I turn to Josh, trying to show him all of the stuff we got, my backpack only had a few things, me and Josh often split our supplies we found, so I knew his backpack had a huge bounty of goodies, but Josh didn't look happy, he even looked mad.

"Josh? Are you ok?" I asked.

Josh didn't look up from his gun, but he did hear me though.

"No" was all he said.

Usually people hide the fact that there not okay, me and Connor did it all the time, but Josh was different, he didn't hide things besides his dead wife, which is completely understandable.

"What's wrong?"

Josh finally stopped looking at his gun and he stared at the swings that gently swung with the little breeze that showed up.

"What am I going to do about Lewis?" he quietly said.

"Lewis? What does that mean?"

Josh finally looked at me.

"My boy is 17 and he still doesn't know how to hit a target," Josh replies, "I keep telling him about the way things are and how he's going to have to make some decisions growing up, but he never listens, that's why he offers to stay with the girl."

I don't say a word, but when he said that I remember this morning, when Josh tried to get Lewis to come with him, and how Lewis said no, I guess Lewis wanted things to be the same, I did to.

"So, why is that a problem?" I say after a second.

"What's the problem? The problem is my boy is acting like a child, he needs to know how to defend himself, and to defend his family, and he shouldn't be going on about how his mother's- "but then he stopped.

"What? His mothers what?"

Josh didn't look me in the eye, but he just kept looking at the swings again.

"I'm worried about him Em, he has no idea what's, out there."

I don't say anything, I just sit there watching the swing rock back and forth. We don't talk for awhile again, but then I feel light drop on my face. I look up and see that the clouds rolled in, covering the sun. I felt another drop, and then another. It was going to rain soon.

"Come on, pack up, we need to go." Josh said, struggling to get up because of his weight.

I took my bag and slung it across my shoulder. Me and Josh started to leave, I looked around at all the houses we broke into, suddenly that memory of me and Connor walking down the neighborhood before we met Shane resurfaced, and suddenly I wanted to cry.

I remember the sun setting, and the light wind, and Connor's blonde hair as he looked at the map. I missed him so much, it hurt to think of him, but I continued to, I remember that amazing science project we worked on, and the time we ate ice cream after school, and the way we both laughed when Beth stepped in dog poop.

It sucked, it sucked that he was missing, and we weren't together, I wanted to scream, and I almost did until we got closer to our camp site. Then I saw it, Lewis was holding his bow at something, but I couldn't see what it was, Alice was further away, near the entrance. Lewis was yelling at something.

"Good lord what is he doing?" Josh mumbled.

We got closer when Alice saw us, she ran to me and we hugged each other.

"Emily! Someone tried to take our stuff, but Lewis saw them!" Alice cried.

Me and Josh stopped.

"Who is it?!" Josh said.

"A girl, but she speaks weirdly"

"Hold on." Josh said, and he walked right where Lewis was.

"Stay close to me okay?" I said to Alice.

She nodded her head and we both went to confront the stranger. We walked up the hill and we saw Lewis shouting at the girl, Josh was trying to calm him down, but Lewis was still shouting.

Then I saw her, it was a tall and slender woman who had both of her arms up, she has wavy light brown hair that flows down her back, her skin is fairly light, but she has rosy cheeks and high cheekbones, she looked very young, but she didn't look like a teen, she must be a young woman.

Then she speaks.

"I am terribly sorry monsieur, I was just looking for supplies and I came upon this camp."

She had a very strong French accent, meaning either she studied the French language, or she came from there to here.

"WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU" Lewis shouts.

The women looked frightened, which isn't surprising since Lewis was pointing a bow at her, but she remained calm and tried to talk again.

"Please don't hurt me, I was just- "

"BULLSHIT!" Lewis interrupts, "YOU WERE TRYING TO STEAL OUR SUPPLIES, WHO DO YOU THINK WE ARE!"

"Lewis! That's enough." Josh says lowering his rifle.

"Dad! This woman tried to steal our stuff! And your- "

"I SAID QUIET!" Josh shouts.

His voice is so loud it makes me jump, and it makes Lewis lower his bow, Lewis looks pissed, but Josh's glare makes it cower away.

"I am terribly sorry miss; my son here apparently doesn't know how to speak."

Lewis looks mad, but he doesn't say anything.

"No, it is my fault, I am very sorry, if I'd known there were people here I would have never stolen." She explains, that French accent just really throws me off for some reason.

"It's okay, we usually aren't rude, my name is Josh Perlak, and this is my son, Lewis Perlak. Over here are Emily Cardin and Alice Hill." He says pointing to us.

The women looks at us and smiles.

"Ravi de vous rencontrer" she says.

"What?" Alice says behind me.

"It means "nice to meet you" in French." She says.

So not only is the girl very pretty, she is also French, surprising.

"What's your name?" I ask.

She smiles once again.

"My name is Sophie Dumont, I hope we can get along."

I hope you guys liked that chapter. I knew Sophie was going to be in episode 2 and I am so excited to write her! Thank you paperkite for Sophie! As for the others, I am planning to add two more in this episode so finger crossed! I'm also trying to make a mini episode showing all the POV's of your guys characters! So, look forward to that. Anyway, I hoped you liked the chapter, and don't worry, we should find out the fate of our old group soon.

Take Care

CandleFire45