The day it happened, I'd been working my usual shift at the grocery store.

My boss got a phone call from his wife and she said he needed to come home immediately. I didn't hear what happened, but she needed to go to the hospital. He asked me to stay and watch the store, offering me some extra pay.

He never came back.

The TV in his office gave confusing information. Reports of people trying to bite one another—an infection spreading across not just the United States, but the entire world. Borders were shut down, people panicked, mass chaos erupted everywhere.

I relied on the news for everything. They said the only way to stop the creatures was to destroy their brains. It was the last bit of information I got before the channel stopped airing.

Not soon after, the power went out.

I'd kept the store locked up, waiting for my boss to return. It was three days in when I finally realized no one was coming back for me. It was five days in when people broke into the store. They shot at one of the windows, shattering the glass to get inside.

I hid in the backroom, terrified for my life while armed men began carrying out food and water. They took almost everything and then left, not bothering to check the supplies we had in the back. I didn't know what to do, so I stayed where I was.

That same day I saw one of the creatures enter into the store. Its skin looked grey, and it stumbled along the aisles, bumping into shelves and snarling as it went along. Clutching a chef's knife, I remained as quiet as possible, cowering in the break room.

Then more of them came into the store.

I realized I couldn't let that window stay open and had to do something.

It was kill or be killed now.

Though my nerves were shot, I killed the eight walkers that were inside the store. Gathering some shelves, I shoved them up against the broken window and the other windows to shield myself from the outside world. Then I took the shopping carts and placed them in a row next to the shelves to alert me if anyone ever tried to come in, whether monster or human.

My alarm system worked well, giving me a loud heads up anytime the dead tried to get inside the store. They were never able to move the shelves, so there was only an occasional rattle. They never lurked for too long.

I learned to keep quiet—to ration—to survive.

Then one night the carts all rattled loud and the shelves scraped against the floor. I'd been in the break room sleeping when I heard it. Grabbing my chef's knife, I crept out into the store.

I immediately noticed a light shining from in between one of the aisles and heard hushed whispering. Moving to try and get a better look, I glanced around a corner to see a man and a woman were frantically searching for food. The woman got down and looked underneath one of the shelves. As she stood back up, she saw me watching her from the end of the aisle.

We just stared at one another—her with a pink bag and me with my knife. The man was still searching when he stopped to look at the woman, and then his eyes followed over to me. Shining the flashlight onto my face, I squinted and held up my hand to block the bright light.

"Hi," I said simply.

"We're armed," the redhead stated. She sounded stern, but I could tell she was nervous. She elbowed the man standing with her and he took out a gun and pointed it at me.

"You're doing better than me," I said, offering a crooked smile. I held my knife up and then set it on the floor. Holding up my hands in surrender, I took a step into the aisle to show them I meant no harm.

"You alone?" the man asked, shining the light away from my face and behind me as if expecting to see others. They both looked utterly terrified.

"Yes. My boss asked me to stay and everyone left weeks ago. I was supposed to watch the store, but a group of men took almost everything."

"Almost?" the redhead inquired, taking a step forward. "Do you have food?"

"Not a lot, but yeah. It's in the back. I've been living in the break room because I didn't know where else to go."

The two continued to study me and we stood there in silence a few moments. The man was still pointing the gun at me—his hand was shaking slightly.

"What's your name?" the woman asked.

"Elle," I answered, maintaining eye contact.

The redhead chewed her lip and then nodded.

"Okay…"

As she said it, the man lowered the gun and I let out a sigh of relief. The woman walked slowly across the aisle towards me and then put out her hand.

"Hi, Elle. I'm Amy and that's Eric. You wouldn't happen to have any poptarts in that back room of yours, would ya?"

The pickup truck sped down the road and the wind whipped through my hair. I couldn't move. Negan didn't bother making us wear the black bags. It didn't matter anymore.

Amy had been bitten.

I tried to wrap my head around it, but I just stared at her in shock. She seemed almost calm, if it wasn't for that helpless look in her eye. I couldn't imagine what was going through her mind. I couldn't even process my own thoughts.

We reached the Sanctuary fast. As the trucks pulled through the gate and finally stopped, I stared at Negan distraught.

"Someone make sure Carson is ready right fucking now!" he bellowed, jumping from the truck and then helping me down. Amy was frozen like a statue and just staring off into space.

"Momma Bear?" Negan asked, offering his hand to her. When Amy didn't move, Negan took her hand and began pulling her from the truck.

We'd passed the other truck with Eric, Abby and the others when we went speeding down the road. As it came into the yard, Eric got out and headed over to us while Vivienne was holding Abby. His eyes went to the bite mark on Amy's neck.

"No…" he whispered, as tears filled his eyes and he dropped to his knees. Amy didn't even look at him.

"We need to see Carson," Negan said, going towards the front doors. Amy took a deep breath and then began walking with him.

We all went into the factory and then into Carson's office. Amy got up into one of the beds as Eric stood with her. Vivienne waited out in the hall with Abby, while Negan and I watched as Carson examined the bite mark on Amy's neck.

My heart sank when he looked up at Negan grimly. Negan's eyes closed and he nodded slowly.

"NO, PLEASE!" I broke down and grabbed Negan's arms. "You have to do something! You have to help her!"

Negan just stared down at me as I begged him to save Amy's life. I knew what that bite meant, but I didn't want to accept it. There had to be something we could do.

Negan's jaw was firm and he met my desperate gaze.

"I can't," Negan whispered; his eyes were filled with sorrow.

He looked over my head to Amy. As I faced her, I saw Eric was laying his head onto her lap and crying softly while squeezing her hand. Amy was staring out the industrial windows with a stoic face.

"Someone bring me my baby," she said in a detached voice.

Eric sat up from her and got to his feet. Going out of the room, I looked back at Negan.

"Please," I begged him. My body was shaking as I clung onto his jacket. He was ignoring my pleas and staring at Amy with a somber look.

"I'm sorry, Momma Bear," Negan said sincerely.

Amy just nodded and continued to stare out the window. My body shuddered as the sobs racked my body. Negan's hand enclosed around mine and he began to lead me out of the room just as Eric returned carrying Abby. I watched him help Amy take her daughter into her arms; a big smile formed on Amy's face and a tear rolled down her cheek as she beamed at Abby.

Once we were in the hallway and the door was closed, I let out a loud wail. My legs buckled beneath me, but Negan caught me and held me up, wrapping his arms around me in a tight embrace. I sobbed into his jacket, shaking uncontrollably.

It's not real.

This can't be real.

I wanted to wake up from this fucking nightmare. I wanted it to be another stupid hallucination.

We were supposed to be safe inside the school.

The wall was supposed to protect us.

We were supposed to be okay.

I don't know how long we stood there. I cried until I could barely breathe and my body trembled. I heard someone approach and place a hand on my shoulder. Looking back, I saw Vivienne had joined us. She had tear stained cheeks and red eyes.

"How long does she have?" Vivienne asked Negan.

"I don't know," he answered, still holding me.

Vivienne let out a staggered breath and then squeezed my shoulder.

"Ryan didn't make it?" she asked in a quiet voice.

I closed my eyes and shook my head no as I buried my face into Negan's chest and cried. I'd been so focused on Amy that I'd temporarily forgotten I'd shot Ryan. It had been a mercy kill, but the image in my head of his bloodied body had me breaking down again.

"I'm gonna go in and see Amy," Vivienne whispered, letting go of my shoulder. When the door opened, Amy's voice came out into the hallway.

"Negan?"

He let me go and we went back into the room.

Amy's condition hadn't changed much in the few minutes we'd been gone. Abby was curled up in her lap sleeping peacefully. Once we were in, Amy looked up at Negan. Swallowing hard, a serious expression formed on her face.

"I don't want to become one of those things." She was determined as she spoke."Don't let me turn."

With a simple nod, Negan turned to look at Carson. The doctor seemed nervous as he met Negan's hard gaze, and then he approached Amy's bedside.

"We don't have medication for peaceful euthanasia. We could try an overdose, but it will result in you coming back." He spoke quietly and Amy stared up at him, taking in every word he said. She furrowed her brow and looked to Negan.

"We have a silencer," Negan explained in a low voice. My eyes widened at what he was implying. Before I could protest it, Negan continued. "It's the best way to make sure you don't come back. It'll be quick, and Carson can sedate you with the good shit. You won't feel a fuckin' thing, and you won't come back."

"There has to be another way!" I exclaimed, staring at them bewildered. No one said anything as Amy stared off into space.

Then she looked at Negan.

"Okay."

Eric began to bawl again and buried his face into her lap. Amy rubbed his head in comfort with one hand and she stared down at her daughter in her other arm.

"How much time do I have left?" she asked.

"The longer we wait, the worse the fever will get," Carson explained.

Amy nodded in understanding.

"Can I have an hour with my family?"

"Of course," Negan said.

Everyone gave Amy and Eric space, leaving them alone with their child. It was the last hour they would have together.

I slid down to the floor of the hallway and buried my face into my knees and wept. As I rocked back and forth and sobbed, Negan sat next to me. His eyes were dry, but he had a dour appearance as he stared at the wall ahead of us. Neither of us spoke as I sobbed until my head hurt. The others leaned against the wall. No one said anything as we waited for the hour to be up.

After some time, a Savior brought something to Negan. I watched the exchange as a pistol with a silver silencer attached was handed to him.

Squeezing my eyes shut tight, I silently begged for an unseen force to change the outcome—for something, anything to save Amy.

I couldn't lose her.

"I read once that redheads are going extinct," I said, carrying over some books to throw into the metal garbage can. We had a little fire going; it was all that was keeping us warm in the chilly night. We were holed up in the basement of an abandoned house. It had been months since I'd met Amy and Eric, and we'd quickly joined forces in our attempt at survival.

Unfortunately, we weren't able to defend ourselves well enough, and a group of survivors robbed us at gunpoint. They took all of our supplies we'd managed to gather and left us with nothing. We'd found a car, but couldn't find any food.

"I think we're all on borrowed time now, regardless of hair color," Amy muttered leaning back. "We're gonna starve if we don't find something soon."

My stomach let out a loud growl and I moved to sit closer to Amy and to be closer to the warm flames. Eric was out, trying to find something for us to eat, but I knew he would come up empty.

I let out a sigh and reached into my bag, producing a folded map I'd found while we were scavenging.

"There's a school building nearby, but it's kind of out of the way. The cafeteria might still have some food stored. It's worth a shot."

Just as I finished speaking, Eric came down the basement stairs. He frowned and shook his head, telling us he'd come up empty. We didn't have much gas left for the car, and I knew this would be our last shot.

If that school was empty, we were done for.

"Tomorrow," Amy agreed, putting her hands out towards the fire to warm them.

"We'll try this school of yours, Elle."

Working at the grocery store, an hour had felt like an eternity.

Amy's final hour went by in the blink of an eye.

When time was up, Eric came out into the hall and looked down at me with puffy eyes.

"She wants to talk to you," he said, offering his hand to help me to my feet. As I stood, I tried to compose myself before going back into the infirmary.

In the hour since I'd seen her, Amy had gotten much worse. Her breathing was slow and her hair was sweat stained. She was still cradling Abby in her arms and she didn't even look up to see me enter.

"I hate to ask this of you-" she said in a meek voice.

"No," I cut her off and stepped across the room towards her. "Whatever you need me to do, I'll do it." My voice cracked as I fought the urge to break down again.

"First, I need you to tell Eric it's not his fault when I'm gone. He blames himself because of the car alarm. Please don't blame him."

"I won't. I don't…" Eric had tried to stop the sound, not cause it. I'd never fault him for it. Ryan had him had been friends. He lost him and now he was losing his wife.

Amy seemed pleased to hear that and then continued.

"Eric's a good man. He's an amazing husband and one hell of a father, but he's not always capable of doing what needs to be done. Not like you…" She trailed off and then took a deep breath. "I need you to promise me you'll protect Abby from the monsters. That you won't let anyone ever hurt her."

"I will. I'll protect her," I said in a broken voice.

"And I don't want her to be violent," Amy said, brushing what little hair Abby had with her fingers. "I want her to be able to survive. She should know how to defend herself, but I don't want her to hurt other people…"

She winced as if in pain and let out a long breath and then gave me a steely look.

"I don't want her to see people getting their faces burned or their heads bashed in. I need you to protect her from that. I need her to grow up good."

I nodded again and again as I began to cry again.

"She will. I promise, Amy."

Her eyes met mine with that same hardened gaze.

"And don't you dare marry that man. Not until he pulls his head out of his ass and realizes how special you are. I swear to god, if you say yes and join all those other women, I'll come back to life just to kick Negan's ass and then I'll kick yours."

I burst out laughing through my tears and Amy grinned a bit.

"I mean it, Elle. I want you to fight him on it. Give him hell."

Before I could respond, Abby started to wake up. When her little eyes opened, Amy's smile grew wider.

"Hey, baby girl," Amy said softly. The infant was still trying to blink the sleep away from her eyes. Repositioning her, Amy placed her finger into Abby's tiny hand. I stared down at the bite mark on Amy's neck, unable to look away.

"I thought I'd have more time to get to know her," Amy whispered as tears spilled down her cheeks. "Please tell her I loved her. Tell her she was my entire world. Tell her I'm so proud of her."

"I will," I whimpered.

Amy looked up at me and nodded.

"Thank you, Elle."

Closing her eyes and letting out a long breath, she called out to the people waiting in the hallway, "I'm ready."

The others entered the room and Carson went over to prepare a needle. Silence fell over the room as everyone watched Amy lift Abby up. She was struggling to do so, but she managed to press a kiss to Abby's forehead.

"Goodbye, Abigail. Mommy loves you."

Vivienne stepped over and held her arms out to take Abby away from Amy, who couldn't seem to take her eyes off her child.

"Thank you, Viv," Amy said as the older woman picked Abby up. Vivienne smiled through her tears and placed a hand on Amy's cheek. With that, she exited the room with Abby.

Amy watched as her child left and then closed her eyes. She was trying to be brave, but I could see her tensing up. Negan took out the pistol and stepped forward, but Eric moved into his way.

"I'll do it," he said, meeting Negan's gaze. Negan gave Eric the gun and Carson brought a syringe over to Amy. She held out her arm and then looked to me. My lip quivered as tears rolled down my face, but I returned to stand by her side. She was drenched in sweat and struggling to keep her eyes open, but still had that determined look on her face.

"I'm really glad we met. I couldn't have asked for a better friend during the end of the world."

"Amy…" I whimpered. She gave me a sympathetic look and reached out to take my hand into hers to gently squeeze it.

Her grip was weak.

"You kept us safe and were so strong through everything…" Her voice was soft and she licked her lips and took shallow breaths.

"You're the one who carried a baby to term in the apocalypse," I said, forcing a smile. Amy let out a dry chuckle and nodded.

"Yeah…we sure made one hell of a team."

Amy closed her eyes and waited a few seconds. Squeezing my hand one last time, she turned her head to look at Carson and nodded. With that, he injected the medication into her arm and Amy looked across the room at her husband.

"I love you," she said, smiling weakly at him.

"I love you too," Eric whispered.

Seconds later, Amy relaxed into the bed and her grip on my hand lessened. I stared down at my sleeping friend and continued to weep as I slowly stepped back. I knew there wasn't much time left if we were going to honor her request.

Eric walked up to the end of the bed and raised his arm, pointing the gun at Amy. He was shaking bad—the gun moved back and forth in his hand as he tried to aim.

Walking over to him, I placed my hand on his wrist and lowered the gun. He slowly turned to look at me with a horrified look.

"She asked me to do it. She wanted it to be me, but I can't… I can't do it, Elle."

"You don't have to," I whispered, taking the gun from his hand. His terror disappeared, but the agony remained.

"Thank you," he whispered.

Heading over to Amy's unconscious body, he bent over to place a kiss against her head. Then, Eric hurried out of the room, not wanting to watch what would come next.

"Welcome to Doveport," the man named Philip said with a kind smile. We'd just pulled up to the school. Eric was waking Amy, who had fallen asleep in the backseat of the car. She sat up and let out a long yawn.

I was so excited for her to see that our gamble had paid off.

As she got out of the car, Amy's eyes grew wide. She stared at the big wall that wrapped around the building and then looked at Philip. Rubbing her eyes, she slowly made her way over to where I was standing with him.

Philip offered his hand to shake with Eric and then Amy. He introduced himself and then invited us inside. He mentioned something about how he hoped we all liked vegetables.

Eric and Philip entered through the gate, and I went to follow when I realized Amy was hesitating.

Turning to face her, I was met with a cheerful grin as she studied the school before us. I had never seen her look so hopeful.

Her eyes met mine and her smile grew wider.

"I think everything's gonna be okay."

I stared at the silencer at the end of the gun. Carson quietly exited the room and Negan approached me carefully.

"Elle," he said softly, reaching out to take the gun away. Looking up at him, I saw he was apprehensive—worry lines encased his forehead.

He didn't want me to do this.

I knew he would do it for me—but I also knew it wasn't what Amy wanted.

Sniffling, I gripped the gun tightly, keeping it from Negan.

Going over to the side of the bed, I pressed the silencer up against Amy's head and closed my eyes.

I pictured that hopeful smile on her beautiful face.

And I pulled the trigger.