I'm following suit and directions
I crawl up inside for protection
I'm told what to do and I don't know why

I'm over existing in limbo
I'm over the myths and placebos
I don't really mind if I just fade away – Stone Sour "Zzyzx Rd"

Angel

The night Katie left the prison, was the night following Daryl's unforeseen demise. She left without a word, taking with her, Hunter, the largest of the three pups, along with Daryl's crossbow, her small bag of personal items, and enough food to last her half a week. She didn't wait until we were all asleep to leave, instead, she simply walked out of the prison, into the yard, jumped onto Daryl's bike and nodded at Ty to open the gate. He didn't want to, but he knew she'd run him down if he didn't.

With that, like a leaf in the wind, she was gone.

That was six months ago. In that time, a lot has changed in the prison. A lot hasn't. Rick's still bringing in strangers, though no, he does so without his right hand man. Michonne looks for Katie every single day, determined that she'll find her, one way or another.

Me? Well I'm taking care of the children. Carol was killed a month after Daryl died when there was a breach in the back fence. We lost a lot of good people that day, but it didn't affect us how it once would have. We were all numb to the loss of our people now. I think losing Daryl really was the final nail in the coffin.

Maggie found out she was pregnant and now Glenn is even more determined to keep her and the rest of the group safe. I can't help but be amazed by the strength and courage those two harbor, despite everything they've been through.

I was sitting out in the prison yard, the cool spring air nipping at my exposed skin, when I saw the wolf pups suddenly look up from their game. The smallest one, the little female that had stayed with Daryl right up until his death, who we named Bowah, let out a low howl before running towards the fence, her much larger brother, Blade, in toll.

I stood up, my hand reaching for the gun I never dared to leave without.

Katie

After I left the prison, I moved around a lot. I knew Michonne was tracking me, so I made sure to cover my tracks with everything I had. I often found myself tracking her. Hunter had matured into a very smart, very fast wolf, which was faithful to the end of the earth. We hunted together, found shelter together, and spent long hours putting as much distance between the prison and ourselves as possible.

I had his bike hidden deep in the woods, in a secluded spot that no one would ever think to look, while I was perched high in a tree, Hunter hidden in a small cave. I had no idea how long or how far we had traveled, but I was certain we had finally put enough distance between us. I let the cool spring air ease the tension from my muscles as I watched the forest come to life. Squirrels were coming out of their burrows, mice and rats scurried across the forest floor. It had been weeks since I last saw a walker, for which I was grateful. In the distance, I knew there was a house that had long since been abandoned. I knew it would suffice until I found something better. Or maybe I'd die peacefully there. I wasn't too concerned about living.

I waited until the sun began to set before setting off to find the house. Hunter ran beside the bike, his pace never slowing. We reached it by sunset and sure enough, it was abandoned. Not a walker nor human in sight. I pushed the bike around to the back, covering it under the thick branches of a fallen tree, before walking through the unlocked back door. I smiled to myself as I locked the door, pulling the blinds down on all the windows.

I collapsed onto the stained couch that sat facing the front door. My body ached. I groaned as I stretched out, Hunter standing guard at my side. It was then and only then, in the silence and security of that abandoned house, that I allowed myself to grieve.

After all that time, it had been the first time I willingly allowed the tears to fall freely, the sobs to break free and take over every ounce of my body. For it was then, that it really, truly hit me, that not only was I alone in this world, but I was the one who put down the one man who might have saved me. Not from the walkers or from the dangers this world posed, but from the monsters that lived within my own head.

Angel

I watched in amazement as Michonne came through the gate, a familiar wolf at her side. In her arms, was my best friend, the only person who ever understood me.

"What happened?" Rick called out, rushing to her side.

"Found her dead in an abandoned house in South Carolina," Michonne said sadly. "Bullet to the head."

"You think she was attacked?" he asked. I walked over slowly, my eyes tearing over as I looked at the angle of the wound.

"No," I said softly, my heart breaking into a million pieces. "She did this. She choose to roll over and die."

Saying the words out loud was my greatest fear. Even before we made it to the prison, Katie often talked about how it would have been easier to roll over and die, rather than keep on fighting. I guess in a way, it shouldn't have surprised me. She was tough, stronger than any woman I had ever met, but she was broken. From the moment she put a bullet through her husband's skull, she was broken. Losing her son, then her daughter, and finally everyone else she ever cared about, had been enough to push her so far over the edge, there was no coming back.

As it sunk in, I took my friend from Michonne and began digging the grave where her body would rest peacefully for the rest of time. Right beside the man she loved without even realizing it.

That night, the mood in the prison was grim at best. We were all lost in our own thoughts. No one could really come to terms with the last six months, but together, we somehow found the strength to keep pushing forward. Because that's what you do when the world ends. You either die, or you survive.

The End

A/n - I want to sincerely thank everyone who has stuck around to see this story end! It means the world to me and has inspired me to continue writing! I know, I know, tragic end, right? Again, thank you, and hopefully you'll stick around to read some of my future fics!