Chapter 6

I didn't see this happening today, or maybe ever – it being possible to sit in a million-dollar house that shows no signs of the outside world having been destroyed. I hoped it was possible, but never thought it would be. Apparently I wasn't the first person to think Alexandrea sounds like the place to be.

It was apparently founded in the early days of the outbreak and quickly secured by great walls. I was stunned at first sight, so safe looking, nothing like the prison, so much more… homey. I was greeted with open doors. I placed it on me having kids, the man at the gate was so taken aback by the young faces, he was as speechless as I was.

Now I'm sitting in their leaders' perfect living room waiting for an audition, to see if I'm good for their community. I'm bouncing a fussy Samantha-Jay on my lap and watching Raider lead Apples across the road by a small dam.

"Hello." I turn to see a woman in her late fifties standing in the door way holding a camera and stand.

"Hello, your Alexandrea's leader?" I ask, not knowing what else to say.

She smiles and nods, walking in and taking the seat across from me. "You can call me Deanna; do you mind if I record this interview?" What a strange question.

"I… guess not. Not like I can say something stupid and you post it on the internet."

She chuckles lightly. Setting up the camera then leaning back in her chair with her hands folded in her lap, she doesn't look like someone that has been outside these walls before and I don't think she has. Why leave safety? My only complaint about this place is that it looks so quiet, too quiet… weak but I can fix that, I will fix that.

"So what are your names?" she smiles, looking at Sami-Jay.

"I'm Athena but my friends called me Ace. This is my daughter Samantha-Jay but I call her Sami-Jay for short and my son Raider is outside walking Apples, our horse." Her smile grows to a trusting one and I know I have her right where I want her.

"It must have been hard out there with such young children," she says, more to herself than me.

"The people in the world might have changed a bit but the end concept of life hasn't, we still survive everyday looking for better, working for a safe place. I was always told if life was easy you aren't living right; have you ever heard that saying?"

"No I can't say I have, but you sound like a very intelligent young lady." You don't know how hard it is not to laugh at that analysis. "What did you do before the outbreak?"

"What didn't I do?" Really, what? "I started work at a young age as a waiter," in a bar. "I was an acrobatics/ dance instructor," stripper that showed the girls at the club how to get more tips. "I worked in a mechanic shop for a while, and would go hunting with friends on the weekend. My best high school friend's dad owned a cabin," my fiends sixty-year-old boyfriend owned a tent and a lot of guns, "in the mountains and we practically lived," truck brock down and we got strained, more then once, "there on the weekends," I can't believe she's buying ever word of this bull shit.

"So you can hunt?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty decent with a bow," I shrug. "I have just started up again when I found one a couple months back. I was out of the game for a few years, with becoming a single mum and then the outbreak and all." Her expression turns to hurt and pity. Perfect.

"Oh Ace, I'm so sorry. I…" she shakes her head lightly. "I think you will be a great addition here." She shuts off the camera and stands. "Why don't I show you to your new home?" she says as I rise to my feet as well.

"Thank you so much, my children really deserve a place like this." Shit, wrong choice of words, I scold myself as we walk outside.

"You don't deserve a place like this?" God this chick's good. Think quick.

"I have heaps of happy memories from before – they don't, but they need them if they're going to grow up and be happy additions to the world." Safe. She gives an understanding nod as we start to walk down the road.

"Come on Raider," I call, and both him and Apples lift their heads in my direction then jogs to catch up.

"Who she Mummy?" he asks once they catch up.

"This is Deanna," I answer with a friendly smile.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Raider." Deanna smiles down to the little boy and he smiles back. "It's a pretty horse you have there," she says as we round a corner.

"It's nice to meet you too Miss Deanna," he says, so sweetly she chuckles lightly as Raider continues talking. "The horse's name is Apples, she's a thar- thara…"

"Thoroughbred," I tell him.

"Yeah, Yeah. She's a Thoroughbred mare and mummy says we're going to find Apples a boyfriend and then they can have baby and then I get my ow' pony, do you have horse here?" His eyes are alight with happiness. I always tell him bedtime stories about a place like this. I think he knows without me saying that he is safe here.

"No," she sighs, and Raider's shoulders slouch slightly. "But we always see horses outside the gates. We have been trying to catch one recently," she adds quickly, and he perks up a tad. "You know some about horses?" she asks, looking back at me.

"I worked on a ranch for a summer, while I was doing a veterinarian course." Or in other words I worked on a drug farm, and had to ride horses out to check crops. And my boss had a thing for vet shows.

"Well you're really the jack of all trades," Deanna says, stopping in front of one of the larger homes to the left end of town. "This one is yours."

It's an off-the-ground two-story, light cream weatherboard with fresh white trim. There are two lush garden beds on either side of the front steps, and to the right side of the house there's a tall, white wooden panelled gate for the backyard.

"It's amazing, thank you so much," I say sweetly to Deanna.

"This house should be a good fit for you. Apples can stay in the back yard, it's one of the largest in Alexandrea and has a large tree for shelter. There are clothes and things inside for you but you'll have to talk to Olivia about things for the kids and you will probably need buckets for Apples. Olivia is in charge of keeping track of our supplies. If you go straight up that road," Deanna says, pointing to the next turn off up ahead, the second to the end, "and take the second left you should be right there. Can't miss it, and if you do, ask anyone for directions, I'm sure everyone will be happy to see new faces," she smiles.

"Umm, okay thank you." I place my empty hand on Raider's right shoulder.

"No problem, I'll let you go get settled," Deanna says, and goes to walk back the way we came, but not before saying, "I would like to speak with you tomorrow morning. Come by my house around eight and we can talk over breakfast." Then she walks away.

"Okay, we'll be there then," I say to myself more than anyone else.

"Mummy is this the place in your stories?" Raider asks, looking up at me with big blue eyes.

"Yeah babe, this is it."

#Please review, it really means the world to hear what you think of my work, wether its good or bad, love to hear#

#Sorry it took so long to update but I haven't been in a TWD mood for a while but I do have the next few chapters written out and will update by next week it if I can git a review or two :)#

#Have a good day/ night and thanks for reading#