Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead.

Lost Hope: The Beginning

Chapter Six

That night some people sat by the fire while others sat with their families by their tents. I felt like the odd ball not knowing anyone in the camp. I hardly knew anyone at all. The person I probably knew the most out of everyone else was Glenn since he spent a whole night helping me find my uncle which I was very thankful for.

I walked over to where some of the people were sitting by the fire and sat down across from Rick, who was telling everyone his story while holding his family close to him.

"Dad, who's that." The boy I assumed to be Carl asked pointing at me.

"That's Erin. She and Glenn helped me get out of a situation back in the city." Rick told him and Carl smiled at me as if to say thank you. I nodded towards them. "I actually don't know too much about you Erin, why don't you tell us your story." Rick told me.

"Well, my story isn't as epic is yours." I told Rick laughing a little.

"Come on, we all are curious about you." Glenn encouraged me.

"Alright, well my name is Erin Johnson, and I'm eleven. My dad was a marine before all this and my mom was a nurse from Brazil. We moved around a lot because of my dad's job, so my mom homeschooled me until they both were killed in a car accident when I was nine. I lived with my uncle in Atlanta ever since and went to a normal school. He was a doctor. When this all started I was at my apartment watching a movie with him when he was called in to work. He didn't tell me why he was called to work and I could sense something was wrong, but he just told me to stay and not leave the apartment. I did what I was told and stayed. I heard sirens going off and explosions. I was terrified and thought we were being attacked by terrorists. I had no idea that the disease had reached Atlanta. I waited there at the apartment for a whole night by myself and my uncle had not returned so decided to head to the hospital because it wasn't too far away. So I packed my back pack and left and when I reached the hospital I found out that the explosions had come from people bombing the hospital. I couldn't find my uncle inside and then I got swarmed by walkers so I ran to the building where you guys found me." I finished.

"Wow, sound's like you've been through a lot for a girl your age." I think the guy's name was Shane who spoke. I was still trying to remember everyone's name.

"Not nearly as much as Rick over here; I swear this man is like a miracle to have survived all that he had." I said laughing.

"Do you think your uncle is still alive?" Carl asked me looking hopeful.

I felt a pang in my chest. "No. He's gone." I said quietly.

"But how do you know?" He asked.

"Glenn and I went back to look for him. I found him back at the hospital as a walker, so I shot him." I replied shakily

Carl frowned looked away sadly noticing that he brought up a subject that made me hurt inside.

"It's okay though." I said trying to sound positive. "He can be with my dad and mom now. He doesn't have to suffer anymore or worry about any walkers." I felt my eyes water up so I got up and walked away from the group so that they wouldn't see me cry. I walked passed a little deeper into the forest and sat down on a rock. I began to cry about my uncle again. Even though I was with all these people, I felt so alone. I began to drift deep into thought about how I would fit in with these people and whether or not they would accept me and take me in as one of their own.

I was so far into my thoughts that I almost didn't hear that someone was walking up behind me. I turned around and held out my knife ready to defend myself against a walker only to find out that it was Carl. He jumped back in surprise at my actions. I dropped the knife to the faced away from him with my knees to my chest and my head in my arms.

"I'm sorry, I thought you were a walker." I said quietly.

"It's fine. I'm sorry I scared you." He told me taking a seat next to me on the rock. I kept my head in my arms and didn't look up at him. "I'm Carl." I nodded my head a little. "I know what it's like to lose someone you care about. I thought I was never going to see my dad again until he came here today. For awhile I just felt so broken." I looked up at him as he continued to talk. "I'm sorry about your uncle and that I brought him up a few minutes ago." He said looking down. I could tell he felt really bad about it.

"Don't worry about it, you didn't know." I told him.

"Here." Carl took his sleeve from his jacket and wiped the tears away from my eyes.

"Thanks." I smiled at him causing him to blush and turn away.

"No problem."

"Anyway, how old are you?" I asked him.

"I just turned twelve a few months ago." He replied.

"Cool. Happy late birthday!" I said laughing.

He laughed too. "Thank you. When is your birthday?"

"December twenty-fourth." I replied.

"Cool, that's coming up in a few months." He said smiling. I nodded smiling back.

(Carl's Pov.)

I saw Erin shiver and noticed that she didn't have a jacket. "Are you cold?" I asked her.

"I'm alright." She told me trying to shake it off.

I took my jacket off and put it around her shoulders. I saw my dad do that to my mom before and I asked why because at first I didn't understand. He told me that he wanted to take good care of her because he cared about her a lot and even though I just met Erin, I cared for her because she helped save my dad.

(Erin's Pov.)

I looked up at Carl and smiled. No boy from my school would ever do that for me because they were too arrogant and worried about their pride. I thought it was sweet and smiled at him. He blushed again and turned away.

"You didn't have to do that." I told him. "I would've been fine."

"But you were cold and looked like you needed it more than I did." He answered quietly. "Let's head back to the fire. That way we can both stay warm." He told me smiling.

"Alright." I smiled back and followed him back to the group that was sitting around the fire. Carl sat down next to his family and motioned for me to sit down beside him. He leaned against his dad and Rick put his arm around him. One by one people began to retreat to their tents for the night.

"Erin, you can sleep in the R.V. with Andrea and Amy. I have some extra blankets you can use. You can have the couch." The man I recognized as Dale told me standing up.

"Thanks." I said smiling. I handed Carl back his Jacket and followed Dale back to the R.V. I grabbed my back pack that I had left sitting on the ground outside and moved it into the R.V. I set it down next to the couch and sat down. It was a pretty comfortable couch so I would have no trouble sleeping on it. Dale came back carrying a few blankets.

"Here you are. These should keep you warm for the night." He told me handing the blankets to me.

"Thank you." I told him.

"You are quite welcome." He told me smiling. Then he walked back out to the others. I arranged the blankets on the bed so that I would be comfortable and lay down. I had not realized how tired I had been till I laid down. I was out in a matter of minutes.

I woke up the next morning and walked outside to see people around the camp working and doing things. I walked over to Glenn who was watching Dale and Shane take a part the dodge challenger.

"Look at them. They are tearing apart the best ride I've ever had in my life." He told me all depressed.

"I'm sure you will find another car just as awesome." I told him patting him on that back. Rick walked up behind to see what was going on.

"Look at them, vultures; tearing apart the perfect car." Glenn mumbled to him. "Yeah, go on strip it clean." He called to them.

"Sorry, Glenn, but we need the car parts." Dale told him.

"You could've at least let me drive it for a few more days." Glenn mumbled.

"Maybe we will get to steal another one someday." Rick said patting him on the back and walking away. I laughed and turned away. I began to walk around the camp to explore it a bit more.

"Good morning!" I jumped and turned around to see Carl. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you again."

I laughed. "Good morning to you too, and its fine. I'm still just a bit jumpy due to the last few days." Then my stomach made a really loud noise and I covered it in embarrassment. I realized I had not eaten for awhile.

"Are you hungry?" Carl asked laughing at the noise my stomach made and my reaction to it.

"Maybe just a bit." I replied.

"Come on. I'm sure my mom can make something for you." He told me. I nodded and followed him up to where his mom was. "Mom, can you make some breakfast for us?" Carl asked her.

"I believe I can." She smiled. "Would you like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?" she asked us.

I nodded quickly.

"Sure." Carl responded. Lori got the bread, peanut butter, and jelly out of a cooler and began making the sandwiches. When she was done, she handed one to both me and Carl.

"Thank you!" I said thankfully and began eating my sandwich quickly.

"Whoa, someone's hungry." Carl said laughing.

I stopped in a middle of a bite and looked up to see both Car and Lori staring at me with an amused look.

"Sorry, I hadn't eaten for a few days." I said wiping my face a beginning to eat again, but more slowly.

"When was the last time you ate?" Lori asked me.

"Three days ago in the department store where the others found me." I replied.

"No wonder your hungry." Carl said.

"Don't worry. I'm alright; just a little hungry that's all." I reassured Lori who looked a bit worried about me.

"After we're done eating would you like to come explore with me in the woods a little?" Carl asked me.

"Sure." I nodded.

Carl's face lit up.

"Don't go too far though. Stay nearby." Lori warned us.

"Yes ma'am." Carl and I both said in unison.

We finished our sandwiches and began heading towards the forest. Before we reached it a blonde headed girl came bounding out.

"Hey Carl." She said smiling. Then she looked at me. "Sorry I don't remember your name."

"I'm Erin." I said smiling.

"Cool, I'm Sophia. What are you guys up to?" she asked us.

"We were just going to go explore the woods a little bit." Carl told her.

"Can I come?" she asked us.

"Sure." I replied.

The three of us went down into the woods. It was pretty. It had been awhile since I had been out of the city and surrounded by wild life. I loved it. I fell behind from the other two as I continued to admire my surroundings. Then I felt someone tap my shoulder so I turn to find no one there. When I face forward I saw that Carl had snuck in front of me and was now facing me holding up a white flower.

"For you, my lady." Carl said attempting to use a foreign accent.

"Why thank you." I said imitating his accent and accepting the flower. I put the flower in my hair. "How do I look?" I said spinning.

"Beautiful." Carl said quietly.

"What?" I asked turning towards him.

"I mean you look stunning, my lady." Picking up the foreign accent again trying to shake off what he had said a few seconds ago and act like it was nothing.

We both laughed and we ran to catch up with Sophia who was playing with something.

"What's that, Sophia?" Carl asked her as we got closer.

She held up a fuzzy brown caterpillar.

"Oh cool!" I said reaching out a finger to touch it. Carl copied my actions and reached out to touch it. Then I heard a strange noise that sounded like smacking. "Hey do you guys hear that?" I asked them.

"Hear what?" Sophia asked setting the caterpillar down.

"That smacking noise." I replied.

"Yeah I hear it." Carl said. "Let's go find where it's coming from." We headed towards the noise and went behind some bushed where we saw a walker feeding on a deer that had arrows stuck in it. I pulled out my knife ready to defend myself and my new friends. Sophia screamed and started running back towards the camp.

Carl started to run and realized that I wasn't following. "What are you doing? Come on." Carl grabbed my arm and began pulling me back.

"We have to kill it." I said pulling away from Carl's grip. "What if it comes to the camp and bites someone?"

"Dad and the others will take care of it, come on." Carl grabbed my hand this time and we began to run back to the rest of the group. "Mom! Dad!" Carl shouted and I saw Rick and a few of the others already heading this direction carrying metal poles and other tools. They must have heard Sophia screaming.

"Carl?" I heard Lori call for him as she ran towards us. Carl let go my hand and ran up to meet his mother who grasped him in a hug. I saw that Sophia had found her mom too and was also hugging her.

"There's a walker over there feeding on a deer." I told them. "I will show you where." I said running back into the forest with a few of the others following behind me. I led them to the walker and the deer. It stood up when it saw us and growled. Rick smacked it in the head with a metal pole and then the others joined in and began beating the walker. They beat it until Dale chopped its head off.

"This is the first one we've had up here." Dale told us. "They never come this far up the mountain."

"Well they're running out of food in the city." Said another man.

Then we heard crackling sounds father in the forest coming closer. We embraced ourselves to fight another walker, but instead of a walker, a man came out from behind the trees carrying a cross bow.