There were days when Y/N set off for the most part and was mostly alone. She had no one to keep her company. She has always hated loneliness long before the end of the world. Y/N loved to listen and watch people talk because she could understand many things, so much so that she even wanted to study to become a psychologist. But now it didn't make sense anymore. For months she had not seen a living person speak or have feelings. Now she sees only living dead, shifting bodies that are free of everything that once made her seem so human. The dead have only an insatiable hunger, a primal instinct that makes them brutal creatures. Y/N did not like to call her dead... Dead are underground and do not devour people... Their memory lives in the minds of the people who once loved them. These are just carcasses in an obvious state of decomposition.

Hunger strikes made themselves felt and devoured you very slowly inside. You had no food and only little water. No animals, no streams, no survivors. Nothing. Only dry trees. Rotting bodies are scattered on the ground, along with the falling leaves, forming a large red, orange, and brown carpet, a sign of an approaching autumn... The leaves crunch under your boots and attract the attention of some Walkers. So you hide behind a bush of red berries and wait for the Walkers to pass, because you didn't want to waste your little remaining power. The waiting is unnerving and anxiety begins to rise. "What happens to me? I never reacted that way." Killing had become a normal thing, an everyday thing. To survive. This is the only rule in this world. Your eyes didn't see anything, but you still heard footsteps. An unusual gait, a constant step, interrupted by an almost human rhythm. It did not drag its feet behind it, nor did it smell of a disgusting smell of decay and decomposed, rotten flesh. You noticed a cold, sticky hand that suddenly touched your bare shoulder. You jumped up and pointed your bow at his neck. But you could hardly believe your own eyes. Your breasts were shared by the tip of a crossbow. It felt like your heart was beating briefly and your vision was clouded.

"Take that damn bow from my throat or I'll kill you."

You recovered and looked closer at the person in front of you. A man of indefinite age, dark brown hair, blue eyes, unkempt beard and well exposed muscles. Not bad at all.

"I don't even think so, you better take your crossbow away from my tits!"

The man looked threateningly at you and lowered his eyes to your breasts, blushing, grinning and slowly approaching the other weapon on his leg.

"Could you take that thing off me now?"

You looked at him for a moment, looking intensely in the eyes, looking for an answer, a confirmation, something that told you you could trust him. Later, you put the bow down again. The man kept looking at you and you couldn't understand his intentions. What if he wanted to rape you? What if he wanted to feed the Walker for fun? What should you do? Running away? Stay? You don't know. After all, he could have killed you a moment before by shooting down the arrow and it would all be over. No pain, no suffering and you wouldn't be looking for a shelter anymore. Only darkness and a deep sleep. But you wouldn't have lived in anyone's memories. All your loved ones are gone. There was no one left.

"I'm Daryl, Daryl Dixon, who are you?"

You looked at him again, but lost yourself in his piercing blue eyes.

"Did you eat your tongue?"

"Sorry... I'm Y/N."

Suddenly it became quiet. He looked over your shoulder, took your forearm and began to ran. You couldn't understand what was happening and your powers were finally leaving you. You stumbled over a rock and fell to the ground, your eyes began to blur and shortly thereafter you lost your senses.

"Hey look, she wakes up!"

"Keep your mouth shut!"

You slowly opened your eyes and a light blinded you.

"Hey, are you okay, Y/N?"

How did they know your name? Where are you? Was it heaven or hell?

"Y/N, are you alright?"

"Where am I?"

Beside you sat a young girl, short-haired, two very clear eyes, and her smile lit up her face. On the other side of the bed, an Korean boy sat and looked visibly worried.

"Don't worry, you're safe now."

"Daryl?"

"I see you have already met our Redneck! He brought you here the other day, a group of looters followed you and you happened to stumble and hit your head and you became unconscious."

"I understand... Sorry..."

The girl looked at you in surprise.

"Why should you apologize?"

"Well... for the problems... I know that I'm a heavy burden."

The boy, who had not opened his mouth in the meantime, approached the bed and smiled sweetly.

"You are no burden, it is always nice to find a survivor."

"We brought you clean clothes, we wait below to introduce you to the others!"

You took off your dirty shirt and scruffy jeans and looked at yourself in the mirror. Visibly protruding ribs, bony and fragile arms, legs so thin that they looked crooked. Tears filled your eyes... At that moment Daryl saw you. He stopped for a moment at the edge of the door and looked at you. You took the T-shirt off the floor and visibly ashamed you covered yourself. The man spun around and closed the door.

"I came to see you."

You dressed quickly without talking too much.

"I'm fine, thanks for coming around now, I'm done."

Daryl turned slowly and looked at you again. He studied you carefully, as if a hunter was studying his prey before attacking it. You looked down at him and crossed his clear, penetrating blue eyes. How you hate to be watched...

"I'll wait for you downstairs."

He silently left the room. You had a lump in your stomach, but it was not because of hunger, this time it was different. You were afraid. You didn't know who you would meet down there, let alone if they would accept you. At that moment, you would be the center of attention. Another thing that you hated. You walked down the corridor and down the stairs very slowly, making no noise so as not to drop all eyes on you, which almost delayed the meeting with the new group of strangers. As you took the last step, you began to hear voices. Some are male, some female, some older and some daintier and almost childish. Some laughed while others were serious and worried. So you closed your eyes and for a brief moment you looked into your past life. The family dinner, where all relatives laugh and joke happily, without being aware of the imminent arrival of death. Then you opened your eyes so as not to cry, and with visibly clear eyes, you forced yourself and went to the kitchen. At that moment, it was quiet and all eyes were now on you...