Hello everyone!

First off - Disclaimer: I own nothing from The Walking Dead. I only own Caroline and my other Original Characters. This is true for this chapter and every chapter that follows.

Authors Note: A new story that I've been EXTREMELY EXCITED for! This has been in the works for a couple years now and is finally ready to be posted. I hope you all enjoy and I LOVE REVIEWS but don't count on them for how often I update.

Update day is usually always on Tuesdays. Unless something happens. I'm hoping to keep that habit going. My apologies in advance if I miss one.

I know there are a lot of Walking Dead stories out there and I very much hope you give mine a chance. As with every story, there must be a beginning and the characters we know and love will not make an immediate appearance. You get to hang out with Caroline and see her world before anyone familiar comes around. This story leads into Season Three and beyond.

Special note: THIS STORY IS RATED M FOR A REASON! DO NOT continue if you do not like strong language or adult themes. There will be plenty throughout this story. Anything and everything is possible! This will be your only warning; unless I see fit to bring it up again. But that would be a spoiler and spoilers are no fun. So if you haven't watched TWD than you may not want to continue either. ; )

As always, the most important thing is that you enjoy reading. Fingers crossed that you all like it! Anyway, enough of all that.

ENJOY!

Chapter One: The Beginning

I see trees of green
Red roses too
I see them bloom
For me and you

And I think to myself
What a wonderful world

The sun shone through the trees. The rays making the leaves transparent, bouncing off of them and making streaks of light touch the earth. For a moment, if you just stood there to appreciate it, the world was beautiful. For a moment everything was calm and wonderful.

What a load of bullshit.

The moment would pass and the reality of this world would settle on you once again. The depression that you just couldn't shake. The loneliness in knowing that the number of dead greatly outnumber that of the living.

The world was dying.

The apocalypse had finally come.

It was almost laughable. An ongoing joke with everyone that had somehow come true. With the amount of idiots there were in the world, it was inevitable. Hell, I was rooting for it. At the same time no one actually believed that it would happen. Not like this. I never wanted this. I could never have imagined this.

The damn apocalypse.

We brought it on ourselves. We ruined our world and when she couldn't take it anymore she turned the tables and started to wipe us out. It wasn't a slow decline. She hit us and she hit us hard. Mother Nature was a fucking bitch. Even if it was what we deserved. If you turned on the news it was always full of angst. The negative always overpowering the positive. We were slowly killing ourselves but it wasn't quick enough. So the process was sped up.

Now we were faced with death every single day. Those of us who survived couldn't even be considered lucky. Every day was full of fear that was nearly debilitating. Food and water were hard to come by and there was no safe place. If you thought you were safe then you might as well shoot yourself in the head because there was no such thing. The second – and I mean the second – you let your guard down you were as good as dead.

So we – the survivors – roamed the earth, just trying to keep breathing. If we kept moving then we could make it. Right? Wrong. Even on the run, the dead were everywhere, walking or lying in wait, patiently waiting for anything to pass them by. They no longer required breath or water or sleep or even food. Yet they craved living flesh. And humans were the most ample source of food on the planet. The animals already had survival engrained in their genes. Us? Not so much. We'd been living in luxury too long. Most of us didn't know even the basics of surviving. What we did know was that we needed food, and water, and we would do just about anything to get it.

Rolling my shoulder, I winced, sighing as I took in the red that was soaking through the bandage. Just one of the many things to look forward to in this new world. I had food. They didn't. A bullet through the shoulder was my prize this time. I would have been happy with killing them all for attacking me, but I wasn't that lucky. My companion was, making him cocky and full of himself. Looking down at him, he licked his lips and lolled his tongue to the other side of his mouth.

"Yeah, laugh it up, chuckles. I'll get the next one." I frowned at him.

He snorted at me before loping off in front of me. Every time he put distance between us I knew that there was nothing to fear. Not in this moment anyway. But it was amazing how fast that could change. He was the one good thing in this new world. He's been with me since the beginning and I probably wouldn't be alive if it weren't for him. He fed us and protected us. He saved us.

Melancholy was an everyday feeling, thinking about what was and what could have been. Knowing that it was all over. Everyone we knew was dead. The only future was living from one minute to the next. There was too much time to think of everything that was lost and would never be again.

Finding a stream, we both lapped up the coolness of it, splashing it against my face and neck before doing the same to him. Trying to wash the past away. Living in it caused nothing by pain. Splashing my face again, I soaked the thick hair around his neck. He laid down for just a few minutes, attempting to pant and drink all at the same time. Sitting on my heels, I momentarily shut my eyes. Only then my heart started to race as I heard him sit up, his big ears turning in every direction as he swiveled his head back and forth.

"You got anything?" I asked as I did the same.

He licked my chin before his slid into the water, laying down to cool off. Smiling, I refilled all our water bottles, making sure they were closed tight and tucked away in the haversack I wore constantly. When it wasn't across my shoulders than it was acting as my pillow. I never let it out of my sight. Everything I had – everything I was – was in that bag. And so was his.

Hearing a stick crack behind me, I stood quickly, looking over my shoulder, whispering, "Moz." He climbed onto the bank, listening in the direction it had come from. "Mozzie." I said and tightened my grip on my knife.

The hunting knife was sharp enough to go through bone. Even then, I was never prepared when they showed themselves. I learned a long time ago that it was better to use a knife than a gun, sound bringing them in from miles around. When that happened, you didn't want to be anywhere near the central point. Slipping my hand into my bag, I felt the two handguns I carried. Both 9mm, taken off of fallen officers, the two extra clips, and the partial box of bullets. It was a decent amount and yet you could never have enough. If only I could find a silencer for them. If one even existed. Before this, I knew how to use a hunting rifle and that was it. That and your old fashioned bow and arrow. Something I had yet to come across. There'd been the occasional crossbow, but I wasn't interested in that. It was the poor man's weapon. Lazy. Not to mention too complicated in this world. It took longer to reload and that time was precious. If you took too long, then you were dead, and I was definitely looking to live.

Mozzie was tense and he looked up at me before starting to trot downstream. Taking the cue, I swiftly followed him. As soon as I caught up, he fell in step at my side, his head moving back and forth as he listened, watching his nose twitch as he breathed in all the scents around us. For a moment I allowed myself to relax, the woods remaining silent, only then we passed a cluster of trees and a walker appeared as if from nowhere.

It shuffled forward, only a few feet from me, a man with a missing arm, caved in skull, and little to no meat on his body. Despite the way his skull was dipped in, his brain must have been intact. Mozzie snarled, gripping the leg of its pants, taking its feet out from under it. Lunging forward, my knife slipped into its temple like butter. Smiling, I took a step back, only to feel a hand against my arm, a raspy groan following. Mozzie snarled, letting out a bark as he attacked it, taking it to the ground, the pair of them rolling into the stream. Rushing to help him. I dragged the Walker from the water before stabbed it underneath its jaw, the moans finally falling silent.

Breathing hard, I backed away from it before falling to my knees. Looking at Mozzie, his black and tan coat was now caked with mud. Smiling, I gently gripped his muzzle, rubbing his big ears. His thick tail thumped against the ground as he gently licked my arm and my chin. Pressing a kiss between his eyes before I sighed and got to my feet.

"Let's get out of here." I told him, looking around before I started to run.

Running was never the smartest move, but if there were two, there were usually more. I only made it maybe a mile or so before I stopped. I'd managed to build myself up as the weeks went by but I wasn't going to win any marathons anytime soon. Not to mention I never ate enough to give me enough energy to run for long distances.

When the sun started to set, I started to make camp, tying a perimeter line, attaching the few cans and other things that would make noise and warn me. When it was ready, I sat with my back against a tree, listening to the woods. Pulling out what was left of the possum I had snared, I gave a decent amount to Mozzie before feeding myself. He was more valuable than I was. He was a warning sign, a protector, a heater, and a companion all in one. He was far better than any people I'd met so far. And it beat being alone. I'd done plenty of that as well.

Pulling the one book from my bag, I couldn't help but take in the irony. I think that's the only reason I kept it around. Tracing the giant Z on the front of it, I opened it, starting to read where I'd left off.

First of all, there was no way to save everyone. The outbreak was too far gone. The armed forced had already been too badly weakened to effectively isolate the threat, and, spread so thinly throughout the country, they could only grow weaker with each passing day. Our forces had to be consolidated, withdrawn to a special "safe zone," which, hopefully, would be aided by some natural obstacle such as mountains, ricers, or even an offshore island. Once concentrated within this zone, the armed forces could eradicate the infestation within its borders, then use what resources were available to defend it against further onslaughts of the living dead. That was the first part of the plan and it made as much sense as any conventional retreat.

It was like a goddamn foreshadowing into what we could expect from this world. A work of fiction that held more truth in the world now than anything else. Sure, our walking dead was different than theirs, but the end game was still the same.

Extermination of the human race.

I only made it a few chapters before I couldn't go on anymore. Some days it was comforting and some days it was depressing. Today was a depressing one. Lying down, my head resting against Mozzie's side, I stared at the constellations in the sky. Remembering the few short weeks where I did this with someone else. But it had ended. Good things never lasted. This world taught you that quickly. Holding my breath, the woods were quiet, and Moz was already sleeping soundly. Letting it out slowly, I sighed, shutting my eyes as I willed for sleep to take me.

Come morning, I woke up curled around Mozzie. He was awake and alert, lying there just to keep me warm and comfortable. Sighing, I wrapped my arm around him, momentarily burying my face in his neck before I removed myself from his side. He sprung to his feet, ready to go as I packed up our little camp. It was second nature now. I could build it and break it down in a matter of minutes. A well-used skill these days. Moving kept us alive, something I planned on doing for as long as possible.

Walking through the never ending expanse of trees, it was a quiet day. Nothing exciting happening. My favorite kind of day. If nothing was happening then it meant we were as safe as we could get. The only thing that could made it better would be a full stomach. Having set up a few snares last night before bed, I checked them, finding them all empty. My stomach growled in protest as Mozzie started to chew on a mossy stick. As appetizing as that sounded, I opted for a long drink of water to help quench some of my hunger pains.

"Maybe we'll get lucky. It's been a couple weeks since we've come across any cabins or towns or barns or anything. Maybe we'll get lucky and sleep in a bed tonight." I told my dog, looking down at him.

He didn't seem at all phased. Not that that was unusual. When it felt okay to talk, I rambled to him all day long. If he could speak than he would be able to tell anyone everything there was to know about me. He knew where I came from, what I'd done before all this started, what I hoped for myself now that it had. He knew my dreams and what I'd lost. He knew everything. And everything I was would probably die with him. I'd be gone and he'd roam alone until he starved to death or was finally eaten himself. Either way, I was pretty sure life wasn't going to get much better than this.

Just living one day at a time. Not knowing what day it was, or what month, never wasting time on planning for an uncertain future. It didn't take long for me to lose track of the days when the world went to shit. Who needed to keep time when there was nothing left but to survive? I was never going to be late for anything again. I was never going to have any appointments or have to go to work or to visit anyone. I was never going to have to worry about anything other than to keep myself alive. Me and Mozzie.

It definitely simplified life. Since that was all there was. Life and Death. Only death didn't mean the same thing anymore. Get bit or scratched and you end up one of them. It was the reality. And we had to live in reality because any fantasy we made up would only lead to our deaths. Or possible death.

"Maybe we'll hit the jackpot and find enough food to last us a month, maybe more." I went on. "Maybe we'll actually find a decent human being." I added, feeling emotion clench in my chest, my throat tightening as I stopped walking. Moz did the same, turning toward me, looking up at me with curious eyes and perked ears. "Maybe we won't be alone forever."

For a moment I composed myself, only then I dropped to my knees, starting to cry. Every once in a while there was a moment or a string of moments, where the world sucked and I was sad and all I wanted was to feel just an ounce of relief. Mozzie sat in front of me, lifting his paw and put it on my shoulder. He may only be a dog but he was smart and he knew exactly what I needed when I needed it, even if I didn't. So I wasn't alone. I was never alone. But I wanted there to be more than what my life had become. There had to be more out there. It couldn't be just me and there couldn't be just this. There had to be more.

"Why?" I cried to him, making his ears go back. "Why did this have to happen? Why couldn't I save –" Cutting myself off, I took a deep shuddering breath. "It shouldn't have turned out this way. It was supposed to be different. Better." He whined and gave one lap of his tongue against my chin. I nodded at him, "Yeah."

Pulling myself together, taking several deep breaths, I finally got to my feet and we started out again. By late afternoon, hunger was starting to motivate me, searching the trees and foliage for anything that could stop the constant turning and clenching of my stomach. A few acorns stifled it for a little while, keeping me moving forward and not circling as I searched for something that just wasn't there. Going as far to grab leaves from the trees to just put something in my stomach.

"Maybe today's the day." I told him, my rambling having gone on for a while now. Sighing, I bowed my head, "I say maybe so much it's not even a word anymore. Maybe I should just change your name to Maybe. See? There I go again. The word maybe will forever be the first word out of my mouth." Sighing again, I looked up at the sky. "Maybe I don't care. What's the point?"

"Maybe it's to keep your sanity." A voice said from somewhere to my left.

Freezing, Mozzie leapt in front of me, his hackles up and his teeth bared, both of us looking in the direction that the voice had come from. It was female, I knew that, but where was she and what the hell was she doing?

Pulling a gun from my bag, I brought it up in front of me, "Show yourself."

"Hey, hey, no need for that." She said as she stepped from behind a tree.

She was tall with long black hair, braided multiple times, and tied to the side, the tail of it falling over her shoulder. Her skin was heavily tanned, her clothes dirty and ripped. Blood was smeared across her skin and the front of her shirt. Her boots were old and worn, the start of a hole starting in the toe.

"I'm not here to hurt you." She told me.

"I don't believe you." I stated. Mozzie snarled and lurched forward only to have the woman step back. "He doesn't either."

"Pretty dog." The woman smiled.

"He's also quite deadly when it comes to those who attempt to hurt us." I stated.

"Were you a cop?"

I frowned at her, "What?"

"You have a German Shepherd. You're holding a 9mm. Two things that is common on any police force." She replied.

"Sure." I shot at her.

"Listen," she said kindly, "I simply heard you talking and thought I'd stop by."

Gripping the gun tighter, I took a step forward, "People don't just stop by anymore. People stop by to steal or to kill. I'm not going to let either of those things happen so you might as well just leave."

"Weren't you saying that you didn't want to be alone?" She smirked at me.

"Yeah, I'm rethinking that." I told her.

She shook her head at me, "I'm not even armed."

"I don't know that." I replied. "And I'm not taking any chances."

She looked at me from top to bottom, "Looks like you've already taken a few."

"No." I shot at her. "I've defended myself from idiots who thought they could take me down. I may be a woman but I am not weak and I will defend my life." Her eyes lowered, dipping her chin, before she looked up at me through her eyelashes. My stomach dropped and I was suddenly terrified. "You knew them."

"My boyfriend and my brother." She stated. "I've been tracking you for two days now. You're a lot harder to find than I had thought you'd be."

"Moz." I said softly.

He lunged and as he lunged, she shifted, and as she shifted, I aimed, and then fired. She slumped to the ground, dead before she knew what was happening. Sighing, I put the gun back in my bag, looking at Mozzie before we started to run. The shot would bring in walkers from every direction and I needed to move on before they showed up. A warm body would keep them busy for a while.

"Maybe I'm wrong about everything." I told my dog as we finally slowed, unable to run anymore. "I don't need anyone but you. Not anymore."

Moving forward, the trees opened up into a small expanse of land. There was a cabin sitting in the distance, a fence lining the property. Both of us stopped and took in the sight before us. There was a man in the field, tilling the ground. Looking down at my dog, I nodded and slowly stepped backward, hoping he wouldn't notice us. Only we weren't that lucky. Also, it wasn't him. I froze as a small girl appeared between the rows of fence. Her blond hair fell nearly to her elbows, pinned up to one side. Her blue eyes were large and sparkling, matching the sundress she wore. White flowers printed on it. Her full pink lips were turned up into a smile. She couldn't have been more than four or five. She was holding a yellow duck stuffed animal that looked very much loved.

"Hello." She said with a soft voice.

"Hello." I replied.

"Do you wanna play?"

This was not what I thought today would be like.