Survival Guide: To Surviving the Living Dead 101

Rule #3

Observer Your Surroundings

No matter where you are or where you go, always make sure you observe your surroundings. Walkers can come out of nowhere and so can people. The last thing you want to happen is for someone to sneak up on you or worse a walker to sneak up on you. One bite and you're dead. If someone comes up on you they could either one, kill you and take your stuff. Two, they could just injure you bad enough and leave you as walker chow. Three, they could just take everything you and leave. But I'm going with the latter and say they'll probably kill you. That's just the world we live in now.

Once we got to the city Glenn parked the truck on the train tracks. Not like a train is going to be coming through anytime soon. While walking towards the alley to lead us to the department building my brother, my very much alive brother, left Merle Dixon handcuffed, there was a small agreement about what to do first. We weren't just here to get Merle, we were also here to get the bag of guns Rick had dropped. He had raided the stations armory before leaving Kings County.

Glenn made the decision to get Merle first then get the bag of guns. But of course things never worked out the way you wanted them to. When T-Dog took the bolt cutters that he narrowed from Dale and cut through the lock he used to keep the door shut, we found that Merle wasn't there. He had used the hacksaw that was left behind to cut his own hand off. Daryl wasn't all too happy but I don't blame him, I would be pretty pissed too.

We followed a blood trail only coming across a couple walkers on the way. It looked like Merle had taken a couple down himself. The blood trail ended up leading us into the kitchens where we found chafing fuel cans still burning and a burger flattener that had burned flesh on it. "That's gross," I mumbled. Merle had cauterized the wound and then broke the window to get to the fire escape. We agreed we would look around the city for him but only after we got the bag of guns.

We found an office and Glenn drew up a small map of where Rick had dropped the bag and the alleys nearby. He used a couple things he found as the tank and bag of guns. "Why me?" Daryl asked after Glenn said about Daryl waiting for him in the alley closest to the tank. "Your crossbow is quieter than his gun."

Once everyone knew their places and jobs we headed out. I was going with Daryl. Rick and T-Dog were going to be in the alley two blocks away in case Glenn couldn't get to the alley Daryl and I were in. As we waited Daryl and I stood behind a dumpster. I leaned against the wall while he propped his crossbow on the edge of the dumpster. "You don't seem happy to have your brother back," he said. I looked up at him, "I am. I'm happy he's alive. It's just... I don't know. I should have double checked to make sure. I mean he was alive and I left him in that hospital. He must have been so confused and scared," I said. Daryl looked over at me, "ya didn't know. It was crazy in the beginning. Nothin' made sense. Everyone was in a panic."

All of a sudden some kid maybe five years younger than me came up behind us. Daryl trained his crossbow on him and I pulled my gun from my holster. Daryl asked about his brother only for the kid to start yelling for someone. Daryl was able to cover his mouth until two other guys came at him. I was knocked against the wall trying to get them off Daryl. Glenn had made it back to the alley only for two of the guys to shove him in a car and take off. Daryl did manage to shoot one of them in the ass with an arrow. We had the kid too.

We took the kid back up to the office we were in and made him sit in a chair. He was a cocky little bastard too. Daryl asked him if he had seen Merle to which the kid only insulted the name saying he wouldn't name his dog Merle. That only pisses Daryl off more. Since he decided to keep Merle's severed hand he took it out of Glenns bag and tossed it at the kid. He freaked out and crawled to lean up against a filing cabinet where Daryl threatened to start with his feet.

It scared the kid enough to take us to where his people were staying. It didn't go as planned and we had to go back to the office. Rick tried to tell us to go back to camp and he would get Glenn. "And what the hell do you want me to tell Carl and Lori? Huh? I already had to tell them you were dead. I'm sure Lori hates me more than she did before," I said. He sighed but didn't say anything. We each got a rifle or shotgun and made a plan. T-Dog would get up on the wall so he could have a clear shot of the leader if things went wrong and we would take the kid back. Luckily it didn't come to having to kill anyone. It turned out these people were looking out for the elderly that had been left behind. They didn't have very many weapons. Glenn was fine and Rick ended up giving them a box of ammo and a rifle. Then we left and headed back to the train tracks. When we got there the van was gone. We had to walk back to camp.

While walking up the lane to the quarry we heard gunshots going off. We looked at each other and then started running. When we got there it was overrun by walkers. Several people were dead. The five of us came in and started shooting. When we were done and Rick saw Lori and Carl were okay he relaxed a little. I stood beside Daryl just looking around at all the dead bodies. This was the first time any walkers had gotten into camp. It looked like it was time to move. Tomorrow we would have to clean everything up. We would separate the bodies. Walkers would be burned and our friends and family would be buried. I noticed Andrea sitting by the RV, Any lay on the ground dead. I also noticed Ed wasn't around. I know I shouldn't say it but good riddance.

"This is a fucking mess," I said. I was sitting beside Daryl away from everyone else. Andrea was still sitting beside her now dead sister. People were softly crying and still scared. No one was going to get any sleep tonight. "We can't stay here anymore," I said. Daryl was cleaning his bolts so I only received a hum. "I'm sorry about your brother. My sorry my brother handcuffed your brother to a fucking roof," I said. He looked up at me, "ain't your fault." It sure the fuck felt like it. It seems like everything has gone to hell since Rick showed up. I know none of this is his fault but god damn this was a shit show.