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CHAPTER ONE: WHERE IS MY MIND
( tw! mentions of assault & self harm )
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THE COMMUNITY OF Alexandria was like stepping into the past before the virus plagued the world. The community had come together just as the virus had begun and the world started to fall apart. The community was established as a quarantine zone by the military for politicians. Eventually, once things got bad enough, the military abandoned the community. A congresswoman, Deanna Monroe, stepped up and started to lead the community. She believed the Alexandria Safe Zone was the start of rebuilding civilization.
Most of the residents of Alexandria had never had to experience life outside the protection of the walls. They were never out there killing walkers, killing people, fighting to survive. They never knew starvation or dehydration. They had never had to fight off the dead and escape by the skin of their teeth. They never knew that people were the real enemy in the new world. The dead made things harder, of course, but people were the ones who could really destroy you. Melanie knew that all too well and the residents of Alexandria had no idea what life was like beyond the walls.
After the death of her parents and being forced to fight for survival alone with her sister, Melanie got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was supposed to be a simple raid of an old gas station. Margot had gone to the back of the store to see if there were any supplies that were left while Melanie had searched through the scraps of what was left at the front of the store. Melanie didn't see them coming. Before she knew it, her arms were tied behind her back and a large hand had covered her mouth, preventing her from screaming. Melanie had tried to fight back, stabbing one of the men in the shoulder and biting a finger off of one of the other men. After doing some damage, she was knocked out with the butt of a gun.
Melanie woke up in a concrete basement in an abandoned warehouse. Her wrists and ankles were locked up in chains. The chains were connected to the wall and only let her move a few feet from the wall. There was one window with bars on it up high on one of the walls. Melanie spent the worst six months of her life in that basement. When she was finally able to escape due to a kind man with a crossbow, she spent another three months alone, fighting for survival. She came across a few groups who offered to invite her in. Melanie denied all the offers, not wanting to risk more abuse and torture. When some groups insisted, Melanie spilled a little blood to protect herself, even if they had good intentions. Sometimes, she could still feel the thick crimson on her skin. No matter what, she was terrified to let her guard down again. She couldn't afford to let herself be weak again.
Three months later, she was approached by a man named Aaron who was attempting to recruit her to a community. She almost killed him until her sister appeared and stopped her. Margot Briar had found the Alexandria Safe Zone shortly after Melanie had been kidnapped. Melanie was incredibly grateful that her sister was alive and had been safe but she also envied her. Margot was safe behind tall, steel walls for almost a year being fed and clothed, and living like the world hadn't gone to shit while Melanie was tortured for months in a dark basement.
