The Ranger

Chapter One: The Fall

My first experience with a walker was with my caretaker at the orphanage. When I was 12, she was bit, and she turned in the night; that was how I learned not to let them bite you. As they were closer, she had gone to the other rooms, and the screams got my attention. I found her munching on the other kids. That was the thing about me. I never had anyone; I just showed up at the orphanage one day on the doorstep. Growing up, I never had any friends because everyone around me was always leaving and getting adopted, but not me, or they stayed away because I was a freak with a photographic memory. I stayed year after year until I accepted that nobody wanted me, so I decided I didn't want them and didn't flinch when I had to put her down. I found out real quick that it had to be a head wound, or it wouldn't stop them. I only stuck around for a little bit after that; if I wanted to live, then I would need to move, so I grabbed a backpack and stuffed some clothes, food, and water, grabbed the kitchen knife I had, and started walking down the street in the shadows until I reached the outskirts of town, I decided to keep walking until I hit another city.

Three months and the only living people I've seen didn't look trustworthy, a bunch of older men. I watched them kill a family of four before looting them and moving on, only increasing my distrust of people.

Six months on the road have taught me a couple of things: first, always be ready to run; second, never trust anyone; and last, but probably the most important, that sound attracts walkers. Since it was getting colder, I started to head south, following one of the interstate signs to a city called Evansville, somewhere in Indiana. I also found a better knife in a hunting store.

It's been about a year. I kept going south the colder it got until I hit the coast. I stayed outside a small city called Panama City in Florida. Once it got warm again, I started my trek back north to Columbus, Georgia. It seemed like it would be an excellent place to check. On my way to Columbus, I got corned in an alleyway by ten walkers, and I thought that it was the end until I heard a deep thrum and thunk as a walker dropped an arrow sticking out of its head, followed by more arrows flying out of nowhere and the rest of the walkers dropped. Suddenly, there was a cloaked figure in front of me; I pulled my knife in front of me. "I don't have anything you want," I told the figure, my voice quiet and raspy after not using it for months. "why would I want anything from you, young one?" the figure asked in a deep voice that sounded like gravel.

"It's what everyone does: save someone and demand payment or kill and loot them," I said back, tightening my grip on my knife; before I could react, I was on my back, and the knife clanged to the ground. "I don't want anything, but if you want to live, then you should follow me," he said as he turned and started to walk away. I groaned, rolled onto my stomach, and said, "Wait." I got to my feet and grabbed my knife. "What's your name?" I asked as I got closer. "Halt, my name is Halt."

A/N: Just doing a little bit of cleaning on these chapters before I continue writing. 

Edited 05/06/2024