𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐎𝐍 𝐌𝐘 𝐀𝐑𝐌 , dina

chapter one | welcome to jackson

THE FIRST INFECTION was the worst thing that ever happened to her. Her life completely fell apart; everything and everyone she knew and loved was gone. All she had left were her parents, but she wasn't sure for how long. Due to the rapid spread of the infection, schools and businesses were forced to shut down, people were left in fear of being next to turn, and resources quickly declined.

The world was falling apart right in front of her. It scared her more than anything ever could.

She missed the days when all she had to worry about was who she would sit with at lunch.

However, that was years ago. Now, she's twenty years old and alone. Her parents were bit, quickly turning into one of them, an infected. She never thought she would have to see the brutal end of her parents, but the universe had a different plan for her. She's been alone for weeks, with no one around for miles. That's what hurts the most. She was alone.

She thought that until one random Wednesday night. On the other side of the broken-down house she called her temporary home, she heard the voice of a man calling her name. She'd never heard this voice before.

She didn't think people were around. Where did he come from?

Not long after, she heard a female voice. "Tommy, I don't think she's here. This place is not stable enough for a person to live in." The woman spoke with an annoyed tone. "We were stupid to come out here." She continued, her tone growing more annoyed by the minute.

Y/n looked out the broken window, seeing the night sky and the bright stars. She couldn't help but wonder how long they had been looking for her. How did they know about her?

"I understand how you feel, but we promised her parents. We can't break that promise." She heard the man's voice speak once again. Did they know her parents? How long have they known about her? "I can't break this promise."

Now, she needed answers. She wasn't sure if she could trust them or not, though. After grabbing her bat, she made her way toward the visitors, ready to swing if she had to. When she turned the corner, she saw a man with dirty blond hair and green eyes and a woman with blonde hair. They were arguing about her.

After a few seconds, the man finally noticed her, looking at her with a grin that said he recognized her. "You must be the famous Y/n we've heard so much about. I'm Tommy, and this is my wife, Maria." He introduced as he carefully approached her, pointing toward the woman who traveled with him once he introduced her. "We're from a small town called Jackson; that's where you'll be living. You'll be living with us."

As Tommy got closer, Y/n started to step away from him. She was terrified; she didn't know if she could trust them or not. There was no way she was expected to just go somewhere with them. "How do you two know my parents?" Y/n finally spoke up, trying to get any answers she could.

"We were out on patrol a few years ago when we saved them from some infected, and since then we have stayed in contact until...you know," Maria explained, her tone shifting to a sadder one. How could they stay in communication? Her parents never owned a radio, unless they were supplied with one. "We want to help you, and not just because your parents asked us to."

"The horses are just outside; we don't have to travel very far," Tommy said with a soft grin. At that moment, Y/n grabbed her bag and went with Tommy and Maria.

They arrived at Jackson around six that morning, just before people started waking up. The horses were put back in the stables, and Maria and Tommy walked around the town with Y/n to give her a tour. Along the way, they talked about their way of life and talked to her about patrols.

She tried to focus on the words, but all she could focus on was the town. It's been years since she's seen a town in business like this. The last time she saw a town in business like this was when she was ten years old. She missed the time before the first infection.

As they walked, Tommy and Maria would answer any questions that Y/n had. She wanted to know everything her parents didn't tell her. "Your parents were always super protective of you. You knew that though, of course." Tommy spoke, soon letting out an awkward chuckle. He quickly earned a look from his wife. "I know this isn't what you wanted with your life, but you'll thrive here. You'll find great friends here, I promise."

As if on cue, a woman who looked to be about her age with black hair approached Tommy and whispered something to him. It appeared to be something business-related. Tommy had a serious look on his face. "Oh, how rude of me. Y/n, this is Cat; she goes on patrol for us." Tommy introduced her with a nicer expression on his face. It was easy to tell that he was encouraging a conversation between the two. "You'll be starting patrols soon enough; she might be your patrol partner too."

Cat just looked at her with a grin and stuck her hand out to her. "I'm Y/n; I just got here a little over half an hour ago." Y/n nervously smiled and shook her hand.

"Cat, you should finish up the tour and show Y/n where she'll be staying," Maria suggested, soon flashing a smile at her before turning to look at her husband. "We have some work to do around here; it's important business."

Everyone, including Tommy, was confused by that statement. After a second, he finally understood what she meant. "Oh yeah, we have stuff to discuss." Tommy agreed, soon walking away with his wife.

The two girls looked at each other and let out a laugh.

"I guess we better go; there's more to see."

With that, the two continued the walk. They would talk about everything that came to mind, trying to get to know each other. From the looks of it, Cat would be her first friend in this new place.

She was starting to feel less nervous.

Her first full day in Jackson is tomorrow; she was super nervous yet excited. She had already made her first friend, and she had parental figures. No one could replace her parents, but it felt nice to not feel alone. She had a sense of belonging again.

She was getting ready for bed when she checked the time; it was midnight. Cat had helped her get started on training for patrols. Tommy mentioned that she could be going on patrols next week at the earliest. She was kind of excited for that.

Once she had pulled on her pajama pants, she heard a knock at her door. "It's open!" She yelled at whoever was at the door and sat on her bed. Once she saw who was visiting, a smile appeared on her face. "Hey Tommy, what's going on?" She asked curiously.

"I'm just checking in to see how you're doing." He responded, waiting for permission to sit down. "Do you think you'll like it here?"

Truthfully, she believed that she would enjoy her life in Jackson. It wasn't life with her parents, but she could thrive here. They had everything she could ever need and more. "I think I will; everyone seems super nice," Y/n replied, a grin appearing on her face.

"Good. Cat seemed to like you. She had nothing but good things to say about you. I'm glad you made a friend already."

"Me too. I was hesitant at first, but I like it here."

Once he finally got permission, Tommy sat next to her on the bed. They talked about what her schedule would look like and what her job would be. He also reminded her that she could talk to him about anything; he wanted her to feel as comfortable there as possible. When he vowed to protect Y/n, he took it seriously.

He would treat her as if she were his daughter. Maria knew that the second Tommy made the promise, "Alright, kid, get some sleep. You have training after breakfast tomorrow." He spoke with a tired grin, now standing up and leaving.

Tomorrow is her first full day in Jackson, and she couldn't be more excited.

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brooke speaks!

i've been working on
this chapter for a while.
i hope you enjoyed it
and i hope there's no
mistakes!