The World We Knew

Chapter One

'Keep moving, Kristy, you can do this.' I told myself as I was running through the forest, away from my camp and my family. We were attacked by those things. I looked behind as I was running to see two of them still chasing me when I tripped on a root and fell into a tree. I groaned as I held onto the tree. I rested my head against it and looked behind me and seen that those things were almost to me. I looked up at the tree I was leaning against and jumped up, grabbing onto a branch and pulling myself up. I was a few feet off the ground when I heard two thuds. I looked and seen the two things lying on the ground. I slid down the tree to the ground and turned more to see a man, pointing a crossbow at me. A noise came out of throat as I took a step back, falling to the ground as I scooted myself backwards. "Please don't hurt me." I told him quietly as I stared at the crossbow.

"I ain't going to hurt ya," he grumbled at me and looked around "and get up before more walkers come around." He snapped at me, making me immediately get up.

"Yes sir." I said quietly as he stared at me. I looked down at the ground as he took a step towards me.

"Where are you parents kid? Family, group, anything?" He asked me. I glanced up at him and then looked back towards my camp, tears building up in my eyes. He sighed and also looked in the same direction. "That why you were running?" He asked. I nodded a little as I wiped a tear away from my face.

"They're all dead." I said just above a whisper. He rubbed his chin a little.

"Come on, I'll take you back to my group." He said and started walking. I trailed behind him a little and looked at the dead squirrels he had tied to a rope. "Kid, keep up." I heard and then realized I was trailing a little to far behind him. I quickly hurried up next to him.

"My name's Kristina, but everyone just calls me Kristy." I told him. He nodded down to me.

"Daryl." He said as he looked around. I looked at the dead squirrels again and then spotted some tracks on the ground.

"Excuse me, Daryl?" I asked, catching his attention. He just grunted at me. "Were you out hunting?"

"Yeah, why?" He asked me.

"There's deer tracks leading that way." I said and pointed to the tracks on the ground. He looked at them and then back at me.

"How'd you..?" He trailed off, I smiled slightly.

"My dad was teaching me how to hunt and track before.. before he died." I told him. He nodded to me.

"Well, do you mind if we kill it and then go back to camp?" Daryl asked me, I shook my head no. "Alright, stay quiet and keep up." He told me. We began following the tracks when we spotted the deer. Daryl shot an arrow at it, killing the deer. I watched in amazement as he started to walk up to the deer. I want to walk with him but was grabbed and pulled against someone. I yelped as felt something at my throat. "Let her go." Daryl snapped at the person who grabbed me as he raised his crossbow at us.

"Then give me all your food." The man snapped. "And your bow."

"You're not getting either, let her go." Daryl said with anger in his voice.

"Fine, then I'll just take the kid and leave." The man said as my eyes filled with tears.

"Daryl" I said as a sob escaped my throat.

"If you don't let her go, then I swear to god I will stomp your ass." Daryl threaten the man, who chuckled and took a step back. Then Daryl shot an arrow and my eyes slammed shut. I felt the man let go and then a stinging line went down my arm as I fell too. I opened my eyes and set my hand on my arm where I began bleeding. "You okay, Kristy?" He asked me. I nodded a little and moved my hand back a little, looking at the cut. Daryl sighed and tied a hanker-chief around my arm.