Before it All- TWD fanfic

Hershel's Farm

     "An outbreak of this mysterious, unidentified virus is spreading like wildfire here in a southern L.A. hospital. At this point, we have been informed that it is going to be contained to this hospital. Samantha Greene, reporting from the Golden Gate Bridge in Las Angeles."

Hershel and Jo sat hugging each other for comfort at the distressing news report. "What could it be?" Jo asked, looking at Hershel with wide eyes. Hershel released a long, heavy sigh before responding, "I have absolutely no clue." Maggie, who was sitting at the end of the couch, stood saying "I'll make lunch, what do you guys want?" "Oh, anything really..." Hershel and Jo said in unison, causing fourteen year old Beth to laugh hysterically.

      The next few days came with more news of the same chilling genre. It was spreading from the west coast inward, inching closer to Hershel's precious family by the day. After about a week, Samantha Greene was in Little Rock. "At this rate, the virus, now nicknamed "the geeks" because of its disastrous effects, will reach Georgia by daybreak tomorrow." She flashed a sad smile before finishing with "Live from Little Rock, Sam Greene, have hope Georgia." Jo sucked in one harsh breath, but then it was as if no one dared breathe after hearing the devastating news. Everyone's thoughts were going through the same pattern: Here? Tomorrow? How will we survive? What are the unnamed, "disastrous" effects of "the geeks"?

      As predicted, the virus and accompanying zombies came the next day, though it was closer to lunch when it started to make itself known. Hershel went to the edge of his farm to see what the virus and its symptoms were like. He saw rioting, coughing infected people, and even the first few zombies. Seeing the zombies is what made Hershel return home. The zombies he saw made him wonder how long it was going to take before a cure was found.

***3 months later***

"Hershel, we are low on everything; I have to go on a run!" Jo pleaded with Hershel. Hershel however, was not going to budge. "No you're needed here. Send Maggie on a run!" She's busy working here. I'm going." She turned on her heel and headed for the stables.

At the stables, Jo took Poncho, her favorite palomino, out to ride on the run.

A/N: Friend, please get this reference. Think back a couple years...

She mounted Poncho and rode. Jo was at a restaurant they frequented before the outbreak called Jims Steak 'n' Potatoes (I made the name up, I can't remember the restaurant in town near the pharmacy). She was trying to grab a can of something off the top shelf in the kitchen, when a walker ambled up behind her. She was grunting in her efforts to reach because she had to jump to try to reach (she was 5"6' and it was a 6" high shelf), so she didn't hear the walkers groans. It was right behind her before Jo noticed the zombie. She whipped around, while realizing that she is completely unarmed, so her only option was to run.

Jo ran out the kitchen door and turned to see the walker coming closer, and she ran faster. She ran until she got to the door, but when she got there, it was jammed. While she struggled with the door, the zombie was able to catch up with her. It uttered a low growl before it sank its rotting teeth into the cord of Jo's neck and pulled back as far as its neck would allow.

Jo finally got the door open and ran. At this point, she had dropped anything she had gathered. She was bleeding furiously, and this made her fall repeatedly. On the fourth fall, the zombie caught up and bit her on her lower leg. After a long struggle, Jo was almost to Poncho... She managed to get right next to him after pushing the walker off, and mounted. She rode until she saw the farmhouse.

Maggie was sitting on the porch railing when Jo-now unconscious- rode up on Poncho. "Daddy, Momma's hurt!!" Maggie screamed. Hershel came sprinting through the house "What? Help me put Poncho away." They got the horse put away and decided to put Jo in the old barn for safekeeping. Hershel. Broke. Down. He completely and utterly shut down after Jo turned. It wasn't until later, after Shane shot a walker in the chest five times and it kept coming and after his wife tried to kill Beth, that he realized that the walker Jo turned into wasn't Jo.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed my fanfic!! Keep checking for Before it All-chapter 2: The Prison.