Finding Sophia (The Walking Dead Fanfiction)

Prelude

You Wander as A Lonely
Each day you wake up with a frown
Rumors keep spreading around town
That you're suffering a mental breakdown

A solitary walk you walk
A lonely talk you talk
As you wander as a lonely

You wander as a lonely at night
You wander as a lonely on sight
You wander as a lonely at day
You wander as a lonely and pray
You wander as a lonely each day

Slow down, slow down
Shut down, shut down
Shutdown the lonely before you drown

Embrace your friends with warmth
They can give you assistance
Deliver you from your lonely existence
You keep fighting love
Bending it around like a curve
With your glowering face
Reserving only a lonely place,
Halting happiness to arrive in your life

Do you ever stop to wonder?
Do you ever stop to ponder?
Are you the reason for the lonely blunders?

Slow down, slow down
Shut down, shut down
Remove from your head that lonely crown

You wander endlessly as a lonely
Searching for a spot called homely
But your face is missing that vital smile called lovely

Helena Mattsson as Andie Piper

I walked. I just kept moving, away from my past, away from everything. That's how I convinced myself to keep moving, that I was leaving them behind, the people who tried to bring me down, and ultimately kill me.

My name is Andie. Short for Anthea, not Andrea or Cassandra or Mandy or any other stupid name my parents may have decided to give me when I was born. I'm Andie Piper, short for Anthea. My parents had no fucking idea what the word meant, but it had something to do with Greek mythology and Hera, the sister and wife of Zeus. Thank you Greece for your incredible life lessons on incest.

I can't just stop walking away, either. If I paused for even one second, I would be eaten by the geeks. Sure, I needed a few safe places, for when I absolutely had to sleep, but I didn't have many. Never wandered too far from my hometown, even before shit hit the fan.

My "job" before the whole epidemic was pretty pointless. I was an artist, and it had offered absolutely no assistance to the world as it is today. But, I did have to learn to protect myself when I was a kid. Those self-taught ideas stuck through thick and thin.

I had a plan before the world fell apart. And, up until hell's doors were opened, it'd been going pretty smoothly. I tried to stay as realistic as possible, taking the good with the bad, but it didn't happen that way. 2010 came and the fucking world ended. It happened pretty early on that year, around April or May. I live with my boyfriend, who worked in construction...but after the first few months of said hell, we didn't work out. I left him and the shithole of a community we were "a sole part of" and ran like there was no tomorrow.

I think it was one of the best decisions of my whole life.

Being alone does have its flaws, I'll admit. If I got hurt, no one would there. No one would be there for me if I got hurt...but I never had to lose anyone. I didn't have to watch out for anyone except for myself. I didn't have to love anyone or anything. I'm not gonna lie, I still have a soft spot for kids. I mean, they grow up in hell. I haven't seen any kids for months, so I doubt I'll have that issue.

I've never really believed in the whole "strength in numbers" thing. I mean, more mouths to feed, more people to find shelter for, more of everything. And bigger isn't always better...

Just because I don't like having a group doesn't mean I don't like people. I mean, one person wouldn't be too bad, but I don't know if o could bring myself to trust them. I've trusted way too many people who have just turned around and stabbed me in the back. If I'm gonna be completely honest, if I had an "ally" just to keep from going crazy, it would have to be a kid.

I mean, I am only human. I've gotten used to the killing part of the world over the four months I've been on my own, but I don't think I'll ever get used to the silence. The smell sucks, I'll admit, but I've gotten used to rubbing guts all over me so the geeks don't notice the me. That is not the worst thing I've done, trust me.

I was sleeping in one safe places. It was the second night I'd been there. I loved this house. I loved everything about it and I really just wanted it. I claimed it as my own, locking up the doors and windows. Only way through is the roof. So, if someone wonders if I have a camp, I guess this would be it. I have a few other places, but this is my main base of operation. The only downside of the house is that it's in this really tiny neighborhood of Nowhere in Shitburg County. I knew what it was like to grow up in a small town, and I know whoever really lived here hated it.

It was only one story, but it was nice. Way better than the house I grew up in. A bathroom, two bedroom, a kitchen, and a living room. The bedrooms must've been the parents and a little girl's. The little girl's was decorated with butterflies and had pink wallpaper. Judging by the size of her clothes, she was eleven or twelve. I found some 'pre-teen' magazines in the drawers and little odds and ends I never really had. I loved this fucking house so much.

It was sad that the only reason I had something this nice was because the goddamn world ended. I can't complain too much. I'm still breathing. Hardly anyone's doing that anymore.

I was out, checking some of the traps I set the day before last. Yes, I had to learn how to hunt. No, I didn't enjoy it, but it had to be done. Especially considering eventually the canned food will run out, so I need to hunt if I want to live.

I didn't plan on heading far, just a thousand steps north, to my farthest trap. I was well prepared for any geeks on the way and even better prepared for people. I've had my fair share of bad experiences, and I'm not willing to trust someone instantly just because I ran into them in the woods.

This world has only been here for six months. I've been out here on my own four months...and it's already eating away at who I am, changing me, rearranging my priorities and what I want to do with my life. All I have are two choices anymore: strive to live or choose to die. I want to live. Now, there are a few ways I can do that. I can join a group and risk it all, my life, my trust, everything gets strung up in the line. Or, I can stay on my own, only care for myself.

    ...I am alone...