The Sheriff and The Archer

Chapter One: First Four

I know this chapter is long, but it's Jade's first four years of the apocalypse and it's important. After this chapter the book is way better, I promise.
PS I'm sorry for the mix up to people who have already read this ):

There had been a few rumors going around town - well I guess you could say going around the country - of the dead rising. People generally laughed about it and told everyone else that if it were true that the government would be making a statement. They would be telling us. Right? Somehow we would know of the freaking dead coming back to life!

I didn't believe any of my friends, not one bit. It was ridiculous. Some kid probably made it up, but then again. If it was made up then why was it on the news? Nobody had any footage of any zombies so it just didn't make sense. This happened in the course of two days.

It was a regular Friday night, my mother, Father, sisters Charlotte and Cate, and my brother Tommy were having family movie night. Tommy was being a jerk as usual, I mean, what thirteen-year-old wants to spend a Friday night with their annoying family? Anyways, Dad was scrolling through the HBO movies choices On-Demand when the TV started making that beeping sound that happened when there was a tornado warning. The seven-year-old twins Char and Cate immediately hid under their blanket together. Tommy snickered and I rolled my eyes at all three of their actions. Mom tensed as she read the words on the screen.

Without my father hitting any buttons on the remote the channel changed to the local news. Then in five seconds it changed again this time it was the president. She was in the... Circle Office... I think it was called. Wait! No! The Oval Office.

"We have just received news that this is...We have received news that we are indeed now engaged in the Zombie Apocalypse. The rumors were true. Listen very closely right now because this could save you:

"These... the walking dead... seem to only be stopped by severe trauma to the brain. Uhm excuse me -" Carly Davis, the fiftieth president wiped a tear from her eye, "If you are bitten this means you will turn into one of them. Yet, if you die at all you will come back, unless you pass on from damage to the brain. We suggest not using any major highways because they all seem to be jammed up.

"Hopefully in a few weeks this will be over, but if that is not the case then... well God bless you all. God bless America. Good luck." President Davis wiped her eyes a few more times before the TV screen went black. Then it turned back on and the message started playing again.

"Oh my God," Tommy breathed out. He repeated himself a few more times before my father cut him off.

"Let's go!" He stood up so quickly I almost missed it. He turned the TV off before walking out, Tommy and Mom stood as well before Mom peeled the blanket from the crying twins and scooped them up and to their feet.

We packed anything and everything we would need. The last items I grabbed were the three things that meant the most to me in this world: the stuffed animal turtle Tommy got me from a carnival, my very small scrapbook full of pictures of my family and two best friends, and my dad's dog tags that he had given to me after his last tour in Iraq.

Tommy and I packed pur families bags into the trunk. After that the two of us went back inside, I saw Dad wizz past and go outside.

"You go help Dad with whatever he's doing, I'll go help Mom with the food and water," Tommy sprinted off to Mom before I could even respond.

I could already see cars driving away and hear crying children asking why they have to go. I knew where my dad was going.  He was in the garage. I walked around to the side of the house and stepped in quietly before closing the door behind me.

When I looked up to where I assumed Dad would be he was staring at our "tool wall", his back facing me. You see, we didn't actually keep tools there. It looked like we did, but we didn't. My dad was high up in the Military a few years ago so he was allowed to have all of these weapons. We always joked that we were actually a family of spies, but nope. Just a very lethal family. Dad stepped to the side of the room looking at our shelves - probably for duffel bags.

"Have you been secretly preparing' for this?" my accent slipped through, which annoyed me. Sure, I loved my accent, but it was your typical Texan accent and it was always pointed out in conversation, so I tried to sound more normal. He actually laughed at me.

"No, Honey... I didn't see this one comin'," he referenced to the apocalypse. I smiled as he used his accent too.

"Knives and hand guns in yours. I got everything else. Actually, Sweetheart could you grab the electric weapons. too?" He didn't have to repeat himself. He knew I got all of it.

"Sure, Papa," I could tell he smiled at the old nickname. In three minutes we had packed all of our weapons and stored them in the car.

"Jade, where the hells your bow?" I snapped my head to the right to look at him from my side of the trunk.

"You're gonna let me -"

"Yes. Now go get it!" I scrambled back to the garage and grabbed my baby that I had been perfecting the use of for the last four years. I grabbed my quiver, filled it with arrows, got extra arrows, snatched up my gloves, and finally gripped my bow. I exhaled in relief because I thought I would have to leave it. As soon as you turned six in this family Dad started to train you at one weapon. Mom was always interested in knives. Dad has guns. Tommy: swords. The twins picked hand guns last year, and I got the bow. We were really equipped for the zombie apocalypse, I guess.

I ran to the left door of the minivan and slid it open. I closed it as soon as I entered. The twins sat in the back. Mom driving with Dad in the passenger seat, Tommy to my right.

"How come she gets her bow?" Tommy hissed to our parents.

"Calm down, baby. Your swords are in the trunk," I informed him, not even looking his way.

"So where are we going?" Mom inquired from the drivers seat. We hadn't even left the neighborhood.

"Uncle Joey?" Cate and Char suggested together. Uncle Joey lives in New York City. Tommy and I looked at each other and spoke with our eyes. We both knew we couldn't go to NYC. The whole place had to be overrun by now.

"How about Grandma Rosa and Grandpa Matt?" My fathers parents, who lived in Oregon.

It took us a year and two days to get to my grandparents house. After the fourth month of the apocalypse our car broke down and from them on we used a car when we could, but mostly went on foot.

The first four years were sorta crazy. What was left of us ended up in Georgia where after a year and a half we found Terminus. They treated us like family until a few months ago when my sister, Char, went missing. We still haven't found her. I've been here for a year and a half.

I've survived the apocalypse so far. I've never felt so alone even though I'm surrounded by people. I should be grateful I'm not dead... or literally all alone, but it feels as if I'm already both of those things.

I've been an archer for eight years. My full name is Jade Olivia Walters. I'm fourteen years old and I don't know which day it is right now but I think it's sometime in the late summer. Early fall maybe. My birthday is in the fall...

I'm keeping a lot of Jade's past a secret because her past becomes very important in later chapters. Also, I shortened three chapters into one so that's good.

Sorry if you already know her past, but in going to change it, if you've already read it.

THANK YOU GUYS!

This book was started on August 14, 2014