Days Gone By

Diary Entery No.1

Ever since I was 6 years old, I always dreamt of becoming a police officer, or so my parents told me. I'm not quite sure how the obsession started, but I do recall watching a presentation in 8th grade middle school, when I was 13 years old. Two police officers came in to talk to all of our class about illegal drug use. I wouldn't stop taking about it for days, how authoritative they were. How much power filled the room when they walked in! I drove my parents up the wall going on about it.

I moved around a lot when I was younger, though. I grew up in Derbyshire, England, but moved to Atlanta, Georgia, when I was 10 years old. My parents told me we had family over there, but I don't recall ever visiting any. I didn't continue with school until I was 11 when I started Middle school, however, we had to move back to the UK when I was 14 for an untold reason. I spent the remaining 2 years in school at my hometown but moved down to London so that I could start my police training at the age of 18. It wasn't until I was 21 that I had completed it, however, my parents decided to move back to Atlanta. I was angry to say the least. How was I expected to do well in life if we couldn't settle? I still lived with my parents until I could get a job in the force and I couldn't exactly support myself on the minimum wage I was currently on.

Just as I thought all the time I had put in for my future career was over, I found a small light of hope at the end of the tunnel. After spending a year working at McDonald's, admittedly at a higher rate that I was previously payed, I found a job opportunity at the the King County Sheriff's Department. I was more than surprised to recognise a familiar face from my Middle school days in the police force.

Me and Rick Grimes were quite the team back in the day, although he was 3 years above me, but we would always meet after school since we lived only 10 minutes away from each other. I never knew Shane Walsh until my second week in the Police force though.

The 4 years that I worked beside Rick and Shane were the best years of my life. Mine and Rick's relationship grew even stronger and Shane became one of my closest friends, alongside Rick, of course. I have to admit, I was a pretty useless police officer at first, I'm surprised the Deputies didn't refuse to work shifts with me after the first 6 months. However, you can't help but improve when you have two of the greatest mentors.

Life was easy and fun. I enjoyed work, although I was figuratively married to it. Shane would always poke fun at the fact I rarely dated or went out on the pull, but I didn't mind. I enjoyed living on my own. That was, of course, after I had moved out of my parents house a year into my job. I didn't move far from them, mainly because I couldn't be at too much of a distance from work, but it was enough that I felt far more independent.

I got to meet Rick's tiny family he had built, including Carl. He was 5 years old at the time, a right little chatter box too. I remember he wouldn't  stop following me for a solid 2 hours at the Barbecue Lori had hosted, telling me the names of all his stuffed animals and the sounds they make. Lori hadn't invited me that day, but I came anyway.

But that was back when the world was normal.

Normal.

That seems like another lifetime ago. That word doesn't belong in this world anymore. It doesn't exist.

Day 1 after the outbreak.
Audrey Potter