Vanessa Taylor, a sassy blue haired, tattooed cosmetologist with a mouth of a sailor was born and raised in Ohio. One summer while she was visiting her sick father, her connecting flight ends in the city getting shut down, leaving her stranded in th...
I locate my way back shortly before nightfall, hearing some fighting amongst the group. "You used her for bait!?" It seems by the the gruff tone that Rick, Daryl and Shane, maybe Dale too, are at odds. I'm able to distinguish a few different voices coming from their own campsite. I shake my head, hoping to sneak into my tent under everyone's radar.
Eventually, I start dozing off. No longer after, I pick up on someone rustling outside of my tent. I shoot up, grabbing my knife, sitting quietly listening to the sounds around me.
"Vanessa, I know you're back," Rick's voice quietly calls out. "You missed dinner. We left some for you over by the campsite, if you're hungry."
I relax, rubbing the sleepiness out of my eyes, "yeah, thanks." I snag my coat, pulling it on. I clamber of my tent, to meet Rick face to face.
He's in stride with me as we start the trek across the darkened yard. "When Daryl came back, he told me he found you," he hesitates, "you were used as bait?"
"It's copasetic, for the good for the group, and all." I shrug, too tired to care at the moment. "I did say I had nothing else to do. Did I pass some sort of group initiation?"
He chuckles, "He was pretty upset when he got back. I heard him mention you were from Ohio."
I sigh, "yeah. I was on my way back from seeing my dad when they decided to evacuate the city. He's sick or was. I don't know. I always flew by myself," I spread my arms, "which is why I was alone when you found me."
"Glenn found me. I was shot in the line of duty. I was in a coma when the virus broke out, left in the hospital. Without him, I wouldn't have found my wife and son."
I cast a glance over at him, "so you were a cop?"
He nods, "sheriff's deputy. Shane was my partner."
"Explains what you were wearing when I met you. My impression was right!" I grin, "so it was like a family reunion, huh?"
We reach the campsite, sitting in the chair I found in the middle, eating the food they left me, graciously. Rick and I continue talking amongst ourselves, about life before it got flipped upside down. Dale saunters over, joining us. Daryl is across from me; I can feel his eyes boring into me, listening without lending anything to the conversation. I ignore him.
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I stumble out of my tent the next morning, cursing myself for sleeping in. Though, it's been months since I felt safe enough to lower my guard, and sleep. I migrate over to the group; Glenn lends me a peach on my way to the little powwow around the truck. "Thanks." I grumble.
"Whoever slept in that cupboard was no bigger than yay-high." Daryl estimates with his hand, nodding at me upon my arrival.
"It could've been anyone... Hey, Vanessa, you're about that height, did he find your old sleeping spot?" Shane pats me on the back, I shift towards him, narrowing my eyes.
