Rick Grimes' Daughter ~ Born a Survivor

1. Wasn't gone after all...

Ruby's P.O.V.

- Ruby, go help Carol with the laundry at the lake. I have to watch over your brother, tells me, mom, while walking at the opposite direction from me.

I was sitting around the fire camp, reading a book when she came to me. I read tht book five times already... I know this story by heart by now. Soon, I'm going to learn word by word and I won't have to open it anymore...

I put the book down and stand up to walk towards the lake where Carol is cleaning the laundry of each and every one of us of this group. To keep our lives as normal as possible despite the craziness going on, the adults decided to establish rules and to give duties. Right, but that doesn't explain why we're all here nor how we all ended up here... Just to make a quick recap, it has been months since everything turn to hell. Lots of people died, whether by a sickness, by an accident, or any other way, and at everyone's surprise, they all came back to life. The only problem is that all of those people who resurrected, they all wanted just one thing... Eating the living ones. Some people say it's a sickness. Others say it is what we all deserve. I don't really know what to think about it... Actually, I'm not even sure if I understand well what's going on. Who does? All I know is that it's pretty scary.

I remember when we were getting out of the city, I saw several people getting attacked by those things and getting bitten or even eaten by them. There was blood, there was flesh... Ugh...! I was covering Carl's eyes so he would not watch those horrifying sight. Mom, Carl, Shane, and I were taking the higway but I guess everyone had the same idea to get out of the city. However, the Highway got blocked very fast and we got stuck there for hours.

After being stuck a few hours on the road, we met people. Carol and her family, Glenn, Morales, Dale, Daryl and Merle, Jim, Jacqui, T-Dog, and the two sisters, Andrea and Amy. Now, we are all sharing this camp and those chores. Sort of... All together, it is how we survive in this world. At least, that's how we survived so far...

Shane was my dad's best friend. They've known each other since high school. But he is like an uncle to me. I even used to call him Uncle Shane when I was younger. I still do sometimes but... I haven't ever since I learned about my father's... Death. Dad died a bit before all of this happened... I miss him like crazy every single day. I think Carl does too and mom... Maybe she does? Maybe she doesn't? I didn't see her cry when he disappeared... Or maybe I don't remember? Anyway...

I walk up to Carol who is doing the laundry all by herself. She is sitting on a rock, two buckets in front of her. One for the dirty clothes, one for the clean ones.

- Hey, Carol! I greet the woman with a smile while joining her sides.

- Hey, Ruby, what are you doing down at the lake? She asks me kindly, giving me back a smile. Carol is one of the kindest woman I've ever let. She's honestly too kind for this world. She has a daughter, Sophia, who is almost the same age as I am. But I'm still older. Carol's husband, Ed, is a true dick, I'm not going to lie. He would always abuse his wife and his daughter...

- I came to help you. I don't have much to do, I reply to the woman as I grab a clothe.

- Well, thank you, honey, you can take those clothes and hang them. I already washed them. It helps me a lot, she says  with a smile.

- Considere it done, I answer to her. I drop the clothe back in the bucket and take the basin instead. I walk back to the camp to hang those clothes like she demanded me.

From where I stand, on top of the little slope where the camp is, I can see absolutely everything. Carl and Sophia are playing at the lake, Carol is washing the clothes, the old man named Dale is on his RV watching if anything goes wrong, a young adult named Amy is fishing, and my mom... Well, she's is nowhere to be seen... And neither is Shane actually. The rest of the group is in town to bring back some supplies. We are running low on food and water. Well, water is okay I guess compared to our stack of food...