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CHAPTER TWO
IN THE MIDST of all the chaos that had taken place within the past month, the only place that vibrated peace was the evergreen woods that was located next to the camp. It was the place where Athena spent most of her time — alone.
It had been a month or so since the initial outbreak. Since then, Athena had been through a lot. On the night the people of Atlanta were evacuated from the city, the young woman was taken in by a man who helped her called Shane. Shane was a cop, so Athena naturally assumed that he would be safe to be with — at least until she outstayed her welcome or decided to move on.
Along the way, Athena and her new acquaintances found more survivors and together they made a camp that was set up just outside the city. It was ideally situated in order to stay alive; they were close enough to the city to make runs in and out for supplies but far enough away so they didn't attract any walkers. But, that still didn't stop Athena's deep fear she felt every time she woke up and started her day.
Athena was strong, there was no doubt about it. But, she didn't know how to fight or more importantly kill. She wasn't skilled with a knife and didn't know the first thing about shooting a gun. They were all skills she would need to learn if she wanted to protect herself. It was because of that, she had spent most of her days in the woods training to be a better fighter to defend herself against those rotten creatures. But that wasn't the only reason why she was out there all by herself, she wanted to learn how to hunt and play her part in the group.
Athena was beyond appreciative for the people she was with and after spending so much time around them, she had actually become quite close with many members. It was a first for the young woman to have friends. Growing up, Athena spent most of her time with random groups people, who she didn't particularly care about, getting into trouble and making bad decisions she still regrets. The only person she really had was her grandfather whom she lived with most of her life.
The brunette stepped quietly through the woods, careful not to scare away any animals or better yet attract any of the monsters. Her large eyes scoured the surrounding area intently, searching for any sign of life with a gun in her hand. The gun didn't belong to Athena, it was Shane's — they had grown closer within the time they spent at the camp so Athena would often 'borrow' his gun whenever she went into the woods which was quite often.
Suddenly, Athena caught sight of movement in the distance. She immediately lifted her gun and focused on where the movement came from. It was a rabbit feeding on old and shrivelled berries that were far from edible for any human to eat. Athena cautiously stepped forward, carful not to startle it as she took aim. The rabbit was completely still, if she managed to kill it then at least they would have something to eat tonight. She waited a few moments as she braced herself for the impact of the gun — but it never came. A branch snapped behind her causing the rabbit to flee in fear as it disappeared from her sight.
