"Sigh."

Waking up, I remembered the things that happened the night before. The people that I had killed both indirectly and directly.

'Ain't life a bitch?' I thought as I got up to get ready for the day. I say get ready but it's nothing more than wiping myself off with wet wipes, brushing my teeth, and changing into a clean set of clothes.

After getting ready, I opened up a can of refried beans and ate that for breakfast. I had to force it down because I had little appetite, but I knew I needed sustenance.

'Even though I didn't get the best rest, it did jog some of my memories of the show. And I think I need to revise my original plan to join the group.

I originally planned to somehow meander my way in when they're getting the guns, maybe help them save Glenn from the local group, and ingratiate myself that way. Thinking about it now, it's too risky and suspicious. I sure as hell wouldn't trust someone that approached me in that manner.

The next best thing I can think of is to make my way to their camp and stumble upon it. Obviously, they'll look at me with suspicion maybe even chain me up, but that'll be part of the plan. Later on in the day when they get attacked by zombies, I can warm them beforehand, maybe kill some zombies myself, and ingratiate myself that way.

I hate how scheming I sound, but I'll get over it.

Anyway, it's more important for me to join them now that I remembered something about when they go to the CDC, the weird AI they have there.

It had slipped my mind because it had been so long since I had watched the show, but it came to me in my dreams. And I'm sure as hell not letting something like that slip me by.

I could just break into the building myself, it would be easy as pie with my watch and my hacking skills, but since I want to interact with the main cast anyway, I can kill two birds with one stone like this.

I'll also have to come up with a believable backstory, but that should be easy. Fresh out of high school kid who likes computers, parents killed by zombies so I had to run to survive. Wandered around until I accidentally stumbled upon their camp. It's rough, but it'll do.

Now I just need to find the quarry on the map and I can go.'

Taking out the map I found the day before, I found the quarry after a few minutes of searching. It was small on the map so it took a while to find, but now that I had, I was ready to take off.

'Okay, let's go.' I thought as I activated the Camouflage function.

~

A little over two hours later, I would've gotten there faster but with so many overturned cars and blocked pathways it took longer, and I was on the outskirts of where the camp should be.

'Have my backpack with some supplies, my gun at my waistband, my knife at my side, and my now dinged-up baseball bat. I look like a regular survivor.'

As I started to get closer to where I estimated the camp was I heard some children screaming for their parents followed by the sound of worried parents and then the sound of something getting beaten up.

'No time like the present.' I thought as I walked toward the noise before emerging out of the brush and arriving at a group of people pointing weapons at me.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" I said, acting.

"Who are you?!" asked Shane, shotgun pointed right at me.

"I'm Matt! I'm just passing through! I don't want any trouble!" I said.

"Put your bat down!" said Shane.

"Screw you, put your gun down!"

"Move and I put an arrow in the back of your skull." said a voice that I can only assume is Daryl from behind me.

"Okay. Let's just all calm down." I said as I dropped my bat.

"And the knife." said Rick.

"Fuck no. You're not getting my knife." I said, not willing to give up the knife my father gifted me even if momentarily.

"Do it." said Daryl as I felt him put the tip of the arrow on my head.

"Any one of you mess with that knife and you're dead." I said as I unhooked the knife.

"Lift up your shirt." said Shane.

Lifting it up, Daryl saw the gun in my waistband and pulled it out.

"A pink gun?" he asked, laughing.

"Not really the time to be picky." I said.

"No. I guess not." said Rick.

"Move." said Shane as they escorted me through the camp and to a tree where I sat down before being tied up.

"We'll deal with you later." said Shane before going off to talk to Daryl about Merle which devolved into a screaming match followed by Rick saying he was going to Atlanta to bring him and the guns back.

"Hey." said Carl who had approached me with Sophia.

"What's up, kid?"

"Are you a bad guy?"

"Me? No. Just a normal guy trying his best to survive."

"Then why are you tied up?"

"As a precaution. And cause I think someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed." I said pointing at Shane.

"Carl!" shouted Lori who had just now noticed they were near me, as she ran to pull him and Sophia away from where I was.

"What?" asked Carl.

"Don't get near him. Either of you."

"Why? He's not a bad guy."

"That's enough. Come." she said, dragging them away while looking back at me with a bit of a stinkeye.

And while everyone else was occupied getting ready for Rick and his group to head out to the city, I had to wait in the Georgia heat.

'Not my best plan by any means but it should work out like I want it to still.'

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

After sending Rick and his group off, Shane and Dale made their way to me.

"Okay. Now it's your turn." said Shane.

"Finally. Do me a favor, will you? Get me a bottle of water from my backpack. I'm dying of thirst."

"Sure." said Dale.

"No." said Shane, stopping him.

"First, you tell us what you were doing out in the woods."

"Surviving. Just like you guys."

"And how'd you come across this place."

"By accident. Why the hell would I come to the quarry otherwise?" I said as Shane stared right at me, probably trying to discern if I was lying.

"Shane. He's just a kid. He hasn't done anything to deserve being tied up." said Dale.

"Why was your bat bloody?"

"Why else? Killing those things."

"You've killed walkers?"

"That's what you call them? Walkers? They don't even walk, they kinda jog at you." I joked.

"You think this is funny?"

"Not in a humorous mood. Got it. Anyway, yeah, I've killed walkers before."

"How many?"

"Too many to count."

"Shane. That's enough." said Dale.

"Okay. I'll let you go, but if I see you again, I won't be so nice."

"Wait, can I stay?"

"Why?" he asked, suspicion clear on his face.

"Cause I'm tired of wandering around alone. It's not like I have anyone to go back to nor do I have anything to look forward to."

"Family? Friends?" asked Dale.

"Dead." I said, looking down to sell the act.

"Walkers?"

"Yeah, had to put them down myself."

"Sorry, kid." said Dale.

"Mm."

"Shane, can we talk?" asked Dale before they both walked away from me to discuss.

'I think I'm a decent actor.' I thought before seeing Shane and Dale walk back to me.

"Alright look, kid. Dale here wants you to stay and be a part of the group. Me, on the other hand, not so much. So, this is what's going to happen. We'll let you go and be a part of the group, but you will stay near Dale until we can trust you. If you do anything, and I mean anything, to endanger our group, I won't hesitate to put you down. Understood?"

"Understood."

"Okay. Cut him loose." said Shane to Dale before he started to walk away.

"Wait, what about my knife?"

"Not until I can trust you." he said as he continued walking away.

"Sorry about him, kid. He'll warm up to you." said Dale as he undid the knot and let me free.

"Why do I doubt that?" I asked as I stood up.

"Haha, you'll see. He'll come around. Come on, I'll show you around." he said before walking toward the camp while I followed him.

"That's my RV. My wife and I used to take that baby all over the country."

"Sounds nice."

"It was. It was." he said, lost in reminiscing about the good times.

"Dale?"

"Sorry about that. Anyway, this here is Jim. He helps me with the RV."

"Jim, nice to meet you." he said, shaking my hand.

"Matt, likewise."

"This is where I stay most of the time for lookout, so you'll hang around here with me until Shane decides to trust you. It's small but you'll get used to it. You can help with me lookouts."

"Sounds good. I'm happy to be able to relax even if it is just for a while. I'm tired of wandering around."

"How long have you been wandering around?" asked Jim.

"Pretty much since the beginning. It's tough out there."

"You're safe now." said Dale, patting me on the back.

"Thanks."

~

After being taken around the camp and introduced to everyone, I helped Dale with being on the lookout for almost the entire day. And during that time, Dale would not stop talking.

I like the guy, he's good-intentioned if somewhat annoying at times, but he talked about everything and anything under the sun.

Also during those few hours, Shane beat up Ed, the abusive husband of Carol, and the group confronted Jim who was randomly digging holes, which ended with him being tied to a tree as I had been hours prior. Andrea and Amy had also come back from fishing in the quarry with quite a big haul of fish, which were being prepped for a fish fry.

"Matt, I got this. You can go down and rest for now." said Dale.

"You sure? I don't mind being up here."

"It's fine. Go on."

"Okay, I'll stay close so Shane won't chew you out."

"Appreciate it."

Right as my feet touched the ground, someone called out to me.

"Hey, new guy." said Amy.

"Matt. Amy, right?" I said.

"Yup. I saw you got tied up earlier. Can I ask what for?"

"Shane did it as a precaution but I think he mostly did it because he's mad at someone who recently entered the camp." I said as I sat down in one of the lawn chairs in front of the RV with her joining me.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well I've only been here for a few hours but I can tell there's some tension. That guy from the group that left earlier, Rick I think his name is, hugged his wife, I'm assuming, and his son. And from some of the talk I've managed to hear around the camp, he came back yesterday and she thought he was dead.

Now, I've also heard that Shane was shacking up with her. And by the glancing looks I've noticed he's been giving her all day, I'm assuming he's in love with her, but can't do anything about it because her husband is back. And that's why he's mad." I said.

"Wow. Y-you got all that from just a few glances and some snippets of conversation?" she asked.

"I've always been good at picking up on the small things like that. And with the way the world is now, I've had to become better at it so I don't die."

"If you don't mind me asking, what did you do before all this?"

"I was about to go to college for computer science. A real shame too because I'm good at it. Now all that is useless."

"Oh right, no computers."

"Yes, no computers. What about you?"

"College student, pre-law."

"Nice. What were you thinking of practicing?"

"Civil rights. Like my sister."

"Personally I would've gone for the corporate gigs. But that's just because I like money." I said, making her chuckle.

"No, I like money. Liked, anyway. It's just I wanted to do something that mattered you know."

"Ah, the age-old human condition of wanting to create meaning with your life."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"It's just a thought I've always had. Not every life can have meaning because if every life has meaning, then no life has meaning. Unfortunately, some people's lives don't matter in the grand or small scheme of things. Some people could disappear and no one would notice. It's sad but it's just how life is."

"That's a cynical outlook on life don't you think?"

"Look around. The world is cynical. It is what is."

"I think the world is just in mourning right now. It'll come around."

"Here's hoping."

~

I continued to talk with Amy until it got dark and the fish fry had started. She was a fun and interesting person to talk to but she was a little too optimistic for me. And considering I wasn't going to stick around for long, I didn't want to get too attached not that I wouldn't consider a fling if the opportunity presented itself since I did find her attractive.

"Amy, come on." said Andrea from across the camp.

"Coming." she said to her before turning to me.

"Let's go." she said.

"I'd be glad to, but I don't think Shane wants me around just yet."

"Who cares? Come on." she said grabbing my hand and pulling me toward the campfire.

"Amy, what are you doing?" asked Andrea.

"He needs to eat too." she said dragging me to sit down next to her, while the rest of the people stared at me.

"He's a good kid." said Dale in my defense.

"Fine." said Shane before handing me a plate while Andrea stared daggers at me.

"Appreciate it." I said, eating my fish in silence while the rest of them talked.

'Walkers should be here any time now. I'll use my radar to keep an eye out and prevent the attack before it happens. Except for Ed, he can die for all I care.' I thought.

"Matt." said Amy, shaking me from my thoughts.

"What?" I said, looking up to see the group looking at me.

"Carl asked you a question."

"Oh, sorry. Lost in thought."

"Amy said you were going to college for computers?"

"That's right."

"Do you know how to hack? Like in the movies?" he asked.

"Haha. I do, but it's not exactly like in the movies. Hacking in reality is a lot more boring. You create a program beforehand and then you activate it and it'll do all the work for you."

"So there's no green text flashing and rapidly typing on a keyboard?" asked Andrea.

"Unfortunately not."

"Did you ever hack into anything?" asked Morales.

"All the time."

"Like what?" asked Amy.

"I've hacked into the FBI database before."

"Really?" said Carl with stars in his eyes.

"Yup."

"Why?" asked Shane.

"Just because. I was trying out a new program and I wanted to see how well it worked. Didn't steal anything or leak anything so don't worry."

"What am I gonna do, arrest you?" said Shane making us all chuckle.

Amy stood up and was about to go somewhere when I stopped her.

"What?" she said looking at me.

"Shh." I said, looking behind me which was from where I got a ping on my radar.

"What is it?" asked the group.

"Walkers."

And right as I said that a walker stumbled into view, creating a panic.

"Get down!" said Shane, blasting the walker while more came into view.

"Where's my knife?!" I asked him.

"Here!" said Shane, throwing me my knife which I promptly unsheathed while also coating myself with my PK.

"Look out!" shouted Amy to me.

Quickly turning around, I could see a walker was about to reach me so I kicked it in the chest, knocking it over, before walking up to it and stabbing it in the brain.

"To the RV!" I said to the group since there weren't as many walkers in that direction.

"Go, go, go!" said Shane as they went that way while I took up the rear, killing any walkers that got close while also discreetly using a needle construct to kill some of the walkers farther away.

BANG BANG

"Baby! Carl!" shouted Rick who had appeared from the woods with the others who went and started shooting all the walkers.

A few moments later and all the walkers were dead, or at least out for the count.

"I remember now. Why I was digging those holes." said Jim as we looked around and saw all the dead group members.