Later, we're all sitting around a fire. I'm in between Carl and Glenn. Carl and Lori sit on either side of Rick.

Rick begins telling us his whole story; how he woke up alone in a wrecked hospital, then had to leave and find a way to get to Atlanta, only to accidentally stir up a huge swarm of walkers.

"I felt like...I had been taken out of the real world and put somewhere else..." he explains.

"Mom told me you were dead..." Carl says.

"She had every right to believe that." Rick smiles and ruffles Carl's hair.

Carl laughs and pats it back down while Lori rests her head on Rick's shoulder.

"What about you, Hope?" Shane asks me, leaning against a tree.

Shane. That was who Rick mentioned to me earlier. Shane was with him when he got shot, and he saved Rick's family.

Could he have saved Rick too?

I shrug. "It's not that exciting."

"Tell us anyways!" Carl looks at me eagerly. I smile.

"Ok, fine. If you fall asleep, don't blame me."

A few people laugh, and I continue my story.

"I moved to Atlanta from Saskatoon when I was twenty-five. I had just dropped out of veterinary college; my fifth year."

"Why would you do that?" Andrea asks.

"I wanted to be an actress, more than anything. I moved out really quickly once I graduated from high school. My parents were both successful vets, so they were rich enough to pay completely for college. I had been saving up money for years, and with my parents paying my tuition, I had enough to live on my own."

I get nods of interest from the group. Carl's eager blue eyes beg me to continue.

"Wait, so why'd you go to Atlanta instead of LA or whatever right off the bat?" Glenn asks. "I mean, if you had the money, why not go right away?"

"Well, I had this sort of goofy plan. I had visited Georgia when I was younger, maybe five or six, and I absolutely loved the idea of coming back and living here. So, I did." I shrug. "Thing is, my parents weren't too happy. They wanted me to stay with veterinary medicine. I mean, I liked that field and all, but I was obsessed with following my passion."

"So your parents flipped out?" T-dog guesses, scratching his nose lightly.

I bite my lip. "Yeah. My dad was absolutely furious. My mom was disappointed, but still a little more understanding. She provided me with enough money to get a plane ticket, but that was all. She advised me not to call or write, especially after my father told me never to speak to him again."

"Ouch..." Amy mumbles.

I nod. "It sucked." I take a deep breath and continue, "I packed some of my belongings and got on a plane. Once here, I rented a place near the department store in Atlanta. I applied for some jobs. I worked weekdays at the department store and Saturdays at a fast food restaurant. It wasn't much, but it payed the bills. Three years were spent like that."

"What about your acting dream?" a guy named Jim questions as he leans against a tree. "Didn't you do anything to further that?"

"I auditioned for commercials that were happening in the area, and the few that I got weren't all that good for forwarding my career. Plus, with all the work I was doing, I could hardly focus on that sort of thing. It's harder than everyone makes it out to be."

"Then what happened?" Rick asks, arching an eyebrow.

"Then...the walkers came."

Snaps and pops from the fire is the only sound anyone makes. I look at my hands.

"What did you do after that?" Lori breaks the silence.

"I managed to get to the store before everything went insane. I was going to leave, but I didn't have a car or a bike or anything. There was food and clothes inside, albeit the food was scarce. I don't know how long I was there, but it was a while..." I frown and cross my arms, swallowing. "The loneliness started hurting so much, you know? I hadn't made many good friends while I was in Atlanta, since my work schedule was so hectic and I was such a workaholic."

"Boyfriend?" Shane inquires.

"Nope," I reply swiftly. "Right before the group found me, I was contemplating letting the walkers get me..." I breathe deeply. Still silence. "Then, I was found by you guys." I gesture to the group. They smile at me. "You guys brought me back from the pit I was falling into. I'm grateful for that."

"Woah," Carl says, gazing at me in amazement. "That must have been tough."

"Yeah, it was."

Carl gives me a big hug around my middle. I wrap my arm around his shoulders in response.

"You aren't alone now. You have us." He grins. "I don't know about everyone else, but I'll be your friend!"

"Thanks Carl." I smile, squeezing his shoulder gently.

"On another note, what are we gonna tell Daryl about Merle?" Dale stands up, shifting his shotgun on his shoulder.

"It was his fault he got left up there," Andrea says.

"We can't tell Daryl that." Dale shakes his head.

Andrea sighs. "Then what can we tell him?"

"I don't know. One thing's for sure, we're going to have our hands full when he gets back from his hunt."

"I'll tell him about Merle," Rick volunteers. "It's my fault he's up there in the first place."

"I'll help you," T-dog says. "I'm the one who dropped the key."

"So it's settled." Dale claps his hands together. "When Daryl gets back, we'll work it all out. But for now, everyone should get to their tents and get some sleep. It'll be another long day tomorrow."

People get up, walking off in different directions towards their tents.

Before Rick leaves, him and Carl give me a hug goodnight while Lori waits, wishing me a good night's sleep. They walk to their tent.

"You can go sleep in Daryl and Merle's tent," Dale says to me. "I can show you where it is."

"Thanks Dale. That'd be great."

We start walking towards the cluster of tents. There's one lone tent near the back, and I'd bet money that's the Dixon's.

"That was really brave of you, sharing your story," Dale says. "You've got a nice personality. From what I can see, most of the group likes you, or has a good impression of you. I know Carl and Rick like you. Amy and Andrea like you, for the most part. I know I like you."

I smile shyly. "That's really sweet."

"My point is, you have people you can trust here." He pauses. "I also want you to have this."

Dale reaches out his hand to me. In his palm is a dagger in a sheath. It has a beautifully intricate handle; white and probably ivory. I take it, attaching the sheath to my belt.

"You need a weapon to protect yourself. Aim for the head. That's how you kill them."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Goodnight Hope."

"Goodnight Dale."

He holds his hand out to me, and I shake it firmly.

Dale turns and walks off to a big RV a little ways past the tents. I can vaguely make out Shane standing on the roof, keeping watch.

I unzip the tent in front of me, the one I guessed about, and step inside. The interior is neat, for the most part. A few clothes lie on the floor, and there are two cots on either side.

I pick one and lay down, shivering slightly. It feels weird being in some stranger's tent. I don't even know if I'm in Merle or Daryl's cot.

I wonder what Daryl will be like, or what he'll think of me sleeping here.

I pull the blanket up to my face. It smells woodsy and rugged, like how I imagine a redneck would smell.

Slowly, I let myself drift off into the dark world of sleep.