Authors note: hi! This idea has been bouncing around in my head for awhile to write a fic of my version of TWD, Feral, if Daryl and Amanda had never met. I haven't stopped writing Feral so don't worry! Please let me know what you think! Every review is appreciated and helps more than you know!

Sweat dripped into my eyes as I desperately clung to the branch I was perched on.

White hot pain seared through the gunshot wound in my side as I repositioned for a better grip and I bit down into my lip, so hard that the metallic taste of my own blood filled my mouth.

"Come on sweetheart, we ain't gonna hurtchya." The large man said sweetly below me, his sharp eyes scanning the foliage in front of him. I shuddered and leaned farther into the tree bark, praying he wouldn't look up and discover me hiding from them in the branches.

The tall, lanky one walked ten feet behind him, pistol in hand as they searched for me. I watched silently as they passed my tree, breathing shallowly to avoid making any noise.

"You sure you got her?" The lanky one asked his comrade, who nodded.

"Oh she's hurt alright. If we don't find her, she ain't makin' it through the night anyways." He said, a sadistic smile twisting across his face.

My limbs ached painfully as I hid there, for how long I couldn't be sure. Their heavy footsteps had grown muted as they walked farther and farther away until only the cicadas made any noise around me. Still I stayed, paralyzed with the fear that I would be found.

Only when I heard a sharp whistle far in the distance did I scurry down the tree trunk, landing clumsily on my feet. I gasped in pain as the impact jostled my wound and clasped my hand to my side, leaning my forehead against the rough bark of the tree. Drawing deep breaths through my teeth, I tried to focus. I had to find shelter, food, and water.

"Come on. Come on!" I urged myself, punching the tree in frustration. I let out a groan as the bark cut open my knuckles, fresh blood staining it dark. "Great." I muttered, inspecting the torn skin. I'd had worse. I shrugged it off, pushing deeper into the trees, away from the men hunting me.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Night had fallen as I collapsed against another tree. My side throbbed under the blood and sweat soaked shirt I wore. Even after the sun had gone down, the humid Georgian air threatened to suffocate me.

Peeling back the hem of my shirt I winced, looking at the festering wound in my abdomen. The skin around it was raw and angry, blood still leaking from the ragged hole in my skin and soaking my clothes. I looked around myself again for the hundredth time and slid down the tree trunk until my butt hit the hard earth.

My breathing now came in short, labored bursts and I knew I was nearing serious dehydration. If I didn't find shelter soon I'd be dead, or worse, found.

Gritting my teeth, I pushed myself up, letting out a pained groan as my entire body protested.

I staggered to the side and braced myself against the tree before pushing onward into the dark forest. Every step sending a cacophony of pain through my tired body, causing tears to well in my eyes.

It must have been another hour of torturous hiking before I stepped into a clearing illuminated by moonlight. Infront of me was a ramshackle house, it's windows broken and siding falling off from months of neglect. There was a small shed to the side and I began trudging towards it when one of the undead lumbered out from behind it. I groaned and slid my large hunting knife out of the sheath strapped to my thigh.

"Come on ya fucker." I rasped, the words stinging my dry throat.

It stumbled toward me and I used what little strength I had left to throw myself at it, shoving my knife into the under side of it chin. The brittle bone of it's jaw shattered and my hand turned slick with rotten blood as it plunged into the open cavity of its face. We both fell to the ground and I gasped in pain. I rolled off of the twice dead man and lay there on my back, staring at the stars as I tried to force myself up. With a pained sob, I was able to push myself to my hands and knees and I crawled to the shed, collapsing onto the wooden floorboards. In the dark I couldn't see what it was but I pushed something heavy in front of the door, collapsing in a weak heap as the darkness overcame me.