Hey guys! So this is my first fanfiction posted to FF and it's also my first Walking Dead story, so be nice please :3

Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead, its characters, or the major story line. Leigh Colson, her original associates, and this story line are my own, though. So please, do not steal it. Thanks!

"Are you sure you don't want to come, Leigh?" asked Hannah as she hung a silver earring from her right lobe. The girl in question looked up from her textbook with a sympathetic smile and shook her head slowly.

"I'd love to, but you know I have to pass this exam. Maybe next time, Han." Hannah exaggerated a pout but she left her roommate in peace, locking the door behind her. Leigh turned around in her chair, resting her elbows on the desk as she attempted to once again pore over her examination notes.

A senior at the University of Louisville, Leigh was half way to earning her degree in preveterinary studies. Having grown up on a livestock farm, Leigh had adored animals from the very beginning. As a child, she took in a total of eight cats, two dogs, a number of rodents, and even a pigeon that had injured its wing. Her father had been a livestock veterinarian and had taught Leigh almost everything she knew; it was the basis of her dream to work with animals like her father had.

More than half of her notes had been highlighted; her professor, Dr. Lundgren, had been strict and thorough in explaining the final exam. While Leigh had no doubts that she was well prepared, she still pored over the books like her very life depended on it.

It was almost eleven when Leigh glanced at the clock; Hannah surely wouldn't be back until the morning, and for a moment, Leigh wished she'd gone with her roommate to the last dormitory party of the semester. Sighing, she finished chapter thirteen of her notes and stood up, stretching her arms over her head. She hadn't moved from her desk since she'd gotten back from dinner with Hannah, and that had been almost four hours ago.

Changing into a pair of shorts and an old high school t-shirt, Leigh flicked off her desk light and crawled into her bed. She set her alarm clock an hour before her scheduled exam time, giving herself plenty of time to wake up and get ready. Sighing, she sunk into her comforter and allowed herself a decent night's sleep.

Leigh winced against the sunlight streaming through the single, large window in the room. Her alarm was buzzing in her ear; she slammed her hand down on the button and lay still for a moment, letting her body catch up to her brain in waking up. Once her feet were on the floor, she felt her nerves kick into overdrive, even though she knew she'd pass the exam. Setting up her coffee maker, Leigh grabbed her toothbrush and toothpaste and headed towards the bathroom.

When she came back, she got dressed and added milk and sugar to her coffee. She had half an hour before she needed to leave for her exam, so she decided that a little extra studying couldn't hurt. She didn't bother calling Hannah to ask where she was; it was more than likely that her roommate was passed out in the dorm where the party had been.

At quarter to ten, Leigh packed up her purse and tossed a couple pencils into the bag. Grabbing her keys, she locked the door behind her and headed out. Her phone vibrated in her hand and she looked down at the incoming message from her mother.

Dad, Carrie, and I all wish you good luck on your exam! 3 Mom

Smiling, Leigh left the message unanswered and opened the door to the science building. The halls and most of the rooms were empty as she passed through the building to the opposite end. The nerves in her stomach were still fluttering, but this time, there was an unnerving edge to them. She hated to think it, but Leigh had that ominous feeling in the back of her head, like something wasn't quite right.

Her exam room was empty when she walked in; not even Dr. Lundgren was present. Pulling out her phone, she dialed her professor's number, which he'd given to his students in case of emergencies. She glanced at the clock as the dial tone continued to buzz; it was five minutes until her exam, and still no one was here. Dr. Lundgren's phone went to voicemail, so she left a brief message, asking if the exam had been moved to another day. She dialed a fellow student's number as well, but his phone, too, went to voicemail.

Blowing her bangs out of her face, Leigh walked out of the room and down the hall, searching for anyone that could answer her questions. She came across her former biology professor, Mrs. Harmon, as she passed by the mail room. The woman was leaning over the counter, evidently coughing. Her clothes were dirty and ripped in a few places.

"Mrs. Harmon?" Leigh asked, stepping closer to the woman, who'd frozen at the sound of Leigh's voice. "Mrs. Harmon, it's Leigh. From last semester? Where is everyone?" The woman in front of her coughed again, and this time, Leigh watched blood spew out of her mouth. Stopping, Leigh watched as the woman turned around slowly, her eyes fixating on the only other living thing in the room.

Mrs. Harmon looked deathly ill. Her skin had taken on an unhealthy greyish hue, and her eyes were unrecognizable. Her once-brown eyes had become an off-white color, and her pupils were dilated and white throughout. What caught Leigh's attention was the apparent decomposition of the skin around Mrs. Harmon's mouth. Her fingers, which had reached out to grab at Leigh, were peeling at the cuticles and the nails were chipped and cracked.

"Mrs. Harmon!" Leigh cried as her professor suddenly lunged at her. Backpedaling out of the mail room, Leigh kept her eyes on the woman as she followed her slowly, as if Mrs. Harmon was stalking her. Her head cocked to the left and an inhuman gargle tore out of the woman's throat as she made another lunge, almost scratching Leigh's skin with her nails.

Realizing that something was very wrong, Leigh turned and booked it out of the building towards the parking lot. She stopped running as she ran outside, where more people were staggering around aimlessly. Their heads all turned, though, when they caught wind of fresh meat. Leigh began her race to her car, dodging in and out of fellow students and professors.

She reached her car before any of them could grab her and she locked all of the doors before pulling out her phone. Dialing her mother's number, she cursed as it went straight to voicemail. Her father's and sister's phones had the same result. Punching the steering wheel, Leigh sniffed as tears blurred her vision.

Pulling out her keys, she started her car, but screamed when one of those things began banging on the driver's side window. Throwing the vehicle into drive, Leigh peeled out of the lot, taking down the person hanging off her mirror. She barely recognized the face of Ruben Webber, a former classmate of hers, as he hung on for his life. Veering to the right, Ruben flew off the car and skidded across the pavement.

She cried loudly as she sped away from campus, jumping onto the freeway to head back to her parents' house.