Author's Note: And we're at the start of another story yet again. It's always the time to where my thoughts are in a million different directions at once and ideas aren't really coming together yet. Still, I think this one's going to be good. Unlike my last walking dead story, I decided this one would be Glen x Daryl at the very beginning of the outbreak, though it doesn't really follow the story line because it happens before the show starts. Just consider it an AU. I like to think that the group had already been out there for over a month before Rick found his way to him, maybe even longer than that. Don't worry, this won't upset Breaking Free's upload schedule, so I hope you enjoy! PS… Daryl isn't in until chapter 2.

Disclaimer: Why can't I own the Walking dead? I love them all so much…

In the beginning Glenn had been absolutely terrified of everything, people had started eating each other and families were forced to turn on each other. It had made Glenn glad that he hadn't spoken to his parents in years, made it easier when he didn't have to think about them. It was hard to imagine someone dead when you barely remembered what they looked like. So perhaps it was for the best and even though they had never got to say good bye, it was way less sad this way.

A few hours after all hell had broke lose into Atlanta, and he had packed up everything he need in his back pack, shimmied down the fire escape when he realized how many of those things where of the stairs and started run down the streets for his life. The same streets to which he had delivered pizzas down just a few days before. It was hard to believe that that life was over now, that a lot of lives were over because of it. Just days before he had been looking at becoming a Bar Tender, and how much a course to do so would cost.

That seemed stupid now, everything seemed stupid now. He had been so worried about money just yesterday and now money didn't matter in the very least. He was still worrying about having food to eat though, guess that was a fact of life that would always remain. Even as the world died, food was still most important. He didn't have much with him, hadn't had much in the room he had been renting out this month. At least his bag wasn't to heavy though, made it easier to keep running.

So here he was tracking his 22 year old ass through the woods that he had managed to reach after several hours of running. He had lived in the city for years and had never even been to the forest part, but he figured much safer than being with the rest of the population who actually listened to the television and radio messages before they stopped. That had been three hours ago, when everything suddenly went dead. Like dead dead, not like those walking dead. Or maybe the pocket radio he had was broken, he wasn't really sure. Probably better to not listen to people broadcasting being eaten alive because they were too loud, or to slow.

He was still running even though he was now far away from any of those things or even over people. It was already getting dark and though he had a tent with him, he didn't want to put it up, there was no way being this close to the city was safe. Not at all, he wasn't even going to let himself believe that those things couldn't find him out there. Not that he couldn't run if they found him, it's just he wanted to save his tent for when he felt a safe distance away from civilization. Or for when he need shelter from rain or other bad weather.

So he continued to run, until he found he couldn't anymore. Until he had no choice but to stop, drop to his knees because his legs felt like jelly. He had run himself to exhaustion and Glenn scowled himself before curling up at the bottom of a tree. He was hungry already, but he was more then used to going to sleep ignoring how much his stomach hurt. More then used to not having a bed to sleep in as well, though that just made him agree that living in the woods could happen. He could survive like this.

That had been stupid of him to do; if he needed to be running right now, he would probably die because he wouldn't have the strength. It was stupid; tomorrow (if he made it to tomorrow) he would try to be smarter with his life tomorrow. He knew this wasn't like one of the many games he had played in his life, those you died and you came back. He snorted quietly to himself; well you did get to come back if you died just not with another life. You came back as one of those things.

He didn't really have a plan yet, just to get somewhere safe. He wasn't really sure what he wanted out of this life, he'd never really been a people person before, but he figured that he was going to become lonely and need company eventually. Though he wasn't really strong so he couldn't protect another, just run. Glenn's eye lids slipped shut as he pictured running into a strong handed companion. One who was strong, knew what they were doing out here, someone who didn't speak a lot because he didn't really think much of long conversations, most importantly someone who he could love. Even someone he could learn to love; no one wanted to be alone at the end of the world.

Glenn then nodded off to sleep, curled into a ball, with his head rested against the trunk of a large tree. He had no idea that just feet from him, a trap was placed on the ground with a dead rabbit in it. And that in early morning, a body would be there to check that trap for the game.