[ WP ] It 's been 8 months since the zombie apocalypse . You fell in with a tough as nails roughneck group . When in the city looting , you come across a scavenger . He 's your best friend from before the outbreak and your crew unanimously decides to execute him ( he is armed ) .

Our eyes locked across the clouded haze of morning mist and gun smoke. You could almost smell the ocean as the breeze blew in the fresh scent. It would have been a fairly peaceful morning had it not been for the rounds of gunfire. 
 
 There he was, holding Sherman hostage, the barrel of his gun pressed against his hostage ’ s rusty stubble. I always thought Sherman was the stupidest name for a redneck. Clearly, his parents hoped naming him something as square as that would give him some kind of advantage in life. Judging from the fact that he was still alive ( a hostage, but still alive ) proved that he did have some kind of advantage, just not the ones his parents had hoped for. 
 
 My mind was swimming as I glanced around, looking at each of the men who took me in all those months ago. As much as I hated them, and as much as I wanted to kill each one who attempted to lay one god damned hand on me in some drunken stupor, they were my crew. They kept me alive. They kept me fed. They kept me safe. 
 
 I saw the recognition register across Sam ’ s face as he realized just who he was facing. In the distance, I heard the faint moaning of the undead. Surely the gunfire alerted them to our not-so-secret hiding place in the woods. What were the chances? One hundred people left alive and Sam happens to run through my fucking camp. 
 
 “ Let him go, boy, ” the gruff voice of Roger, the group ’ s leader, called out. I raised my gun and aimed it at Sam. Roger wasn ’ t a very large man, but he had a certain “ don ’ t fuck with me ” presence that earned him the respect of the rest of the group. He ’ s personally saved my ass more times than I care to admit. I ’ d be dead now if it weren ’ t for him. 
 
 “ If I let him go, you ’ ll let me go, ” Sam said, tightening his grip on Sherman. 
 
 I wanted to snap at him. Now wasn ’ t the time to negotiate, you dumb fuck. There were at least a dozen others surrounding him, including myself. But I didn ’ t dare admit any kind of recognition. I didn ’ t want the others to turn on me, too. Not now. I still needed them. 
 
 “ You hear that moanin ’, boy? ” Roger asked, slowly unsheathing his hunting knife from his side and examining his reflection in the clean, polished blade. He took more pride in that goddamned knife than anyone else I ’ d ever seen. Ammunition was tight nowadays, and a good knife like that would last for years if taken care of properly. At least, that ’ s what Roger said any time anyone ever asked him about his obsessive nightly knife care. “ That ’ s the sound of a group of them dead fuckers comin ’ for ya. I wonder how long it ’ d take ‘ em to pick that scrawny body of yours clean? Let our man go, and we might just let you try to fend for yourself against ‘ em. ” 
 
 I swallowed hard as I heard the sounds of the moans get closer. Sam cocked his gun and glared at Roger. “ They ’ re getting closer. Fuck Sherman. We have ourselves to think about, ” I hissed. “ He ’ s never done anything but get in the way, anyway. ” 
 
 “ Fuck you, Yankee bitch, ” Sherman shouted. “ Someone take this fucker out so we can— ” Sherman didn ’ t even get a chance to finish his sentence. A bullet hit him square in the chest before he could get another word out. My bullet. Sam quickly dropped the dead body and scrambled back. Three men came forward and pushed him to his knees. No one seemed to care that I shot Sherman. Deep down, I ’ m pretty sure they all knew I was right. I guess he wasn ’ t so advantageous, after all. 
 
 “ I think we ’ ll make a show out of this, ” Roger said and then nodded at one of the men to his left. The man approached Sam to tie his hands behind his back. 
 
 “ WAIT! ” I cried out. All eyes turned to me. My mind was racing as I tried to figure out what to say next. “ Why put ourselves in danger? The walkers will come after us once they get their fill of him. Look at him. He ’ s scrawny. They ’ ll pick him off and then come after us. ” I paused for a second and pointed my gun at Sam. “ Go on. I ’ ll make sure he doesn ’ t escape. ” 
 
 Roger slowly turned to face me. My heart was pounding in my ears, but I stood my ground, unwavering. “ Don ’ t get yourself killed in the process, Yankee girl. ” He looked to the others. “ MOVE OUT! ” 
 
 I waited a moment for the others to clear out before approaching Sam. “ Get the fuck out of here, ” I said in a low voice. “ Go back to wherever you came from and forget you ever saw me. ” 
 
 “ Mara, I— ” 
 
 “ Damn it, Sam. Forget about me. Go. Fast before the fucking walkers get here. ” 
 
 Sam stared at me for a long time, then roughly pressed his lips to mine. “ I ’ ll tell your mother you ’ re still alive, ” he murmured before running off toward the ocean. 

