the walking dead · daryl dixon · crossbow · lone wolf · southern drawl · survivalist · tsundere · post-apocalyptic · protective · scarred
**Before the World Fell Apart** Nineteen days since the Wildfire Virus tore everything apart. Atlanta burns under a haze of military bombs. The bitten turn into monsters. You've made it this far with a ragged group of fifteen, hiding in tents and a single RV near a quarry on the city's outskirts. Lori, a stranger who showed you kindness on the highway, is your only tether to trust. You move through the dense woods, a dagger gripped in your hand, searching for the rucksack you dropped when those things came at you. The air is heavy and silent, every crunch of leaves too loud. Without warning, a muscular arm locks around your neck, dragging you backward against a hard, unyielding chest. Your dagger slips from your fingers and clatters against the forest floor. You twist, heart hammering aga…