❝ Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals. ❞
— Martin Luther King, Jr.

RAINER MARIA RILKE!
"DEATH"

Before us great Death stands
Our fate held close within his quiet hands.
When with proud joy we lift Life's red wine
To drink deep of the mystic shining cup
And ecstasy through all our being leaps—
Death bows his head and weeps.

THE SOLDIER!

Jennifer Morrison as
JACKLYN "JENNY" JANKO.

[ARMY NATIONAL GUARD]
This is a woman of morals. Someone who is strong in the face of adversity, someone whose heart is filled with nothing but a burning desire to help other people, even those who have wronged her. She knows the world is becoming a bad place, but her mission is to make it a better one.

THE OFFICER!

Jake Gyllenhaal as
MIKHAIL "MIKE" NELSON.

[PATROLMAN NELSON]
An officer of Atlanta P.D. He is a strong soul, although a vulnerable one who has suffered immeasurable loss. Despite this, one of his greatest strengths is his stubbornness. This is also his biggest weakness. One can mean well in this world but their actions might have just the opposite effect.

AND THEIR SHERIFF!

Andrew Lincoln as
RICK GRIMES.

[OFFICER FRIENDLY]
This is an honorable man. An honest man. A reliable man. Even after the end of the world, he does what he can to ensure that every person is given a fair shot. His honor is to be respected, not taken advantage of. This is a man who does not place trust lightly.

DISCLAIMER!

I do not claim to own any characters, events, locations, items, history or lore that appears in the popular series, The Walking Dead. All rights belong to their respective owners. The only things I claim to own are any characters which are not from the show (such as Jenny and Mike) and my original plot. You will find some The Last of Us-inspired details later on in this book series, namely the third book. These are for emotional value.

THE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE!

DAYS GONE BYE (1)
following seasons one & two.

THIS SORROWFUL LIFE (2)
following seasons three & most of four.

WIND AND TREES (3)
following an original plot,
leaving the other seasons behind.

Special thanks to our Alpha readers ( holyatlas and dol-guldur ) who've been reading what I write and helping me out with the story! I appreciate their help and you should too. I suspect they'll become the Beta readers as well, lmao, but we're not that far into it yet.

WARNINGS!

Further inside, you'll encounter violence, walkers (zombies, bruh), mild language, gore and bloodshed. There will be topics of religion (the practice of), gender stereotypes (including sexism and the objectification of women—coughcough Ed!) and sexuality (the expression of), and possibly other potentially sensitive topics. This goes for all of my works but who's counting? Scenes of a sexual nature may or may not appear, though warnings can be provided in-chapter for such instances if they do. Keep in mind that if you're too young to handle these topics, or too immature, or easily offended — then this book is not for you. You've been advised.

DEDICATIONS!
The_Avengers_Devil ruesbennett lunarmaisie holyatlas silkshorts -thelostblinder lovebvg --blink sreenija_paruchuri empatheticletters- dol-guldur revasser-

I am so in love with Rick that you guys don't even KNOW. Look, I grew up on TWD and he was always my favorite. I just held this sort of admiration for him at first and then it grew into something even better and now I'm just done for. I love this man. And, of course, Andrew Lincoln as well. He makes me uwu so hard.

So with that being said, I hope you guys know I LOVE YOU with my entire heart and I hope you guys enjoy the story. (:

— Lacey Alexandria.