Tour Guide ➣ Carl Grimes

1. Mountain Men and Cowboys

Hannah Grant never imagined living in a place like Alexandria. Though her childhood house was similar, with its small, white, uniform homes, Alexandria was like nothing she had ever known before. The difference was in the way people acted -- how people felt. Everyone in Alexandria cared for one another. There was a great sense of community that pervaded her home. Each day Jessie would greet her in the pantry, chatting as she stocked up the canned foods. Most days the runners will have brought in things like soup or beans--something hearty, worth bringing back-- but every once in a while they would bring back a can of sweet corn. Hannah adored the days she found herself shelving the sweet corn. She would hold the can gently in her hand, remembering the times she would have killed for this moment, only to put it on the shelf to share with the others. That was how things worked in Alexandria.

She had finally been entrusted with pantry duty after Deanna thought gardening, Hannah's original job, wasn't the right fit for her. She wasn't necessarily bad at gardening, but she was much better at organization than she was at planting. After putting away the food in its rightful places, Hannah would pass through the middle of town to the white steps of the gazebo. She loved her time there. As close as everyone was, this was her place, her spot. Hidden under a broken floorboard were three books, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, which Eric had given her after she told him she'd never read a Harry Potter book, Love in the Time of Cholera, and The Outsiders. She had decided to keep them hidden after Sam, Ron's little brother, had found Love in the Time of Cholera sitting on the bench and drew pictures all over its pages with crayons. Unwashable crayon. Jessie had felt so bad that, after scolding him, she offered to let Hannah use any book she had in her home. That was where she had gotten The Outsiders.

Hannah Grant never imagined living in the apocalypse, either. She had never imagined a world where the dead feasted on the living, pulling flesh from bone. A world where families were split and homes were ransacked. She never imagined that she could live in a world where every second was uncertain. One moment you would be sitting by a fire, embers tickling the skin on your legs. You would be feeling its heat blanket your hands that are held above the flame, letting it travel through your body. The next, you would be a mindless animal, looking for its newest horrific meal. One second you and your family depended on one another for survival, and the next they're afraid of what you have become.

She had grown up with her mother, Jennifer Grant, and her father, Malcolm Grant. Hannah couldn't remember much of how they looked at this point, but she was always told, as a child, that she had her mother's hair. Over the time she had been without her mother, Hannah's hair had darkened to a sort of reddish-blond, but she was comforted by the fact that her mother was still a small part of her. Hannah could remember the moments she had with her father, catching fish in a creek near their home. Once, they caught a four-foot salmon and Hannah had never been prouder. She could remember the way her father laughed as she held up her prize, it was a hearty laugh, deep and gruff. She could also recall the times she spent with her mother, sitting with her back against the woman's chest. Every Sunday, just before church, Hannah's mother would braid the girl's hair. Some days she would carefully create a singular braid down her back. On special days, like Easter or Christmas, Hannah's mother would give her two french braids, starting at the top of her head and falling to her back, tied off with a pink rubber band.

The only thing Hannah couldn't remember was the faces attached to those memories. She couldn't picture the woman raking her fingers through her caramel hair, nor the man lifting her to the old wooden boat as it entered the creek. All she had left, all that could have been a reminder, was a small photograph of the three of them. It wasn't really even a good picture. Hannah was sure she was blinking, though she couldn't quite tell with the quality, and her father's shirt had a rather large hole creeping up from his back along his neck. It was small, only about 4x6, but when Hannah could find the courage to look, that didn't matter. She would stare into the faces of the people who had raised her, holding onto every memory the image came with.

After the virus hit, and her parents were gone, that photo was all Hannah had.

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When Hannah heard the gates open, she expected to see Micheal coming back from a run. They weren't particularly close, but he had always promised to bring Hannah her can if he could find it. Instead, in walked a group of eight people. They were led by a man akin to what Hannah believed a mountain man might look like. He was tall, with a graying beard, and his arms were wide at his sides, like an animal readying itself for a predator. Behind him was another man carrying a crossbow and a dead possum, laying limp with an arrow straight through its torso. There was also a woman with a sword tucked into her sheath. The first thought Hannah had was to run, to hide from the intimidating strangers. But then, Aaron and a limping Eric made their way through the group and her nerves subsided. She had always liked Aaron. He and Eric were sweet to her, offering her lunch if she hadn't had time to make it herself or letting her stay over if her own home became too lonely. When she first came to Alexandria, many of the adults offered to take her in. "We're all family" they would say, "You deserve to live with someone other than yourself." Hannah had never wanted to though. After almost 2 months alone in the woods, she felt less comfortable sleeping with people. People were ten times more dangerous than loneliness could ever be. You never know what could happen. But, that had been a long time ago, now almost four years later, she felt at ease with the people of Alexandria. Hannah trusted them not to hurt her.

She watched the group file through the metal gate, each one carefully eyeing their new surroundings. She was surprised to see that, in the arms of a boy in a cowboy hat, was a baby. Alexandria had been home to babies in the past, but most of them were grown up now, living sheltered lives within these walls. Hannah had never seen a group bring in a baby, however. The boy holding her had a hard face, smudged with dirt and sweat. His hair was brunette, with a slight wave that Hannah envied. As she watched from the porch of her home, hands gripped against the blue-painted wood, the group talked with Aaron and Eric. They seemed to be unsure, almost nervous, and yet they all hid it beneath a glare. Even the boy, whom Hannah had assumed might have been more scared than he let on, had his fists balled at his side and his back stiff as he looked to the leader. Hannah took her eyes off the people when a growl sounded from behind them. The sound wasn't as scary as it used to be, Hannah knew the walls protected her from the roamers. And still, when a woman in the back of the group pulled out her gun and shot it through the gate, Hannah felt a sense of relief.

"It's a good thing we're here." She could hear the Mountain Man say. 

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Yayy first chapter is done! I have 5 chapters already written, but I'm not sure what my posting schedule is going to be. I have another book (With All the Love my Soul Can Give ) which I update every Sunday, so I might update this one on Saturdays. What would you guys prefer? 

How are we liking Hannah so far? 

Thank you so much for reading!

(If you want more information about this book or its updates, my tiktok is @soupp_spoon )