Chapter Text
Tired.
Z was so, very tired.
Tired of walking. Tired of being hungry. Tired of being alive.
When she was younger, she could honestly say that she prayed for the apocalypse to happen. She hated her life so much that a world in ruins seemed so much better than what she had been settled with.
Well now that it had happened, she wished she could go back in time and tell her younger self how stupid she was. She grew up knowing how to fight(being the youngest of five horrible brothers), but other than that she had no real way of taking care of herself. Lucky for her, her grandmother was completely prepared for the impending apocalypse and ready to spread her wisdom to her favorite grandchild.
Not to say it was easy, she was only a child when the virus broke out and marshal law was declared, but her grandmother assured her she would be fine as long as she agreed to listen and do as she said.
Z always listened to her grandma, and it was what had kept her alive all these years.
Even after she died.
The flue got her six years after everything started, and even when her body started to shut down, she reassured Z that everything would be ok, and that she would survive if she continued to follow her plans.
And so she did.
After her grandma passed , Z packed up everything she needed and began her journey. For the last 6 months she had been making her way on foot to the state of California, hoping to start a new life somewhere in the redwoods. While walking was slow and she had thought so many times about hot-wiring a car, keeping a low profile and staying away from other humans was her top priority.
While the trip had mostly just been her foraging for food and sleeping in abandoned houses at night, Z had been in a few incidents. Most had happened while she was making her way through Texas (anyone who knows Texans could probably tell you why), and after that she did her best to travel close to the roads but out of sight.
When she finally, after months of walking and contemplating her own existence, made it to California she nearly cried. Z still had a ways to go before she made it to the redwoods, but to her it felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders and soon she would finally be able to settle down.
As she traveled further into the Golden state, every town she went through seemed to be abandoned. Z hadn't seen a single person since she crossed the border, they where either deep in hiding or had all just died off. Not that she really minded, it only made things easier for her.
After a few days of traveling she started collecting things she might need when she stopped for good. Mostly small things, though she did find a few overgrown gardens that offered a wonderful selection of easily grown vegetables that she could bring with her. Her grandmother had taught her everything she about gardening and keeping plants(which had been a lot), and Z was excited to see how well her wisdom had stuck.
Z had seen pictures of the redwoods when she was younger, but nothing could actually prepare her for their massive size when she actually reached them. She stood at the edge of the forest, just basking in the fact the she had finally made it, for a good ten minutes before she ventured inside.
The first thing on the agenda was to find a good place to build a shelter. Most people immediately tried to find food and water, and that was a rookie mistake. The human body could go days without water, and even longer without food, but if you had no shelter when the sun went down, you where pretty much fucked.
Z had a small tent in her bag to use until she could find a good spot, though she usually tried to refrain from using it. She moved quickly through the large trees, taking in all the nature and beauty as she went. Later into her training her grandma would send her out into the woods around her house. Z would spend days out there by herself, working on her hunting skills or build different types of forts out of sticks.
Though the redwoods where much different than the forest in Louisiana, the further she traveled in the more...at peace Z felt.
All of her worries seemed to just melt away as she came up on a cluster of trees. The largest three where set in a sort of triangle formation around a flat high-rise of land, the rest scattered a few feet apart from each other.
It was perfect.
Z pulled off her backpack and slid down to sit on a large root, letting out a long sigh. She reached into the inside of her coat and pulled out a folded up piece of paper, unfolding it carefully.
Zander.
If your reading this, it means you've finally made it to your destination. Hopefully you didn't get into too much trouble on the way, though knowing how other people are you've probably had at least a little confrontation.
Z chuckled. 'Good call, grandma.' She thought as she continued reading.
I have compete faith in you dear and know you'll be able to handle yourself. I know your still young, but you've grown so much since this all started and I'm sad I won't be able to see you become a woman with my own eyes. This is the last time I'll get to speak with you, so I have some advice to give.
Keep an open mind. In this new world nothing is impossible for you or anyone else, and if you want something you have to take it. Even if it doesn't seem like the right option. You are strong and you always have been, even if you don't always think so.
I'm so proud of you, my love, and I always will be.
Love Grandma.
Z sniffed and wiped her eyes, smiling up at the sky.
"Love you to, Grandma."