Name: Rachel
Age: 9
Sex: Female
Personality: Rachel isn't very... talkative. She never was much of a talker, even around her family, although that's not to say she didn't enjoy herself, nor that she was mute. Soft-spoken and timid to most, Rachel is everything you would expect from a girl her age going through what many refer to as "Hell on Earth". Become one she truly trusts and she'll start talking more, however compared to most her age she's still rather quiet. She's brutally honest, though knows when to keep quiet, and appears to be quite good at understanding a situation.
She's not overly athletic, and is far weaker physically than most, though is capable of accomplishing small feats. Her intelligence is slightly above average (keyword "slightly"), and her mind is still rather underdeveloped due to her being so young. In fact the only real pro in terms of her characteristics is her innocence and small stature, however both of those are just as equal weaknesses as they are strengths. In order for her to become a stronger person, it will take a lot of time and effort.
Physical Description: Rachel is short in stature, again even compared to those her age and sometimes even younger. She's also just as thin as she is short, and the apocalypse hasn't made her figure any better. Her freckled face is accompanied by innocent, dark blue eyes that seem to glow like the ocean, and her sweet smile is capable of bringing joy to even the most sorrowful heart. Her hair, such a dark brown it's practically black, is tied back in an unkempt ponytail, reaching down to lengths well beyond what is deemed "safe" for the zombie apocalypse, though she was assured by her mother that this wasn't a hazard. Her clothes include a simple hoodie of faded red which is patched in odd places, as well as blue jeans ripped at the kneecaps and a white, long sleeve shirt of minimal wear.
Weapons/Equipment:
- 9mm Pistol; 2x 9mm pistol magazines (15 rounds each).
- 750ml of water (3x 250ml bottles).
- 13x Non-perishable tin cans.
- Multi-tool (knife, phillips screwdriver, wire cutters, ruler, can/bottle opener, metal file).
- Simple sports watch.
- A letter from mum.
History: Rachel, before the outbreak, lived a poor but otherwise great life, to two loving parents and an only child. Growing up she was home-schooled, however made great friends with those who lived on the same street as her. Unlike most people turned poor, her mother and father worked hard to get stable jobs in the workforce in order to look after both themselves and their child, whilst also educating her in things such as maths, sciences, literature and whatnot. Despite not going to school until she was 8, Rachel was known as one of the smarter kids among her peers, though that could be because she never spoke up unless she was 100% certain her answer would be correct, or when she was called upon.
Living on a poor income was tough on all the family, however they used this opportunity to further their bond and pick up plenty of techniques on survival. It was only six months ago that Rachel's mother managed to score a high-paying job in construction, and they were finally able to start putting more filling meals on the table. Of course, they didn't know that the apocalypse was just around the corner and it wouldn't mean squat very soon, however they enjoyed what felt like luxury while it lasted...
Life after the outbreak: When news of the outbreak was told on the TV, Rachel's parents immediately knew what to do. Those early poor life choices that started them off finally gave them the experience that was needed, and Rachel's father drove straight to the nearest gunstore and food market with all the money they had, buying everything he could to help them along. Needless to say, many things were brought. Rachel's mother, on the other hand, stayed at home with Rachel and began sorting and figuring out what was essential and what was not, how they could carry it, where they would go and just what to do in general. By the time Rachel's father had returned home, all the preparations had been made...
For the following month, Rachel and her parents have been moving about throughout the city, unlike those who tried to stay in one place, they remained on the move. The trio figured staying in the city for a little while could actually be beneficial, since there are more supplies that one can find if they look in the right places, and they could then use that to further their survival outside the city. Since both her mother and father have forever been in Pittsburgh, one raised on the eastern side and the other the west, the three actually survived and almost thrived in this city-turned-wasteland, knowing almost every corner and just about all the great places to fortify on either side of the city. The trio essentially went base-hopping, going from group to group of survivors, exchanging things they needed for a place to sleep before moving on. This tactic worked well for them, and by the end of the month, the three were almost ready to head out...
... Then: bandits.
They attacked by surprise one night, in a disorganized and sloppy fashion. Rachel and her mother, having slept on the floor above her father, who was keeping watch for the night on the first floor, managed to make their escape while their father held off the bandits. The gunfire could be heard for miles around, attracting the unwanted attention of the living dead.
Rachel's mother was bit later that night.
Rachel already knew what happened to people who were bitten by the 'bad people', however she didn't want her mother to become bad like them. Pleading with her mother, Rachel tried just about everything she could think of to try and help her mother, however her mom knew that there was nothing they could do. Rachel wasn't willing to leave her mother's side, and there were still zombies tailing them... so, in order to protect her daughter, she had to knock her unconscious. Having found themselves in a drug store, Rachel's mother had managed to find a bottle of estazolam tablets, and had Rachel induce two tablets, which effectively knocked her unconscious. Quickly moving to the back alleyway, Rachel's mother cleared away some trash bags, set her daughter and all the possessions she could spare down, and covered her again in trash bags, hesitating before taking off with a semi-automatic rifle.
... And then, once she was a far enough distance away, she began shooting. A horde followed, however Rachel's mother made an effort to get as far away from that drug store as possible, taking down as many of those creatures as she could.
She made sure to save one, final bullet for herself.
Rachel continued to survive in the trash bags for the past three days without moving a muscle. Her memory remains foggy about what happened just before the incident, and has only had a simple letter from her mother to keep her there, in the trash bags. However, as time drew on, she began to think more and more about venturing out and finding her parents, and then finding a way out of the city. Yet, just as she plans to move out, she hears something so familiar at first that it almost seems foreign: footsteps. They draw nearer and nearer, lying just beyond the bags which cover her. There are no moans, no wails of the undead, and the steps sound orderly.
And then...?
"
Cough! Cough!"
