More Than Just A Distraction

Which was always a good thing. Usually anything interesting happening meant the group had been in danger or had lost someone. And whether or not you knew the person lost it was always hard on everyone. Losing anyone felt like a failure, and with so few people left they needed all the survivors they could find. Quite honestly, Roxanne could barely believe she was a part of the raiding team. When the outbreak had first happened she could barely hold a gun, let alone shoot one. She had been scared of her own shadow and now, here she was a capable survivor.

The wind picked up and Roxy pulled the sweater she was wearing tighter around her small body as she quickened her pace. It was almost curfew which meant she needed to head inside soon. Though maybe not her own place. She’d seek shelter with David tonight she decided as she turned left at the corer, away from her own place. And she smiled, there was a familiar face walking towards her. Summer. While she had grown to call everyone in this ‘town’ familiar, it was comforting to see someone from her first group before they merged.

Before Outbreak:

Life wasn’t always easy or fair, and Roxanne had to learn that at a very young age. At the age of seven, the little girl’s mother was killed in car collision—drunk driving was the culprit—leaving Roxy in the care of her father. He had always loved the taste of alcohol, and upon losing his wife he turned to the strong drink as a coping mechanism. Over the years, his drinking became worse. He became more preoccupied with picking up girls at the local bar rather than raising Roxy. Because of this, she was forced to fend for herself. Roxanne didn’t make very many friends because she kept mostly to herself. Until she stumbled upon a dance studio, the girl had been dreading the start of high school. Falling in love with the grace of the art, she begged the owner for some classes, offering to sweep and do any other odd job that was needed. After much hesitation, the owner agreed—Roxy’s eagerness winning her over. Within the first two months, the she moved up quickly through the ranks. Dancing came easy to her and offered her a healthy way of coping with her alcoholic father who’s temper had gotten much worse. He came home at odd hours of the nights, completely wasted. Often times, he would stumble into Roxanne’s room, waking the girl from her sleep. When she begged him to leave her alone, he would get angry and scream at her. Pretty soon, screaming turned to hitting and there was no escaping. Roxanne became cold, calculated and bitter towards the world. She was broken and so was her trust. On the day she graduated, she packed her bags and headed for Las Vegas and never looked back. Upon moving to the City of Sin, she found a job at a Burlesque Bar as a waitress. Living in the city was expensive and soon enough Roxanne found herself acquiring a job as a stripper. She had always wanted to make dancing a career, but this wasn’t what she imagined. While in Vegas, she met a girl named Vera who became an unlikely friend.

After Outbreak:

On her way home from work early one morning, Roxanne received a phone call from a friend. She instructed Roxy hurry home and check the news. The blonde brushed off the worried tone, simply assuming it to be a prank. She hung up the phone and continued on. But after being almost bitten in an alley—and watching as the man got up after Roxanne shot him in the chest with the handgun she carried—she heeded the warning and rushed home. Once there, she locked the door. Still shaken from her encounter, Roxanne tried to calm herself as she turned on the television. The same thing was being broadcasted on every channel. Seek shelter. Stay indoors. Help will come. Not much was said about what was happening, save for some people were attacking others. A few hours later, the power went out and Roxanne was plunged into darkness. Several days later, the blonde knew she couldn’t stay put or she’d starve to death. After packing a couple of bags with what she thought she would need to live, she ventured out into the unknown. Which turned out to be a mistake. The dead had taken over and the main cities seemed to be their home. One day Roxx was trying to find food; unfortunately for her, Roxx got herself cornered by three men threatening to rape her. After cornering herself and being rescued by a man who introduced himself later as David Foltz, the two traveled together and came across a group willing to take in survivors.

Present Day:

It’s been a year since the virus took over the world, and Roxanne is still struggling to survive. She’s trying to find herself in these troubling times, and only sees herself as a hindrance. She isn’t very skilled in the self defense department, and doesn’t know how to properly shoot her handgun. Currently, she sticks close to camp and offers her services in washing clothes or cooking. As the days pass, she’s contemplating asking one of the men to help her learn how to shoot. She wants to take on more of a proactive role, including going on supply runs. She’s just gotta learn how to defend herself first. The only person she truly trusts is David Foltz, probably because he saved her when the outbreak first happened. While she’s grown to respect those in her group, she can’t view them as her family. This new world is cruel, and any day could be someone’s last. She’s unwilling to get close to someone and care only to have them taken from her. For now, she’s trying to keep her distance, but it’s hard when you live with someone for so long.