Melanie introduced herself to Colette, then went through each member of the group, pointing with each name said and keeping her voice low. She turned back to Colette, shaking her head. "You know...if it weren't for you warning us about all those walkers, we might not have made it this far. Thank you." Her smile widened. "Thank you so much."
Colette blushed, not expecting to be thanked for what she had done, and not expecting to meet such a kind soul in this new world. "No, no, I didn't do anything really. Your group seems tough... You probably could have handled it without my help..."
She looked back over her shoulder at the cabin and then looked at Colette. "I guess it's a good of a place as any. Most of us haven't slept in days. We probably should try to rest here, if we can. Will you be joining us?" she added, biting her lip and giving her a hopeful look.
Joining them? Colette didn't have to think for long. They had already made it pretty clear they weren't going to hurt her, and this girl seemed very nice. "Yes!" Colette spoke suddenly, afraid the girl would change her mind about inviting her to join them before she could answer. "I mean... Yes, I would very much like that, if it's okay." She thought about what she had to offer to the group, in order to prove to them she was worth saving in times she needed to be saved. "I- I can make traps for walkers as well as traps for animals, and I have a few books on making homemade batteries and radios and stuff, and I'm pretty good at it... I also know a lot of survival skills too..." She trailed off, running out of things to add. She had weaknesses, of course, but didn't feel as though it would be smart to share them at this moment.
Colette followed Melanie, who talked to the man name Reese, suggesting they set up for the night. He agreed, volunteering to take the first watch.
"We need a water source. Obvious but we're going to need to boil water for drinking and cooking meals which don't taste like utter shit. We need a secure building, with defenses such as nail boards. Walkers will step over anything. If we take it in turns to scavenge, it could get us some work done, too," Reese added.
"I could help with the water. I've found a few streams around here, and if it looks like I'll be safe for the night, I boil the water over a fire. I've done it a couple of times, but usually I rely on the dew and condensation from the plants in the morning, because they don't need to be purified, and it's surprisingly easy to collect."
She continued to follow Melanie, who circled the cabin, running into the girl she had earlier introduced as.... Colette had forgot her name. The girl brushed past them, claiming the first watch as hers. Colette said nothing, and entered the door into the cabin. She turned her flashlight on, and moved slowly, still scared of what might be inside. She didn't find much in the first bedroom, other than a simple mattress. She checked the closet, and found nothing. Once she was sure she was safe, she took out her homemade battery from her backpack, as well as the Hello Kitty lantern she had found one day that hung on the side. She quickly wired the battery up to the kid's toy, and turned it on. The room was flooded with a warm yellow-orange glow, and Colette was once again filled with hope. Being in the forest was a good thing, as it was hard for large groups of walkers to clump together with all the trees and bushes, and she felt very much in her element her. She was also with a group a people who weren't trying to kill her, and the cabin she was currently in seemed uninhabited. She listened as the muffled voices of her group echoed on the walls, reminding her that there was still some life left. She took out her tiny blanket, realizing now the number of child's items she had was at an all time high. She set it on the bed, turning the lamp of, figuring she should find someone to talk to about these "watches".
After wandering around a bit more in the dark, she finally came across some others from the group. One of them was the girl whose name she could not remember, talking softly to the man named 'Ghost'. That was much easier to remember, and he himself was hard to forget. "Um... Pardon me," Colette called out in a hushed tone, "I would like to lay down and rest, but I was wondering if you all would like me to take a watch later on. If so, I'll be in the bedroom down that hall and to the left." She pointed, wondering if they could even see her point in the dark. "I can also help boil some water if any of you find some to boil... Or I could help build some enforcement.... Whatever you need me to do, really." She looked at them, hoping they wouldn't ask her to go out by herself for anything. While she was experienced with doing that, she still hated it.
