Zara Brooks

9407

Kayla Grace Bradshaw

Dead or Alive

**Zara Jane Brooks** is the main protagonist/antihero of the Stalker Series. She is one of the most complex characters in the multiverse going from a monster hunter to a monster herself in a matter of months. This has lead to readers having mixed views on the characters as she tends to be horrible yet innocent at the same time.

## Background

Zara Jane Brooks was born on September 2, 2006 to Arthur Brooks and an unnamed mother. She had an older brother, Asher, and an older sister, Carissa. Asher was ten years older than Zara and Carissa two years. She was born in a rural part of Central Pennsylvania, though where exactly is not specified. Carissa Brooks was a very arrogant young girl and hated Zara. But she wasn't completely isolated from her family as Asher became her best friend as their father was often out of town on business trips.

When Zara was two, her mother went into the woods and was murdered by a monster in the woods near their home. The monster was a legendary beast known only as the 'Savage'. Carissa would silently hold a grudge against Zara, believing she was the reason their mother went into the woods, despite it not being allowed.

Not much else is known about Zara's childhood, as Jack intentionally wanted to keep these aspects of the characters a mystery. What is known is that by the age of ten or eleven, Zara became obsessed with the Savage and the horror genre in general. She loved watching horror movies or reading horror stories with her friends. This was a defining part of the character.

When Zara was thirteen, she began binge watching the entire series of Criminal Minds that had been released to that point. The facts about serial killers, murder and other disturbing facts would stick with her, and unfortunately be put to good use later on in the series.

## Stalker Series

### He Who Stalks the Woods

The story opens with Zara waking up on a late summer morning. She is very excited because she was invited to hang out with Carissa and her friends, though the details of this are minuscule at best. She gets up, gets dressed and discusses the hangout with Carissa over breakfast. It is here where she learns that they will be meeting up at Dewey Lake, in the middle of the woods, forbidden from the outside.

Zara tries to object to this, but Carissa shoots her down and pressures Zara to go with them still, and she finally complies. Finishing her breakfast she grabs her coat and meets two of Carissa's friends, Josie Cooper and Colette. Josie appears somewhat tense, though Colette is warm and welcoming to Zara. As the group of teenagers set off, Colette hung back to talk and to get to know Zara. They share musical interests, school life and some other stuff. Zara feels less excluded from the group, which Carissa doesn't particularly like. The group goes off into the woods and Zara begins hearing and noticing different peculiar things. She hears strange noises, like someone clicking their tongue against the roof of their mouth. She ignores these immense warnings, instead of sprinting off out of the woods like her better judgement demands of her.

Upon arriving at Dewey Lake, she meets Oliver, Blue and Wyatt, the three older girls partners, and Blue informs Zara that Theo, her crush and his brother is on the dock. The six of them then wander off. Zara goes to see Theo and the two share an awkward moment where Theo finally asks Zara out. The two nearly kiss, though Oliver interferes and causes a commotion. Carissa begins shouting and accidentally reveals her true feelings towards Zara which brings the younger sister to tears. The group devolves into chaos and at that moment is when the Savage arrives.

#### The War With The Savage

The Savage attacks the group, quickly picking off Wyatt and Blue as the rest of the group flees for their lives.