Gracie Graham

**Gracie** is a survivor of the outbreak and member of the original Fairhaven survivor group in AGN's The Road Ahead. She was among those present on transport buses when the convoy broke down on the highway.

## Pre-Apocalypse

Little is known about Gracie's life before the outbreak besides that she was a college student and friends with both Nina and Carrie.

## Post-Apocalypse

### The Road Ahead (Volume 1)

On the way to the evacuation point, the several buses containing the remaining quarantine camp survivors were halted by the hundreds of suspended vehicles jammed throughout the highway. Carrie and Nina comforted Gracie, her nerves getting the best of her, as the three awaited progression in their evacuation. After a while of waiting, the girls were introduced to a sickly woman entering the bus. Gracie attempted to comfort the woman by offering her a bottle of water, however she refused the offering, closing her eyes. Several minutes passed by before the woman awoke, her eyes a sickening milky white. The sluggish woman lunged for a passenger, attempting to take a bite from the woman's leg before the scenario was resolved by an officer dragging the sick woman turned attacker away.

After several minutes of waiting for news, the girls were shocked to witness several other sick, sluggish people wandering outside on the highway. The sick individuals roamed the road without care for their well being, as they attempted to attack those stranded in their vehicles, they did not show any sign of self defence, their eyes set on only taking a bite from those they chose as their victim. Gracie watched as the rabid human-like creatures began to smash their own heads and hands on the windows of the numerous buses, including the one she resided in. For a moment Gracie made direct eye contact with one of the monsters, before it smashed through the glass of the bus, lunging directly towards her. Gracie froze in fear, resulting in Nina dragging the girl out of the bus. The three girls ran in to the forest as the infected monsters tore open those who stayed behind, killing them almost instantly.

After several minutes of wandering alone, the girls met with a friendly police officer; Shirley, a kind hearted man with the intention of getting the girls to safety. Along with Shirley were several other survivors who managed to escape the chaos. Unable to comprehend recent events, Gracie followed the directions of her trusted friends, the group heading back towards the highway. Upon arrival, the group were met with military officials, and after a check to make sure that the group were not infected, the bunch were told by the men with guns that they had lost contact with their other kinsmen, stranded without any orders. Within the group was a terrified yet sturdy man, Llewelyn Cassidy. The man was searching for his missing daughter. After being certified as uninfected the girls returned to their inner circle, avoiding the armed men. However, mid conversation, the survivors were alarmed to hear planes flying over them, bombs dropping nearby with gas spreading outwards from the explosions.

With no other choice but to make their own way to safety, the group trekked for what seemed like hours before arriving at a fortified high school. Gracie sat with her friends as those around them attempted to make sense of the situation, before the infected beasts ambushed the pack of survivors. Gracie watched in horror as the creatures forced their way inside, killing those who stood in their way. Taken by the hand, Gracie fled with Nina, Carrie, Llewelyn, Shirley and a handful of other survivors. Nina was as shaken as Gracie, having to had kill one of the intruders, yet maintained composure for her friend.

As the sun began to set and night time plagued the sky, the group were wandering with the goal to find other survivors. The wish of finding other living beings had been granted, however along with the survivors were those who now resembled the living dead. With fear embedded in the young girl, Gracie fled towards the pitch black forest as the group of remaining living beings were attacked by those who had rose from the dead, resulting in both Nina and Carrie chasing after her. Stranded from the group, the girls were alone and afraid amidst the darkness of the night.

The girls took refuge in a nearby house, leaving at when the sun escaped the grasp of the nighttime. The girls wandered the morning-lit streets in search of friendly faces, finding several familiar faces from the buses within a nearby house. The small group offered assistance to the girls, asking whether or not they wanted to tag along with them to a newfound location, in which they agreed. Within the small group was a man named Locke Hawthorne, a kind and sensitive man who so happened to be the one leading the group to their new safe house. Upon arrival, the three girls settled down in what looked to be a worn down cafe, the windows barricaded with planks of wood.

Later within the day, the girls heard a commotion from downstairs. A man with a gun raises was demanding justice for stolen possessions, the girls remaining hidden from the situation. A girl who introduced herself as Alice approached the girls, her anxious behaviour spreading towards Gracie. Alice warned the girls that if the scenario turned bitter, that she had crafted a rope on the second floor of the building for a quick exit. As the situation seemed to have calmed, the girls were alerted by the sounds of smashing glass, the group from downstairs fleeing towards the second story. Gracie watched in horror as the infected began to sprint towards herself and the group, resulting in the girl running in fear, pushing past the several packs of infected and managing to escape from the building unscathed.

Gracie halted to a stop after sprinting for several minutes, realising that she had left her friends behind. Two armed men caught up to the girl, telling her that they had to find somewhere safe before they could check for survivors. Gracie complied, following the men, still in shock. After arriving at a house in the middle of the night the men questioned Gracie on her name, she answered with anxiety in her voice, telling the men that she had to use the restroom. Gracie fled from the house, sprinting away with the goal of finding her friends.

Gracie wandered in the darkness for a while before reuniting with Nina. Gracie sobbed to her former best friend, expressing her self hatred for leaving her friends behind. Nina comforted the girl, taking her by the hand with the plan of finding Carrie, alive. The girls managed to make their way back to the cafe, witnessing Alice's corpse outside. After making their way inside, horrified over Alice's death, the girls found Carrie alive and well with Locke, however they were the only two left. Gracie and Carrie embraced in a tight hug, the girl apologising for leaving her friend behind. Carrie had no negative thoughts on the situation, comforting her friend.

The girls spent an hour or two with Locke, who briefed Gracie and Nina on what happened after they had left, Gracie informing the man that the group she found while on the road were still alive and well, bringing joy to the man. The girls decided to part ways with Locke in hopes of bringing back supplies to help rebuild the cafe after its quick destruction the night prior. The girls wandered in to town, stopping for a break at a run down grocery store, barricading themselves inside the second floor stock room.

Gracie and Nina left Carrie behind, the girl resting, as the duo attempted to search for food. While out, the girls came across Llewelyn, the man happy to see them. The girls allowed Carrie to continue resting, not attempting to awake their friend as Llewelyn took them to his safe house not too far away, the man telling the girls that he had been alone since their departure. The man offered the girls a drink and something to eat, as well as his bathroom for the duo to have showers, their clothes drenched in blood and sweat. After showering Gracie was surprised to witness Locke within the room, Llewlyn had invited the man over, worried for his safety.

Midst conversation during a sweet reunion the door to the apartment opened, a young woman entering inside along with Shirley. The woman was introduced as Arianna as Shirley began to delve in to a deep speech about how he was grateful for the girls survival, along with Locke and Llewlyn. Shirley told the group that he and many other survivors were staying at a farmhouse not too far out of town, and invited the bunch. Gracie asked the officer whether he had any information of her mothers location, in which he told her that she'd most likely be in Fairhaven, but that it was too tricky of a trip to make, due to the infected that infested the streets.The girls, Carrie, Gracie and Nina, along with Locke, followed Shirley to the farmhouse, Llewlyn opting to stay behind. The farm was a beautiful, scenic plot of land with no walking corpses in sight. Gracie and her friends explored their newfound surroundings, finally feeling safe for the first time in a while.

While resting at a campfire with other fellow survivors, Gracie began to hear groans coming from the forest, turning her head to inspect the source of the noise. Before she could react, the creatures darted for those at the campfire, mutilating those who were closest to them. Gracie, Carrie and Nina managed to escape the chaos, sprinting away from the farmhouse in complete darkness. The girls headed back to the city, planning on heading to Llewelyn's safe house for the remaining of the night. As the girls entered the apartment room they were surprised to find it empty, barricading the doors with themselves inside.

After waiting inside the room for an hour or two, the girls were met with a knock on the door, and after a sincere conversation the girls ultimately allowed the guest inside. The man introduced himself as Rodney, telling the girls that he could be trusted. Despite his kind words, the girls felt uncomfortable around the stranger, however their anxiety was alleviated when Llewelyn entered the room. Llewelyn expressed his gratitude towards the safety of the girls, the trio happy to see the man alive after their time apart. Gracie began to communicate her feelings towards constantly being uprooted from their statehouses, telling the group that she had began to grow weary of the scenario.

After a severe debate, Gracie told the group that whether or not they chose to follow, herself, Carrie and Nina were leaving to inspect the farmhouse, with the goal of then heading to Fairhaven in search of Gracie's mother. Llewlyn told Gracie and her friends that it would be a death trip, however Gracie responded by telling the man that hunkering down hadn't exactly proven safe. After convincing the two men, the group left for the farmhouse. On the way to the farmhouse, Carrie was grabbed by a roaming infected, resulting in Gracie executing the monster, covered in the blood of the deceased beast.

The girls were shocked to find the bodies of those they had been conversing with prior to the attack, along with the corpse of Shirley. With her newfound guilt-ridden shock, Gracie entered the farmhouse and grabbed a shotgun that rested on the mantelpiece within the residence, along with taking a pistol from a desk nearby. Upon exiting the farmhouse, a strange man that wore a gas-mask approached the group introducing himself as Frank. Along with Frank was a familiar face, Arianna. Gracie questioned the man on his gas-mask, with the stranger responding that he had been in the gas attack prior. With this information, the girls learned that no matter how an individual died, they return as one of the monsters. Gracie, Nina and Carrie's stomachs turned, sickened with this information, resulting in Carrie falling in to a brief state of shock.

Tired of the situation, Gracie asked Frank if he could escort the girls to Fairhaven, in which he agreed. Llewelyn told the girls that he had to part ways, as his family were lost within a different city. With an empathetic speech and a few hugs, the girls left for Fairhaven with Frank and Arianna. After an hour of walking, the group arrived in Fairhaven, Frank taking the girls to a junkyard turned safe house. Thanking Frank, the girls told the man that they had business to attend to and left the junkyard, Arianna remaining with Frank. The girls headed deeper in to the city, and as they turned a corner, witnessed several hundred infected. With their hearts in their throats, the girls fled, seeking refuge in a nearby building. Whilst climbing through the broken window of the building, Carrie suffered a deep injury.

With Carrie's wound worsening, the girls had no choice but to seek supplies to treat the girl. The trio broke in to a barricaded fire station and began to seek for their much needed medical supplies. However the girls were alerted by approaching footsteps, hiding in the darkness in fear of the footsteps belonging to a potential attacker. After several minutes, Gracie surrendered her location, being met with the introduction of Rico Mendez, the owner of the safe house. Rico helped the girls with their situation, even allowing the trio to stay for as long as they needed.

With nowhere else to go, the girls resided in the fire station for the night. A fellow survivor within the fire station questioned the girls on why they decided to head to Fairhaven, a condescending tone in his voice. After Gracie told the man that the trio were in Fairhaven in hopes of finding her mother, he told the girl that her mother was most likely dead, resulting in Gracie storming off. The pissed off girl headed downstairs to inspect the garage, however was frightened as two corpses came charging at her from near a broken window. The attackers forced Gracie in to hiding in a broom closet, the girl waiting for them to leave for several minutes to no avail.

Taking matters in to her own hands, Gracie opened the door slightly, allowing one of the corpses inside. With no other choice but to execute the infected herself, Gracie grabbed the monster by its hair, repeatedly smashing its skull in to the wall nearby. Ready to repeat the process, Gracie was instead met with Rico killing the infected, rescuing Gracie and taking her back to safety. After returning to the second story the group were frightened to witness the entirety of the station surrounded. With no other choice, the girls attempted to get some rest.

In the morning, Gracie and Nina explored the city, sticking to alleyways and the shadows to remain unnoticed. After finding a cosy house that resembled one of their own, the girls inspected attic in hopes of finding some entertainment. After finding a box filled with vintage Christmas decorations, Gracie and Nina began to turn the house in to a festive delight. After the enjoyable activity, Gracie entered the garden to find fresh tomatoes, picking them and bringing them inside, the girls snacking on the crops. However, as usual, the infected spoilt the excitement resulting in the duo fleeing from the building. On their way back to the fire station, Gracie and Nina found a large baseball stadium completely overrun, staying far away.

Upon reaching the fire station, the girls were horrified to see it completely infested with creatures. With no other choice, Gracie and Nina marched inside the building to rescue Carrie who happened to have locked herself in one of the bathrooms. While on their rescue mission, Gracie was grabbed by one of the infected, resulting in her shooting it clean in the head. With the monsters targeting the station due to the gunfire, Gracie and Nina grabbed Carrie, fleeing towards the junkyard with nowhere else to go.

## Killed Victims

* A few infected

 Death

### Killed By:

* Caroline (Alive, Infected)

Shortly after escaping to the junkyard, Caroline was revealed to have been bitten after turning. Being it night, she chased after Gracie and tackled her to the ground and ripped her throat out, slowly and painfully devouring her shortly after whilst Nina escaped into the trailer.

## References

1. https://aggressivegaming.org/threads/gracie-graham.9302/