Themes

Plot

Liz was married before the outbreak. She had an amazing job, good friends, but most of all, she had a loving husband. When she turned thirty, things began to fall apart. She got fired from her engineering job when her company was doing layoffs. Then, because of her husband's new job, they had to move away from her friends and family. But the final nail on the coffin was when her husband was diagnosed with Leukemia. He died two months later. Liz thought she had lost everything. Overcome with grief, and without a support system, she was prepared to end her life. Before she could, she became sick, and on a whim, went to the hospital. It was there she discovered she was pregnant. It was a new awaking for her. She had found her reason to live. Before she could celebrate the news, the outbreak happened. She fled the hospital before she could be bitten and ran for her life. She got into her car and drove as long as she could until her car broke down. She took to walking on the highway for days until she took refuge with a truck driver who went by the name of Josh. Together, they went to an abandoned house, and Josh got rid of the now zombie residence. They made this place their makeshift home, and our story begins three months later.

Liz plays the violin. When Josh finds a music shop, he remembers Liz saying she used to play the violin, and gets one for her.

To calm herself down, she likes to make designs for buildings. During the time she is pregnant. We see her reach for pen and paper to design when she's waiting for Josh, or when there's an infected person nearby.

Liz has a tattoo of an A+ on her ankle. She got it after graduating Yale as valedictorian. She has never gotten anything lower in her entire life, and she's proud of it.

Josh was adjusting. He had taken a new job as a truck driver and was trying to make the best of it. He wasn't at his best, but he was doing alright. He was happy with himself. After grieving for so long, he felt like he was finally at peace. He still missed his best friend, but he now felt that he could move past that point of his life. He was OK. But then, things suddenly weren't. The outbreak began as he was driving, he had heard it on the radio and assumed it was a joke. When he pulled over to check his phone and saw what the world had become, he was horrified. He began to drive aimlessly. As he drove, he found a woman wondering about it. At first, he thought she was a zombie by the way she staggered, but when she began waving to him, he knew she wasn't. He pulled over and she immediately began pleading for a ride and telling him that she was pregnant. He had sympathy for her and told her he would look after her. That began the tale of the two and they drove off to find a place to stay. The two eventually arrived in an abandoned farm. Josh asked Liz to stay inside, ehile he check the house out. There were three zombies in there. Josh used a shovel he had found to kill them. It was the first time he had killed a zombie and it affected him for a while. The two made this thier home, and the story begins three months later

Tim was an artist, so he often drew in his free time. Josh never really got it, but he would draw with Tim too. He was never really that good, but it became a habit. It's also why he always makes sure to get paper and pencils when he sees them while scavenging. He does it to remember him.

Josh was always the best student in school, but the one scholarly thing he loved to do was read. He often brings books back to the farm, much to Liz's delight, and reads himself to sleep

He is a tall man, nearing his forties. He has a gruff scruffy sort of look to him. He is from the south

He writes a thank you notes to the doctor when she comes by.

He insists on using his southern hospitality when anyone new comes to the checkpoint.

He is very soft with his words, avoiding being too confrontational.

He isn't to prideful to admit when he's wrong and readily apologizes

He opens the door for Liz every single time, even when she tells him it's fine.

He trusts Max's advice, even when Liz says she doesn't trust him. He later apologizes to her.

He often describes the future as better than where they are now while Liz does the opposite.

He believes that one day, society will come back to where it once was.

He let's Liz, a random woman who he just met, who doesn't even look pregnant yet, to come with him.

He takes risks when he is out scavenging for supplies, which gets him into trouble with Liz.

She is distressed. She feels that because of the situation she's in, she doesn't have to grieve. She's pretending to be fine, but at times can breaking randomly. She isn't acknowledging her feelings.