Lily Jackson

[Pheasant342]

Lily Jackson-
16th March 1974 - 9th October 1995
Lily Jackson started her post-apoc life in Rosewood, immediately joining a group bound for Louisville, where she hid away from the zombies, slow and smart, only taking the few she could with her machete as she spent her time learning how to survive in this cruel new world- learning to thrive with found friends. This would change when she naively headed to the Muldraugh Trainyard trading event with nothing but a katana and some tailoring supplies- Here she was surrounded by more than she’d ever seen, she couldn’t fight and wound up hiding under piles of the slain zombies as the endless hordes piled in. Rescued by Chloe and Darnell, she learned that the big city wasn’t for her.
Returning to her old home in the city she felt unsafe, alone, surrounded, so she was excited to accept a new life as she heard of a ‘Coastal’ being built. This quickly became her new home which she was proud to have helped build up from the ground. Her fierce loyalty to the place grew as she became attached to many, working with friends to build a peaceful, safe space to thrive. She found love in Wyatt, and cherished her time with him. He was a soldier, who went to great lengths to protect the town, leaving Lily worrying for his safety. In the end she convinced him to leave the fight and start a life together, he promised to stay with her and they began to build a cabin in the forest away from the risks of the life he bravely chose. His past was unforgiving, and came back to drag him down, leaving Lily alone in fury and despair.
She swore to live by what he would have wanted and avenge his death. She wanted everyone involved in the river and would never rest until she knew it was true. Through this she kept surviving as she had to, bringing in new friends and maintaining the town they loved. Her path would change when a looting mission to an abandoned KYC base led her to discover a priest’s involvement in Wyatt’s death. Not wanting to endanger her town, she planned, and hired KAT to bring Father Benjamin to Coastal. She thought she would question him, ask him why and make him hurt like she did, but was led to take his life. She brought him down with Wyatt’s knife, mercilessly filling him with holes even after he stopped breathing. She threw him in the river and felt nothing. Darkness consumed her, which she tried her best to stifle, destroying all the evidence of what she had done and ‘acting normal’. She kept striving to protect her town as it grew, finding new life when she befriended Putie, who taught her to be more carefree and open. Putie became her closest partner in crime and her fellow advocate for chaos.They spent many good days foraging, sitting in the sun and the snow and making each other smile. They even obtained a Pillibug Patroller, following a battle at Coastal that spiralled out of control. Growing pains at Coastal due to increased weariness after this loss caused many friends to move on, something which Lily would never do. She fought relentlessly for her town as it changed around her, taking more responsibility as old friends moved away.
The darkness in her kept growing as she had to take 2 more lives ‘for the good of the town’, one of whom Lily cared for, and didn’t want to hurt. She was able to bury Frank but Aiden wound up in the river after he hurt Putie. She knew people who cared about Aiden, and felt immense guilt knowing that Broseph had prepared rings for him and lost him before he could propose- the same fate Wyatt faced with Lily. She felt less human as she lied to him to protect her and Coastal’s reputations. When she heard about the final battle with the UN, she immediately knew she had to join the fight; she had to protect her town as Wyatt would have wanted. Inside she knew that this would cost her her life, but she didn’t care, because they would be together again. She said a final goodbye to him and packed to leave Coastal for the warzone. She spent a brief time with Millie and the strays before the fight, preparing the best she could and living to the fullest with her friends.
When the fight came around she took many bullets, bravely charging into fire. After one bullet too many, as she lay wounded, she knew she was dying. It was as she had imagined and hoped- Wyatt came to join her and bring her home. She smiled, rested with him and waited, and waited until she reached for his hand and closed her eyes. When she opened them again she was greeted by the sounds of the battle and her wounds tended to, but painfully alone once again. She couldn’t take it- She pulled herself up and charged back into the fight, taking more shots, but *not dying*.
She was meant to die. It wasn’t fair. Thoughts of seeing him again consumed her and even her friends trying to bring her back couldn’t stop her from unbandaging her neck and bleeding out, to rejoin him forever. As she closed her eyes she faintly saw his hand, and hoped he would forgive her for cutting her time in this cruel world short. They are finally reunited.
Lily Jackson was a warrior, a friend, a murderer. May she rest in peace.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zOKBvHNWus