Rose is a woman who becomes involved in the events at Gadsen Manor.
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History[]
Pre-apocalypse[]
Rose is the older sister of Callum Donaldson. Their mother died when Callum was a baby. Their dad was a violent alcoholic who physically abused them. When Callum was 12, he beat their father to death with a hammer. Rose knew that Callum was old enough to be tried as an adult, so Rose took the blame for their father's death to protect her younger brother. Rose was subsequently convicted of murder. Callum was adopted by his English teacher and moved south a year later. Once Callum had become a journalist, he often sent letters and copies of his articles to Rose, who kept them in a scrapbook.[1]
One day a woman named Billie was incarcerated in the same prison as Rose. Rose later received another of Callum's articles which stated that Billie was responsible for a chemical spill in Somalia that killed thousands. Rose spread the news to the other prisoners, which resulted in Billie being harassed relentlessly until she killed herself.[2]
The Way of All Flesh[]
Callum contacts Rose two days after the apocalypse begins, telling her to meet him at Gadsen Manor on a certain date.[1]
A few months later, Rose arrives at Gadsen Manor along with Geri Kim and Professor Walter Huebner. A fourth member of their party, Sheila, takes shelter in a treehouse outside. Once inside the manor, Rose meets Chris McShell, Jody Marsh, Keith, Manisha, and Callum. As the group sits down to eat, they hear the doorbell ringing. They all go to check the door, but nobody is there - only the zombies crowding around the fence. They return to the dining room. Callum begins eating his stew but suddenly starts to choke and collapses. Manisha checks him and announces that he is dead.[3]
After the initial shock of Callum's death passes, Rose, Geri, Jody, and the Prof move Callum's body out of the way. Then everyone splits up to investigate the manor. Rose and Geri explore the central area. Geri finds Callum's cell phone, which Rose demands to have, but Geri refuses to give it to her. Rose finds a broadcasting room, but all of the equipment has been smashed to bits. The investigations are interrupted when Sheila screams for help from outside. Rose, Manisha, and the Prof are unwilling to risk themselves to help her, but the others work together to bring Sheila safely inside. However, the zombies have now breached the fence.[4]
Rose helps to fortify the doors and windows. Afterwards, everyone checks each other for zombie bites and the other women notice Rose's prison tattoos. They discuss what should be done when the murderer is discovered and Rose suggests killing them. After listening to the voicemails on Callum's cell phone, Manisha says that some of them have been deleted. Later, after reviewing all the evidence so far, Chris gathers Jody, Rose, Geri, the Prof, and Sheila in one room. He declares that Rose is Callum's sister, and that Rose is the one who killed him.[5]
Rose admits that she is Callum's brother. After further questioning from Chris and Jody, Rose lies and says that she was the one who killed their father and that she killed Callum out of rage after he refused to acknowledge their relationship. Chris and Jody see through her lies and Rose eventually admits the truth to them. Chris asks if she knows who really killed Callum. Rose says she has an idea, but she doesn't want to say it because she's worried that doing so will sully Callum's reputation. Chris and Jody leave to go to bed. During the night, Rose is strangled to death by someone.[1]
It is eventually revealed that Sheila is the killer of both Callum and Rose. Sheila is the mother of Billie, the woman who Callum got arrested and Rose bullied in prison. Billie was innocent; the company she worked for, Pandora Haze, was responsible for the chemical spill, but they blamed the whole thing on her. Sheila killed Callum and Rose out of revenge for their roles in her daughter's suicide.[2]
Appearances[]
Quotes[]
Rose: "I travel alone. A blight has come upon the land. No point making friends when the doom stalks us all. It doesn’t serve to get attached."[3]
Rose: "I’ve done worse things than you’ll ever know. And when my doom comes to greet me, as it will, I’ll welcome it like a lover."[4]