The sky was a deep blanket of velvet with twinkling little stars that poked holes through the never-ending ceiling. The lavender clouds seemed to lull around as if waiting for the eventual build up that would lead to a down pour against the high full moon that illuminated the forest and created a nice contrast to the floor. While above seemed cool and peaceful, the ground was a different story. Down below two woman ran with a young girl between them through a thickening forest of Walkers that grew like the roaring ocean with motion and desperation.
The woman with the long dark hair, that seemed to be the oldest-possibly Native American and in her early thirties to late twenties-stopped short with a slight shout as a new wave of Walkers ahead stopped their travels. With the large pack over her shoulder and her hand on the elbow of the young girl-Hispanic, most-likely twelve years of age-she jerked her head around, searching for an escape from the inescapable.
"What do we do?! What do we do?!" the other girl-mid to early twenties, western European features-cried, her panic consuming her and spilling through her large brown eyes. She swiveled her head back and forth in search of a break between the group, her own large pack on her shoulder like a shield to defend from a bite, but she could find none as they closed in.
"I-I don't know! I don't know!" the oldest cried as she searched around and with a brief flash of tears turned to the sky. At the moment her face seemed to brighten and she shouted, "The trees! Up in the trees!"
Without a thought the three rushed to the trunk of the thickest tree before them and pushed the youngest girl up to the first branch. A Walker, open-mouthed and biting, took hold of the light skinned twenty-something year old but before it could land a bite the oldest came into view and knocked him from behind with a fallen branch.
She shouted, pushing the other girl against the tree, "Up, Up, Up!"
With each other's help they were able to get to the high branch, kicking the Walkers that grabbed at their ankles along the way. And with the young girl in the lead they climbed all the way up until they reached the top. While up they paused to take a break and glance down at the sea of Walkers that came from every direction to surround their tree trunk and push against it with a hunger that was unknowable to the three girls.
With a seemingly never ending vault of attitude the big brown-eyed female asked, "Got any bright ideas, now?"
The Walking Dead
Once Bitten, Twice Shy
The sky had begun to meld into day, replacing the peaceful dark night with a muddy kind of appearance but in turn gave more light and options. The three girls still clung to the tree with little to no ease. The Walkers collectively pressed their weight against the trunk and while the roots were strong they knew with certainty the tree could not with stand the weight of the mob.
On a tree branch the oldest girl sat with the youngest sleeping tied with rope against her and the tree. The other girl sat across from them, on another branch, tied to the tree as well. All hoping there would be no reason to test the knots that gave them security. An odd whizzing came from the oldest girl's picket along with a fuzzy whisper: "LeLa...LeLa? LeLa? Are you there? Over?"
An obvious excitement grew between the two as the voice was heard in the air. The oldest girl pulled from her pocket what appeared to be a baby's walkie-talkie and replied into it: "Yeah, Ann, it's me. I'm here. Over"
"Great. Listen, I have some awesome news, you're not gonna believe i-"
"Hold on, I'm excited about your news and what not but something went wrong. We got overrun."
There was some hesitation before the quivering version of Ann's voice replied: "What?"
"Yeah...I don't know what happened but we were in the cabin and corpses just came out of no where and came after us. It's okay though...well...not really...but Marley's okay, she's here with me and LeLu's sleeping but we're not in good shape. We're up in a tree now and it seems every corpse in the flipping U.S. is here."
"Shit..okay. Shit...Shit!"
The tears were obvious in her voice as she shouted but LeLa knew she had to end the talk and fast, "Listen, listen, Ann. We're going to get out of here. We're going to be okay. We just need a plan. We need to know where you are and we'll get there. Okay? We're going to get there."
"That's...that's the good news. We found other people. There are other people and we're supposed to get you in the morning."
LeLa looked to Marley with hope swelling her eyes but Marley had the same hard expression she always carried. LeLa pressed the walkie to her lips and whispered, "It's almost morning. We can meet up half way."
"Just get to the road. You know, the road that was a mile away from the cabin. Just get to the road and we'll do the rest."
"Got it. Do me a favor, Ann. I'm going to chuck this...try to make as much noise as you can. Just keep your's on and keep talking. I'll see you soon."
With that LeLa placed the walkie on full volume and pressed the button that created the heart-wrenching squeal as she threw it as far as she could in the direction away from the road that was at their backs. As expected many Walkers, the ones on the outer edges, rushed toward it and it was evident in her happy sigh that she was thankful she had thrown it far enough away that the herd below seemed to disperse.
"Do you still have the recorder?" LeLa asked, looking toward Marley with an expression that replaced her previous fearful one. It seemed the conversation with Ann turned her into a new woman and every weakness she had before was replaced by strength.
"Yeah," Marley replied, reaching into her pack for a recorder and pulling it out.
"Turn it on and throw it over there," LeLa said, gesturing far away from where she threw the walkie that shared the voices of Ann and a series of other men.
Marley followed the instructions and out from it came a high-pitched babies cry that wakened what ever Walkers that had given up. Marley turned backward and threw the recorder, obviously throwing it much further and with better accuracy than LeLa had. Marley then, without being told, pulled a pack of firecrackers and lit them, this time tossing them not too far away. She continued this way, pulling out what ever noise making trinket she could find and throwing them far and close to disperse the group below until there seemed to be only a couple dozen left that still remembered the treat up above.
At this time LeLa opened her own pack to her and Marley's distaste. A foul smell creeped from the bag and disgust painted Marley's features into one of absolute terror. LeLu, as if wakened from the smell, let her eyes flutter open until she turned to face the bag and whispered with tears, "No. N-No, no, no, I'm not wearing that. I'm not gonna wear that!"
"Shut up!" Marley hissed, the panic making tears come to her eyes. She leaned forward against the tree to give LeLu a look, the look, that shut her up as she continued, "Shut up!"
But LeLu protested, "I can't!"
"It's okay," LeLa calmed, her hand running through LeLu's long curly dark locks. She ran her fingers over the top of her head and down her waterfall hair and whispered, "It's okay."
With her fingers closed to her shoulder, LeLa pinched a nerve in LeLu's neck and just as before she slumped forward in deep sleep. With that she reached into the large pack and pulled out a thick long slimy, bloody rope that appeared to be something's large intestine. She wrapped it around LeLu's neck and held her breath as she reached down and pulled a small intestine out. She leaned forward and tossed it to Marley who then, with trembling fingers, wrapped it a few times around her neck and shoulders. LeLa reached in again and began to grab chunks of gush and slime and rubbed it into her hair and LeLu's, then over their clothing, their arms, their legs, their visible skin, and finally onto their faces. She then tossed the back to Marley who began the process with less accuracy.
"Come on, Marl, you have to," LeLa pushed through gritted teeth and with that encouragement Marley completed the process as she had.
As soon as the smell over came them a few Walkers left, off to find the noises that were still going off. LeLa took the pack from LeLu's shoulders and threw it to Marley who caught it with the small chance of falling. She opened the pack and pulled from it a few pieces of meat that had been tied together to create some kind of heavy meat-wind-chime. She nodded her head and in the same teeth-gritted manner spoke, "Okay. Let's go."
They untied themselves from the tree but LeLa kept LeLu tied to herself, making sure to keep her against her as they climbed down. On the last branch Marley tied the meat-chime to it, as far out as possible, and waited for LeLa's signal to drop it to the reaching Walkers down below. They each took a breath and then...she nodded.
Marley dropped the meat chime and rushed to the branch with the others. They heard the branch break just as Marley reached them and with out hesitation they dropped to the ground and began to walk in a serious mime of the Walkers around them. It seemed to be a good charade, especially with LeLu being dragged between them the entire way, but they didn't stop to look at one another, they simply kept their eyes dead and ahead.
They could hear that far behind the Walkers were devouring the meat they had accumulated but it was obvious that wouldn't sustain them for long. Already the loud chomping on air was audible through the forest as if it were a sign there was none left, the other Walkers could keep their search. LeLa glanced to Marley who appeared to be a wreck beneath her facade. She gave a brief reassuring smile that was returned with less enthusiasm. She gave a wink that came with a brighter smile, one that assured they were on the same page. Often times they would comfort each other with "we've been through worse" but this...this would be the story they would tell and really mean it. LeLa stepped closer to Marley and whispered, "'Though I walk through the valley of the Shadow of Death..."
"...'I will fear no evil because I am the meanest son of a bitch in the valley,'" Marley finished with a real, true smile.
And then there was a clap of thunder that roared through the bright sky. At the sound of it tears burned their way past Marley's hold and the blood she had painted her face with fell. LeLa's sight became blurry as she continued with a faster pace. Her face became hard, angry, much like a barbarian going to war with teeth showing and eyes in squints. Ahead she could see a thicket of Walkers loitering as if they had missed the events of just before and behind them there was nothing but clear space. All they needed was to get through that cluster and they could make it.
Marley's face became serious again, morose even, as they reached the outer ridge. They bumped against the Walkers, feeling the hairs on the back of their neck stand as chest hit chest and shoulder bumped shoulder and zombie tripped over LeLu that let out a sleepy snore. But they were okay...they had just passed the eye of the group. They were on their way out. And then the first drop fell.
As if Heaven's flash flood had torn through the barrier that was the sky, the rain fell and destroyed their cover. The Walkers snapped from their null existence and awakened at the scent of fresh human. Marley let a shrill scream escape her throat as she dropped her hold on LeLu's arm and torpedoed with her bag a way through the Walkers. LeLa followed quickly, throwing her pack at the ones behind her as she shifted LeLu onto her back and followed.
Although the young girl was small and thin for her age the extra weight slowed her down but she still ran. Ahead, clearing the way to the road that was so close, Marley screamed as if possessed, using her shouts to give her strength as she killed the Walkers ahead with sticks and rocks and twigs and, when nothing was left her, own body to push them away. LeLa kept her eyes on Marley and when she felt a strong Walker's hand grab her arm she let out her own scream that filled her with strength enough to pull free from the death-bite.
A large car pulled up and from it came Daryl Dixon, Rick Grimes, and a woman that seemed older than the three who shrieked in tears for them to run faster. Rick stood with eyes wide in shock but Daryl stepped forward as he stretched out his crossbow and shot his arrow that whizzed right past LeLa's ear and, from the thud on the ground, killed the Walker that had been too close. With the little action Rick awakened and stepped beside him to let out two shots from his gun that killed the remaining two Walkers that had been Marley's last obstical. Rick shouted, ushering the two running girls, "Get in! Get in!" but LeLa was too far.
Ann threw her arm around Marley and pulled her into the backseat while Daryl ran to meet LeLa and took LeLu from her grip and held her in his arms. Together they ran back to the car that had already been turned on and was in the process of backing out into the road. Marley reached her arms out for LeLa and helped yank her and LeLu into the backseat while Daryl got into the passenger-side. Through the windshield LeLa felt a sickening churn in her stomach as she watched the mob, the mob that had cornered them in the night, right there. And as Rick Grimes pulled out and away from the forest she turned around to watch the sea crowd the entire street and fill it til all that could be seen were Walkers. But they were slow, too slow for the vehicle that was speeding away.
She turned back around to Ann who squeezed them together and cried tears of joy and to Marley who clung to Ann tightly, sobbing herself but not of joy and of the terror she had just survived. LeLa turned to the two men in front who tried to give them space but glanced at them from the front mirrors. LeLa opened her mouth to say 'thank you' but out came vomit that spilled onto her feet. There was first the obvious confusion and then there was nothing. LeLa had passed out.
Back at the prison Carl waited with anticipation at the gate for his father, Daryl, and the girl, Ann, to return. He glanced backward, every so often, at the two men that had come with Ann. Both were older men and were pale and both had light blue eyes but that was were the similarities ended. The one boy, that he had assumed to be Ann's boyfriend, was Lance and had long dark hair and was rather skinny like Glen (who stood behind them with a gun in hand just, in case) but was much shorter. The other was Taylor and had long blonde hair but not as long as Lance's. He was much younger than Lance and had a thicker build like his father's but seemed to be in better fighting condition because of his youth and how tall he was. Both men waited with him, standing behind the gate and speaking to each other in slightly shaking voices.
"They're gonna be fiiiiiine," Taylor drawled out, his eyes ahead on the Walkers that lined against the gate to beg for them. He had his arm crossed over his chest as the other seemed to pick at his lip.
"Yeah, I know," Lance sighed, stretching his arms behind his head as he kicked his foot forward.
"I mean...we've been through worse," Taylor continued, dropping his hand so he could look at Lance, "I mean...remember NY?"
Lance nodded his head absent-minded, "Yeah."
"They're gonna be fine. LeLa and Marley? Together? LeLa and Mar? You know this is gonna be a good story. When ever we leave them together it's always a good story. I mean, Marley's middle name is 'trouble' and you know LeLa can get talked into anything," Taylor spoke in an exaggerated voice that seemed to deny any need to worry, as if he knew they were both being ridiculous. "They're gonna be fine."
Carl looked forward again and through the chink in the gate he could see the car coming back. He turned around and shouted, "They're here!"
He rushed with Glen to the opening of the gate and as they pulled up he opened the gate and listened to Glen fire rounds to what ever Walkers were too close for comfort. Together they closed the gate and Glen gave Carl a little smile, "See, told you your old man was gonna be alright."
Carl gave him a grateful smile and ran to follow the car that pulled up to the front where Hershel and Beth and the others waited. Rick was the first to exit the car and behind him he opened the back door where Ann got out with another girl-Carl made the observation that this girl was around Taylor's age and could see from far her skin was slightly tanner than Ann's and instead of having long straight blonde hair she had long curly brown hair-and with their help pulled out another one that appeared unconscious. She was younger, around Carl's own age, and had long black curly hair and tanner skin than any of the others that had come. Rick lifted her into his arms and walked to Hershel who asked the obvious question, "Has she been bit?"
"No," the voice came from another girl that came from behind the car and with Daryl's support walked over to them. She didn't seem to be Ann's age or the other girl's age but somewhere in between and had tan skin like the young girl's but long, longer than all the other girl's, black hair. Her hand gripped Daryl's shirt and while he tried not to touch her he did try to help her limping body to where the others were, "She couldn't handle the smell. She was getting frantic so I put her to sleep."
Rick turned around briefly to look for Carl and when their eyes met he flashed him a quick smile and looked back. He motioned to the girl in his arms as he spoke to the group, "These are Anna's sisters. This here is LeLu, over there is Marley and that there is LeLa. Maggie, Carol, if you don't min-"
"Showers?" Carol asked, trying her hardest to hide how disturbing the smell of them really was.
While before Marley had been disinterested in the conversation her eyes opened, "Please?"
"Come on," Carol smiled warmly, touching Marley's arm gently as she glanced back at LeLu who laid still sleeping. "I'll show you the way."
LeLa stepped from Daryl, releasing his shirt as she limped slowly to follow Ann who had taken hold of LeLu from Rick. They kept their eyes on the girls just like Lance and Taylor who smiled as they followed them in joyful silence, Taylor elbowing Lance lightly as he smirked, "Told you they'd be fine." Daryl glanced down briefly and folded his arms over his chest but not before Carl had seen what was there, LeLa's bloody hand print.
Carl ran forward then and took his place by his father's side. Rick looked down at him with great pride as he ran his hand beneath the hat and through his hair. Rick dropped his arm around the boy's shoulders as he addressed the group, "Now..I know we spoke last night and decided the best course of action would be to get that group out of trouble and then turn 'em loose..but after what we saw today...after what these girls've been through I don't agree with that decision anymore."
"We don't know anything about them," Beth suddenly spoke, holding Judy against her as she spoke.
"We know they been through hell," Daryl commented, not in a defending way but just in an observing way, "and we know they ain't dangerous."
"We don't know that," Hershel denied, breathing a heavy sigh as if he seemed displeased with what he had to say.
Rick let out his own sigh as he looked around, "Hershel and Beth are right. We don't know anything about them and that includes how much of a threat they are. But I'll say one thing. Me and Daryl watched those three girls run from the biggest herd of Walkers I've ever seen, and that includes the one that attacked us at the farm. I think we should give 'em a break."
"Rick, we just let in two ex-cons. I don't think turning the prison into a half-way home for strangers is a good idea," Glen protested, making sure to lean in and say this in a hushed tone so that ex-con's walking around the gate couldn't hear.
"And so far they've been nothing but help," Rick replied, his eyes focused on Glen's in a serious manner. Glen turned his gaze away and Rick continued, "Now, I'm not saying we accept them with open arms but I am sayin' this. There's a whole cell-block cleared out just sittin' there. They stay there, we stay here, and we all split the supplies."
"Don't forget, they said they got a whole car worth of supplies back at the cabin they were stayin' at. If we wait a few days and go back to get it we won't even have to share our supplies," Daryl leap-frogged, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked over the faces of the others in the group.
The group was silent for a few seconds, each in their own thoughts, and with that Rick took this opportunity to add with a little smile, "And it might prove beneficial to keep around a group that knows their way around Walkers."
Hershel sighed, "Fine. We use these few days to keep an eye on them and if for any reason we find their presence disagreeable we send them out."
Rick took in a breath as he gave a smile and rested his hand on Hershel's shoulder, "Sounds like a plan."
The group broke apart and headed inside, Glen at the front with Beth and Judy with Rick and Carl talking behind them. Daryl stayed behind to stay in stride with Hershel and his crutches and waited a few seconds before speaking, "I think you might have to pay 'em a visit."
"I noticed the limp," Hershel nodded, walking through the door Daryl held open for him, "And I'll have to question just exactly how they made the little one so docile."
Daryl nodded his head in agreement, closing the door behind him before speaking again, "I think one a them was cut too. The one, LeLa, she was bleeding."
"You think she was bit?" Hershel questioned, looking at Daryl now with a fraction of fear apparent in his features.
Daryl quickly shook his head, "No, no, but she was cut on her arm somewhere. When we found her she was carryin' the little one on her back, she prolly fell against a tree or somethin."
Hershel nodded his head as if to accept the theory, "I'll look into it."
As the shower water's turned on the girls let out a little shout of excitement. LeLu had awakened from her slumber in time to catch the shower and excitedly ran around the large communal room to turn on each shower-head as it got her clean. LeLa and Marley stayed in their own spot, letting the warm water soothe their tense muscles and letting it ease what ever wounds they were just beginning to feel in their relaxed state. They used the soap Carol had given them and scrubbed the dead zombie off of their skin, making sure to get LeLu to stay still enough to do the same.
LeLa ran her soapy palms over her arms but cringed when she got to a particular spot behind her left arm that she shielded with her hair. While LeLu was focused on the task of trying to get her long hair into a Mohawk with the shampoo Marley noticed immediately the fresh blood that ran down her sister's arm. Her eyes widened as she met LeLa's stare and she mouthed the words, "Are you okay?"
LeLa nodded her head, "Yeah, just hurts."
She then put her finger to her lips and motioned to LeLu who had begun to pay attention to her sisters. Marley swatted the stream of water so it would hit LeLu and began a little water battle as LeLa turned to the bite on the fleshy part of her arm. She had yanked her arm away before a chunk was missing but the teeth indentations were obvious and the chunk felt a little loose as if anything would make it come apart. She turned her eyes away from the wound and focused on the rest of her shower and the washing of her hair and playing with her sisters.
When they finished their shower they changed into the fresh clothes the women had given them and with Ann walked to the large open room where cots were laid out for them to rest on. While there Hershel sat with Beth and the medical bag of supplies to treat LeLa's wounded leg. Behind them Ann sat on another cot and braided LeLu's hair while Marley braided her own and Taylor pushed, "Come oooooon. You have to tell us. Pleeeeease? What happened?"
"Taylor," Ann warned, her eyes pointing out LeLu who sat with wide eyes, "She said, there's nothing to tell. They were in the tree and then we saved them, that's the end of the story."
Lance joined in, "Yeah, it's a pretty boring story. She's not gonna lie to make it sound scary or anything. LeLu, you were there. Was it scaaaaaary?"
She laughed at the voice he used to say the word and shook her head, "Nope!"
"See, now tell us. How did you find these people?" Marley asked, glancing over at Hershel and Beth.
The whole time he checked her leg she had been silent but as if summoned by Marley's question, LeLa looked to Beth and asked, "So, you have a baby?"
"Oh, she's not mine," Beth answered, her cheeks reddening as she looked to her father and back to LeLa.
"Who's baby is she? I love babies. What's her name?" LeLa continued in a significantly better mood than she had been in before.
"Rick's," Beth hesitated, looking to her father for a sign that she should stop. "He's the one that went out to rescue you. Him and Daryl. Her name's Judith."
"That's a lovely name," LeLa commented.
"Yeah, Carl named her," Beth smiled, glancing behind her to where he stood behind the open bars. "She's his sister."
LeLa opened her mouth but quickly stopped, a glance from Hershel being the reason. Instead she smiled, "Are you her father?"
A warm smile spread across Hershel's face as he looked to Beth who looked to him and in that moment LeLa reached into the bag on the bed beside her and grabbed an ace bandage and gause. He nodded his head, "Yes, I am her father. My other daughter is Maggie, she's the one that let you borrow her clothes."
LeLa leaned forward a little, "You have very beautiful daughters, sir."
"Please, call me, Hershel," he smiled warmly, nodding his head as he did so. He patted her ankle lightly and positioned it back on the bed, "Well, we'll leave you here to rest. I can see you all are in desperate need for a good sleep."
At the mention of sleep LeLa's eyes drooped as if she had just in that second remembered how tired she actually was. She nodded her head and reached over to touch his hand and then Beth's, "Thank you both, so much."
Hershel had just been about to stand when he stopped, a puzzled look crossing his features, "I almost forgot. Daryl mentioned something about a cut, you had been bleedin?"
"No," LeLa quickly answered, her shoulders becoming stiff but her face still held the same coolness, "Not my blood. It was a corpses."
"Corpse?" Beth questioned.
Hershel let out a little chuckle as he shook his head briefly, "We call 'em 'Walkers.'"
"'Walkers?'" Marley questioned from behind. "That's such a cool name."
Beth let out a little laugh as Hershel smiled, "Alright, that's enough. We'll let you rest now."
LeLa leaned forward again and repeated, "Thank you both, so much."
They didn't bother to say "you're welcome." Instead they smiled as they always did and left the area. Upon their exit Rick came and shut the large open gate, sealing them into the open room with a thud and a click as he locked the door. Their eyes were on him and the others that crowded behind as he spoke, "You'll be staying in here. There's food and water and if you need anything else you can tell us and we'll come to help."
There was a pause, a second of tension that filled them and then Lance nodded, "Thank you."
And they turned back to each other to pause the story of their rescue fore scarier parts were to come and LeLu was not ready for that. They each found their own cot, however Lance slept hugging Ann and Marley slept hugging LeLu, and let sleep take them. It was the safest place they had been in in months. But LeLa found no immediate rest. When she was certain she was alone and the others were in sleep she unveiled the ace bandage and cause and wrapped her bite tightly so that it would heal. And when she was finished she laid back down and ignored the sunlight coming in through the windows as she went to sleep.