Disclaimer: I don't own the show or characters I'm just having fun with them
POVs as written before and after Highway: Rick, Lori, Glenn, Dale, Carl, Shane, Andrea, Rick, Carl, T-Dog, Shane, Andrea, Sophia
Warnings: Violence, Blood and Gore, Bad Language
A/N: Bold print is third person view
M.S for Episode 1
Signing Off
I got up early and walked to the edge of the highway that was close to a suburban area we'd chosen to stay at the last couple of nights, while we regrouped and downsized our convoy. There was a guardrail overlooking Atlanta, I crouched near it as I pulled out my walkie-talkie and tried to get in touch with Morgan again.
"I guess I'm losing hope that you can hear. But there's always that chance, isn't there? That slim chance. It's all about slim chances now. I tried to do everything right, keep people safe. I tried, Morgan. I tried. Our groups smaller now, we lost another day before last. It was her choice, I won't say I blame her, but she lost faith. The C.D.C. was a dead end; I met a man there, a scientist." I walked over to the edge of the rail and looked out.
"He told me something, he told me…" I clicked off for a second before turning my back to the city and continued. "It doesn't matter. What matters is we're moving on, Atlanta's done. We're gonna try for Fort Benning. We're facing a long hard journey, maybe even harder than I can imagine. But it can't be harder than our journey's been so far. Can it?"
"A hundred and twenty-five miles—that's what lies ahead. And I'm trying hard not to lose faith. I can't. If I do, the others…my family, my wife…my son. There's just a few of us now. So we've got to stick together, fight for each other, be willing to lay down our lives for each other if it comes to that. It's the only chance we've got. Be careful out there, Morgan. I hope you and Duane are okay. Stay off the road. Keep moving. Keep your eyes open, I don't know, just—just be safe. Maybe we'll see you in Fort Benning someday. Rick signing off." I clicked off and headed back to the rest so we could get going down the highway to Fort Benning.
That's a promise
Rick was driving; I was in the passenger seat. Carl, Carol and Sophia were in the back when I spoke up. "Just thinking about our trip to the Grand Canyon with Carl." Rick started laughing as he tapped the wheel and put his elbow on the window; we'd rolled them down to give us a nice breeze, trying to save the battery for as long as we could.
"I don't remember that." Carl said from behind me, Sophia was next to him and Carol had the window seat behind Rick.
"No, you wouldn't you were just a baby. And besides, we never made it past Fort Worth." I told him.
"No, you got sick. I never knew a baby could throw up so much." Rick finished explaining as we started laughing.
"Ick." Carl said.
"Yeah, ick." I agreed. "The doctor in Texas said you'd live. Then we turned around and drove home." I finished as I looked at Rick before looking out the window.
"That sucks." Carl said.
"No, it was a good trip." I told him.
"The best." Rick agreed as he glanced at me.
"Can we go see it? The Grand Canyon?" Carl asked. "I'd like to."
"I would too." Sophia seconded. "Can we go?" She asked.
"We'd never go without you and your mom." Rick said as he looked back at them. "That's a promise." He turned his attention back to the road. I reached my hand back and took Carols who smiled at Sophia as she laid her head down on her mother's shoulder.
Starting To Get a Bad Feeling
It was quite, I was sitting in the passenger seat as Dele drove the R.V. Shane and Andrea were sitting at the table while he cleaned his gun. T-Dog was in the back. I was rubbing my stomach absent mindedly as I watched Daryl in front of us on his Harley.
"Looks complicated." I heard Andrea say. I looked back and saw she was watching Shane clean his gun.
"The trick is getting all these pieces back together the same way." Shane explained. "I could clean yours, show you how." He suggested. He bent down to the bag of guns at his feet and pulled out Andrea's pistol, cocked it and aimed it, keeping his finger off the trigger. "Oh yeah." He said as he looked down the barrel. "It's a sweet piece." Shane commented as he rested it on his lap.
"It was a gift from my father. He gave it to me just before Amy and I took off on our road trip. He said two girls on their own should be able to defend themselves." She informed him.
I looked back at the road as they continued to talk. "Smart man, your father. Look, it's a—it's a limited capacity. See? Only holds seven rounds." Shane instructed before he was interrupted by Dale.
"Oh jeez." I saw it too, it wasn't good.
"Oh, no." I said as I looked at the eighteen wheeler on its side, it wasn't the only problem we were facing. T-Dog who'd been came up front at that time so he could see what was wrong, the road was covered in cars, and Dale slowed to a stop.
Daryl who had gone on ahead of us was coming back; he stopped next to Dale's window. Dale looked out and asked. "See a way through?"
He nodded and tossed his headed back then drove to Rick's station wagon behind us, before coming around to and start leading us through. As Daryl left Dale started on again slowly, I was looking at the map as I suggested.
"Uh, maybe we should just go back. There's an interstate bypass—"
"We can't spare the fuel." Dale interrupted. Shane was leaning on Dale's seat now so he could see better.
There were so many cars abandoned, some flipped others on the side of the road it looked like a lot of chaos went on here. I was starting to get a bad feeling about this as I saw Daryl ahead of us leading the way.
"Jeez." I said when my stomach grumbled. I was hungry and thirsty, but I didn't say anything or comment on it. Some of the cars weren't empty as we noticed a few dead bodies. Then Dale's radiator hose blew on us as the engine died.
Highway Dale's POV
I opened the grill to my engine as Glenn came back after going to get a screw driver like I'd asked. If there was anywhere to break down a highway covered in abandoned cars would be the best place to do it. He held two out. "Which one?" He asked.
"The flathead." I told him as I took it from his hand leaving the Philips head. "Radiator hose clamp is always a flathead." I instructed. "Here, you do it." I said as I handed him the flathead back, the boy had to learn sometime, especially if he wanted to survive and provide for himself and the kid growing inside him.
He took the flathead and passed me the Philips head as I gave him a blue bandanna to serve as his grease rag. "Learn something." I patted his back as I walked to the back end and climbed the ladder up to the roof of my R.V. to keep watch.
For a few minutes it was quite and everything was going good. I saw Shane find a water truck, I could hear their laughter as Shane doused himself it what these days was considered better than gold.
I turned around slowly then something caught my eye; I wasn't sure at first as I brought the binoculars up and took a closer look. But it was a walker, then a second one. I looked further and soon I saw dozens, looked like a whole herd was headed our way. I pulled the binoculars away, as I slowly got on my knees then down on my belly to lay flat.
I stayed still for a couple of minutes as Rick had ran to the others and got them under cars, that is until I heard Andrea below me, as I looked through the window above the bathroom I saw her. She was sitting on the ground as a walker was trying to get at her through the door, she was keeping it closed with her feet, but it wasn't holding very well. She had pieces of a gun on a blue rag in her lap; otherwise she was completely unarmed; she looked up at me with both anger and terror in her eyes. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the Philips head screwdriver I'd taken from Glenn earlier and busted the screen with it before dropping it down to her; she caught it, and gripped the handle with both hands before she jumped up and attacked the walker.
It was several minutes when I heard Sophia screaming, I looked and saw her run into the woods being chased by two walkers, Rick wasn't far behind as he followed them. I headed off my R.V. to where the rest were starting to gather at the guardrail.
Highway Glenn's POV
Dale left me with the flathead screw driver and radiator hose that I was to take out. I didn't think about the steam as I coughed while unscrewing the clamps. I probably shouldn't have been doing that in my condition, but it didn't hurt me or what was growing inside me, I just had to be a little more careful, then and in the future should Daryl and I decide to grow our family.
"Shane." I called, he'd been keeping watch along with Rick, he turned to me and I showed him the hose I'd just detached from the engine. He nodded and I headed off with hose in one hand and screw driver in the other to the cars to see if I could find a matching one to replace it, Shane followed behind with his shot gun just in case.
There was a white van with its hood propped up that looked like it might have a match for us. I was trying to get the screws to come loose that was keeping the radiator hose connected to this van. "Come on." I muttered as Shane walked to a delivery truck right behind us or in front depending on the direction we were facing.
He set his shotgun down as he rushed to the side of the truck. I heard the sound of him opening the side when he called. "Glenn." I stopped as I looked at him. "Were we short on water?" He asked.
He popped one of the many water containers on the truck and doused himself, I smiled as I laughed and finally got the screw the give, Shane was laughing too.
"Hey, save me some!" I told him. There were over a dozen full containers; it was great, the first sign that our luck might be changing. If only.
"It's like being baptized, man." Shane said as he doused himself again.
I was almost done when suddenly Shane grabbed me and pushed me down. "Ow." I said as I scraped my knee on the road as I got on my stomach and crawled under the car. Shane rolled in next to me. "What?" I asked as I looked out between the wheels.
"Shh." He told me.
I realized why he pushed me under here when I saw the legs of many, many walkers as they passed by. I placed my hand at my belly as I thought of Daryl; I hoped and prayed that he was safe. I know now that if there's anyone that can survive this world it's Daryl.
"Shit." I mumbled, Shane looked at me with a 'what's wrong' expression. "I have to throw up." I whispered to him. Shane shook his head at me, now was not the time for my morning sickness to rear its ugly head. I moved on my side to relieve the pressure on my stomach, Shane did the same putting his back to mine as he grabbed his shot gun.
I closed my eyes then and breathed the best I could what with the stench of death filling my nostrils. I tried to will my mind to go anywhere but the present. Like my first kiss, my first date, when I first realized I was in love. Who knew it'd be a zombie apocalypse that led me to my soul mate, if you believe in such things.
I opened my eyes as their noises were getting further off. I looked around and saw the legs were gone, I didn't get out yet as I waited. I had tears in my eyes as I tried not to cry when I realized that this would be our baby's life, hiding under cars or running scared, afraid they'd get eaten if I ever let it out of my sight. I placed my hand on my stomach for a few minutes before we started to come out of hiding, we heard Sophia start to scream and headed that way in time to see Rick disappear into the woods.
Highway Andrea's POV
I headed to a truck, I saw a pink and black bag unzipped, next to it was a pink backpack with a name on it I forget what name it was a girl is what I could gather from the color. And a baby bottle, I gasped as I looked around, there had been milk still in that bottle. It made me think of Glenn and the impossible these mutations pull off. Then fear crept up on me, what if Glenn is unable to protect his kid, what if Daryl's not cut out to be a father. The man was barely civilized as it was.
I walked back to the R.V. as I saw Glenn and Shane go off to find a replacement part, Rick was standing outside with a riffle in hand, it was good to be armed and ready, Dale was on top with his binoculars keeping a bird's eye view.
I remembered there were guns inside that were still in pieces. I figured might as well try and figure out how to put them back together. I sat at the table and saw all the pieces scattered on it. "Okay." I told myself as I got started.
I grabbed pieces and looked at them as I tried to figure out in my head what a gun looked like all together then tried to recreate that look.
I was oblivious to what was going on outside the R.V., I had no idea that walkers were out there, just passing me as I was trying to figure out this gun. That is until I heard something; I lifted my head and looked outside the window and at the dozens of walkers. I panicked as I got on the floor. "Oh, God." I whispered.
Suddenly a walker's arm entered the R.V. from the open door. I reached up and grabbed the rag that the gun parts had been laying on wrapped up the gun and started scooting back to the bathroom, where I set the gun in my lap and closed the door. But because this was an R.V. it didn't have a real door more like a partition that was a flimsy excuse at best.
I rested against the wall across from the door and opened the rag, I started trying to put the gun back together with no luck. I could hear its snarls and growls outside the door, which was making my breath quicken and hands shake. I paused in my movements not wanting to alert it to my presence.
I heard it shuffle passed and started working on the gun again telling myself it was okay, as I tried to calm my racing heart. Suddenly as I tried to fit the pieces together they all clanged together rather loudly. "Shit." I mumbled.
I sat against the wall and propped my feet up against the door to keep it shut as I heard snarling right outside. Suddenly it was pushing at the partition and I started screaming. I screamed more as I saw its arm get inside; I didn't want to die not like this.
I looked up as it was pushing to get in and saw Dale's face looking down at me through the partly open window. This was his fault; I wouldn't be her now, I would no longer be scared if he hadn't put me in that situation back at the C.D.C. I was so angry at him and so terrified at the walker outside the door.
He broke the screen with a screw driver as he dropped it to me; I'd reached up and caught as he let it go. Then held it by the handle as the walker was looking in at me pushing at the door.
I cried as I realized what I had to do in order to live. I let the door go and jumped to my feet as the walker pushed open the partition. I ran at him thrusting the screw driver into the walkers eye, it came at me again I pulled out the driver and did it again, then pushed him to the ground and continued to stab it into the walkers head spraying blood on my neck and face as I cried until it stopped moving.
Then I backed away from it still crying in fear and anger. I cried and whimpered as the walkers moved off, I was jittery there on the floor covered in blood as my hand continued to tap on the fridge that was to my left, my other hand was braced on the wall as I tried to get my racing heart to settle down, and tell my mind that the threat was over, before I slowly stood up. And joined the rest outside.
Highway Lori's POV
Carl and I headed to look through the cars, I wanted to keep him close, I felt like we were grave robbing here, but the others I guess didn't think that way. Even after I mentioned it no one spoke up to agree, they just started to ransack what use to belong to someone living who was now most likely dead, or undead.
I walked up to the driver's side of a car and bent down to look in, and there in the passenger seat was a dead body, one that didn't come back, there were flies buzzing all over her. I stood up and continued on, Carol had joined me as she looked in after I did.
"Kid's, don't look." Carol said.
For several minutes we went about looking in different vehicles, I had started looking through a van when Rick suddenly showed up telling me to get under the car. I ran alongside the van to Carol, grabbed her wrist as she was headed for the kids. I pulled her down.
"Carl and Sophia. Sophia." She whispered panicked as I covered her mouth.
"Shh, shh. Get under." I told her pushing her under the van.
Rick was watching us on his back under a car not far from the one we were hiding under. He saw me trying to keep Carol quite as she was crying in fear for her baby. He put his hand out in a stay there manner. For several minutes we stayed there until we thought it was safe. Sophia started to come out from under her car when two walkers appeared and they chased her into the woods, Rick followed. We ran to the guardrail I grabbed Carol to keep her from chasing after them as the rest of the group joined us.
Highway Carol's POV
While the others were siphoning gas and looking for a radiator hose I found a car with clothes in it. I saw this red blouse that was real pretty. I picked it up and placed it over me and looked down as I held it, it looked like it might fit. I looked up and saw Lori watching me from a neighboring car.
I started folding it up and putting it back as I explained. "Ed, never let me wear nice things like this." I closed up the suit case and started pulling it from the car. "We're gonna need clothes." I walked to the car where Lori had been standing as I looked at the flash lights and basket of possible useable items.
Lori walked to the car I was just at then stopped as she addressed her son who was standing close by with my daughter. "Hey, Carl. Always within my sight, okay?" Carl nodded.
"You too, Sophia." I told her. Then got back to looking for clothes or anything else that would be useful, we did that for several minutes until Rick showed up and told the kids to get down. I tried to get to Sophia but Lori grabbed me and pulled me under a van.
I laid there with Lori as I looked around and saw Sophia on her stomach clutching her doll under a car not far from us. I kept my eye on her as we waited; I covered my mouth terrified what was going to happen. Lori helped as she wrapped her arm around me holding her hand over my mouth so I wouldn't alert the walkers to us.
They moved off, the walkers just stumbled right passed us; I wiped the tears that had fallen on my cheeks. It was quite for a few minutes, I saw Sophia start to crawl out from under her car when a walker appeared and she started screaming as she scooted to the other side.
Lori covered my mouth again to keep me from speaking as I cried for my little girl. I saw the walker down on the ground trying to get to her, I reached my hand out wanting to get my daughter when Lori grabbed my arm with her other hand and kept me from doing anything. I screamed into her hand as I watched.
I saw Sophia crawl out from under the truck and she started to run down a small incline into some woods while two walkers were chasing her, my baby girl. Rick chased after them, as I followed him to the guardrail where Lori grabbed him and held me as I cried while the rest of the group joined us.
Highway Rick's POV
I was at the back of the R.V. and using Dale's binoculars keeping an eye out for anything that might threaten us, back then I thought walkers were the biggest threat, and for a while they were, but ask me now, I'd tell you it would be humans. There are two things that can happen to a person during an apocalypse, they'll either show the best of humanity, or the worst. I've experienced plenty of both.
Dale walked up to me, I handed him the binoculars, he took them then headed on top of his R.V. as I reasserted my hold on the riffle I'd grabbed after everyone started to split up.
Andrea and I passed each other as she headed inside, I looked up at Dale. "It's all good." He told me as he looked through his binoculars again. I walked back and forth for several minutes when I turned and saw something, I brought my riffle up looking through the scope to get a closer look.
I saw it, a walker, it appeared to be just one; I lowered my gun as I loaded a shot into the chamber. I steadied it against my shoulder and looked through the scope again as I aimed, I was about to fire when another walker appeared from behind a truck. I aimed at the second one as I put my finger on the trigger.
I was going to shot when another showed up, I moved the scope and soon it was filled with walkers. I took it down and saw them, dozens headed our way. "Oh Christ." I gasped as I got down behind a flipped car, I saw Dale getting down to lay flat on the roof when I ran off to warn the rest.
I weaved through cars until I saw my wife; she was looking through a van at the time. "Lori, under the cars." I whispered urgently, as she turned to me. She moved to obey immediately. I looked at the kids. "Carl, Sophia get down now." I ordered leaving no room to argue, I saw the kids run for the cars.
I got under a truck that was next to the vehicle Carl dove under. I was on my back as I looked and saw Lori with Carol across from me.
I looked at Carl as we saw the feet shuffling passed us, he moved further under the car. I put my hand up in a stay put manner and then put my finger to my mouth so he'd be quite. We were all scared.
I kept my eyes on Carl as the last of the herd walked passed us, I looked up at Lori and Carol, we were all safe, and we were going to be okay, at least I thought we would be.
I didn't hear anything for a few minutes, it sounded safe, I looked at Carl, he smiled at me, and I felt relieved as well. Until I saw Sophia start to come out from under her car. There was a growl as a straggling walker showed up, Sophia started sobbing and screaming as it came at her. The walker got down and tried to reach for her as she scooted away.
I looked around; then grabbed my riffle I'd kept by me. The walker was crawling under the car after her as she screamed and cried while crawling to the other side until she could get to her feet. I noticed a second walker going around to the other side of the car where Sophia was crawling from. I saw her get up then headed down the hill into the woods, the two walkers chasing her.
I got to my feet riffle in hand, I gave chase after her. I ran to the guardrail and jumped over, I headed down the incline when I tripped and rolled the rest of the way, once I came to a stop I got to my feet and ran into the woods, I left my riffle where I'd dropped it.
I got into the woods as I heard Sophia; I turned and saw her running, the two walkers right behind. I headed around to get her from the front. I had my right hand on my pistol as I ran.
I stopped for a second as I saw the walkers; I didn't stay long as they didn't have to catch their breath. She fell as I was getting close and just as she got back to her feet and was about to run again I caught her. I got to my knee as I tried to calm her down.
"Are you all right? Are you okay?" I asked.
"Shoot them!" She screamed as she reached for my pistol still in its holster.
I pulled her back as I said. "No, no!" I had her look at me as I continued. "Those walkers on the road would hear it. Then it wouldn't be just two, it'd be hundreds." I told her. "Come here, come on." I said as I picked her up and started running again. She had one arm around my neck her other holding her doll close.
I saw a creek bed. "All right, just hold here." I told her as I set her down. I jumped into the water. "You stay there, wait." I turned then and said. "Come on." She reached down as I grabbed her around the waist, she wrapped her legs and arms around me as I turned and looked around until I saw a good place for her to hide.
I ran to a burrow in the creek it had branches covering it. I set her on the ground again as I said. "Sophia, you have to do exactly as I say. Hide in there, squeeze in tight, I'll draw them away from you."
"No, no, don't leave me." She begged in a panic.
I grabbed her wrists as I said. "Listen, listen, listen. They don't get winded I do, I can only deal with them one at a time, I wouldn't be able to protect you." I put my hands on her face comfortingly as I continued. "This is how we both survive, you understand?" She nodded. "Okay? Go, go, go, go." She turned and crouched down into the burrow.
I could hear them coming, I bent down as she looked at me. "If I don't make it back, run back to the highway, back to the others straight the way we came. Keep the sun on your left shoulder." I instructed, touching my shoulder so she'd understand; then stood as I saw them.
I backed away, they stood at the edge. "Come on." I told them as I threw water in their direction. They just growled at me. "You ugly son of a bitch, come on!" I screamed at 'em. Finally one stumbled in landing on his front in the water, I backed away. He started getting up. "Come on!" I screamed at 'em again.
The other one headed around the creek bed while the first one started after me as I headed deeper into the creek leading them away from Sophia.
Every few steps I'd look at him and egg 'em on to keep following me. I stumbled and fell face first into the water. I crawled away as I tried to get to my feet, while the first one still chased me.
I got to my feet and looked back to see the second one catching up. "Come on!" I screamed as I ran full out. I stopped as I didn't see them, but I could hear them, I figured this was a good enough spot to fight back. I looked around the small clearing and saw a rather nice sized rock, I picked it up with ease, it looked heavy certainly didn't feel it though.
I hid behind a tree as I heard the first one stumble into the clearing; he was getting closer to me. I braced the rock with both hands so it'd be a better impact with the guy's head. Once he was a few steps closer I came out of hiding and hit him in the cheek with the rock, it threw him back, as I saw the second one walking into the clearing.
The first one fell to the ground on his back, I knelt over him and with the rock in hand I used all my strength and hit him with it, the head smashed in as brain matter flew out of the top of his skull.
I stood back up as the second one got closer, I prepared my rock, then threw it as hard as I could, it took the walkers head clean off, as his body fell and its head rolled away with the rock stuck to its blood splattered face.
I was sure they were both not coming back as I headed to the ditch where I'd left Sophia. I was tired and bloody, wet and sweaty as I got to the ditch. I looked in and didn't see her. "Sophia." I looked around, I headed back to the highway hoping that's where she'd gone, as I had instructed.
A Herd
After Glenn and Shane got back, Glenn headed to look through more cars for food and water while Shane gave direction and order. He did inform us that Daryl and Rick were on Sophia's trail and should be back hopefully before nightfall. Shane decided that when we got Sophia back we'd turn around and go through the bypass like Glenn had suggested before the R.V. broke down. So Shane and Andrea started getting cars off the road. Shane used the station wagon to push the cars, while Andrea took hold of the wheels and steered them into the small ditch that separated the coming from the going.
Carol was staying near the guardrail as she watched and waited for Daryl and Rick to get back with Sophia. I turned and continued to work on getting the radiator hose attached to the R.V. at least making it look like that was what I was doing.
Carol walked up to me a few seconds later as Shane backed the station wagon up and parked. "Why aren't we all out there looking? Why are we moving cars?" She asked.
"We have to clear enough room so I can get the R.V. turned around as soon as it's running." I explained, as Shane turned the station wagon off and got out. "Now that we have fuel we can double back to a bypass that Glenn flagged on the map." I finished as Shane walked up and stood next to her.
"Going back's going to be easier than trying to get through this mess." Shane said as the rest were coming back with food, water battles, clothes and other necessity's like toiletry items.
"We're not going anywhere till my daughter gets back." Carol told him.
"Hey, that goes without saying." Lori said as she walked up and placed her hand on Carol's arm comfortingly.
"Rick and Daryl, they're on it, okay? Just a matter of time." Shane told her.
"Can't be soon enough for me." Andrea said as she and Glenn walked up to us, she tossed Glenn a water bottle, and as she uncapped her bottle she said. "I'm still freaked out from that herd that passed us by, or whatever you'd call it." She took a sip.
"Yeah, what was that? All of them just marching along like that." Glenn asked as he uncapped his bottle.
"A herd. That sounds about right. We've seen it. It's like the night camp got attacked, some wandering pack, only fewer." Shane explained. He cleared his throat before continuing. "Okay. Come on people, we still got a lot to do. Let's stay on it, let's go, come on." He walked away, Glenn followed while he drank, and Carol went back to the guardrail and waited.
Successful
While the rest were finding food and clothes, I saw a truck and looked in to see a black rolled up tool bag that had an axe or hatchet sticking out of it resting against some dead guy. I wanted that hatchet.
I got down and walked around to the driver's side where the guy was. I reached for the handle of the door and pushed on the handle, it took a couple of tries but it finally released and I pulled it open. The guy was belted in, his arm dangling limply there, and he stunk. Over time I got use to the smell.
I grabbed the wheel using it for leverage as I reached in for the tool bag on his other side. It wouldn't budge so I let go of the wheel and grabbed it with both hands and pulled. I just wasn't tall enough so I let the tools go and stepped up into the truck getting closer to the dead guy.
I grabbed it firmly with both hands and tugged, it was really stuck as I only got a few inches of it. I moved my left hand to the back of it and yanked again. It loosened up, then suddenly the dead guy fell toward me I shrieked as I fell back on the ground, he was trapped by the seat belt as he just laid there not moving. I looked at the guy, and then at the tool bag in my arms, I had been successful.
I stood up and ran off to show Shane what I'd found, he was at some car fixing it or taking it apart not sure which.
Leaving
I had come to the decision that I needed to leave, so I found a car that was in pretty good shape, it was a small Honda that just needed a few engine repairs. I was under the hood with my wrench when I heard Carl calling my name. I looked up as he came into view and his mother ran up to him.
"Carl, what happened?" She asked him.
"Mom, I found something cool." Carl said as he ran around the car to me. He placed the tool bag on the ground and started to unroll it as he said. "Shane, check it out." It was filled with sharp objects that could be used to defend ourselves against walkers. "It's an arsenal." Carl said as I had yet to speak.
"That's cool, bud, go give 'em to Dale." I instructed as I continued to work on the car.
"Check this one out." Carl said as he pulled one of the weapons from the bag. "Whoa, it's a hatchet."
"Be careful, don't play with those." Lori said as she started walking up to him.
"They're really sharp." He said making slashing motions with it.
"What did I just say?" Lori was irritated that Carl wasn't listening to her.
"Can I keep one?" Carl asked her.
"Are you crazy?" Lori asked as she reached down and took it from him.
"No way. Shane, Shane, tell her to let me keep one." He said, Lori bent down to put the hatchet back. I was getting annoyed that he hadn't done what I said.
I looked at him. "Hey, man, go give them all to Dale now. Go." There was clear disappointment on his face as he took the rolled up bag from Lori and headed to the R.V. I finished with the car then put the hood down as Lori addressed me.
"What was that?" She asked.
"What was what?" I asked like I didn't know what she was talking about.
"The way you blew him off just now, you crushed him."
I was putting opened the front door on the driver's side as she finally looked at me, I didn't say anything to her.
"I don't believe you; you're giving me the cold shoulder?" She asked. Lori was unbelievable the girl couldn't make up her mind if her life depended on it. She wanted me gone well I was leaving, but she wanted me to stay as well. Right then I wasn't in the mood with her yo-yoing back and forth, my muscles were hurting and I figured it was time I split.
"Isn't that what you want? Aren't you the one who said stay the hell away from him and you?" I asked her.
"You forget what happened at the C.D.C.? Your little meltdown in the rec room slip your mind?" She asked as she put her hands on her hips. "When you tried—"
"When I tried to what?" I interrupted as I walked up to her. "What do you think that was?"
"I think it is pretty plain what that was."
"A mistake, one that I admit to. I have a few mistakes under my belt, Lori. So do you." I turned and walked back to the car.
"No debate there. But Shane, we need to stop this."
"Why do you think I'm prepping my new ride? I'm leaving." I placed my arm on the car door with wrench in hand, my other hand on the roof as I looked at her.
"Leaving?" She sounded shocked, surprised, maybe a little devastated.
"As in gone for good. Gonna quietly slip away first change I get." I sat in the driver's seat and turned the engine on. The car came to life along with the radio.
"The emergency alert system has been activated. The Office of Civil Defense has issued the following message: Normal broadcasting will cease immediately." I got out of the car as it continued. "This is a civil emergency—"
Glenn, Dale and Andrea came up to us then as they heard it. "Is that a local signal?" Glenn asked.
"It's got to be within fifty miles of here." Dale said.
"Avoid anyone infected at all costs. Remain calm. Help is on the way. The emergency alert system has been activated. The Office of Civil De—" I reached in and shut it off as it started to repeat itself.
"Asshole." I muttered. I sighed before hitting the roof and telling the others. "Okay, let's get back to work." As they walked off I went around to the trunk grabbing a tan suitcase as I went, I opened the trunk and stuffed the case inside, then slammed the trunk shut.
Lame excuse
I walked up to Carol where she'd been standing most of the day waiting for Daryl and Rick to get back. The sun was setting so the scavenging was coming to an end for the day, we'd found water, food, clothes some toys that Carl and Sophia could play with, when they brought Sophia back that is. I was hopeful, Daryl was the best tracker I knew, okay he was the only tracker any of us knew, he'd bring her back.
She looked at me as I put my hand on her back comfortingly. "It's late, gonna be dark soon."
"They'll find her." I told her as I looked out at the woods. She nodded; I turned and headed to where Dale was still fiddling with his engine, I needed to discuss a problem. I had gone looking for my pistol where I'd left it a little while ago, and it was gone, along with the bag of guns.
I stopped next to Dale; Glenn had been standing behind Dale in case he needed help. "Where's my gun?" I asked, he looked at me then back at the engine. "You have no right to take it." I told him as Glenn walked away from this conversation.
"You don't need that just now, do you?" He asked me.
"My father gave it to me, it's mine."
"I can hold onto it for you."
"Or you can give it back to me."
Shane walked up to us then as he noticed our discussion. "Everything cool?"
"No, I want my gun back."
"I don't think it's a good idea right now." Dale told him.
"Why not?" Shane asked him.
Dale turned and faced Shane as he explained. "I'm not comfortable with it." I scoffed at that as I shook my head.
"The truth is, less guns we have floating around camp the better." I couldn't believe he was agreeing with Dale.
"You turning over your weapon?" I asked irritated.
He chuckled as he replied. "No. But I'm trained in its use. That's what the rest of y'all need is proper training. But until that time I think its best if Dale keeps them all accounted for."
I scoffed again at that lame excuse. "Uh-huh." I said as I licked my lips and turned away walking back to Carol.
I heard Shane ask. "Mind telling me what that's about?" He never got an answer as Glenn said.
"Oh God, they're back." He set a plastic container that had food in it on the pavement with a clunk before rushing over with the others.
Decent
As I walked away from Carol and the rest of the group between the cars that covered the road, I kept thinking and repeating the day, things I could've done differently but didn't, it was a never ending cycle. My thoughts kept going back to the fact that they were doubting me, my ability to care for this group. Sophia was just one more mistake; I failed so many people in such a short amount of time that I was starting to lose faith in myself.
Sophia was just the beginning of my decent into self-doubt and insanity, losing the man I was, the harder the choices became the further I got from him, the man before the coma, the man before we lost Merle, Amy, Jim, Jacqui and Sophia. I didn't sleep most of the night, and the sleep I did get was restless. The only good thing at that point was my wife and son, and the trust I was building between myself and Daryl, who'd end up be the most loyal of them all.
Worried About Sophia
Shane took the rear as we headed into the woods back to the creek to search for Sophia. Me and Mom were just ahead of him when I stopped and waited for him.
"Shane, look. Dad said I could carry it and mom said as long as I was—" I was trying to show him the knife they'd given me, but he seemed angry at me.
"Keep it down, we're looking for Sophia." He told me gruffly. "We need to focus on the task." He turned to look behind us, make sure no walkers were around. I hung my head as mom stopped and put her hand on my back as Shane fell back some to watch our backs better I guess.
"Got to keep up." She told me. "You okay?" She asked as she dropped her hand back at her side
"I think Shane's mad at me. Did I do something wrong?" I asked looking at her.
"No. No, honey, I promise you." She looked at Shane who was facing front again. "He's just—he's worried about Sophia, that's all. Come on." She placed her hand on my back and guided me closer to the group with Shane trailing behind.
Needs-Of-The-Many
Dale was on top of the R.V. keeping watch, I had stayed behind to help and with my arm I didn't want to risk attracting any more walkers. A blue rag had been folded up and strapped over my wound; it had stopped the bleeding so I wasn't worried about that any more.
I walked back after grabbing a bottle of water and saw him up there looking through his binoculars. "Ain't you supposed to be fixing that radiator?" I asked him. "What if they come back with Sophia and Rick wants to move on right away?" I took a sip.
"I had it fixed yesterday." Dale explained.
"What? What was all that rubbing and sanding for then? That just bull shit?" I asked confused.
"Yeah, that's one word. Another word would be pantomime—just for show." He looked down at me as he continued. "No one else needs to know that."
"Pantomime." I mumbled not getting it.
"If the others know we're mobile, they'll want to mobilize and move on."
"So you don't think they're gonna find Sophia, that it?"
He shook his head as he said. "I'm just guarding against the worst. Sooner or later, if she's not found, people will start doing math. I want to hold off the needs-of-the-many-versus-the-needs-of-the-few arguments as long as I can."
After he said that I got it. "That is one tricky hose, huh?"
"Very." He smiled at me as I played along. He was right, that's one argument no one should ever have to be involved in.
Loses You
After Glenn turned off the ringing most went back inside the church with Carol, except for Lori, Andrea and myself. Andrea walked to where the bell had been ringing and sat down.
Lori spoke up once Rick and the others were out of ear shot, at least she thought they were, she asked. "Are you really leaving?"
"Don't you think it's best for all of us?" I asked her.
"I think it is, what made you decide?"
"Gotta back away, just trying to be the good guy here, Lori, even if you don't see it, none of this was intended. I hope you know that." I looked at her, I never wanted to hurt her or Carl, the anger I felt towards the man I had once called brother. I knew that it would just get worse if I stayed.
She didn't speak so I did. "Well, don't matter as long as I said it."
She walked up to me rather angry. "You're just gonna disappear? You're not even gonna tell Rick?" Man, Rick had blinders on not to see the tension between his best friend and wife.
"He'd only try to stop me, no, that's on you. You tell him what you want, or tell him nothing at all. You're his wife." I told her.
"And Carl? We dragged him into this."
"I love Carl."
"He thinks you hate him."
"I'm trying to put some distance, I'm trying to make this easier." I explained. "This ain't easy on any of us, least of all me. I'm the one who loses you." She turned then and walked up the steps into the church. I watched her go then turned and saw Andrea standing at the edge of the building watching us. I figured she probably heard every word, the look on her face said it all. I walked away.
Think It Over
I followed him as he walked away from me. "I'm coming with you." I told him.
"I don't know what the hell you're talking about."
"I'm not stupid, and I'm certainly not deaf. Look, I don't know the story."
"There is no story."
"Fine, I don't care. Don't confuse me with someone who does." I grabbed his arm to get him to stop. "Look, all I care about is getting out of here, as far away as I can." I got in front of him and faced him as he stopped and looked at me. "Like you."
"We're gonna sail off into the sunset together? We gonna hold hands?"
"I'm not asking you to go steady, Shane, I'm asking for a ride, a chance to start over. Somewhere else." He stared at me, I continued. "You observe this group lately? I have. I see two people who don't belong; we're the odd men out. Between the two of us we make a great third wheel."
"So what? Say we do, we just run off. What's in it for me except for the extra ass I got to cover?"
"The chance to do something for someone else."
"Yeah."
"And a door that swings both ways. Put a gun in my hand, I'll cover your ass too." As he scoffed I saw Rick a little ways off walking, the rest of the group was starting to sit or stand near a shaded tree, Daryl was watching us for a few seconds.
"Think it over." I told him before walking over to the group, he headed over to Rick.
Zombiefied
I held my doll close to me when I ran from the walkers, I kept it close when Rick told me to hide in the burrow at the creek, I was holding it as I got out of the burrow and headed the way he'd told me, keeping the sun to my left shoulder. I climbed out of the creek bed and ran for the highway and my mother, I stopped as I saw something, it rustled leaves I turned and went a different direction. My heart was pounding as I realized after a while, I wasn't sure how long I'd been running, but I knew I was lost.
I turned only for a walker to grab me and bit my left shoulder, I screamed and cried as I pulled, trying to get free. The pain was something I'd never felt before as blood ran down my arm making it easier for me to get loose and I ran, that's when I dropped my doll it the creek I'd found myself away from the where I'd started.
As the sun set I sat near some bushes, blood still flowing as I felt so sleepy, I closed my eyes to sleep for the night my mind suddenly went blank as I stopped breathing.
Several hours later after the sun had reason there was a noise, like a branch breaking and Sophia's eyes snapped open, they were no longer her eyes but that of a walker. She slowly stood as the only thought that went through her mind was the need to feed. She stumbled and walked until she saw a man, he was a big man, a bit on the overweight side but she didn't care. She didn't care that his name was Otis or that he was searching the woods for walkers just like her.
In his hands was a catch pole. He got the noose of it around her neck and used the pole to guide her safely to a barn where he opened the doors and pushed her in with lots of other walkers. She tried to get at him the whole time, and then he closed the barn on her before he went out hunting for venison.
He never told anyone, not the owner, the boy, or the women, he just grabbed his riffle and headed out. He had no idea that it would be the biggest and last mistake he ever made.