Setting: After 5 x 10; Walkers.

Warning: Not for the light-hearted (in the beginning).

Of Light and Ashes
Prologue

… Join us…

… Join us… your suffering will vanish…

… Join us… and we will hunt as one...

… Join us… and you will be free…

-0-

Something covered her. It was so cold. So dark… so heavy. It smelled of… dirt. The cold weight of the earth enveloped her body in a tight embrace, crushing her body with its hefty weight. She couldn't expand her chest—she couldn't breathe, yet she didn't need to. Her body recoiled in pain every time she felt her head pulsate from each heartbeat. She felt—dead. But the dead are… dead. They are not supposed to feel anything. Then why… why was she here?

Where am I?

Seconds passed to minutes, minutes to hours. Still, she was unable to move. Her eyes were opened—that much she knew. But there was nothing to see but darkness. She felt numb; unable to feel anything but the throbbing pain in her head. Panic set in, or so she thought. Her body remained as listless as it was when she had awoken.

That's not right… that's not supposed to happen… Where am I? Where am I?!

She willed her body to move—hoping for any part of treacherous body to respond. A blink of an eye lid, a twitch of her nose… something. Yet, she felt not a thing.

For hours she questioned her purpose, then pondered what could've caused her to be in such a state, then wondered what beautiful it would be to move. In circles and circles her thoughts went, until finally… even her thoughts went still.

-0-

She could feel warm and thick liquid in her hands. It was a welcoming change compared to her chilled body. Then she tasted the thick liquid in her lips, chunks of a warm mass filled her mouth as her treacherous body began to chew… What is this thing that is both satisfying and unsatisfying that she is consuming? She willed her eyes to open—but they already were. That much she knew of. Yet, her vision remained as pitch black as the time had last woken up to.

She could hear feral, animalistic growls besides her. A sensation of needing to run washed over her. But her body remained, her mouth noisily chomping at whatever her body craved. She wanted to scream and run. She wanted to see—to know. And yet, she couldn't.

This isn't right… Where am I? What am I?

She could feel her body move once more, lifting her wavering self onto her feet. Slowly, her treacherous body began stumbling towards a direction. North or south, east or west—she didn't know. She wanted to cry, to scream—to do something that showed her she was in control. No, her body was not her own. She was just here… trapped in the shell of what might be her body.

-0-

Snarls had awoken her from her restless slumber once more. This time however, it was unlike the rest. Some bright blinded her vision. Bright—light. She wanted to smile at the new discovery. After what seemed like an eternity, she was no longer swallowed up in darkness with only her hearing to clue her in.

Just as quickly as her happiness came, a sensation of grief and dread nearly drowned her when her blurred vision cleared just enough to see. She could see a little girl in front of her, hair as red and bright as… as what? She couldn't find the words to describe the frightened looking girl.

A terrified looking little girl, to be exact. Curiously, she pondered why this little girl would be crying in hysteria, her little arms wrapped around her own shoulders in a terrified embrace.

At first, she thought her body was heading towards her to comfort her—but what a fool she was. It was then when her uncontrollable body closed in on the little girl, she knew exactly why the redhead was so petrified. All around them were… creatures. These snarls and moans, the same sounds she had awoken to before, she finally discovered to whom—what they belonged to.

These things made her innards cringe with terror. She wanted about face and run in the opposite direction. These creatures—things… were rotten like…. like... a corpse. Tar-like saliva drenched their bottom jaws. It was almost as if they were drooling in anticipation, and they were heading straight towards the little girl.

She couldn't bear to watch. Even more desperately than before, she wanted to run away. It was then; she realized that her body was also heading towards the frightened little girl. Deprived—starving.

No.

Please… no… Oh God… Please… I can't… Please… no!

The walking corpses closed in on the little girl, their rotten tar-like saliva coated teeth sank into the pink supple flesh, devouring her arms then small, frail body, bit by bit. Her betraying body also closed in—her mouth watered in anticipation.

No… this… no! Stop! Stop! Please, stop! This isn't right…. This isn't right!

She pleaded and willed her body to stop this insanity. As if driven her body was driven by the sole purpose to feed, her pleas went unanswered. The bright, viscous, red metallic blood coated her lips; her mouth eagerly chewed and swallowed the warm flesh.

Oh God, I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry!

She was unable to advert her eyes. In the confines of her mind, she could see and feel what her body saw. She could see the life draining from the child's eyes as these creatures, herself included, devoured the helpless little child. She screamed in frustration and terror as loud as she could—and yet, the shell of her body kept on its task.

It was better when she didn't know. It was easy to cope with darkness and emptiness surrounding her. But now… now… she wanted to die. Death was better than witnessing oneself consuming another human. Human.

Was I one of her kind? Or… was I … just like them… a walking dead?

-0-

Days passed—that much she knew. With each passing day, the corpses around her slowed down, their state of decay growing greater and greater. But she wasn't. No. It was odd to her hands the same color as it had been the day she saw them. Her vision grew clearer and clearer by the day, but her left eye was noticeably unchanged—it was almost as if she was… healing in comparison while the others continued to rot.

What had set her apart from these walking corpses? Why did she continue to grow in strength as those surrounding her slowed? There were so many questions, none of which she knew will be answered.

Why does it matter?

All she could see and remember was the little girl's screams of terror as she was being torn apart. She could picture her sweet little face sometimes, smiling and laughing. Isn't that what children do—smile, play and laugh? A part of her wondered if she was ever a child—or human. She must've been at one point… just hours ago, she witnessed a frail old lady become one of them.

There were other things feasting on her when her body had reached the body. The eyes of the old woman snapped opened—grey and clouded over like all the others around her. She almost wondered if her own eyes looked that way too. The way that the old woman looked up at her, it seemed as if she reached out to her, asking for help before she fell limp, then turned.

Do I not look like the others?

It didn't matter anyway—her body acted like one of them. And she had no control over it. She was trapped in this shell of a body… and that was the reality she was living in.

-0-

Time passed, the sun had set and risen again. This time, she found herself awakening beside something sparkling. Then, the sound of rushing water filled her ears. Water—river. The group of walking corpses she had been travelling with started to cross the raging river as if it didn't matter. The current was so strong, it carried away some of the creatures with a fierce sweep.

No… it's suicide. We can't go in there! No!

Her body continued to head towards the river, despite the impending danger that is sure to rip her body to shreds. As much as she wanted to die and do away with her existence, she didn't want to go this way. The creatures in front of her slowly disappeared in the waves, carried off to wherever the river goes.

She was next. She felt her body take a step into the muddy riverbank despite her desire to live and die another way. Her body grew heated and cold. She felt her heart starting to pound in her chest.

No, stop! Stop! Don't take another step!

Another step was taken closer to the raging waters.

NO!

Another step—her left foot sank at her weight in the muddy bank.

I refuse to take another step damn it! I won't!

She mentally braced herself to feel the cold rush of water, waiting for it to carry her traitorous body along the length of the river. Yet—it never came.

Her body remained still and as stiff as a rock as the other creatures from her travelling group disappeared beneath the waves. She felt her heart racing in her chest—it was such a new and odd sensation. It almost made her feel… alive.

She had stopped. She didn't let her body blindly follow the brainless group into the river. That had to mean something. That must've meant something.

I can't be one of them… no I… I'm not. I'm different… I'm… I'm…

There was something she was so desperately trying to find—something that had been nagging at her since the first time she had awoken from… this. There was no doubt in her mind that she is a human... was once a little girl… and maybe one day… an old woman.

There had to be more to her life than following the walking corpses and preying on humans. No, she will not do that anymore. No more. She was human—and humans don't eat other human beings.

No, I am human. I am not one of them. I… I…

I am… Beth…

/

JR – Prologue! I'm discontinuing "Redemption" it was something I wrote out of anger… didn't think too much of it. I still plan to finish Georgia Peach, but just not any time soon.

I came up with this because of all the theories I read about Beth being alive still. Don't get me wrong, I am still Team Hope, but… things are looking pretty slim.

So, this is my take on "Beth's coming back" so to say. It will take a different turn. You'll just have to see if I decide to continue this. I don't know if people will enjoy this sort of Beth… if not, I might not continue it.

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Please review or message me; let me know what you think! Yay or Nay?