Chapter 1
Seven Years Later
The sounds of the walkers groaning at us as we worked to keep them at bay filled the still afternoon air. It was cooler here in Virginia then it was back home in Georgia. My large machete held out in front of me made contact with a walker that got to close, next thing I hear, five shots ring out and walkers drop to the uneven earth at our feet.
"Come on, this way. It's clear." A small angelic childlike voice rang out from the tree line. We quickly followed suit and ran to the trees. We kept going following the sounds of light foot steps until the small girl stopped and turned to look at us. She holstered a large gun and stared at us. "You got names?"
I'm Magna, this is Connie and Kelly… Yumiko, Beth and Luke. Whats yours?" My close friend Magna said, her breath coming in heavy from exertion.
The girl bent down and picked up a familiar brown sheriffs hat, placing it on her head she said the exact words I never imagined I would hear. "Judith. Judith Grimes." My heart stilled in my chest as I looked at the young girl who I used to care for as an infant. Memories of the time we spent in the prison flooding my mind. "Come on." She ushered us to follow her. The voices of others calling her name reminded me she wouldn't be alone. I just hoped with all hope to see someone who would recognize me.
A small group of people gathered, none of them familiar to me. They placed brown sacks over our heads and lead us back to their home. When the bag was pulled from my head the sun blasting my eyes I stumbled a bit. When my eyes focused I looked around, tall steel walls surrounded the place, solar panels, little houses. It looked like paradise. It looked like the world before.
"This is Alexandria. This is home." Judith chimed. She looked so much like her mother it made my heart sad. Towns people began to gather around us, my travel companions, my friends moved like herded cattle in fear.
"DADDY." I little girl called out.
"Gracie stay where you are." One of the men who had been out in the field called back.
"There is another one in the wagon, Female with head trauma. She's conscious." The woman with the braided hair explained to a man who had run over at our arrival.
I tuned out as he started talking. The sound of horse hooves on pavement filled my ears. I turned with everyone else to see who was coming in. Michonne sat atop the beautiful horse, her face set in such an angry expression. She hopped down and tossed a bag a woman had handed her, walking closer, her face still angry. "You wanna tell me what this is?"
"Five unknown, one headed to the infirmary." A man replied.
"Why are they here?" She asked.
"My call." The man who I learned was called Aaron told her.
"Thats not your call to make." Michonne barked back.
"I decided." Judith said stepping forward. I knew then this would keep escalating.
"Michonne." I said stepping forward. My friends looked at me with wide confused eyes. I had yet to tell them I knew the young girl who rescued us.
"What the…"
"Michonne, please don't be angry." Next thing I knew her katana was at my throat.
"You wear that face…"
"Its me, it is me. Beth… The same Beth you knew from the prison." From the corner of my eye I saw Judith look up in slight confusion before I refocused on Michonne and the sharp blade at my throat. "You lost Andre early on because f your boyfriend at the time. You found Andrea in the woods after my family farm was lost. You brought the formula to the prison gates after you saw Maggie and Glenn taken by Merle Dixon to see the governor. If it wasn't for that Judith would have starved. Please you have to believe me. I am me and I am alive."
She lowered the katana and moved forward. She pulled me into a tight hug which surprised me more than anything. "Beth." A tear slipped down her face.
"I missed you guys."
"You were dead… I… you were dead."
"It's a long story, I can explain it to you if you would like, well what I remember anyway." I told her pulling back from the hug. "Where is everyone, I haven't seen anyone familiar except you and Judith, and I didn't know it was her until she said her name. Where is Rick and Maggie and Glenn. Tyresse and Sasha they were at the hospital they tried to get me out. Daryl where is Daryl and did Carol make it." I spit out in a frantic voice.
"Follow me." Myself and my new friends followed her into a modest house where she had us sit around the living room. A few people came in and sat on the sidelines. The woman Rosita I learned and Judith were among them. "I am so happy to see you." She started.
"Mom?" Judith said from her spot right next to Michonne. I smiled at the name.
"Jude this is Beth, Maggies sister. She used to take care of you when you were a little tiny baby."
"Uncle Daryl told me a story about you once."
"Where is Daryl, I need too…"
"He is out there, he doesn't come into the communities very much anymore." She explained. "Tyreese and Sasha are both gone, so is Glenn. We lost Tyreese a few weeks after you. Sasha and Glenn died after we arrived here. It's a terrible long story that involves our prisoner. Maggie lives in another community called Hilltop with her son Hershel and Carol married the leader of another group called the Kingdom." I sat back slightly startled. "Not many of us left."
"Wow… and Rick?"
"Six years ago there was a war and after it ended Rick tried to make peace and have all the communities work together for the common good. Most of the one community was still loyal to their leader. Negan. There were herds on both sides… he tried to save all the communities and in the end her blew himself up to save everyone. No body was found but… but I don't think there ever would be." The room around us was sad and so full of emotion.
"Can they stay mom?" Judith asked her quietly.
"Well if they really want to but I think we should take them to Hilltop."
"When do we leave?" I asked.
"Wait leave, Beth this seems like a good place why leave." Magna replied back quickly.
I looked over to Magna and signed my answer while I spoke so Connie could understand me as well. "Because my sister is there and I think we should go to her."
"We must stay together no matter what." Connie signed to us. I nodded my head in agreement.
"Thank you." I signed back.
"You two are crazy, this place is good enough. Make your sister come here to you instead." Magna signed back.
"What are they doing?" I moved my gaze from Magna and Connie and look back to Judith as her words sunk in.
"Talking." Rosita answered her. "They are using sign language. It either means they hope no one knows what they are saying or one of them can't hear."
"Oh." Judith replied.
"Connie is unable to hear, we apologize for not vocalizing at the same time, we get so used to just using our hands." I explained to her.
"Can I learn it?"
I looked up to Michonne before answering her. "Of course, it's always cool to know another language." The little girl smiled brightly.
"Tomorrow we leave first thing for Hilltop." Michonne said with finality. She stood from her spot on the sofa and walked towards the stairs.
"Mom is very protective, don't worry about her, she will come around." Judith said as she walked towards the stairs herself. I stood and followed Rosita from the house with the others. No one said anything as she led us into a different house. Inside was a few personal hygiene items and some clean clothes.
"Make yourselves comfortable. There are bedrooms upstairs and two bathrooms with showers. They can both be used at the same time." Rosita told us. I rummaged in the box and made my way up to shower. It felt amazing to have the hot water rushing over my skin, the smell of honeysuckle filled my nostrils and the stress melted from my tense shoulders. I took way longer then I should have but I couldn't care less in the moment.
I meandered over to one of the bedrooms and fell into the warm comfort of down feathers and pillow top softness.
We were about half way to the Hilltop when Michonne pulled us all to a stop. "This is as far as I go." She announced. I looked at her and around at the other faces escorting us, I didn't know any of them.
Siddiq the doctor pulled his horse to a stop next to her. "Maggie isn't there."
"What do you mean?"
"She took Hershel a year or so ago and is helping Georgie set up a new community."
"The whole point of going to this Hilltop place is that you're supposed to be taking me to my sister." I demanded.
"I'm sorry, I didn't want to say anything." He replied.
"Listen Michonne I don't know why you seem so angry with Michonne and everyone else but if she isn't there then we go back to Alexandria with you."
"Beth you are welcome but we don't take in strangers at Alexandria, not anymore."
"I stay with them."
"Then you go to Hilltop." She replied matter of factly. I sat back and didn't say anything more, however Michonne did come with us the rest of the way.
When we arrived it was a tense greeting all around, I have no idea what happened since I last saw everyone. My mind raced with the worst possible thoughts. Rick and Carl are dead, Maggie lost Glenn and had a child and took off to who knows where, Sasha and Tyreese are dead, Bob is dead. It's like everyone I once knew in this world has gone and in their place is strangers and the walkers.
"Jesus will make the final decision." A young man said from in front of us. They led us through the small community and into a large mansion. I could see why Maggie liked it here in the first place, with its walls and sense of normalcy. "You can wait in here."
"Excuse me?" I turned to him as he went to exit the office.
"Yeah?"
"Can you tell me where I can find Daryl Dixon please." He looked at me a little stunned.
"He doesn't live in any of the communities, he lives out in the woods someplace, only Carol from the Kingdom knows the exact location." He told me. "How do you know Daryl Dixon newcomer?"
"I was part of his group a long time ago, my name is Beth. Beth Greene." I replied. "I am Maggies sister."
"She never mentioned a sister."
"Well thats because she thinks I'm dead." I said with a sad sort of smile. "I was taken by some bad people back in Georgia and when they came to rescue me. Well when Daryl, Michonne, Rick and a few others came to rescue me the woman in charge shot me in the head. They all thought I was dead and they had to leave me there as they were overrun by walkers. The doctor their thought to dispose of me properly and they found I had a pulse. They fixed me up and after I was healed I took off on my own, they just let me go this time. Then I found my new friends, they have kept me alive all these years."
"I'll be sure to give Jesus a good word for you and your friends." He said. "Im Alden by the way."
"Nice to meet you." I looked down at my feet a moment. "Do you know how I can reach Carol, I need to find Daryl."
"They were here this morning, went out to look for a missing member of Alexandria. Eugene is his name."
"I met him, he was one of the people who brought us in. I hope they find him."
"Same, he makes our ammunition and is generally one of the smartest people around." Alden explained.
"Alden, do we have to stay in this room?" I questioned, the others looking at us hoping for a good answer. "We don't like being cooped up and we don't know how long this Jesus person is going to be…"
"Tara wants you all to stay in here but I am sure some air wont hurt." We followed him back out into the main yard. People stopped their work to stare at us.
"OPEN THE GATES!" A woman yelled from the perch. The giant wooden gates slowly moved open and in ran a man half carrying Eugene, they both collapsed on the dirt. Moments later the loud sound of a motorcycle filled the air. The bike was pulled to a quick stop and the driver flew off to check on the other two men. He pulled the bandana from his face.
My heart skipped a beat. Happiness flooded through me. "ENID!" Daryl hollered and a young woman ran from someplace behind us. Daryl stood back, surveying the community.
"DARYL!" I called out.