The dead walking

Amanda Marie Baker

"So you think it was your brother on the radio?" Amy said as we both washed clothes.

"Ya he led the walkers away from our house and he said he's be back, we left a note for him to come to Atlanta when we left. He never showed up I thought he was dead." I said.

I liked Amy a lot she was 19 and a few years older than me, but we had a lot in common. She would've been one of my best friends before the outbreak if we knew each other. She was gorgeous to, and since we usually had the same chores we spent a lot of time together.

"Ain't you happy that it might be him?" she asked.

"I'm trying not to be because if it's not him I don't wanna get my hopes up." I said.

"Oh um do you mind me saying, he was absolutely gorgeous! You showed me his picture I sure do hope he finds us." She said.

"Hahaha well if I know my brother he'll do anything to get to me, he'll be fine if he's alive." I said

Rick Grimes.

"Hey are you guy alive in there?" The radio said.

I got up and hit my head on the roof of the tanks and rushed over to the radio next to Dom.

"Hello, Hello!" I said

"Oh there you are. You guys had me wondering." The voice said.

"Where are you outside? Me and my nephew are stuck in here. Can you see us right now?" I said.

"Ya I see you guys you're surrounded by walkers that's the bad news." The voice said.

"There's good news?" Dom chirped up from behind.

"No."

Dom came and grabbed the radio.

"Listen whoever you are I don't mind telling you me and my Uncle are a little freaked out in here!" He said.

"Oh man if you guys saw it from over here you'd be having a major freak out."

I grabbed the radio back. "Any advice for us?" I asked.

"Ya I'd say make a run for it." The voice said.

"That's it make a run for it?" I asked.

"It's not as dumb as it sound you have eyes on the outside here. There's one walker on the tank but the rest went and joined the feeding frenzy where the horse went down. You with me so far?" he asked.

"So far." I said.

"Okay the street on the other side of the tank is less crowded, if you guys move now while you're distracted you stand a chance. You got ammo?" The voice asked.

"In that duffel bag we dropped out there and guns can we get to it?" I asked

"No forget the bag it's not an option forget about it. What do you have on you?"

"One sec. Dom how much ammo you got?" I asked.

"15 rounds left. What do you have in that berretta?" He asked.

"Nothing, check that guy for ammo." I said pointing to the dead walker.

Dom went and checked and tossed me one mag with 15 rounds in it.

"I found this on him to." He said tossing me a hand grenade.

That would diffidently come in handy later. I grabbed the radio again.

"We both got a handgun and 15 rounds." I said.

"Make them count. Jump of the right side of the tank and keep going in that direction, there's an alley up the street maybe 50 yards up be there!" The voice said.

"Hey what's your name?" I asked

"Have you been listening you're running out of time!" the voice said.

Okay it was time to move; I dropped the radio and turned to Dom.

"Okay Dom back to back makes every shot count. Follow me and stay close." I said getting up near the hatch.

"What about the guns?" Dom asked.

"We gotta forget about them. The alley is 50 yards up, you ready?" I asked.

He nodded and I grabbed the handle to the hatch. I opened it up and there was one walker coming towards me. I smacked it with my pistol, and jumped off the tank and Dom soon followed. We both got up and started moving back to back down the street in the direction I was told. We both fired of at least ten rounds, we both hit every shot. I looked up and saw the alley and turned the corner.

"Whoa not dead don't shot!" Said and Asian boy who I guessed was the man on the radio.

Dom fired off another shot and the boy urged us on.

"Come on come on." He said running down the alley.

"Come on boy." I said

Dom turned around and started running with the boy I fired a few more round behind me and soon I was out of ammo. We reached a ladder and the boy started climbing up it followed closely by Dom and soon they were both up on the fire escape, Dom fired off a few more rounds and covered me as I climbed up the ladder and soon the three of us were safe on the fire escape.

We all sat there panting with exhaustion, the boy looked at me while Dom had almost passed out.

"Nice moves there Clint Eastwood, you two the new sheriff's come ridding in to clean up the town?" He asked.

"It wasn't our intention." I said

"Ya whatever yeehaa, you're both still dumbasses." He said.

"I'm Rick thanks." I said holding out my hand.

"And I'm Dom thanks to." Dom said holding out his hand to.

"I'm Glenn and you're welcome." He said shaking our hands.

Glenn looked over the railing. "Oh no." He said.

The walkers were swarming the ladder, Glenn looked up and we saw a ladder that went all the way up to the roof.

"Hey bright side, it'll be the fall that kills us." Glenn said.

"That is true." Dom said.

"I'm a glass half full kinda guy." Glenn said as he started to climb up the ladder.

Dom followed him and I followed Dom. We got to the rooftop and started walking along the rooftops.

"Are you the one who barricaded the alley?" Dom asked Glen as we kept walking.

"No somebody did, I guess when the city got overrun. Whoever did it was thinking not many walkers can get through." Glenn said.

"Back at the tank why'd you stick your neck out for us?" I asked as we opened a hatch which I guessed led down into a building.

"Call it foolish hope, but if I'm ever that far up shit creek I hope somebody might do the same for me. Guess that makes me a bigger dumbass then you guys." He said climbing down the ladder. Me and Dom looked at each other and then Dom made his way down the ladder and I followed.

We made our way through an office building and out an exit and went down steps to an alley when Glenn pulled out his radio.

"I'm back I got two guest I count four walkers in the alley." He said into the radio.

We got to the bottom of the steps where there were four walkers. Dom raised his gun but before he could fire two people in body armor came out and stated hitting the two walkers with bats.

"Let's go!" Glenn said running towards the door the people came out of.

Me and Dom both ran through the door.

"Morales let's go!" Glenn shouted.

The two men followed us and we made our way into the building.

Dominic Frank Baker.

We walked into the what looked like an old abandoned store following Glenn. After we got into the room I saw a few people but what I saw first was some girl with blonde hair grab Uncle Rick and pushes him up against some boxes with a gun to his head.

"You son of a bitch we ought to kill you." She said pointing a pistol to his head.

I still had about five rounds left and I pulled out my gun and pointed it at her head.

"You better get that gun out of my Uncle's face!" I said she turned and had a worried look on her face.

"Andrea back off, ease up alright!" The man named Morales said.

"Ease up? You're kidding me right; we're dead because of this stupid asshole!" She said pointing her gun to his forehead.

I put my gun against her temple. "I said get the gun outta my Uncle's face!" I said louder.

"Dom put your gun down NOW." He said.

I wasn't about to argue I lowered my gun.

"Well pull the trigger go on." Morales said.

Andrea's hand started to shake, and she lowered her gun.

"We're dead all of us. Because of you two." She said.

"I don't understand." Uncle Rick said.

"Look we came into the city to scavenge supplies." Morales said leading us to the front of the store.

"You know what the key to scavenging is? Surviving, you know what the key to surviving is? You know what the key to surviving is? Tiptoeing sneaking in and out, not shooting up the streets like you two idiots did!" He said

"Every walker from miles around heard you popping off rounds." Said short but large black man.

"You just rang there dinner bell." Andrea said.

"Get the picture now?" Morales asked.

Uncle Rick and I both looked out the front door of the store which was barricaded. At least 100 walkers were all trying to get through the door to get at us. I sighed I did get the picture now.

Suddenly what sounded like a shot from a rifle went off and everyone looked up towards the ceiling.

"Oh no is that Dixon!?" Andrea said running towards the roof.

"What is he doing!?" Morales said.

The whole group including me and Uncle Rick ran up to the roof. WE all got to the roof where there was a man with a sniper rifles picking off walkers.

"Hey Dixon are you crazy!?" Morales said.

The man laughed. "Hey. You ought to be more polite to a man with a gun." Then man said.

"Only common sense right?" He said jumping down off the corner of the building.

"Man you wasting bullets we don't even have man! You're bringing even more of them down on my ass now man. Stop it man!" The black man said.

"Hey bad enough I got this taco-bender on my ass all day. Now I'm gonna take orders from you? I don't think so bro that'll be the day." Dixon said.

"That'll be the day? You got something you wanna tell me?" He said.

"Hey T-dog man just leave it, it ain't worth it." Morales said.

"Now Merle just relax man we already got enough trouble." Morales said.

"You wanna know the day?" Merle said to T-dog.

"Ya." T-dog said.

"I'll tell you the day Mr. Yo it's the day I take orders from a nigger." Merle said.

T-dog went to swing but Merle hit him with the stock of his rifle. Uncle Rick went to grab Merle but he hit him with his rifle butt and Uncle Rick fell over. After that Merle punched T-dog and soon he was on the ground with Merle on top of him. I ran over to Uncle Rick and kneeled next to him.

"You alright Uncle Rick?" I asked.

"Ya Dom just don't do anything…" He started.

"No! I'm gonna show that damn redneck not to touch my Uncle." I said getting up.

Merle was on top of T-Dog now with a gun to his head. He spit on him and stood up.

"Ya all right we're gonna have ourselves a little pow wow huh? Talk about who's in charge. I vote me, anybody else? Huh? Democracy time show of hands huh? All in favor huh, come on let's see em." Merle said his gun pointed in the air.

The black girl raised her middle finger. Soon Andrea and Glenn raised their hands

"Ya that's good. Now that means I'm the boss right? Anybody else? Hmm anybody?" He said.

"Yeah." I said

Merle turned around and I smacked him hard with my pistol. He fell on the ground and I put my knee on his face and took Uncle Rick's cuffs and handcuffed his right hand to a pipe that was nearby on the roof. Uncle Rick got up and was watching me with a smile now.

I grabbed him by his shirt and sat him up and punched him once.

"Who the hell are you man!?" He yelled

"Officer friendly." I said I grabbed the handgun Merle had and loaded it.

"Look here Merle things are different now. There are no "Niggers" anymore. No dumb as shit inbreed white trash like you either. Only dark meat and white meat, there's us and the dead walking. We survive this by pulling together not apart." I said right in his face

"Screw you man." He said

"I can see you make a habit of missing the point." I said.

"Ya well screw you twice." He said.

I cocked the gun and put it against his temple.

"Ought to be more polite to a man with a gun, only common sense." I said.

"You wouldn't you're just a kid not even a cop yet." He said.

I got in his face. "All I am anymore is a man looking for his sister, anybody who gets in the way of that's gonna lose. I'll give you a moment to think about that." I said.

I was about to get up when Uncle Rick said. "Don't forget to search him Dom."

I leaned back down and reached into his pocket, I pulled out what looked like morphine or some kinda drug.

"Got something on your nose there." I said flicking it.

"What are you gonna do, arrest me?" He said.

I walked over to the and threw what I found on him off the roof. He got real pissed after that.

"Hey what are you doing man that's my stuff! Man if I get lose you better pray! You hear me man you hear me!" He said as all of us start walking to the other side if the roof to regroup.

"That was nice kid I'm rubbing off on ya." Uncle Rick said slapping my back.

We all regrouped and fixed ourselves.

"Man it's like time square down there." Andrea said.

"How's that signal on the CB?" Morales asked.

"Like Dixon's brain weak." T-dog said.

"Then it's up to us to find a way out on our own." Uncle Rick said

"Streets ain't safe is an understatement." Morales said.

"What about under the streets the sewers?" Uncle rick said.

"Oh man, Glenn checks the alley. You see any man whole covers?" Morales said

Glenn walked over to the street and looked.

"Nope, must be on the same street as the walkers." Glenn said.

"Maybe not, old building like this built in the twenty's big structures often had drainage tunnels into the sewers in case of a flood." The black woman said.

"How do you know?" Glenn asked.

"It was my job, was I worked in the city's zoning office." She said.

We all made our way down and sure enough she was wright, it was a ladder leading down to the sewers. We all gathered around it, and the first thing that hit me was the smell.

"This is it? Are you sure?" Morales asked.

"I really scoped this place out the other times I was here. It's the only thing in the building that goes down, but I've never gone down it." Glenn said.

"Okay I can bring one person down there with me that's it. Rick, you and Andrea should stay in the store to cover us. Dom you come with me, Jackie you stay here and watch yell down to us if anything goes wrong." Glenn said.

"Okay everyone knows there jobs, Dom try not to get killed alright." Uncle Rick said smiling.

I laughed "You got it." I said climbing down the ladder after Glenn.

We got down there and the smell really hit me and I coughed once, man I wish I had a stronger stomach because I felt like I was about to through up. We silently started making our way through the tunnel, and you could hear nothing but rats and water dripping. I hope Uncle Rick was having fun with his job.

Rick Grimes

Andrea and I made our way back to the front of the store and sure enough it was still being bombarded by walkers.

"Hey I'm sorry for the gun in your face." She said

"People do things when they're afraid, I'm sorry my nephew had a gun against your head." I said.

"It's fine, and I'm sorry even though it wasn't entirely unjustified." Andrea said.

"You did get us into this." She said.

"If I got us out would that make up for it?" I asked.

"No but it'd be a start." She said.

"Next time though take the safety off, it won't shoot otherwise. Is that your gun?" I asked.

"It was a gift why?" She said.

I reached for her gun and she gave it to me. I flicked off the safety and gave it back to her.

"Little red dot means it's ready to fire, you may have occasion to use it." I said

She looked at me and gave a little smile. "Good to know." She said.

Dominic Frank Baker.

Glenn and I kept moving down the sewer, the smell hadn't gotten any better but soon we were at a sewer grate.

"Yeah we got ourselves a sewer tunnel, looks like Jackie was right." I said.

"Think we can cut through it?" Glenn asked.

"If we had a blowtorch and half a day ya sure, but a hacksaw sure won't do it." I said remembering seeing a hacksaw on the roof.

Glenn shined his flashlight through the grate and I walker was standing there. IT reached its arms through the bars and growled.

"We better get outta here." I said.

"Ya you can say that again." Glenn said.

Rick Grimes

I saw Andrea looking through the jewelry in the store.

"See something you like?" I said

"Not me but I know someone who would. My sister, she's still such a kid in some ways. Unicorns dragons she's into all that stuff, but mermaids those are her favorites." Andrea said.

"Why not take it?" I said.

"There's a cop staring at me." She said.

I laughed a bit. "Would it be considered looting?" she asked.

"I don't think those rules apply anymore do you?" I asked.

She smiled and grabbed the mermaid necklace and put t in her back pocket.

"Your sister sounds a lot like my niece Amanda, she's only 16 but she's into all that stuff to. She's Dom's sister all he's focused on is finding her, and my wife and son." I said.

"That's funny Amy is best friends with a girl at our camp named Amanda." Andrea said.

Could it possibly be Amanda? If it was that must mean Lori and Carl are there as well.

"What's her last name?" I asked.

"Ba…" She started.

I heard glass break and I looked over and a walker had used a giant stone to break through the first set of doors. I drew the gun I took from Merle, and aimed it at the door. Just then Dom, Glenn, Jackie, and Morales came back.

"What you find down there Dom?" I asked.

"Not a way out." He said loading his gun with clips he took from Merle.

The walkers started banging on the second door. "We need to find a way out." Andrea said.

We all made our way up to the roof, and I looked over to edge with a pair of binoculars. I saw a construction site we a bunch of trucks and I knew they always kept spare keys on hand and we could use those to open the sewer grate or drive some truck out of here.

"See that construction site they always have spare keys on hand." I said handing Morales the binoculars.

"You'll never make it past the walkers." Morales said.

"You got me and Dom out of that tank." I said to Glenn.

"Ya but they were feeding they were distracted." Glenn said.

"Can't we just distract them again?" Dom asked.

"Wait ya the boy's on to something, a distraction like on Hogan's heroes." Merle Said from where he was still cuffed.

"God give it a rest." Jackie said.

"There drawn by sound right?" I asked

"Right just like dogs if they hear sound they come." Glenn said.

I had an idea forming in my head now.

"What else?" I asked.

"Aside from the hear you, they see you, smell you, catch you, and eat you." Morales said

"Wait they can tell us by smell?" I asked.

"Ya they smell dead we don't it's pretty distinct." Andrea said.

"Ya tell me about it." Dom said.

"Dom are you thinking what I'm thinking?" I asked him.

"Yes I am Uncle Rick and I think it's crazy." He said.

"Good come on let's go." I said leading everyone downstairs.

Dominic Frank Baker.

Uncle Rick started grabbing rubber gloves from the shelf and handing them to everyone. I knew what his plan was and it was crazy, but Uncle Rick never let me down so I'm just gonna go with it.

"If bad ideas were and Olympic event this would take home the gold." Glenn said

"He's right okay. Just take some time to think this through." Morales said.

"Trust me Morales Uncle Rick knows what he's doing." I said

"We don't have time to think it over they already go through one set of door, that other one won't hold forever." Uncle rick said.

He tossed me and Glenn a pair of gloves and a poncho each. Dammit I was hoping to sit this one out.

"Uncle Rick you know I have a weak stomach I can't do this." I said.

"Come on Dom do it for Amanda." He said.

Damn he was wright I had to tough it out.

Morales and Uncle Rick went out into the alley we came in at and dragged in the two walkers that we killed earlier. Glenn me and Uncle Rick all had ponchos and gloves on now, oh god this wasn't gonna be pretty.

Uncle Rick used a crowbar and broke the glass, to a fire ax and pulled it out. He took one huge swing with the ax and smashed it into the walker's stomach splattering its guts everywhere.

"Oh god." I said turning away feeling sick.

Uncle Rick took more swing staking off the walkers limbs, making all of us turn away in disgust.

"Oh god Uncle Rick." I said.

"Here keep chopping." Uncle Rick said handing the ax to Morales

Morales hit it a few more times till its guts were literally spilled open. After he stopped we all just looked at it in disgust.

"Everyone got gloves?" Uncle Rick asked.

We all nodded. "Good don't get any on your skin or in your eyes." Uncle rick said.

Everyone slowly started grabbing handfuls of guts and rubbing it over there ponchos, I couldn't take it anymore I turned around and through up all over the floor.

"Come on Dom do it for Amanda." Uncle Rick said.

He was wright, I started grabbing handfuls and smearing it all over my poncho. Soon me Uncle Rick and Glenn were covered and we smelled just like walkers.

"Do we smell like them?" Uncle Rick asked.

"Oh ya mission accomplished." Andrea said.

Glenn just finished vomiting when Andrea handed him her gun.

"Here Glenn, just in case." She said

We were ready now. Morales, T-dog, Andrea and Jackie were all staying back while Uncle Rick, Glenn, and I were all going for the construction site.

"If we make it back be ready." Uncle Rick said.

"What about Merle Dixon?" T-dog asked.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the handcuff key. Merle was an asshole but nobody deserved to be left to these walkers.

"Here T-dog, he may be an asshole but nobody deserves to get left to those things." I said tossing him the key.

"Give me the ax." Uncle Rick said.

Jackie handed him the ax and we were finally ready.

Rick Grimes

We slowly moved out the door and started down the street. Dom was visibly sick to his stomach; the kid had always had a weak stomach ever since he was little. I knew though he would tough it out for his sister.

We were completely covered in gut and we walked ever so slowly not making a sound, I had the ax at the ready and Dom's hand was on his gun. We walked past a few walkers and everything went fine. We climbed under the bus and were soon on the main street with all the walkers. None of them came at us our disguises were working. Soon I heard the thunder start to rumble and I knew we were in for a fight.

Amanda Marie Baker.

"That hose isn't long for this world is it." Dale said taking a tool from Jim.

"Where the hell are we gonna find a replacement?" Dale said.

I walked away and joined Amy who was panicking.

"It's late they should've been back by now!" She said.

"Worrying won't make it any better." Dale said.

"He's right Amy." I said.

We walked towards the radio when I heard it go off.

I heard T-dog's voice. "Hello base camp. Can anyone out there hear me?"

Amy, Shane, Aunt Lori, Dale and I all walked over to the radio.

"Hello base camp this is T-dog can anyone hear me?" it said.

Dale grabbed the radio. "Hello, Hello receptions bad on this end over."

There was static for a bit then T-dog talked again.

"Hello we're in deep shit we're trapped in the department store." He said

"Did he say there trapped?" Shane asked.

I went over and hugged Aunt Lori and Carl.

"We're surrounded by walkers hundreds of them." It said.

"T-dog repeat that last, repeat!" Dale said.

Nothing but static came out of the radio as the thunder started to get louder.

"He said they were in the department store?" Aunt Lori said.

"I heard them say that to." Dale said.

I walked over to Shane. "Shane." I said.

"No way Amanda we do not go after them, we don't risk the rest of the group for them." Shane said

"So what were just gonna leave them there!?" Amy said

"Look Amy I know that this isn't easy." Shane said.

"She volunteered to go, to help the rest of us!" She said.

"Yes and she knew the risk wright? I'm sorry but if she's trapped she's gone." Shane said

"She's my sister you son of a bitch." Amy said before running off.

"Amy!" I said running after her

I found her eventually in the woods leaning against a tree crying.

"Come on Amy calm down." I said putting my arm around her.

"I can't Amanda! My sister is trapped and that son of a bitch won't go save her, and now I'm probably gonna lose her." She said.

"Listen I know exactly how you feel." I said.

She just cried into me and I hoped for her sake Andrea was okay.

Dominic Frank Baker

The stench still made me wanna throw up, but so far we were fine. No walkers noticed us thanks to the fact we had walker guts all over us. The thunder rumbled and it sent a shot worry into me.

"This is gonna work I can't believe it." Glenn said.

"Don't draw attention." Uncle Rick said.

We got another 10 yards, that's when I felt the first rain drop hit my head. Soon after that it was coming down like crazy.

"Gotta love that Georgia weather." I said.

The walkers started to stir, growling and moving more.

"The smells' washing off isn't it!" Glenn said.

"No it's not just stay calm." Uncle Rick said.

My right hand was on my gun ready to draw if needed. Walkers started coming after us.

"Well maybe it is run!" Uncle Rick said.

He pulled out the ax and plunged it into the head of a zombie. I drew my gun ready to fire, while we were running. They were coming at us from behind I turned around and started firing into the huge crowd not missing a shot, while Uncle Rick killed the ones in front of us with the ax. Soon we reached a chain link fence I tossed my gun over and hopped the fence while Uncle Rick and Glenn did the same. I picked up my gun and the three of us all tossed off our ponchos. The rain was coming down like a waterfall my blonde hair was now completely dark we kept running not looking back. Uncle Rick and I started shooting the one climbing the fence while Glenn ran over to the key box and grabbed a set of keys.

"Rick!" Glenn yelled.

Uncle Rick turned around and caught the set of keys that Glenn grabbed; I shot one more then followed my uncle.

"Dom get in the back and pick them off!" Uncle Rick said tossing me the rest of his ammo.

I slid open the back of what looked like a U-Haul truck and jumped in the back and started picking off the walkers.

"GO UNCLE RICK!" I yelled.

He started driving and I grabbed onto what I could and picked off the walkers one by one. Uncle Rick drove through the chain link fence and through all the walkers. I kept firing until we reached a clear are. Uncle Rick and Glenn got out and I joined them. Uncle Rick broke the window of a red car and the alarm started blasting.

"Glenn you need to lead them away from the front of the department store so me and Dom can get everyone out!" Uncle Rick said

Glenn got into the car with the alarm still blasting and drove away fast. I hopped into the front passenger seat and shot as many as I could through the windshield as Uncle Rick drove to the department store.

Glenn drove past the department store with the alarm blasting and the walkers started following him. Soon we were near the department store waiting for everyone to come out, they needed to hurry. I kept firing and killing as many walkers as I could I couldn't miss. I kept thinking about Amanda and I knew I wouldn't miss. Uncle Rick hopped out and opened the garage of the store and Andrea, Morales, Jackie, and T-dog all hopped into the back of the truck and we were on our way, I guess they left Merle behind.

After we were away from the walkers on our way out of the city Uncle Rick was driving and we all just sat in the back panting everyone relieved that we survived.

"I dropped the damn key." T- Dog said sadly.

He was visibly upset, but nobody else seemed worried.

"Wait where's Glenn?" Andrea asked.

Uncle Rick explained where Glenn was and everyone was relieved. Now all I wanted to do was get to their camp and rest.

And find Amanda soon.