Chapter four
We all sat around camp that morning eating breakfast, even Daryl had joined the group he was sitting in a fold up camp chair and I was sitting on the grass beside him, it was scrambled eggs and beans again, but I didn't care, it was food. Yesterday I had spent the day keeping Daryl company as almost everyone else had gone away from the farm for shooting practise. Rick had asked if I had wanted to join them, but I had told him no. I hadn't even held a gun and I didn't want to look like an idiot in front of everyone. I stayed at the camp and had even helped Lori and Carol with the washing, I had met Carl briefly before he had gone with his dad for shooting practise as well. I wasn't sure what the plan for today was though, I was sure everyone was going to be going out looking for Sophia. Hershel had told Daryl not to go out, but I could tell by the look on Daryl's face that he wasn't going to listen to him. everyone seemed settled and relaxed this morning which was nice. I watched as Glenn stood up.
"Guys, eh so…. The barns full of walkers" he said. Everyone looked round at him shocked. What? Those infected things where here on the farm? In the barn, right over there? Everyone stood up and made their way over to the barn, breakfast forgotten. We all stopped in front of the barn, Shane went up for a closer look, peering inside.
"You cannot tell me your all right with this" Shane said angrily marching past Rick.
"No, I'm not but we're guests here" he told him "This isn't our land"
"This is our lives man" Shane said his voice going up a notch. Glenn quickly shushed him.
"We can't just sweep this under the rug" Andrea told everyone.
"We either have to go in there and make things right or we just have to go" Shane told everyone "we've been talking about fort Benning for a while"
"We're not going" Rick snapped at him.
"Why rick? Why?"
"because my daughters still out there" Carol said. She was right, no one had found Sophia yet.
"carol, I think it's about time you might consider other possibilities" Shane told her.
"Don't say that to her" I snapped at him. "you can't possibly want to leave a child behind"
"you stay out of this, you're not one of us" he snapped at me harshly. I stepped back slightly almost hitting Daryl. Daryl walked round and stood in front of me.
"what the hell did you just say to her" Daryl snarled at Shane. They were right in each other's faces, even with Rick attempting to get between them.
"Come on man, only reason your sticking up for her is because she's giving you a little something on the side" is that what he really though? Daryl swung for him, Rick manged to get them separate with the help of others. Everyone was arguing with each other, I was finding It hard to pick up on any one sentence I stood with carol and slid my hand into hers, giving it a small squeeze, I couldn't imagine what she was going through right now. The barn doors started to shake, making everyone shut up as the walkers groaned and pushed against them, knowing that there was now food on the other side. She let go of my hand and headed back to camp, everyone did the same apart from Shane who said he would be keeping guard of the barn. I had thought the plan for today was going out to look for Sophia, but everyone seemed to be split up. I couldn't fine Rick or Daryl for that matter, Glenn and Maggie didn't seem to be talking anymore and I found myself sitting on the porch steps waiting to find out what was going on. Eventually some of the others joined me. we all looked up confused as Shane walked over, carrying a large police bag full of guns. He started passing them out.
"would you stop, if you hand out these guns my dad will make you leave tonight" Maggie told him.
"Hershel's just going to have to understand" Shane told us, passing a gun to Daryl who took it without question.
"Oh shit!" T-dog said as we all looked round to see what he was looking at. Rick and Hershel where coming out the trees with walkers on catch poles! Walking them like they were rabid dogs. Shane swore and took off after them, so did everyone else. I held back a little. I didn't like getting close to the infected unless absolutely necessary, but curiosity got the better of me and I found myself walking down, following the group. I gasped as I watched Shane break the door down. I ran over to Daryl as the walkers started spilling out the barn. Daryl quickly pulled me behind him and started to shoot. It was too late, there was nothing else that could be done. It was either them or us and hell if it was going to be us. With the last walker down, silence fell over the farm. I grabbed a hold of Daryl's arm, feeling the muscle flex as he lowered the gun and glanced over his shoulder at me. Shane was crazy. He seemed mad, I had seen men like that before and it worried me. we all looked to the barn again as we heard a low groan coming from inside, there was still one left. Daryl raised is gun again but as the walker stepped out he lowered it. Oh my god, it was a child. I looked at the rest of the group, none of them had their gun raised either, they just looked shocked. Then I heard carol scream Sophia and I understood why no one was shooting. Carol made a run towards her infected daughter but was stopped by T-dog who sat down on the floor with her and she cried, repeatedly calling out for her daughter. Her infected daughter just kept walking towards us, but no one seemed to be able to raise their gun and shoot. Eventually Rick walked forward gun raised. I couldn't look. I buried my head into Daryl's shoulder and surprisingly he pulled me into him, his arm around my neck blocking my view. I heard T-dog telling Carol not to look. Then I heard a gun go off and a body fall to the ground. Carols crying got louder, I pulled away from Daryl, he let me go. I watched as Beth, in tears ran towards the dead bodies. she pulled on of the bodies of a woman and turned her over. Its eyes snapped open and suddenly made a grab for her, everyone rushed over to help her, they manged to pull her out of its grip as Andrea killed it. This was a mess; the anger was back in Shanes eyes and he turned to start having a go at Hershel. Some of the group followed Hershel to the house. I stayed at the barn with the bodies, someone was going to have to tidy this up and I had a feeling it was going to be us.
I helped the group get the bodies into the back of the truck, despite my size I was actually pretty strong. I didn't help with burning them though, I didn't want to go far from Daryl to be honest, not with the crazed look I had seen in Shanes eyes, something had snapped in him. I hadn't even known him that long and I could see a rapid change in the last few days. They held a service for the three important ones that had been infected. I hadn't known any of the dead, but I went anyway, if I was going to be part of this group I would have to follow and help them when I could even if that help was just being there.
An hour later I found myself walking around the outskirts of the farm. I stopped when I noticed Shane, cleaning his face at a well. Unfortunately, he noticed me as well. I hadn't exchanged a lot of words with Shane, mainly because there was something about him that I didn't trust. He walked towards me, it took everything not to run in the opposite direction.
"Hay, I'm sorry about what I said back at the bran. I didn't mean it I just got riled up" he told me stopping in front of me. I never responded. "I mean you're a nice-looking woman and if you and Daryl are doing stuff that's none of my business" he added, where the hell was he going with this.
"we're not together" I told him.
"my mistake, like I said you're a nice-looking girl and I'm sure you'd set your sights higher if you were looking for someone to be with" he replied. was this him saying that Daryl wasn't good enough for me? I hadn't thought of Daryl like that but if I had to pick anyone in the group then it probably would be him.
"there's nothing wrong with Daryl" I said getting a bit angry, he just scoffed as a reply. "What?"
"Daryl's not right for you, he's nothing but a wild redneck"
"So, who would you say was right for me then?" I asked him seriously. "Actually, I don't want to know" I added quickly walking past him. his had grasped my upper arm, rather tightly.
"Hay come on. Don't be like that" he said to me stepping further towards me so there was no space between us, his other hand cuffed my face. I tried not the flinch at the contact, but I was getting very uncomfortable.
"Let me go" I told him.
"Come on, I'll give you a good time. You won't regret it trust me" he boasted. I'd had enough I tried to pull away, but his grip tightened, I could scream but that might bring in more walkers. He was a cop, surely he wasn't going to force me to do anything I didn't want to. I tried to pull away from him again, but he was taller and stronger than me. I had a flash back, it was happening all over again. I burst into tears. My sudden change in emotion must have surprised Shane as he let me go like he had been shocked. I ran into the trees to get away from him. He called after me, but I ignored him.
It was stupid to go into the trees without my weapon, but I didn't want anyone else to see me break down like I had. I tried to pull myself together, it had been weeks since that man had tried to have sex with me, I had got away from there group it was over. This group was different, there leader Rick was a good leader. Shane was crazy but he had let me go. I sat under a tree and cried until there was no tears left. I hated this, I hated this country, I hated the infected and I hated my life. Maybe it would have been better if those walkers had killed me and Daryl had just left me to die. No, I couldn't think like that. I was alive because of him, I owed it to him to try and keep myself alive for as long as possible.
"Ness, you out here?" I heard Daryl shout. I stood up to see him coming through the trees towards me. I knew I must look a mess; my eyes would be red and puffy, and I couldn't hide the fact I had been crying. "Hay, you okay?" he asked obviously a little uncomfortable with the fact I had been crying.
"Just had a miss understanding with Shane" I said my voice cracking slightly. His eyes changed instantly, there was a fire behind them.
"He touch ya?" he asked. I shook my head but never met his eyes "come here" he added. I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around him. he held onto my lower back with one hand as he held his crossbow in the other. "I won't let him near ya again" he mumbled into my hair.
(Next scene rated M)
