Were getting very close to the end.
I climbed slowly out of Eli's truck, looking around with wide eyes. First thing I hear are flies, the first thing I smell is death, the first thing I see are bodies.
Dozens, laying everywhere baking in the sun. I winced, and covered my face with my T-shirt. Eli just breathed through his mouth. We walked beside Daryl, in the back of the group. Sophia stood beside her mom, hiding her face in her shirt. I frowned at that, she needed to see. Carl though, he was watching, with an expression much like the others.
"Stay close," Eli said, "Have your knife," He asked.
I nodded, pointing to where it hung on my hip. He nodded, and walked faster to catch up with the group. I listened as people coughed at the stench, a few low curse words were uttered.
"Alright everybody. Keep moving. Stay close," Shane whispers taking the lead beside Rick. There were walls made of sand bags like you see in war movies, only the bodies tossed over these where real. A gun cocks, and I look for who did it. Shane's the only one with a shot gun so it has to be him. But T has one out to, and Daryl has his crossbow slung over his shoulder.
Up ahead in front of us is a huge building with a large glass window. The main road is littered with the bodies of civilians and soldiers. Its all silent, except for some cicadas somewhere off in the distance.
"Carol," Lori whispers, reaching for her friends hand.
"Shh," Rick whispers to her.
"O God," Glenn murmurs staring at another pile of what used to be people.
We walk through the entrance into the parking 's bodies everywhere. We have to walk past them. We pick our way carefully avoiding looking at anything too closely. We've almost made it to the front doors, there's three of them, all lined up. They look like garage doors to me, why did they need such big doors, I caught myself wondering?
"Keep it together, come on," Shane urges us, trying to keep the group free of stragglers. I'm holding Eli's hand now, trying to look anywhere but the bodies, I accidentally stepped on the fingers of a woman laying across our path and I close my eyes tightly trying to fight the wave of nausea that flowed over me.
"We're almost there baby, almost there," Lori mumbles to Carl.
we make it to the huge garage doors now, Shane pushes on one of them but all he gets is rattling sounds.
When pushing it don't work, he pounds on it with his fist. The sound bounces off and seems to echo in all directions. I glanced around, praying that the noise doesn't bring any more walkers near. Eli must have thought that too because he pulls me into his side, nervously pulling the gun out of the back of his pants.
"Nothing," Shane sighs.
I look up at the sky, it's getting dark so very fast. I don't want to be trapped in Atlanta after dark.
"There's nobody here," T-Dog tells Rick.
"Then why are the shutters down?" Rick says getting aggravated.
"Walkers!" Daryl says loudly. Eli whirls around, his gun raised and aimed. He doesn't shoot, he doesn't have to. They're far enough away for now. T and Glenn do the same, Shane getting his ready.
"Baby come on," Lori begs Rick, panic creeping into her voice.
Another gun cocks, Sophia starts to whimper again. "Eli," I say quietly.
"We're fine," He says distractedly, eyes darting back and forth as the walkers come closer from all sides.
"You led us into a graveyard!" Daryl yells taking out a bolt and loading his bow.
"He made a call," Dale defends.
"We'll it was the wrong dang call," He yells again, pointing bis bow at a dead women.
"Eli," I say again a bit louder and more panicked.
"Shh, we're fine Rose" he says again, but he don't sound to sure.
"Just shut up!" Shane yells at my uncle. "Just shut up". He runs up to Rick's side. "Rick this is a dead end!" He hisses.
"Where are we gonna go?" Carol asks tearfully. Holding Sophia to her chest, and that makes me mad. Because Sophia needs to see.
"Do you hear me, no blame," Shane assures him.
"He's right we cant be here, this close to the city after dark," Lori says fearfully, Carl starts to look scared now. His eyes locked on his dad.
"Fort Benning Rick, still an option," Shane says getting panicked himself.
"On what? No food no fuel. That's a 100 miles," Andrea reminds them.
"125. I checked the map," Glenn speaks up.
"Forget Fort Benning, we need answers tonight. Now," Lori says loudly.
"We'll think of something," Rick says still staring up at the doors, trying to think of what to do.
"Eli, do something," I whisper, watching as the walkers drift closer. He does do something, but not what I want. He pulls me up front, and pushes me over to Carol.
"I got her," Carol assures him. He nods and runs back to the rear of the group with Daryl. I'm angry at him, but watching the walkers get closer makes the fear bigger, and I reach down and grasp Sophia's hand. She looks up at me in surprise, before squeezing my hand and hiding her face again.
"Lets get out of here!" Shane yells, grabbing Rick's shoulder.
"Lets go please," T-Dog begs, I can tell he wants to run but he won't leave the rest of us.
Carl and Sophia are both crying now, and I can feel the tears on my cheeks, I am to. I'm scared again.
"Alright everybody! Back to the cars now!" Shane yells pointing back to the parking lot.
"The camera.. it moved," Rick says quietly staring up at the little black camera on top of the door.
"You imagined it," Dale suggests.
"It moved!" Rick insists.
"Rick. Its dead, man. Its an automated device. Its gears, OK? They're just winding down OK. Now come on," Shane yells, grabbing Ricks shoulder again.
"Eli!" I say loudly, pulling away from Carol. He turns to see me, and his eyes are wide and scared.
"Rose Stay," He orders. I stop and wipe the tears from my eyes, staring at the walkers coming closer, they're so close now.
The only reason I got away was because the dead were to busy eating my family, said Jim's voice echoing through my head.
"Please we're desperate! Please help us. We have women and children, no food, hardly any gas left," Rick begs desperately, staring up into the camera lens.
"Eli please I'm scared," I beg. But he doesn't look at me, he keeps his eyes on the walkers.
Lori lets go of Carl and runs to Rick, begging him to leave before it was to late, Carl had moved to stand beside Carol, wringing his hands and shuffling on his feet, tears leaking out of his eyes.
"Rick please there's nobody here," She cries.
"We have nowhere else to go," Rick yells, pounding on the door.
I close my eyes and I plug my ears. I don't want to hear anymore, I don't want to see the walkers get close. I feel Carol and Sophia shaking, me shaking. I hear muffled yelling, Eli and Daryl. Rick screaming. Please don't let us die, please please don't let us die.
Then someone grabs my shoulders roughly, pulling my hands away from my ears. "Rose Come On!," Eli yells, grabbing my hand and jerking me toward a white light. Maybe we are dead.
But then the white light fades, and were standing in the middle of a big room, with stairs and elevators. Were in the CDC.