Hi everyone! Thanks for the patience because it's been pretty busy wrapping up thing in my personal life. I did a little something different and you will see it as you read but I added music to help build the scene. I will do that from time to time and it will be pretty cool (if not distracting) to go to youtube and play the song whilst reading to kind of get the feel.

EXT. ALEXANDRIA- MID AFTERNOON

Things are in full swing in the community as people carry out their chores. Michonne heads to the watch tower post where she is scheduled for her mid afternoon to mid evening shift. Just as she reaches the tower, Daryl and Aaron are climbing down the post after their shift. Aaron reaches the bottom first.

MICHONNE

Everything clear?

AARON

Yeah. We just spotted a couple of deer and small

herd of Walkers up there. Nothing too exciting.

MICHONNE

Good. If it stays that way then it'll be an easy day for me.

Daryl reaches the bottom with a rifle and his crossbow. Aaron takes the rifle.

AARON

Okay. I'll see you around. Oh, Daryl,

I've got to get the tomatoes from the patch

but if you could tell Eric I'll be there soon...

DARYL

Alright.

Aaron heads off.

MICHONNE

Tomatoes?

DARYL

He's making some kind of stew tonight.

MICHONNE

You're staying over?

DARYL

Naw, just for dinner.

MICHONNE

(Teasing)

You're such a rouge.

He mumbles a "Yeah" and starts off.

DARYL

I'm gone see what else needs to be done.

Michonne grabs his arm.

MICHONNE

Hey. They just got back.

DARYL

You talk to her?

MICHONNE

No. But Rick said they ran into some

guys that shot at them. Everything's good

but when you were out there you

encountered some guys too?

Daryl nods.

MICHONNE (CONT'D)

I'm thinking maybe they were the ones you saw.

DARYL

Where is she now?

MICHONNE

At the stock house helping with the supplies they found.

Daryl studies her expression for a moment There seems to be a bit of confusion with her.

DARYL

Well... don't know unless you ask.

There's another rifle up there.

He walks off leaving Michonne in thought.

EXT. - SMALL TOWN- OLD HIGHWAY- DAY

Twitch and the three men stand in the road where the incident occurred hours earlier.

TWITCH

There's the bar right there. No doubt they

taken all the supplies. They had a car parked

along the side there.

He points to where the car was parked. Phil walks over.

TWITCH (CONT'D)

I don't know which direction they came

from or where they went.

PHIL

(Examining tire tracks)

Oooh, but I do.

Twitch stands holding his shoulder between Dan and Bill.

DAN

And you're sure, it was a dreadhead girl with a bearded man?

TWITCH

I'm handicap but blindness ain't one of them.

BILL

For our sake, let's hope you're right.

With that, Bill pulls out his gun and plants a bullet in Twitch's brain. The man falls flat as Bill puts the weapon away.

BILL (CONT'D)

Gents, we have a fresh trail. Let's get this done.

They move on.

EXT.- ALEXANDRIA- WATCH TOWER- EARLY EVENING

Michonne paces slowly back and forth across the deck of the tower scanning the area both inside the community and out. Suddenly, something in the shadow line between the border of a field and the woods on the far side catches her attention. Though the figure is in the distant shadows, Michonne leaps into action with a feeling of who it might be. The Samurai swiftly climbs down from the tower with her focus on the area.

Half way, she skips the last few steps and jumps down landing on both feet then races for the gate where another Alexandrian is keeper.

MICHONNE

(to Gate Keeper)

Open up! Man the post.

The gate opens and she dashes for the side of the community where the figure was last seen.

EXT.- WOODS- MID EVENING

Holding the handle of the sword connected to her back, Michonne carefully and quickly examines the area in attempts to keep a fresh trail. She picks up a few fresh tracks and heads off. At first closer together, the tracks are now spreading further apart indicating that the being is now running. Michonne picks up the pace but watches her own footing as to not contaminate the trail. Due to the increasing number of pine needles on the forest floor, the tracks become faint with every step until they go cold. Michonne isn't as skilled in tracking as Daryl or her cousin but knows enough to get by. In this case, instinct directs her and she follows.

{ Music Selection: Dan Gibson- Jesu Dulcis Memoria}

THE LAST OF SUNLIGHT IS SEEN FADING THROUGH THE CANOPY. THE FOREST IS NOW A LUSH OF DARK GREEN AND SHADOWS.

Finally, after about two hours later, Michonne catches up to exactly who she suspected it to be. It's Tessa but she is not alone. Though her cousin's back is to her, Michonne conceals herself behind a large enough tree to observe her bazaar behavior.

Tessa stands frozen with tears swelling in her eyes then paces a bit before collapsing to her knees before a male Walker. It is alive but its body is crushed beneath a fallen tree trunk. The creature snarls and grabs for her but she keeps her distance as she sobs... and sobs... and weep silently.

Michonne wants to reveal her presence but also wants to observe and make sense of what she is seeing. So many questions shroud her mind about this encounter. After a few moments, Tessa who is shaking with tears draws her knife and puts the Walker down. It's groans and snarls cease but Tessa's cries are still heard as she scream out a bit in frustration, throwing the knife to the side in the process.

Michonne lets this moment sink in with an expression of concern yet confusion on her face. Seeing this contradicts everything Tessa has told them. She turns back to see Tessa gathering sticks and other loose forest debris to cover the remains of the now completely deceased being. Once completed and after another moment of silence, Tessa grabs her belongings then heads off in the opposite direction from Michonne.

Once Tessa is out of sight, Michonne creeps over to the buried creature to uncover it's face. There is a stab to it's temple and blood streaming down it's face. The Walker is still pretty fresh, possibly recently died a week ago. It's facial features still in decent shape for Michonne to make out that it is a young man, about Tessa's age, beard, and brown complexion. Michonne sighs and re- covers the body. She looks in the direction where Tessa headed off then she, too, heads off back to Alexandria.

I hope that song painted a picture of grieving. Review. :)