Everyone stops what they're doing. "Are you serious?" Shane asks.
Glenn nods. "Maggie told me. Hershel thinks the walkers are just people who are sick."
"There is no way I am living next to walkers. I will not let anyone of us get bit just because of Hershel's ignorance." Shane stomps over to the RV, mumbling under his breath. "If Rick isn't gonna take care of this, I will."
I look at Carol, and she seems really worried about this. I look over to my right and see Daryl coming back from wherever he was. He makes his way over and stands next to me.
"What's goin' on? Everyone seems really on edge." he asks.
"Glenn just told everyone there are walkers in the barn. Shane was pretty aggravated over that, and he just went over to the RV." I explain.
"Where's Rick? He should know about this. He'd know what to do." Daryl says, concerned.
"I haven't seen Rick all day." I say as Shane comes back over to the group.
"Okay people." He says holding up a bag of rifles and shotguns. "We are not going to live next to this constant threat. This farm is the best place we've been since all this shit started to happen. We've got to protect this." He pauses and pulls out a rifle from the bag. "If you want to make sure we're all safe, come up here and grab a gun. We're taking care of the walkers ourselves."
One by one, people start stepping up to take guns. First Andrea (of course), then Glen, T-Dog, Daryl, and I. Shane steps in front to lead us over to the old barn, with a pistol in his hand. I don't really want to follow along with anything Shane does, but I agree that it's not right to be living right next to a barn full of walkers. That's just not safe, and you can't risk that sort of thing.
As we're making our way to the barn, Rick and Hershel step out of the nearby woods and in front of the barn. They're leading walkers on what look like dog catching poles. What the heck are they thinking?
"Do they have walkers?" Andrea questions.
Shane storms over to Hershel and takes the pole from his hands. He releases the walker then backs away. The walker turns toward Shane and starts moaning at him. Then it walks toward him.
"They are not sick! They're dead!" Shane yells at Hershel. He puts up his pistol and points it at the walker. He pulls the trigger and shots it through the chest. It just keeps coming toward him. "Do you think anyone could survive this?" Shane yells, still putting shots in the walker's chest. "Shots to the heart and it just keeps coming! It just keeps coming!" Shane stops shooting and lets it come closer to him. He waits until it's only a few feet away and puts a bullet in its brain.
He rushes over to the barn doors and pries off the latch and chains keeping it closed with a crowbar. He comes back over to stand with the rest of us. We spread out in a line, preparing ourselves for the monsters in the barn.
The first one steps out, and Shane takes the shot. The rest pour out and we all shoot. It's a slaughter, with bullets flying everywhere. When no more come out we all relax a little.
But then we see movement from inside the barn doors. Everyone prepares to shoot and puts their guns up. Then a little girl who's turned stumbles out of the darkness. I hear a simultaneous gasp go through the group. Everyone lowers their guns, and I hear a pain-filled scream. This walker must be Sophia.
Carol starts to run towards her daughter, but Daryl catches her and holds her back. She bursts into tears, as do many others in the group. I feel tears forming in my own eyes.
No one is going to put her down. We're all just watching. Finally, Rick steps up to the girl. He takes a deep breath and fires his gun. She drops to the ground.
Carol runs off to the RV and Daryl follows her. I fell so badly about Sophia and I really feel bad for Carol. I want to help but I'm not sure exactly how.
I decide that the best thing for me to do is to help bury the bodies. I work on digging holes for all their loved ones. The rest, they say they'll burn.
After the sun had set and the holes were dug, I went back to the tent. I unzip the opening quietly, not sure if Daryl is asleep or not.
I step inside and close the opening behind me. Daryl is just sitting up, staring at the wall of the tent. I sit down and take off my boots. I feel really bad for Daryl. I know how important it was for him to find her, alive, and now…now he just seems crushed.
I sit there awkwardly for a few minutes, unsure of what to say.
"Daryl. I'm sorry about Sophia." I say first.
He just nods and keeps staring at the wall.
"I know how much it meant for you to get her back, alive. And if you need anything, I'm here for you." I let him know.
He just grunts in response. "I don't want to talk about it."
"Okay. But, a wise man once told me it helps to talk about it." I say, reminding him of what he told me the first night I was here.
I see a tiny half-smile form on his face. "I still don't really want to talk about it."
"Well hugs can help too." I scoot closer to him and wrap my arms around him. I feel him jump at my touch, then he freezes. Well, this isn't going as well as I'd hoped. "I'm sorry you had to go through this."
He nods. I let go and lie down on my blankets and pull one around me. I try to fall asleep, but it's hard. I'm still thinking about that girl. She couldn't have been too old, maybe eight or nine. Her whole life was cut so short.
I sigh and try to clear my mind. Suddenly, a pair of muscular arms closes around my waist. This time, it's me that jumps. Daryl clears his throat. "Is this okay?" He asks me for permission softly, his breath blowing across my ear.
"Yeah." I think we both need some comfort after today. Especially Daryl.
"Okay." He pulls a blanket over the both of us, on top of the one I've already got on.
He pulls me closer. My back is to him, and he's resting his chin on my shoulder.
I've never slept with a man, even in the most innocent sense. I didn't have a lot of boyfriends before, just friends that were boys. So I don't have a lot of experience with this sorta thing.
You would think that would make this awkward, but it's not. I feel really comfortable wrapped in Daryl's arms actually.
I hear Daryl start to softly snore next to me, and I slip into sleep soon after.