Chapter 21

Quick update for you all, thank youu for all the lovely reviews! Enjoy!

"Alrigh'," Rick began. "We all need to pitch in and search the woods to find Sophia. If she had done what I told her to, she shouldn't be too far."

None of this was helping Carol, she was still distressed, desperately wanting her daughter to be back and safe. Daryl sensed this, which built up his determination in finding her.

"I'll stay with T-Dog," Dale stated. T-Dog looking weak from his injury. Rick gave a nod, and began walking off with the others. All entering the woods.

It was an eerie silence, all that was heard, were the leaves crackling beneath their feet as they trekked. All had weapons at the ready, except for Carol and Carl.

Brooke held a gun in her hand, tightly. Shane was behind her minding the rear but if he wasn't there, Brooke would be at the back of the group.

Daryl was at the front, with Rick. Lori, Carl, Andrea, Carol and Glenn behind them. Brooke kept her eyes peeled for any signs of Sophia, trying to remember what she was wearing. All that could be seen was endless amount of trees.

"Where could she be?" Carol asked herself, catching everyone's attention. Lori put a hand on her shoulder.

"We're gonna find her," she assured. Carol fought back the urge to cry some more, and nodded to Lori.

"It's strange that we haven't seen her yet, I mean, how far could she have gone?" Andrea complained. Carol gave the smallest sob at that hopeless sounding statement.

"She's bound to be around," Daryl stated. "SOPHIA!"

The rest of the group was startled by Daryl's call, causing Rick to grab his collar, Daryl protested and frowned.

"We're not alone in these woods." Rick reminded, sternly. "We can not be shoutin', makin' noise, or attractin' any Walkers attention."

"Then how the hell we supposed to find her?" Daryl argued, which Rick had to shush him once more.

"Calmly." Rick answered. Leaving it at that, and continued walking. Daryl gave a sigh and joined him.

Seeing something out of the corner of her eye, Brooke's head quickly turned to her left. Scanning the whole scene, which only consisted of trees.

"What's up?" Shane asked, walking beside her, observing the same scene.

"Thought I saw something." Brooke replied, not looking at him, but could feel how close he was.

"Walker something?" Shane asked, wanting an confirmed answer.

"I don't think so," Brooke frowned to herself. "Never heard of a Walker playing ninja," she joked, whilst Shane looked at her, his eyebrows raised in an questioning glance. Brooke shrugged at her tiny joke. She found it amusing, but seeing the look on her face caused Shane to give a small laugh too.

"Probably a bird or something," He smiled. "C'mon, we're fallin' behind." He pressed on, waiting for Brooke to follow. Her eyes kept looking back to that spot as they walked.

The tiny breeze that brushed passed the group, sent shivers down their spines. Some weren't sure if it was due to the cold, or that fact it was so quiet. A fear of something jumping out and attacking.

"Why don't we split up?" Andrea suggested. "We can cover more ground that way."

She had a point, but the look of worry in Lori's face put Rick on a spot if he should go with that suggestion or not. He then processed who would go with who.

"Alrigh'," Rick gave in, thinking of any easier way in finding Sophia. "We need to decide who is going with who."

"Well, Carl and I are going with you," Lori stated, straight away. Shane gave a frown at that decision.

"I don't have a gun," Carol informed, curious as to know who she would go with.

"You come with me," Daryl stated. Brooke watched Carol walk beside Daryl, then looked at the remaining options; Glenn, Shane, Andrea and herself.

"I'll go with Daryl too," Andrea stated, walking beside him and Carol, giving Carol a sympathetic look as she approached. Daryl only nodded and looked at the remains.

"Guess it's us three," Shane stated, nodding at Glenn and Brooke. He seemed disappointed with his options, but all that mattered was finding Sophia.

"We'll look around, and meet up at the RV before dark." Rick explained, which everyone nodded to. They all separated.

Brooke wondered why Daryl hadn't suggested that they went together, and it would have been a lie to say she wasn't bothered by it. He didn't even protest about Andrea going, after what she did to her. This ran through her mind, until she was aware that she wasn't paying attention to her task. Which was very selfish.

She snapped out of thoughts to see Shane and Glenn searching the area. Making sure they were safe and if Sophia was around.

"Why didn't she go back to the RV?" Brooke asked, careful of a log they had to step over.

"She's a lil girl, big place, got chased by Walkers, had a close call, had directions giving to her in less than five seconds" Shane listed as they walked. "Doubt anything Rick told her, stuck."

That was very true. A little girl in a vast woodland. Not the best combination, adding the fact that the world had practically ended, and was infested by the dead, didn't help either.

Church bells were heard, halting everyone in their steps.

"What's that?" Glenn asked, trying to see which way it came from.

"Bells, at a church." Shane answered, a small piece of hope in his voice. "If we can hear them, so can Sophia!"

"Or maybe she is the one ringing them?" Glenn added in the same hopeful tone.

"Let's go!" Brooke said, picking up the pace in the direction of the bells.

Rushing through the woods, they finally reached an opening, which was a church surrounded by a graveyard and a huge field.

Almost out of breath they examined the church, as they did, footsteps approached behind them, alerting them quickly, as they held up their guns, only to see Rick and his family. They had heard the bells too.

Rick had the same hopeful expression, Shane had moments ago, but Shane's left when he saw something missing from the church.

"There are no bells," he pointed out. Which Rick wouldn't't have, he took a full on charge to the church. "Rick!" Shane called out after him, resulting in him following at the same speed, which eventually everyone did. Even Daryl's group who arrived seconds after they did.

Once reaching the church, the bells halted. Rick and Daryl stood by the door cautiously. Waiting a few seconds to prepare themselves before opening the door, harshly.

Expecting to see Sophia, they instead saw an ordinary alter. A statue of Jesus Christ at the front, and many rows of seats along the room. However, some seats were occupied. By Walkers.

Lori quickly pulled Carl back out of the Church, while Rick, Shane and Daryl ran in. Disposing of the Walkers. The sound of blood squelching and the awful crying sounds they made once being killed, was enough to cause you to feel nauseous and even want to be sick.

Brooke stepped away from the church for a moment, trying to recover from the sick feeling she was experiencing. She then became heavily startled when the sound of bells were heard again, she looked to where the sound was coming from, and saw a small speaker coming from the side of the church.

The others; who had heard the sound also, quickly shut off the noise.

"It's on a timer," Daryl sighed, catching his breath. The look of disappointment descended on everyone's faces, especially Carol, who decided she wanted to wait inside the church.

Daryl sighed an walked away from the church, while some went back inside. Brooke stood in the same spot. Not knowing where to go.

I have to leave it there, cos I'm going out soon. Hope you liked this chapter. Wasn't my best, I know. But I promise a better chapter tomorrow. Please look on my profile for my Twitter. Thanks for reading! xx