Meant To Live

"How is she?" I asked, watching her mother pat a damp cloth over her forehead. Last I heard she was running a high fever. Hershel had taken a look at Abby, but he didn't think it was much to be concerned with. It wasn't uncommon to get sick nowadays, but the thought of a simple cold killing her… it didn't seem right.

"Hershel said this would bring the fever down," her mother replied softly, tucking a lock of hair behind her daughter's ear. My gaze fell to the ground, nodding my head slightly.

"If she wakes up, tell her-"

"I know," she replied, turning to look over her shoulder at me. "I'll tell her when she wakes up."

"Thanks," I muttered, glancing up at her mother before I left. I wanted to make sure a goodbye could be said, just incase. I was sure everyone would be fine, but I never knew for certain any more.

When I finally made it outside, the trucks and cars were already being loaded. "Beat me here," I said, passing Daryl to throw my backpack in the back of the truck.

"You come prepared," he joked, and I rolled my eyes at his comment.

"Can't afford not to be," I argued, receiving no comment afterward.

"Help me with this will ya?" he asked, and I walked around the truck to grab hold of the other side of the crate. It was full of ammunition and spare weapons, but was to be used only if we were to get stuck out by the Big Spot. I found that unlikely, but not impossible. The crate was heavy, and I'm sure I wouldn't be able to lift it by myself. I was positive he could have gotten it into the truck solo, but maybe he wanted me to 'help out' some more. Next we were loading duffle bags, and before long we had just about everything prepared for the run. I looked up as Zach laid a shotgun into the back of the truck, his face lighting up as he looked behind me. One quick glance and I knew who he was smiling at. Their relationship didn't surprise me, seeing as they talked quite often at meal times or in C block.

I listened to him explain why he was going on the run as I finished securing the crate so it wouldn't get slung around. Daryl gave me a look I couldn't decipher as he carried one last box over to me.

"It's like a damn romance novel," he said, which got me to laugh. Beth walked away with a smirk plastered to her pale face, and I shook my head at how she was acting. I knew she was trying to act like she didn't care much, but I saw right through it. You couldn't just not say goodbye, even if it wasn't a big deal. You never knew what could happen nowadays; you never knew when you'd see someone for the last time.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Bob approach the few cars parked for runs, wondering what the hell he was doing here. I suppose it made sense, seeing as he had been alone like me for a long while. He must have known how to survive, so I figured a run couldn't hurt.

"Bob, it's only been a week," Sasha said, seeming unsure by her body language. They were at least ten feet from our truck, so hearing was a problem. Glenn, Tyreese, and Daryl were helping load the other car, while it felt like I'd rather watch and listen. Zach stayed behind as well, leaning against the back of the truck while I stood ahead of him.

"That's a week worth of meals, and a roof over my head," he replied, "let me earn my keep."

While his response seemed promising, there was something about him that felt odd. Sasha shook her head before replying.

"You were on your own when Daryl found you…"

"That's right-"

"I just wanna make sure you know how to play on a team."

"We aint gon' do it unless it's easy," Daryl said, walking past Sasha and Tyreese.

"You know he was a medic in the army," Glenn offered, leaning on the hood of the car as he clutched a dirty rag between his hands. Sasha didn't seem to care about this fact, seeming reluctant to let Bob join us on the run.

"You're one hell of a tough sell, you know that?" he asked, which made me smile slightly. Sasha did seem rather stubborn, though I didn't know much about her save for the fact her and Tyreese were siblings. She seemed like she had it in her to be a leader, and a good one at that.

She waited for a moment before giving in. "Okay," I heard, before the sound of Daryl's bike roaring to life drowned out their words. At this, Sasha, Glenn, Tyreese, and I climbed into the car while Bob and Zach started up the truck. We were packed up and ready to head out in the blink of an eye. It was only my second run, but it seemed like I had done this many times over. I found myself grabbing hold of my knife as I gazed out the dusty window. Sasha followed Daryl down the gravel hill as Zach followed us. We rode in a line, stopping as Daryl started talking to Rick. I could barely hear them over the sound of the engines running, but I did see Michonne as well. I felt myself smile softly, glad that she was back with us. She had been gone for a long time, no doubt hunting down the Governor. That was my theory anyway. Michonne looked irritated and somewhat angry, and I figured her "run" had turned out to be a bust.

Rick looked around as they talked, catching my eyes. He didn't look too happy to see me in the car with the others, and I chose to look away in hopes that if I did so he wouldn't say anything about it later. Instead I watched as my fingers twirled the knife in my hands, watching the sunlight reflect off of the blade.

"I'll go," Michonne said, and I looked up to see her walking around to the truck.

"You just got here!" Carl argued, but she told him she'd be back. This made me smile as well, because in a way it was very true. I hadn't talked to Michonne as much as I would have liked, but I knew she wouldn't have trouble outside the fences like most would. She would always come back, it was just how she was.

We started moving again, and before long we were on the road. I gazed out the window, looking for the Big Spot we were supposed to hit. It took longer to get there than the other run, which meant we were running out of food. Why else would we go farther out unless it was because every other store was bare? It didn't seem like too much of a problem since we were growing our own food, but something felt very wrong. It was unnatural, even now, that supplies were almost completely drained. We parked near fences, and from the car I could hear music playing. It was distant but present. Zach and Daryl began to unload the duffle bags as I got out of the back of the car. Daryl tossed my backpack to me before handing out a few guns.

"Army came in, put these fences up. Made it a place for the people to go," Daryl said, looking back at us as we followed him. Last week when we spotted this place, there's a bunch of walkers behind this chain link. Keepin' people out like uh bunch of guard dogs."

"So they all just left?" Bob asked, and I squinted my eyes as the sun beat over our heads. There was a giant hole torn into the fence, and what looked to be skin and blood coated the wire. The tents beyond the chain link looked empty to me, like they'd been trashed ages ago.

"Give a listen," Sasha suggested, "you drew 'em out. Put a boom box out there three days ago."

"Hooked it up to two car batteries," Glenn added. It seemed like a good a plan as any, but it wasn't useful if you didn't have the fuel for it.

"All right, lets make a sweep," Daryl said, the first one to step through the hole. "Make sure it's safe. Grab what you can," he instructed, and I followed him through the gap, holding the backpack strap tightly. "We'll come back tomorrow with more people."

We began to split up to scavenge for supplies, and I was about to go my own way before Daryl stopped me.

"Aye, you're comin' with me," he said, and I sighed before following behind him.

We passed a few tents, infected people had to of been put down here because they sure as hell didn't move as we passed by. The Big Spot was just beyond the tents, and Daryl sat down next to a large glass window before pounding on it with his elbow.

"Just give it a second," he said, and I stood on his left as we waited for walkers to come to us. Zach leaned himself against the brick wall as Michonne paced behind him.

"Okay I think I got it," Zach broke the silence, and I raised my eyebrows.

"Got what?" Michonne asked my question for me.

"I've been trying to guess what Daryl did before the turn," Zach explained, and I glanced at Michonne as she walked over closer to us.

"He's been tryin' to guess for, like, six weeks," Daryl said and a small laugh came out as I waited for Zach to guess 'what Daryl did before the turn' as if it was so important. Zach took a seat next to Daryl before arguing back.

"Yeah, I'm pacing myself. One shot a day."

"All right, shoot," Daryl replied, and I crossed my arms waiting for Zach's guess.

"Well, the way you are at the prison, you being on the council, you're able to track, you're helping people, but you're still being kind of… uh, surly."

Michonne looked just as confused as I did.

"Big swing here," he continued, "homicide cop."

I wasn't expecting that answer, and Michonne's laugh caused me to laugh as well. "What's so funny?" Daryl asked, and I shook my head.

"Nothing. It makes perfect sense," Michonne replied, and her sarcasm made me giggle again.

"Actually, the man's right," Daryl said, "undercover."

"Com on, really?" Zach questioned, sounding for a moment like he actually believed Daryl.

"Yep. I don't like to talk about it 'cause it was a lotta heavy shit, y'know?"

"Dude, come on, really?"

Zach found his answer in Daryl's silence. "Okay, I'll just keep guessing, I guess," he said, and I shook my head.

"Yeah, you keep doin' that."

"Mm-hmm."

One walker stumbled up the glass, slamming its hands to make a loud thump. "We're gonna do this, detective?" Michonne asked, making fun of Zach's guess.

"Lets do it," Daryl replied, and I walked over to them as everyone fell into order for the run. Daryl and Tyreese opened the doors, and we let Michonne take care of the few at the entrance before disposing of the bodies.

"All right, we go in, stay in formation for the sweep," Sasha said, looking somewhat nervous herself. I should have been more nervous than I actually was, but being beyond the prison's walls didn't seem to make me uncomfortable. "After that you all know what you're supposed to look for. Any questions?"

"Was there ever a time when you weren't the boss of me?" Tyreese asked as we headed into the store.

"You had a few years before I was born," I heard her reply, Following behind Michonne. Bob was going to stay outside and cover us as we raided the department store, and in truth he looked the most cautious of all of us.

I knew I was told to stay with the adults, but I didn't follow the rules when it came to runs. I unzipped my backpack, walking down each aisle to look for food, clothes, anything we could use. The first thing I saw were loads of batteries, and I grabbed a few packs, dropping them into my bag as I kept walking. A couple of flashlights went into my bag next, as well as some rolls of duct tape. I crossed over to the next aisle as I heard the others rummaging through the store, filling up their grocery carts. I found a bundle of thick, black rope hanging, still incased in its packaging on the shelf. I walked quickly to the first aid section next, unzipping the next pouch to dump in band-aids, gauze, needle and thread; I racked my brain for items Hershel could use. Alcohol! I ran to the back of the first aid department, finding it surprisingly full. There were a few bottles of alcohol sitting on a shelf, so I snatched those as well.

"Think, think," I told myself, trying to remember what else to get. I promised Beth I would get her a new journal, so I headed to the 'back to school' section. The Big Spot was actually rather big, so it took me a minute to find the right aisles. I still had room in my pack for a few items, so I grabbed the first notebook I saw. It was a small, green pad that flipped open at the top. I figured she'd also need pens, which went into my backpack on top of the notebook.

I zipped up the smaller pouch, which was piled full, and held the biggest one open. Food was the last thing to look for. I was making my way to the drinks until I froze in place, a loud crash coming from the other side of the store. "Not again," I groaned, taking my knife from its sheath as I ran toward the noise. I came to a fallen shelf, seeing a flashlight shining from the other side.

"You all right? You cut or something?" I heard Daryl's voice, and I made my way over to him. I knew I must have looked panicked; that noise was sure to bring walkers right to us.

"No, man, but my foot is caught," Bob said, and I breathed in relief that he wasn't hurt badly. We couldn't afford any more casualties.

"All right, he's just caught. Come on, help me up," Daryl said, Tyreese and Zach grabbing hold of the shelf.

"What happened?" I heard Glenn yell not too far from us.

"Everyone's alright; we're over in wine and beer," Zach yelled back, the three of them lifting the shelf up right. It creaked loudly as they pushed it back against the wall.

"I was movin fast, man. I drove right into the drinks," Bob explained as they helped uncover him. I clutched my bag tightly, the anxiety levels rising.

"Man you lucked out. If this thing had come down on you the wrong way-"

Before Tyreese could finish the roof caved in, and I swallowed hard as I looked up to see a walker hanging by its insides. Its skin had gotten caught onto the metal bars concealed by a ceiling now letting in sunlight. Daryl yanked me back as guts and blood spilled all over the paved floor. He shined his flashlight up at it, as it reached for us from where it hung. Glenn, Sasha, and Michonne came around the corner, looking up at the walker hanging like a piñata, just begging to be shot. It snarled at us before Glenn spoke in a quick tone.

"Yeah, we should probably go now," he said, and my heart began to race.

"Bob's still stuck. Get him outta there!" Daryl commanded, but I couldn't stop staring into the walker's eyes as it dangled there. Michonne said something, but it came out in a blur. Everything seemed to freeze as more walkers fell through the ceiling, hitting the floor in piles of rotted meat.

"What're you doin?!" Daryl yelled, which snapped me out of my trance as I looked to the ground, one of the walkers fighting desperately to crawl towards me. I backed up quickly, hearing everyone's ragged breathing as we went into a sort of panic.

Bob was screaming for us to help him out from under the shelf, all the while the dead were hitting the ground in a heaping mess of splattered blood. The ones that managed to survive the fall were up and stumbling toward us. Everyone was slitting up once again, and I gripping the handle of my knife tightly between my fingers. One of the walker's scalps was rotted of completely, peeling off of its head as it lifted itself up to try and catch me. it was rather quick as it grabbed my shirt, yanking me close to its mouth.

One hand pushed it away with all of my strength while the other held my hunting knife. I grunted as it pushed me back into a shelf, my back slamming hard into metal shelves. It snapped its jaw at me as I held it away from my face long enough to bring my knife down and into its skull. I yanked it out as blood spewed out, turning my head away incase it got into my eyes or mouth. From where I was I could hear gunshots. More walkers fell still, stumbling behind me. I panicked, too many for me to fight all at once. I ran into an open area, seeing Michonne and Sasha.

It put me at ease for only a moment to see that they were okay. There were at least ten walkers on them by now; I was so caught up in them that I didn't feel one of the walkers grab my shoulder until its outgrown nails dug into my collar bone. I let out a gasp as I snapped my head to look down at its hand. It had me in its trap as it brought its other arm around my neck from behind as if to put me in a chokehold. I turned around quickly in the tight space I had to move, grabbing hold of the collar of its shirt to shove it back. Unexpectedly, it wouldn't let go of my shoulders as it continued to lunge at me. It may have been rotting, but it was strong enough to make me lose my footing.

"Help me!" I screamed out of instinct, clamping a hand over my mouth before tripping over my feet to fall on the ground. I still held my knife in my hand, scooting back as it stumbled toward me, its blood stained hands reaching for me as a last attempt.

I was breathing heavily, but I pushed myself off the ground in time to run at it. Fighting walkers without a barrier was much more difficult, and a hell of a lot scarier. Once again I reached a hand out to take hold of the hem of its ragged shirt as it wrapped its fingers around my covered forearm. I didn't hesitate to stab it this time, watching its arms fall to its side as it went completely limp. I yanked my knife out and watched it slump to the ground before looking back to make sure Sasha and Michonne were alright. Michonne nodded at me before taking out another walker to her left. I could still hear Bob screaming for help over the growls the walkers made. I followed his cries for help to find Daryl completely surrounded by walkers, having to use his gun to take them out. Glenn came running as well from the other direction, shooting a couple of them as well to clear Daryl's path.

"Daryl, go!" he warned, taking hold of my upper arm as he moved out of the way. Daryl was casted over in a dark shadow, the ceiling sounding like it was ready to cave in completely. Daryl and Glenn were still under the gaping hole in the ceiling, and I remembered Bob was still trapped.

I ran to them, letting Daryl pull the walker away in order to kill it.

"Let me help!" I yelled, taking hold of the higher side of the shelf as Zach lifted the lower part. It was very heavy, and I could feel the panic settling in as the ceiling continued to creak awfully.

"More, more!" Bob yelled over our grunting, and I pulled up on the shelf as hard as I could to let Bob free. We had it up high enough for Daryl to pull him out, my arms feeling like they were about to give out completely.

"Come on, time to go!" Daryl said, pulling him to freedom, "lets go, now! Come on, go!"

The ceiling above us was falling over our heads, and I let go of the shelf's side completely. "Let's get out of here!" I yelled, Zach dropping the shelf as well. I looked back as Zach screamed, his arms flailing as a hand latched around his ankle. He began to scream as the walker bit into his leg, and my eyes grew wide as he stumbled and fell. My hand instinctively fumbled for the handle of my knife as the walker began to chew on his leg, but it was like I could barely move.

"Zach!" I screamed without thinking, his agonizing yelps filling my eardrums. I didn't think about it as I grabbed hold of his shaking hands, trying to pull him away from the walker. Next it bit into his neck, and I knew there was nothing I could do to save him as blood splattered onto my neck and hands.

"Go, go!" Daryl yelled behind me. I let go of his hands as his skin got torn away, exposing the muscle and arteries. "Brooke, let's go!" he screamed, taking hold of my arm to pull me out of the store.

"Don't leave me!" Zach cried, reaching for me to help him. "You cant-"

"I'm sorry!" I yelled, my eyes filling with tears as he began to scream again. Everyone else was out of the store as me and Daryl ran from the falling ceiling, the whole thing crumbing behind us, making a cloud of dirt and debris wash over the Big spot as we ran out in time.

Hope you got your things together.
Hope you are quite prepared to die.
Looks like we're in for nasty weather.
One eye is taken for an eye.

Well don't go around tonight,
Well it's bound to take your life,
There's a bad moon on the rise.