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Muahaha, my little minions! Thank you to those who favorite, added me and this story, and are now following. You guys are amazing and just me when I say that Shane will get what's coming to him in due time. Trust me, I have something very interesting in store for that man. Very interesting. He uh, may be useful…later on. Muhahaha!
Anywho!
Enjoy the read!
P.S – Read the end note please! Thank you!
~oOo~
I woke to the sun on my face and dead bodies lying all over the forest floor; on top of me and those near me. Walkers of every state of decay were around me and it didn't bother me at all. Thirty strong and it's strange how I'm getting used to it.
The undead around me.
Their smell.
Even their groaning and moaning I've come to think of as comforting.
When I finally decided to get up I ordered the walkers on top of me to move. I made sure my small fire was completely out before we started our long trek back to the farm. Thankfully, one of the walkers knew where the farm was from one of its past memories floating around still in its head that with luck, we would reach the farm before sundown but since my ankle has gotten worse it may take me longer. Who knows how far I am from the farm? Considering Shane probably didn't think to wait for me to come out of the forest any time soon. He probably thinks I'm dead right now.
Ha.
Wait until I get back to the farm. That maggot is gonna squirm when I show up. He probably thought of a stupid story that the walkers ate me or that I was nowhere to be found once we arrived at the crash site. And Lori? That bitch opened my wound again with her horrible driving and kidnapping me when I was in no shape to travel.
Daryl was right.
This group is falling apart and will drag me down with it.
No matter.
I'm done being their tool, their shield, and their weapon of choice.
"Mother…we must keep moving." One of the walkers said. I turned towards him, his skin pale and it looks like he was scratched rather than bit. Rather than take the easy way out he separated himself from his group to die alone. I felt sorry for him, seeing his murky eyes so lifeless but they weren't really. I knew what was real on the inside.
"What's your name?"
"Samuel." He said.
"Nice to meet you Samuel." I told him as he helped me walk. My good arm was slung over his shoulder as we took it easy on walking. I sent a few ahead to see if there was a house or car that may have something I can wrap my ankle with. Samuel told me about himself and that he had a family before all this. His parents, his sisters, and his brother-in-law were all together before a horde of walkers came for them. He managed to draw them away from his family, slip away but he got scratched in the arm. Instead of going to find his family he continued on his own before the fever took him.
Now, he's helping me walk, saying that he always did enjoy a pretty lady on his arm. I laughed at that and said that he probably had lots of ladies after him when he was alive. Samuel then shot back the even the undead wanted him. I then asked him if he heard anything about me but he said that when he was alive there was nothing.
However, when he died he could hear the thoughts of the others about someone who could hear them. He never thought it would be someone like me.
"Call me special I guess." I chuckled and Samuel kind of did but it was more like a choking sound than anything. "I just hope we get to the farm soon."
"That man…that shot you…you gonna kill…him?"
"In due time. For right now I need to get something to wrap my foot with. What good is knowledge if you don't have to tools you need." I told him and Samuel cracked a smile. I hobbled for a short while before we took a short break so I could rest. I felt so tired and my bullet wound was acting up again both in pain and with the small amounts of blood seeping through the bandages.
"You said that…you came from the CDC? What is…your story then?" Samuel asked me and I sighed before I told him my story as we moved along. I told him of my family, of my kidnapping, my escape from the refugee center, our loss at camp, and my injury at the farm. Samuel cracked a smile when I told him of the exact words I'm going to say to Shane. "Would you mind it that…I…stayed with you?"
"I don't see why not? The only people I do trust is Daryl, Rick, Dale, and Glenn. I really don't know the Greene family that well but I think I can trust them. Other than that, I take more comfort in the dead than the living at the moment." I told him.
"Strange world…we live in."
"Indeed we do." I told him and we fell into a comfortable silence of groans and moans.
We stopped for several breaks, always readjusting my bandages or just allowing me to rest for a little while. It wasn't until maybe mid-day that we found a car with a salvageable first-aid. The house it was parked next to was burned down half ways down the middle and couch smelt of mildew but I really couldn't care less because the forest floor wasn't comfortable at all. Samuel helped me re-bandage my shoulder and help wrap my ankle. Sure my bones were reinforced but my muscles were still not meant to have that much strain on them. Much less have a car turned over and thrown around like a rag doll. I looked over my shoulder and lightly touched the wound.
Did the bullet pass through?
Or was it lodged in my bone that there was no way of getting it out?
What else was my body hiding?
"Hey Samuel?" Samuel looked at me before returning to working on my ankle.
"Yes?"
"If I asked something of you would you do it? I mean, I'm asking not ordering you." I said to him and he was quiet for a moment before he spoke again.
"That depends…on what it is. You are…mother to us…leader…but it does comfort me that you…ask." Samuel said and I felt sort of proud. Like, a connection that we both had to trust each other and that I would make sure he would end with mercy when I was done needing his help. He's one of the few walkers who I happen to like.
"When we get to the farm I was wondering if you could stay with me? Most of the walkers I meet I give mercy too but…you're one of the few who I've actually talked to than just a few sentences. I don't want to presume but I want you to be one of my friends." I told him just as he finished. Samuel remained where he was, kneeling in front of me before bowing his head. One of the walkers had found some berries for me to tie me over until we got to the farm. I was starving since I hadn't eaten anything since the barn massacre. Finding water as well was trouble enough.
"Of course…would enjoy…being friends. Consider me…as a personal…guard." Samuel said and I giggled.
"Of course, all queens need a body guard." I said to me as he stood, throwing my arm around his neck before we got on the move once more.
"Handsome undead ones." Samuel joked and it made me laugh even more. Samuel made me laugh the rest of the way back to the farm, telling me stories about his sisters and what he used to do to them whenever they annoyed him. He once, put pink dye in his little sisters' shampoo bottle because she dumped a bucket of cold water on him after he came home from a date, saying that he needed to take a cold shower after that steamy make-out season in his car.
"I'm sorry." I said to him as the sun began to set, the air around us getting colder by the minute as we continued on towards the farm. Hopefully we were getting close to it so that I wouldn't have to spend another night in the forest.
"It's…not your fault…I'm dead. You didn't kill…me. If anything…you…being…here…helps."
"I know but…maybe…when I get better control of what I can and can't do then maybe I can help find your family? See if they're still alive?" I asked him.
"I would…like that…if possible." Samuel said and I felt tears prick my eyes.
"I promise. I'll do all I can." I said and I tightened my hand around Samuel's undead one. I felt sorry for him, sad that he lost his family all because of this…thing. Deep down I knew the truth about what I was but how do I go about to accomplish it? The only lead I have…
One for a cure…maybe…
Is that my blood in its pure form helped Carl heal faster than normal but that's all I have for right now. I haven't spoken to Carl lately so maybe when I get back to the farm I can ask him questions about how he feels or if there has been anything strange since he woke up. Once I deal with Shane I will start to learn and understand all I can.
There is no more time to be wasted.
"We are getting close." The walker leading us to the farm said. I nodded at him and we press forward. My heart began to rest as I felt the cold air around us get even more colder and the sun disappeared from the sky as it changed from orange to black. My fear of the dark ate at my skin as my eyes scanned anything that was familiar. Of course nothing comes to mind since no one would allow me to travel very far from the farm.
When I was younger, living in that white room I always thought there were monsters living outside of my room. That every time I went to bed I would imagine that this black large monster would stand outside of the door, that if I did open the door it would swallow me whole. Now when I look into the forest at night I fear the same monster waiting for me.
That was until I found the truth.
The monster wasn't really a monster.
Just a friend…
Waiting for me to let it in.
"Ahhh!" There was a scream in the distance along with shouting so we rushed. Samuel and one other went with me as we broke through the tree line to see something in the middle of the field. I told the others to hang back, that I would call for them if I needed them before we moved closer. If I thought the darkness made my chest pound it wasn't until we got closer did the fear the worse.
Was someone hurt?
Did something happen?
What?
"Hope!" Dale cried to me as tears came to my eyes. I took the walker by the shoulder and pulled him away from Dale just as the others had arrived. They pointed their guns but I stopped them, standing in front of the walkers with Samuel next to me.
"Take care of Dale." I told them then turned my attention to the skinny walker. With my back turned I looked the walker in the eyes and asked how it came to this field. Last time we checked there wasn't a walker anywhere near us but to have one suddenly appear seemed a little farfetched for me.
"What the hell?!" Shane demanded and I rounded around to look at him, my eyes never blinking as Samuel beside me hissed.
"Don't you dare! I will handle you later Shane. For now, I am in control!" My voice was stern as I looked to the others who were trying to save Dale. I looked at Dale, my heart breaking but his wounds…his guts were all over the grass and he was losing blood by the minute as it ticked away. He wouldn't last much longer; the pain he must be feeling…
I am sorry Dale.
I couldn't save you.
"What happened?" I demanded and the walker told me everything. From being stuck in the inch-deep mud until Carl came to play; throwing rocks at it to toy with it. He stood to close and yet Carl smelled just like me that the walker thought it was me. Then Carl tripped and the walker was so hungry…it followed Carl's scent to the farm where it found the calf before attacking Dale. I shook my head before order the walker that came with me to force the walk to its knees.
I blocked all human voices from around me so that the only ones I heard where those I wanted to hear.
"I…am…sorry…mother…" The walker said as more tears came to my eyes.
"Sorry doesn't fix things. They belong to me. They are not food." I said to the walker before nodding to the one holding him down. I watched as its head was bashed into the nearest rock until it moved no more.
Then I took a deep breath before facing the group.
They stood before me, watching me as they hoped that Dale would make it. Even when Hershel said that he wouldn't make the trip Rick wanted to save him. I told Rick that Dale shouldn't suffer any more than he already has. Rick understood before pulling his gun from its holster. When Rick couldn't take the shot Daryl took over whispering good-bye brother before pulling the trigger.
The sound of the gun shot echoed until there was nothing but silence.
Then all things came at me.
"Hope, you're alive." Daryl said and came closer but Samuel wasn't having it. Guns were drawn once more but I held up my hand.
"Of course I'm alive. It's going to take something more than a car wreck and being shot at to stop me." I told them.
"What are you talking about?" Rick said.
"Didn't your lovely wife tell you?" All eyes were on Lori now. "She kidnapped me. While I was in no condition to move your wife came into my tent and put me in the car before driving to find you. When her eyes left the road we ran into a walker that mad us flip the car. When I came to my wound had reopened and walkers were around us. They helped me close it but not before Shane found us." I explained.
"You told me Hope went for a walk!" Daryl said and T-Dog held him back as he yelled at the woman.
"I'm pregnant Daryl, I couldn't go alone. What was I supposed to do?"
"Not leave the farm is a good idea." I said and Lori couldn't meet my eyes.
"What happened next?" Rick asked.
"Oh, my story does get better." I said and I looked at Shane. "This bastard here hasn't liked me since the beginning since I found out about what he was up to back at the quarry. When I told him what happened he didn't believe me at all, saying that it was my fault I caused the car wreck! When I told you that I was recovering from your lovely gunshot you told me that you could fix that problem. You never miss twice do you Shane?" I asked him and everything now was looking at the two of them.
"Hope has been missing because you shot at her?" Rick asked.
"Rick listen…" Shane started but was stopped when Daryl landed a nice punch on Shane's face.
"After I escaped from Shane, I went into the woods where I spent the night. I sprained my ankle but I knew I had to get back here to let you guys know what happened." I told them.
"Hope…those walkers with you…" Andrea said and I could tell everyone was not easy with facing two walkers.
"The one holding me up is Samuel. He'll be staying with me from now on seeing as though I can't trust anyone anymore." I looked at Shane. "And he's a fresh one too Shane. They're a lot faster when they're brand new." I told them and then told Samuel to head for my tent. "If anyone else has any questions then they can wait until tomorrow. I am tired and I smell." I stopped. "Oh, and Shane?" I looked over my shoulder with a grin. "I'm still holding to what I told you on the road. Might want to step lightly around me, you don't know if I'm infectious or not. Good-night!"
With that I continued on towards my tent without looking back. I sent the other walker back towards the tree line while Samuel smiled besides me.
"Bravo…lovely…speech."
"Thank you. Tomorrow is a big day. Try and not to get killed before the morning." I said to him.
"I will…try…" Samuel said. "Any orders?"
"No eating the humans and the cows are also off limits. If you get hungry let me know."
"Of course."
"Good night." I said as I slipped into the tent.
"Good…night…Hope."
~oOo~
Already! That's it! All done! What did you guys think? Leave a review and let me know!
(A/N)
So, I'm in my new place now and it's really, really small but it will make due until the year is up. It's really nice and really warm but I miss all my friends in Iowa so Georgia will be a new adventure. We're getting close to the end of the season and I thank you all for those who have stuck with me for this long! You guys are my real support and I thank you all for it! Since I won't have a job for maybe a month or so I'll try and get a few chapters out but no promises! I will try though!
Until next time!