We were done by the time the rest of the group showed up. Shane, T-Dog, Andrea, Glenn, Lori and Herschel's oldest daughter, Maggie all strolled up with a look of hesitation on their faces. Dale and I stood near the well, casting occasional glances down at Walter the Walker, as I had so endearingly nicknamed it.

As everyone circled the hole in the ground, Walter looked up at us and reached out, as if he was trying to grab us and pull us in with it. The groans it emitted were noticeably different from the other walkers that we had encountered.

"Looks like we got ourselves a swimmer." Dale commented.

"How long," Glenn asked. "do you think it's been down there?"

"Long enough to grow gills." Andrea sniped.

I rolled my eyes at her sarcastic response.

"We can't leave it in there. God knows what it's doing to the water." Lori said.

"It's probably already contaminated. Wouldn't want to be drinking that." I said, watching the swollen creature turn in circles.

"Gotta get it out." Shane pushed.

"Walter doesn't look like he wants to come out peacefully." I was met with confused looks. "I named him."

"Don't name it!" Glenn scolded. "Once you name them, you get attached to them!"

Maggie stiffened in a way that I couldn't explain, so I just shrugged it off.

"I'll go get a stick."

"Why?" Andrea asked.

"So I can poke at it." I explained as if though it was the simplest thing in the world.

"Gonna need a big stick." Glenn said quietly, kneeling down next to me and peering into the hole.

I felt like we were conspiring children.

"Then go find a rock and drop it. I want to see what happens."

"Guys, this is serious. We need to take care of this." Andrea growled.

"Easy. Put a bullet in its head." T-Dog suggested. "I'll get a rope."

"Whoa!" Maggie shot down. "No!"

"Why?" I asked.

"It's a good plan." Glenn agreed.

"It's a stupid plan." Andrea snapped. "If that thing hasn't contaminated the water yet, blowing it's brains out sure will finish the job."

"She's right. We can't risk it. It's gotta come out alive." Shane finalized.

"How are we going to do that?" I asked.

Silence answered my question. I looked up curiously to see all eyes on Glenn. My mouth fell open.

"Really guys? Really?" I groaned.

"Y-yeah. I mean, can't we try something else before you all commit third degree murder." Glenn stuttered.

"Dad has a canned ham in the house. We can crack it open and see if the fishes bite." Maggie suggested quickly, a look of horror in her eyes.

Shane nodded once and she took off for the house, as if she was scared they'd change their minds if she didn't hurry.

She made it back in record time with fishing line, a can with pale pink meat in it and a rope that had already been fastened into a noose. We set up our rig and sent down both lines. The walker took no notice.

"It's not interested." I sighed in defeat, keeping one hand on Riddick as he peered into the hole and growled at the monster.

"Because a canned ham don't kick and scream." T-Dog said.

"There's a reason the dead didn't come back to raid our cupboards." Lori stated.

"Sorry Glenn." I whispered, patting his back as he groaned.

….

Shane tied a second rope into a harness like object and tightened it around Glenn's legs.

"Have I ever told you I liked your haircut?" Glenn asked shakily. "You have a nice shaped head."

"Don't worry, man. We'll get you out in one piece."

"Living piece. The living part is important."

"You people are crazy!" Maggie accused, running a hand through her hair.

"You want it out of your well?" Shane nearly snapped.

We all took our positions, looping the rope holding Glenn around the water pump and grabbing a hold of the rough rope material. With a nod from Glenn, we began to lower him into the hole.

My heart was nearly beating out of my chest as the rope went from slack to tense with the weight of my Asian friend. Lower and lower Glenn went and the tighter the rope got. I was glad I had Shane in front of me. His strength was welcomed any day, but today especially.

Everything seemed to be going good until an unusual creaking sound came from the pump. My eyes widened and I tightened my grip on the rope seconds before it was torn from the ground. Shane leapt forward to grab it as it flew forwards. I found myself flung forward with it, and I planted my feet against the concrete ring.

The jolt nearly dislocated my arms, and suddenly I wasn't the only one next to the opening. T-Dog held the pump in his hands, the look of pain on his face evident as his injured arm was aggravated. Everyone else was grabbing the rope, the pump or T-Dog himself.

Glenn's screams could be heard from inside the stone walls of the well, and it seemed to give everyone a renowned sense of urgency. With strength no one knew they had, suddenly we were moving away from the well and Glenn's head was appearing over the top.

Shane and I darted forward, grabbing Glenn and throwing him onto the solid ground.

"Are you ok?" I gasped, looking him over hurriedly for bites or scratches.

He didn't respond, just kept his hand pressed to the ground and panted. Shaking my head, I nudged Riddick aside when he crowded and stood up.

"Back to the drawing board."

Suddenly Glenn was smirking as he moved to his feet.

"Says you." He handed Dale the rope and stumbled away.

Dale gave the rope an experimental jerk and was surprised when he met resistance. I moved to the edge of the hole and burst out in a fit of nervous laughter. The Walter was ready to be lynched.

"Got a horse we can borrow?" Andrea asked Maggie.

"Yeah." She panted, whipping sweat of her brow. "Be back."

When she returned with the horse, everything went smoothly. We wrapped the end of the rope around the saddle horn on the bay mare's saddle and walked her forward. The rest of us held the rope and pulled.

You could tell when Walter was closer to the surface because the smell became worse, if that was possible.

"Little more, Maggie!" I called back to her as she pulled the horse forward a few more feet.

As the swollen, water engorged head cleared the top, water and yellowish fluid spurted from its ears, coating the ground and T-Dogs shoes with a thin slime. Then we met resistance.

"He's stuck!" T-Dog supplied.

"Stop pulling!" I yelled. "He's gonna split-,"

I didn't get to finish my sentence as the lower half of Walter's body split from the top half, sending a pair of legs and guts cascading back into the watery hole. Walter continued to squirm around, reaching out for us and trying to squirm his way toward our legs.

"Seal off the well." Dale said.

"Yep." Shane agreed, rubbing his nose.

"What do we do about-," Andrea's question was cut off as T-Dog slammed an object a few times on Walter's head.

"Yeah," he panted when Walter stopped moving, "Good thing we didn't do anything stupid, like shoot it." T-Dog groused, turning away and shuffling back to camp.

Eventually, everyone followed suit. Shane walked next to me, an annoyed look on his face.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Huh?" He started, looking confused.

"You look like somebody pissed in your cornflakes."

"It's nothing."

"Always something, Shane."

He sighed and ran a hand over his recently shaven head before gesturing around with it.

"The Walker made it in somehow. That means that this place aint safe like we had imagined. Don't let your guard down, Alice." He finished vaguely, patting me on my back. He picked up speed and limped away.

I looked down at Riddick as Shane made his way away from us.

"Yep. Someone pissed in his cornflakes."

"It wasn't me."

"I didn't say it was you."

"Sure, but you were thinking it."

"Oh, so you're a mind reader now, are you?"

"Of course. Right now you're recalling how much you love me."

We continued our march back to the house where I planned to take advantage of Herschel's showers and lay down for a good nights sleep.

o