Sorry not sorry for the chapter spam! I'm just far ahead i thought i'd spoil everyone!
"We got a swimmer." Dale called to them as they approached. Daryl had even joined us from where he set up his tent. Each survivor took a turn looking down into the well. Glen went last.
"How long do you think it's been down there?" The Asian asked Dale. Dale shook his head and I shrugged, looking over at Daryl. He narrowed his eyes in disgust and stepped a few paces away.
"Long enough to grow gills." Andrea chimed in. The walker continued to growl from its place in the water, watching us intently, hungrily.
"We can't leave it in there, god knows what it's doing to the water." Lori stated.
"For all we knew the water is already contaminated." I said grossly. The others shrugged anyways, looking amongst each other. Daryl and I shared a look and I knew he agreed with me.
"How do we get it out?"
"Easy, stick a bullet in its head, get a rope and pull it out." Shane said matter of factly. Maggie shook her head, she didn't agree with us.
"Whoa whoa, guys no." she said. I watched her quietly, wondering why she was so quick to go against us. Apparently I wasn't the only one wondering.
"Why not? It's a good plan?" Glenn asked her. She didn't reply, but she didn't have to.
"It's a stupid plan." Andrea chided, looking from Glenn to the well. "If that thing hasn't contaminated the water yet, blowing its brains out will finish the job."
"She's right, can't risk it." Daryl chimed in, taking a second look. "It has to come out alive." T-dog and I looked at each other and I took a deep breath. I had a bad feeling about this and honestly it was too gross to deal with.
"How do we do that?" Glenn questioned. The group looked from one another unsure, but I had an idea, one that I knew they wouldn't like.
"Someone has to climb down there and rope it." My words were quiet and the group looked at me in disbelief. I shrugged, looking at each one in turn. "It ain't gonna rope itself. Someone has to do it."
"And just who do you propose we push into the well?" Shane's mouth was going off a mile a minute, like I knew it would. I crossed my arms in front of my chest, glaring at him. I glanced up at Daryl and he shook his head slowly. I didn't listen to him, however.
"I'll go." I was adamant and Shane scoffed at me. Daryl looked at me wide-eyed, ready to argue.
"Ya can't just throw yourself in a well with a walker. Are ya fuckin insane?" Daryl said gesturing to the well. From his tone I could tell he didn't like that idea at all, but I didn't see a way around it.
"I agree, its much to dangerous." T-Dog interjected. Daryl stiffened, looking over at the man. Dale stood quietly a few feet away, listening to us argue, before he spoke up.
"Beau is right. If she feels comfortable, let her go." Daryl cussed the man under his breath, about three seconds from throwing a hissy. Dale merely watched him, waiting for him to finish. "I know nobody else wants to." Dale looked between the group and no one spoke up. "If she's brave enough to do it, it seems like it's the only way. I have rope down at the RV. Glenn go run and get that please."
"I'll go down." Daryl offered, stepping forward.
"You're too big, you wouldn't be able to finagle the rope around him before he got you." Shane interjected. I was thankful for his opinion, but I raised a questioning eyebrow at him all the same. Daryl cursed again under his breath, and I frowned at him. He looked at me with worried eyes, running his thumb across his bottom lip.
Glenn returned a few minutes later with the rope in hand. I watched him hand it off to Dale, and the older man looked at me once more before handing it over to me. I took it slowly, running it through my belt loops and tying a knot at my front.
"Don't do this." Daryl said walking up to me. He reached out, grabbing the knot I'd just tied, double checking it. I looked up at the man and smiled as he yanked on it.
"I know, but we need this water and it was my stupid idea." I leaned up to him, planting a kiss on his cheek. Daryl gave me a weak smile before taking his place at the front of the line. I sat on the side of the well, looking down into its depths.
"You people are crazy!" Maggie shouted from behind me. She didn't like this idea at all and her body language showed. Her arms were crossed in front of her chest and she paced the dirt.
"Maggie, give us an eye would ya?" Dale asked. I looked back at her and smiled as she approached me, looking down into the well. With one final look at everyone I draped the rope for the walker over my shoulder and descended into the well.
It was cooler down in the well, from the stone and how it had been out of the sun. But that didn't help to calm my nerves. Standing up top, climbing down into the well seemed like a good idea, but now that I was doing it, I was terrified. My hands were shaking with every inch they lowered me. I could hear the walker in the water below growling hungrily, ready to eat my flesh.
"Doin okay?" Maggie asked, startling me. I jumped, but only a little bit and I smiled up at her.
"Yep, doin great." I looked back down at the monster below me and muttered to myself. "Living the dream." As my feet grew closer to the walker I began to draw back, lifting them higher and higher the more my anxiety rose. Its snarls grew louder and I could barely hear Maggie above me, telling them to drop me just a little lower.
There was a loud crash from above and suddenly I was falling. My heart skipped a mile a minute and I screamed bloody murder, clinging to the rope for dear life.
"Fuck!" I yelled as again, I began to plummet, only to be stopped suddenly. I kicked my feet and I could feel the walkers finger tips at the bottom of my shoe. "Get me out of here! Please! Holy shit!" I yelled back up to them, squeezing my eyes shut. I gripped tightly to the rope, the only thing between me and the walker below. My eyes burned and I fought back the tears, attempting to take deep, calming breaths.
I felt panic rising in my throat as I dangled there for what felt like forever. The walker continuously grabbed at my feet and I kicked at its gross, rotting hands. I looked down and then remembered the rope I had over my shoulder, the one I was supposed to put around the dead man in the well. I tried my best, despite my shaking hands, to lasso him, and I saw my chance. It raised both of its hands up and I tossed the rope down, where it found its way under his shoulders.
My moment of triumph was short lived however and the thing grabbed me again, this time getting hold of my shoe.
"Get it off! Get it off!" I chanted over and over again, kicking at the monster. I had started to lose hope when I felt myself being lifted. Reality came back to me, though my adrenaline still pumped fiercely, as they pulled me up to the light.
"Pull her up! Pull her up!" I heard them shouting above me. There was a flurry of feet above me, I could hear them scrambling in the dirt. They were pulling me up a lot faster, but my panic still didn't subside. I was close enough to the top now and I reach for the ledge, hoisting myself out of the damp well.
I felt pairs of rough hands on my body, all of them grabbing hold of me to get me out of the well. I could feel myself shaking and I tried to stand but I couldn't. I fell to the dirt, finding myself covered in it, coughing and panting.
"Are you okay?"
"Holy Shit!"
"Beau say something!" everyone shouted at me at once, but I didn't look up. I sat on my hands an knees, staring at the dirt. Another set of footsteps approached rapidly and a body knelt on the ground in front of me.
"Darlin', say summ'n." two gentle hands found there way to my shoulders, shaking me roughly. I looked up, meeting Daryl's gaze and I jumped on him, hugging him tightly. I pulled away, still shaking, and he looked at me again. He didn't say any words, merely stared into my eyes. He was asking me a question, one that he desperately needed to know the answer to. Was I okay?
"I-I'm fine." I stammered out, standing slowly, shakily. He didn't let go of me, nor did he look away. "I'm okay." I repeated, this time more firm. The answer seemed okay with him and his gaze drifted to those around us. He watched them all warily, his eyes flickering to each in turn.
"Back to the drawing board." Dale spoke solemnly, glancing back at the well. I looked up at him and then back to well I'd just crawled out of. Cockily, I dropped the rop into the old mans hands.
"Says you." I sniffed letting Daryl lead me off to the side. Once off to the side, Daryl smirked at me and I smiled, wiping my brow.
Everybody else had regrouped and now they stood over the well, rope in hand, attempting to hoist the walker up. Daryl watched them warily while I sat off to the side, still trying to catch my breath.
"All idiots if ya ask me." Daryl spoke quietly, still looking me over. "Five wells on the property'n they feel it's necessary ta risk summ'ns life for one." I still remained quiet, watching them silently get to work at pulling the walker up. Daryl turned back to me, watching me, and placed a hand on my cheek, rubbing his rough thumb against my skin. I smiled, closing my eyes, relishing in his touch.
"It's stuck!" I heard somebody yell over the commotion and the snarling of the walker. This time Daryl turned around and I frowned as he removed his hand. I watched the survivors struggle against the walker. The walkers groans became louder and around his midsection began to bleed.
"Wait, wait, wait!" I yelled, standing up, waving my arms to catch their attention. They were too focused on the walker, however and by the time they realized I was calling to them, it was too late.
The walker tore in two, slowly at first, but the more they yanked the quicker they tore him. I gagged as a load of maggots and guts spilled out onto the ground. I felt my heart sink as the walker's bottom half fell back into the well. It hit the water with a loud splash, leaving a sour taste in my mouth. The group paused, shocked by what had just happened.
Daryl took a few steps forward, looking down into the well. The group exchange awkward looks, all of them seeming very disheartened.
"Good thing we didn't shoot em, huh?" Daryl asked coyly, looking back at me. I gagged as the top half of the walker still rolled from side to said, grabbing at everyone's feet.
"We should seal off this well." Dale suggested, also watching the walker in disgust.
"That's probably a good idea." Shane agreed.
"What do we do about the walker?" Maggie asked. She got her answer moments later when T-Dog took a pipe to its head, bashing it over and over again, until the gurgles stopped. I couldn't watch T-Dog bash it's head in any longer, and I made for my tent