Hi, bad news.

This will be the final chapter of this story.

I apologize if you really enjoyed it, but I no longer do.

Thank you for reading, and enjoy for the final time! ;)

(Disclaimer; I do not own the concept of The Walking Dead)

Chapter 25: Tulip

Daisy broke up with me after I couldn't answer her. I just didn't know how to find the words, yet they were so simple. About a week later I saw her hang out with one of my friends. They were standing next to a grocery store, my friend with his back against the wall and Daisy in front of him. She saw me looking by seeing my reflection in the windows of the store. I stood at the other side of the road. I saw her eyes harden, before she pressed her lips against my friend's. But our love story didn't end there. I couldn't let her go. When the whole outbreak began, the first house I ran to was hers. She'd already gone to the refugee camp with her family. I had no idea where mine was, so my best chance of finding all the people I cared about was at this same camp. So I went there. Instead of finding the people I held dear, I met new ones.

At the time we ran through the gates of the factory, I thought this was what Abby was thinking at that time. She'd lost her mother and her brother, the only people she had. It was even partially my fault they were gone, yet she still came to my rescue. I think we both knew that you can't survive in this world without other people around you.

And she wanted me around.

We met up with Aiden, who stood guard at the front gate.

"Close it!" Tyler shouted as we neared the light of day. Aiden started pushing the first gate, leaving an exit for us to pass through and then closed the other. The walkers already started resisting and all four of us had to push before we were safe from them. Before I got separated from Daisy.

After we succeeded locking the gates, Aiden looked around our remaining group. With his eyes, he counted our numbers, and then nodded. "So this is what's left, huh?"

Tyler nodded, coughing loudly. "Let's just…get out of here, before they bash through."

Near the entrance to the courtyard stood a white van. Aiden said it was what Keith used to pass through. Close to it stood two men, some kind of farmers. They used to work for the Lunatic.

"Joe" said the first one, holding up his hand.

"Roger" said the other, and even dared to smile. I saw Abby grinding her teeth. This wasn't the time for a friendly introduction.

"Why are you still here?" Tyler asked, and both the men dashed back a little by his aggressive posture.

Joe shrugged. "Well, you see…we kinda need the van. But, uh…." He then pointed at Aiden. "He has the keys."

Tyler glanced over his shoulder to Aiden, who showed him a key cord. He nodded. "Ok. Then it's ours."

The two men looked at each other in shock, and then back at Tyler. "Wait! Wait, just….where are you planning on going?"

Tyler glared at the two idiots, before walking over to the van. Aiden followed him, ignoring the pleading of the two men. Abby rolled her eyes, and for some reason grabbed my arm, dragging me towards the vehicle as well. We climbed up in the back of the van, while the two men ran towards the driver's side, where Aiden already sat behind the wheel.

"Anywhere but here is good enough" he mumbled to them. The two men fell silent, as Aiden started the engine. Joe suddenly grabbed Aiden by the arm, pulling himself up. His face was close to Aiden's.

Abby and me jumped out the back again. Tyler quickly ran around, ready to attack Joe from behind, but then he started talking. "I know a place. A safe one. My brother….he's an U.S. citizen. He's found this 'safe-zone' kind of thing…"

Tyler had a knife at the back of Joe's neck, while Roger stood at the side watching with widened eyes. He had Abby and me standing at both his sides, so he wouldn't do anything.

"Liar" Tyler spat. Joe shook his head.

"No! I'm serious! My brother, he lives in Georgia. Atlanta, to be exact. You see, we, Roger and me, we were preparing to go there."

Joe turned around to look at Tyler, who chuckled in disbelief. He lowered his knife and crossed his arms. "I'm listening." Joe and Roger locked eyes with one another, as if they were considering telling the truth or not. Tyler pulled out his knife again, and got a grim expression on his face. "I'm not hearing anything."

Joe nodded quickly, sweat appearing on his forehead. "Yeah, so, we, Roger and me….we prepared a boat. With supplies and everything. To cross the sea, get to the main land."

Tyler and Aiden looked at one another, and even though they barely knew each other, they seemed to think the same thing already. "A boat, you say?"

Joe nodded again. "Yes. Yes, and, well, we have some spare room. You could…come with us?"

I felt Roger next to me freeze. His friend had apparently said something really stupid. Luckily, Tyler was smart enough to know this might just be a trap.

"And why would we trust you?"

The man looked around the group, his eyes got caught on Abby, who was the tiniest among us. "Because, well, you guys know how to handle yourselves. Even the kids know how to kill a person-"

"I've never killed anyone" Abby interrupted. "Just walkers."

Joe gulped at the cold words, but I didn't disagree with Abby. The difference between people and walkers wasn't up for debate. Walkers were mindless beings, only out to eat.

But then the image of Daisy's head falling on my chest flashed before my eyes. The way it looked like she was just sleeping, like those Sundays after practice. We'd watch a movie together and she'd fall asleep. I just waited for her to wake up again, even if I had to pee. I didn't want to wake her up, or have her waking up with me not being there. Yet that was the exact thing I just did to her. She fell asleep, but would never wake up.

"Max!" Abby's voice suddenly whispered. I blinked, returning to the present. Abby pointed at my hand, which was folded around a knife. My palm was bleeding because I was squeezing so hard. In the main time, Tyler and Joe were negotiating a safe passage across the sea. They'd almost come to an agreement.

"In exchange for protection, you'll grant us a spot at your boat?" Tyler repeated. Joe nodded, now determined. The sweat had disappeared from his forehead.

Tyler and Aiden locked eyes once again, before agreeing. Joe and Tyler shook hands. We all got inside the van, Aiden behind the wheel and Joe in the passenger's seat, instructing which direction to go. Tyler kept looking from Joe to Roger, never letting go of his knife. There was also a machete strapped to his belt, which was close to his other hand. Maybe this was his way of keeping his end of the deal (protecting them), or his way of showing his trust. In this case distrust.

Roger sat next to Tyler, and Abby and me sat at the other side. There were already no walkers inside anymore, but it sure did smell like it. There were still blood splatters all around, and some bits and pieces of clothing. We ourselves didn't look that fresh either. I had no idea what day it was and since when I was wearing this shirt.

"America" Abby sighed after a while.

"Yup" I sighed back. "Never been there. You?"

She shook her head. "I doubt we'll find anything the way it used to. It's probably even worse than over here."

I shrugged. "Maybe not. If there's a safe zone, they probably found ways to protect themselves."

Abby gazed at something in front of her only she could see. With her braid gone, her hair was now a strange kind of bob line, with dark hair just dancing around her face and several differences in length. She noticed the change earlier, but didn't comment. "I sure hope so."

I leaned back against the cold sides of the van, suddenly feeling tired again. I closed my eyes, and took a deep breath. "As long we're like this, I think we'll be fine."

The End